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Secondary containment is an emergency short-term storage system designed to hold releases from tanks. Secondary containment and leak detection systems allow for detection of leaks from the primary or inner tank while providing a secondary barrier to contain releases and prevent them from entering the environment. Such systems also provide protection from spills caused by operational errors, such as overfilling.
Under 40 CFR 264/265.193(a), all new hazardous waste tank systems must have secondary containment and leak detection before being placed in service. Secondary containment systems have to be designed, installed, and operated to prevent waste releases to the surrounding soil, groundwater, or surface water. The construction material or liner needs to be:
The secondary containment system, like the tank itself, must possess sufficient structural strength to prevent failure, and the foundation has to be designed to resist failure due to normal movement of the surrounding soils (i.e., settlement, compression, or uplift).
But that’s not all ...
Related EPA regulations that require secondary containment include:
OSHA, too, mentions leaking containers and spill containment in several regulations, including, but not limited to, the:
You may also wish to check for any further secondary containment requirements with: