Obtain Approval:
Installation of new tanks requires pre-approval from a Safety Codes Officer with authority in the jurisdiction. Authority for storage tank regulations in the Alberta Fire Code is shared between the municipal fire department and the Petroleum Tank Management Association of Alberta (PTMAA). To find out who has authority in the municipality where the tank installation is planned you may refer to the PTMAA website or call the PTMAA office at 1-866-222-8265. The website has a list of all municipalities where the PTMAA is the authority having jurisdiction. If the municipality you are looking for is not listed, then contact the fire department. All aboveground storage tanks, which will be installed in a fixed location, require approval before the installation begins.
Permit Application:
The PTMAA provides storage tank installation advice to all stakeholders, regardless of the location of the planned installation. The Permit Regulation for the province of Alberta came into effect April 1, 2008. The regulation mandates that a permit shall be applied for and issued for all petroleum storage tank installations, removals, or alterations. Fax the completed permit application to the PTMAA office and we will follow up with information to verify a plan that meets the Fire Code or give suggestions to get things back on track. This application will be reviewed the same business day it is received.
Plans Examination:
All aboveground installations must be designed by a professional engineer. Depending on jurisdiction, either a municipal or PTMAA Safety Codes Officer must examine engineered drawings for the planned tank installation. The AFC mandates that all aboveground tank installations must be designed by a professional engineer. As an Authority Having Jurisdiction, the PTMAA requires three sets of drawings which are stamped and signed by an engineer licensed to work in the province of Alberta be submitted to the PTMAA office for approvals in PTMAA jurisdictions. To register a storage tank, evidence of Safety Codes Officer approval is required.
Approved Aboveground Petroleum Storage Tanks:
- ULC-S601, “Shop Fabricated Steel Aboveground Horizontal Tanks for Flammable and Combustible Liquids”
- CAN/ULC S-602-M, “Aboveground Steel Tanks for Fuel Oil and Lubricating Oil”
- CAN/ULC-S630, “Shop Fabricated Steel Aboveground Vertical Tanks for Flammable and Combustible Liquids”
- CAN/ULC-S643-M, “Shop Fabricated Steel Aboveground Utility Tanks for Flammable and Combustible Liquids”
- ULC-652, “Tank Assemblies for Collection of Used Oil”
- ULC-S653, “Aboveground Steel Contained Tank Assembles for Flammable and Combustible Liquids”
- ULC/ORD-C142.5, “Concrete Encased Steel Aboveground Tank Assemblies for Flammable and Combustible Liquids”
- ULC-S655, (replacing ULC/ORD C142.16), “Protected Aboveground Tank Assemblies for Flammable and Combustible Liquids”
- ULC/ORD-C142.18, “Rectangular Steel Aboveground Tank Assemblies for Flammable and Combustible Liquids”
- ULC/ORD-C142.22, “Contained Steel Vertical Aboveground Tank Assemblies for Flammable and Combustible Liquids”
- ULC/ORD-C142.23, “Aboveground Waste Oil Tanks”
- API-650, “Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage”
- API-620, “Design and Construction of Large, Welded, Low-Pressure Storage Tanks”
Contractor Selection:
The Alberta Fire Code requires that aboveground storage tank installations which involve piping or valve connections must be supervised by a certified contractor. A list of companies which employ certified individuals is available on the PTMAA website or by giving us a call. If you have an underground tank that has no further use it must be removed. Most certified installers also have remover licenses so there may be efficiency in coordinating the installation and removal.
Tank Registration
Some aboveground storage tanks do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Fire Code. Tanks used exclusively for farm purposes or on temporary construction projects are examples of exclusions. Also, if the tank is part of an approval from the EUB it would fall under the jurisdiction of the standards of Guide-55. Tanks used in gas plants would be an example of this exemption. Registration applies to tanks which fall under the Fire Code if one or more compartments of an aboveground installation is 2500 litres or greater. A registration application is made to the PTMAA once the tank is installed. Tanks subject to registration cannot be used, product added to or product removed from a tank that is not registered. Owners are encouraged to gather as much technical information as possible from tank manufacturers and installers in order to simplify the registration process. The tank ULC or API Standard listing is especially important. A certificate, which expires August 31st of each year is sent to the owner once the registration process is complete. Tanks which do not meet the Fire Code, as evidenced by Safety Codes Officer approval, will not be registered.