STATE OF MAINE 

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

ANGUS S. KING, JR. MARTHA KIRKPATRICK 

AuGUSTA 

GOVERNOR COMMISSIONER 

MEMORANDUM 

TO: B )~ of Environmental Protection 

r . ~Bureau of Air Quality Co~trol 

AJ~:st 4, 1999 

FROM: 

DATE: 

RE: Adoption: Chapter 111 Petroleum Liquid Storage Vapor Control 

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Statutory and Regulatory Reference: 

Title 38 M.R.S.A. Section 585-A, Establishment of Standards - This statutory section 

provides that the Board of Environmental Protection 11may establish and amend 

regulations to implement ambient air quality standards and emission standards. These 

regulations shall be designed to achieve and maintain ambient air quality standards and 

emission standards within any region and prevent air pollution II. 

Location/ Applicability: 

Statewide 

Description: 

This rule went to public hearing on August 26, 1998. Based on comments received at 

the hearing, the Department proposed a significant change to this rule, which required a 

30-day comment period. The Department is proposing petroleum storage vessels be 

inspected every ten years with a routine visual inspection required monthly. (The 

proposed ru1e for. the August hearing required a five or ten year inspection frequency 

depending on the type of tank.) Tank inspections involving the degassing and refilling 

of a storage tank cause volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to be emitted to the 

atmosphere, with these emissions contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone. 

Decreasing the inspection frequency from annually to every ten years reduces the 

overall VOC emissions emitted from this activity. This proposal would also allow 

inspections to be performed without degassing the tanks as long as there is visual access 

to all deck components, further reducing emissions. 

17 STATE HOUSE STATION BANGOR PORTLAND PRESQUE ISLE 

AUGUSTA, MAI:-.oE 04333·0017 106 HOGAN ROAD 312 CANCO ROAD 1135 CE::-;'TRAL DRIVE, SKY\\'AY l'.·'.i:I' 

(107) 1o7·76A8 BANGOR, MAINE 04401 PORTLAND, MA!::-;'E 04103 PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE 04769·2,'''~ 

RAY BLDG., HOSPITAL ST. (207) 941·4570 FAX: (207) 941·451:l4 (207) 822·6300 FAX: (207) 822·6303 (207J 164·0477 FAX: (207) 764-15·2~ 

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At the Board's March 10, 1999 meeting, the Board voted to propose a prohibition 

against emptying and degassing tanks from June 1 to August 31 of each year because of 

VOC emissions released during periods when high ozone levels can be expected. This 

was a significant change so the rule went to a 30-day comment period. During the 

comment period industry members expressed concern about meeting Chapter. 600 

provisions which require cleaning, inspections, repair and upgrading of above-ground 

storage tanks with the three month prohibition in place. Industry believes that the June 

1 to August 31 prohibition will make it very difficult to comply with these 

requirements. 

In order for industry to meet the proposed Chapter 600 requirements and the 

Department to address concerns for .reducing VOC emissions on high ozone days, the 

Department believes a two-part approach is warranted. This rule proposes that between 

January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2003, emptying and degassing tanks for the purpose 

of performing a complete inspection is prohibited on those days for which the 

Department has issued an ozone health warning. Beginning January 1, 2004, this 

activity is prohibited between June 1 and August 31 of each year. The January 1, 2004 

date ties in with Chapter 600 provisions which require certain tank inspections to be 

completed by that date. With this approach the Department believes industry can 

comply with proposed Chapter 600 regulations and Chapter 111 requirements and VOC 

emissions will be reduced on high ozone days. 

Environmental Issues: 

Volatile organic compounds contribute to ground-level ozone formation, which can 

impair lung capacity and cause eye, nose, and throat irritation. 

Department Recommendation: 

The Department recommends that the Board adopt Chapter 111, Petroleum Liquid 

Storage Vapor Control, as amended. 

Estimated Time of Presentation: 

15 minutes 

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