What is secondary containment?
All hazardous substance USTs must have “secondary containment.” A single-walled tank is the first or “primary” containment. Using only primary containment, a leak can escape into the environment. But by enclosing an UST within a second wall, leaks can be contained and detected quickly before harming the environment. There are several ways to construct secondary containment: • Placing one tank inside another tank or one pipe inside another pipe (making them double-walled systems). • Placing the UST system inside a concrete vault. • Lining the excavation zone around the UST system with a liner that cannot be penetrated by the hazardous substance.
Related Questions
- If half of my UST system is located within an area that would require secondary containment and the other half isnt, do I need to upgrade the whole system?
- My UST was internally lined for the 1998 upgrade requirements. Does that count as secondary containment?
- Do all UST owners with wells qualify for the extended secondary containment deadline?
