Section ATCP 33.20 - Liquid fertilizer and pesticide storage containers(1) GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.(a) Storage containers and appurtenances shall be designed, constructed, inspected and maintained to operate effectively and to prevent discharges under all reasonably foreseeable use conditions. Storage containers and appurtenances shall comply with this section, and shall be located within a secondary containment structure if required under s. ATCP 33.40.(b) Storage containers and appurtenances shall be designed, constructed, inspected and maintained to resist corrosion, puncture and cracking.(c) Materials used to construct or repair storage containers and appurtenances may not react chemically or electrolytically with stored fertilizer or pesticide in a way that may weaken the storage container or appurtenance, create a risk of discharge, or adulterate the fertilizer or pesticide.(d) Metals used for storage container valves, fittings or repairs shall be compatible with other metals in the storage container, so that the combination of metals does not cause corrosion or electrolytic reactions that may weaken the storage container or its appurtenances, or create a risk of discharge.(e) Storage containers and appurtenances shall be designed, constructed and maintained to hold fertilizer or pesticide of the highest specific gravity that may be stored in the containers.(f) Bladder tanks, tank-in-tanks and field-erected storage containers shall be all of the following: 1. Designed and constructed according to API 650, and certified for compliance by the manufacturer, if the structure is installed, constructed or substantially altered after November 1, 2006. API 650 calculations shall be based on the highest specific gravity of fertilizer or pesticide that may be stored in the container.2. Inspected before use, and at least once every 5 years during use, by an API 653-certified inspector for compliance with API 653. The storage container shall be inspected more frequently if recommended by an API 653-certified inspector. API 653 calculations shall be based on the highest specific gravity of fertilizer or pesticide that may be stored in the container.3. Repaired, when necessary, according to API 653 and the recommendations of an API 653-certified inspector. Note: Copies of API 650 and 653 are on file with the department and the legislative reference bureau. Copies may be purchased from the American Petroleum Institute at 1220 L Street NW, Washington DC 20005-4070, telephone (202) 682-8000, or the following web address: www.api.org.
(2) APPURTENANCES. (a) Every storage container connection, except a safety relief connection, shall be equipped with a shutoff valve located on the storage container or at a distance from the storage container dictated by standard engineering practice.(b) On pesticide storage containers other than mini-bulk containers or containers used to store sodium hypochlorite, all wetted parts inside shutoff valves and all connections between storage containers and shutoff valves shall be made of stainless steel. Note: The department may grant a variance authorizing alternative materials that provide equivalent protection for waters of the state. See s. ATCP 33.02.
(c) Pipes, fittings and other appurtenances shall be permanently supported to prevent sagging and breakage that may be caused by gravity, vibration or other forces that may be encountered in the ordinary course of operations. To prevent sagging and breakage, piping and its supports shall be able to support 250 pounds.(d) An operator shall do all of the following at least annually:1. Inspect and pressure test appurtenances installed below ground, within or beneath a mixing and loading pad, or within or beneath a secondary containment structure. The operator shall maintain the appurtenances as necessary, to keep them pressure-tight, and shall keep a written record of the pressure test results.2. Inspect and test, for liquid-tightness, every joint through which a pipe extends through a secondary containment structure.(e) An appurtenance may not be installed below ground, within or beneath a mixing and loading pad, within or beneath a secondary containment structure, or through any wall or floor of a secondary containment structure, on or after November 1, 2006.(f) Piping connections shall be one of the following:1. Threaded, welded, fused or permanently band-clamped.2. Located over a mixing and loading pad that complies with s. ATCP 33.30.3. Located within a secondary containment structure that complies with s. ATCP 33.42.(3) LIQUID LEVEL GAUGING DEVICES. (a) If a storage container is equipped with a liquid level gauging device, the device shall be designed for safe and reliable use.(b) An external sight gauge may not be used on a pesticide storage container, other than on a mobile container mounted on pesticide application equipment.(c) If an external sight gauge is used on a fertilizer storage container, the sight gauge shall comply with the all of the following:1. The sight gauge shall be equipped with a valve that can stop the flow of liquid fertilizer from the storage container to the sight gauge. The valve shall be closed when the sight gauge is not in use.2. The sight gauge tube shall be secured to the storage container at intervals of no more than 10 feet.(4) PROHIBITED MATERIALS; FERTILIZER STORAGE CONTAINERS. Fertilizer storage containers shall comply with all of the following:(a) Storage containers and appurtenances used to store nitrogen solutions may not be constructed of copper, brass, zinc, or copper base alloys.(b) Storage containers and appurtenances used to store liquid fertilizers containing phosphates or chlorides may not be constructed of aluminum or aluminum alloys.(c) Storage containers and appurtenances used to store low pH liquid fertilizers may not be constructed of ferrous materials other than stainless steel, unless the materials are coated or treated with protective substances that effectively inhibit corrosion.(d) Storage containers and appurtenances used to store phosphoric acid may not be constructed of ferrous materials other than 316 or 317 stainless steel unless the container is lined with a substance to prevent corrosion.(e) Storage containers and appurtenances used to store liquid fertilizers containing potassium chloride (potash) may not be constructed of ferrous materials other than stainless steel unless one of the following applies: 1. The storage containers and appurtenances are lined, coated or treated with protective substances that effectively inhibit corrosion.2. The storage containers and appurtenances are used for storage periods of not more than 6 months each, and are completely emptied, cleaned and inspected for leaks and corrosion before being refilled for any subsequent storage period.(5) PROHIBITED MATERIALS; PESTICIDE STORAGE CONTAINERS.(a) Pesticide storage containers and appurtenances may not be made of polyvinyl chloride unless they are used only to store sodium hypochlorite.(b) Pesticide storage containers and appurtenances may not be made of ferrous metals unless one of the following applies:1. The storage containers and appurtenances are made of stainless steel.2. The storage containers and appurtenances have a protective lining that prevents corrosion and does not react chemically with the stored pesticide.3. The storage containers and appurtenances are used only to store non-corrosive wood preservatives.(6) ANCHORING STORAGE CONTAINERS. (a) Except as provided in par. (b), storage containers shall be anchored to prevent flotation or instability that may result from liquid accumulation within a secondary containment structure. Anchors shall be independent of secondary containment structures and mixing and loading pads, except that anchor plates may be embedded in portland cement concrete floors of secondary containment structures if the anchor plates and the concrete floors are designed to withstand the flotation and wind stresses placed on them. Note: Anchors located in soil outside the secondary containment structure do not place any added stress on the structure or its construction. It is possible to design anchor plates for the floors of a portland cement concrete secondary containment structure to withstand anchor stresses, but similar designs for walls are usually inadequate or cost-prohibitive.
(b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to any of the following:1. A storage container located in a secondary containment structure that complies with s. ATCP 33.42, if it is the only storage container located in that secondary containment structure.2. A tank-in-tank that complies with s. ATCP 33.44(9) or a bladder tank that complies with s. ATCP 33.44(10), unless located in a secondary containment structure with other storage containers.(7) SECURITY. (a) Except as provided in par. (b), an operator shall secure each storage container and its appurtenances by doing at least one of the following:1. Keeping the storage container and appurtenances in a locked building.2. Locking all valves on the storage container and appurtenances.3. Keeping the storage container and appurtenances in a locked outdoor enclosure that complies with par. (c).(b) Paragraph (a) does not apply if any of the following apply:1. The operator or employees are present at the storage facility.2. The storage container and its appurtenances are empty and thoroughly cleaned. Thorough cleaning, in the case of a pesticide storage container and its appurtenances, means removal of pesticide residues from exterior surfaces and triple rinsing of interior surfaces. Triple rinsing of interior surfaces is not required if a manufacturer-installed device prevents the container from being opened.(c) An enclosure under par. (a) 3. shall consist of a secure wall or fence that is at least 5 feet tall at every point, and free of gaps that could allow unauthorized persons to enter. Security fencing installed on a concrete secondary containment structure wall shall comply with chapter 2 of the Wisconsin Minimum Design and Construction Standards for Concrete Mixing and Loading Pads and Secondary Containment Structures (February 2005), if the secondary containment structure is constructed after November 1, 2006. Note: The Wisconsin Minimum Design and Construction Standards for Concrete Mixing and Loading Pads and Secondary Containment Structures (February 2005), written by Professor David W. Kammel, department of biological systems engineering, University of Wisconsin-Extension, is on file with the department and the legislative reference bureau. Copies are available from the department, free of charge, at the following address:
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
Agricultural Resource Management Division
P.O. Box 8911
Madison, WI 53708-8911
Phone: (608) 224-4500
Web: https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Homepage.aspx
(8) STORAGE CONTAINERS PROTECTED FROM MOVING VEHICLES. An operator shall protect storage containers and appurtenances against damage that may be caused by moving vehicles.(9) FILLING STORAGE CONTAINERS. An operator may not fill a storage container to more than 95% of capacity unless the storage container is one of the following:(a) Kept at a constant temperature.(b) A mini-bulk container that is not filled beyond the maximum capacity shown on the container.(10) LABELING STORAGE CONTAINERS.(a) An operator shall label each fertilizer storage container, other than a mobile container, with the name or grade of fertilizer that it contains. Label contents shall be visible from outside the secondary containment structure in which the storage container is located.(b) An operator shall label each pesticide storage container in compliance with the federal insecticide, fungicide and rodenticide act as amended (7 USC 136 to 136y) and regulations issued under that act. Label contents shall be visible from outside the secondary containment structure in which the storage container is located. The label on each pesticide storage container shall include the federal pesticide producing establishment number of the establishment that produced the pesticide. The label on a pesticide bulk sale container shall show the net contents of the container. Note: A storage facility at which an operator repackages pesticide for sale or distribution from a storage container to mini-bulk or other containers is considered a "pesticide producing establishment" under the federal act. The operator of that storage facility must obtain a pesticide producing establishment number from the federal environmental protection agency, and must include that establishment number on every mini-bulk or other container filled at that storage facility. Mini-bulk containers must be properly labeled, regardless of whether they are mobile containers.
Whenever an operator sells pesticide from a storage container, the operator must supply the purchaser with the pesticide labeling required under ss. 94.676 and 94.70, Stats.
(11) VENTING PESTICIDE STORAGE CONTAINERS. Every pesticide storage container, other than a mobile container or a container used only to store wood preservative, shall have a conservation vent that opens and closes within the designed pressure limits of the container to relieve excess pressure, prevent evaporative losses, and keep precipitation out of the container.(12) UNDERGROUND STORAGE PROHIBITED. No person may store bulk liquid fertilizer, bulk liquid pesticide, or any material recovered under s. ATCP 33.52, below ground level, except in a storage container that is located in a secondary containment structure.(13) INSPECTING AND MAINTAINING STORAGE CONTAINERS. An operator shall, at least semi-annually, inspect and maintain each storage container and its appurtenances to minimize the risk of a discharge. Whenever an operator repairs a storage container, the operator shall make the repair according to good engineering practice and manufacturer specifications. An operator shall remove a storage container from service if it cannot be adequately maintained.(14) ABANDONING STORAGE CONTAINERS. (a) An operator shall do all of the following to an abandoned storage container:1. Thoroughly clean and rinse the storage container.2. Remove any storage container appurtenances.3. Remove the storage container if the storage container is an underground storage container. A sump that has a capacity of more than 50 gallons is considered an underground storage container for this purpose. The operator shall notify the department at least 3 business days before the operator removes an underground storage container, and shall permit the department to take soil samples upon request.(b) An operator shall comply with par. (a) within 2 years after a storage container is abandoned, except that: 1. If the storage container was abandoned prior to November 1, 2006, the operator shall comply with par. (a) within 2 years of November 1, 2006. 2. If the storage container is abandoned under par. (c) 4., the operator shall comply with par. (a) before the closing date for the sale of the storage container site unless the purchaser agrees to comply with par. (a) within 2 years after the abandonment date under par. (c) 4. (c) A storage container is abandoned, for purposes of this subsection, if any of the following apply: 1. The operator removes the storage container from service, with the intent of doing so permanently.2. The storage container is out of service for more than 6 months because of a weakness or leak.3. The storage container is out of service for more than 2 years for any reason.4. The operator contracts to sell the storage container site to a person who is not an operator.Wis. Admin. Code Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection ATCP 33.20
CR 05-108: cr. Register October 2006 No. 610, eff. 11-1-06.Amended by, CR 14-047: am. (7) (c) Register, Register May 2015 No. 713, eff.6/1/2015Amended by, correction in (7) (c) (Note) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register May 2022 No. 797, eff. 6/1/2022