New agrichemical facility containment initiative protects natural resources

[JAN. 26, 2006]  PEORIA -- The Illinois Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with industry leaders, has developed a plan to improve the maintenance and management of agrichemical facilities and prevent spills that potentially could contaminate groundwater.

Warren Goetsch, the department's bureau chief of environmental programs and acting division manager for natural resources, introduced the plan during the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association's annual meeting and trade show in Peoria.

"This plan addresses two emerging issues threatening to impact the effectiveness of our containment program," Goetsch said. "First, some the state's agrichemical facilities are starting to show their age. Even the newest facilities are over 10 years old, and our inspectors increasingly are finding deteriorated or cracked concrete floors and walls in secondary containment structures, which are designed to prevent spills from spreading off-site. Second, management turnover since the inception of our program in 1990 has created a need to review its history, purpose and rules with current facility employees."

The plan, called the Agrichemical Facility Containment Initiative, consists of three components: educational outreach to raise awareness about facility conditions, industry action and government action.

It asks agrichemical facility owners and operators to voluntarily review their permits with employees, paying particular attention to required operating procedures, including any site-specific requirements that may have been imposed as a condition of the permit. It also recommends that facilities adopt the following industry-accepted best management practices:

• Use drip pans under distribution points vulnerable to leaks. Over time, even minor drips can cause concrete damage.
• Remove debris from containment structures.

• Wash structures soon after releases.
• Remove effluent from sump pumps.
• Sweep dry fertilizer from operational areas daily.
• Decontaminate synthetic liners; promptly replace them after their expected lifespan has expired.
• Conduct weekly inspections of containment systems; make prompt repairs whenever necessary.
• Conduct monthly physical inventories.
• Train new employees on containment management.
• Park "dirty" equipment on containment pads to collect runoff.
• Conduct assessments of all site property.

"Sixteen years ago, when Illinois' containment regulations were adopted, industry played a significant role. It will have to play a significant role again to revitalize the program and ensure the public's health and safety continues to be protected," Goetsch said. "But the time to act is now -- before an aging containment structure fails and causes an environmental problem."

The government action component of the plan strengthens the inspection and permit processes. It requires the department to conduct follow-up inspections to verify that structural deficiencies have been corrected and to initiate enforcement action in cases of noncompliance. Currently, facilities are required to notify the department that such work has been completed, but they are inspected only once a year.

The plan also makes the renewal of a permit, which must occur at least every five years, contingent on the correction of identified deficiencies.

[Illinois Department of Agriculture news release]