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Anhydrous Ammonia Bulk Storage Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1146)

Regulations are current to 2024-03-06 and last amended on 2015-06-18. Previous Versions

Anhydrous Ammonia Bulk Storage Regulations

C.R.C., c. 1146

RAILWAY SAFETY ACT

Regulations Respecting the Design, Location, Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Stationary Bulk Storage Facilities for Anhydrous Ammonia

Short Title

 These Regulations may be cited as the Anhydrous Ammonia Bulk Storage Regulations.

Interpretation

 In these Regulations,

anhydrous ammonia

anhydrous ammonia is dry ammonia gas in liquified form and is not to be confused with aqua ammonia which is a solution of ammonia gas in water; (ammoniac anhydre)

design pressure

design pressure is synonymous with maximum allowable working pressure as used in the A.S.M.E. Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code; (pression nominale)

filling density

filling density is the percentage figure obtained when the maximum weight of anhydrous ammonia that may be in a container is divided by the water weight capacity of the tank and the result is multiplied by 100; all capacities shall be measured at a liquid temperature of 60°F; (densité de remplissage)

main track

main track means a track extending through yards and between stations upon which trains are operated by timetable or train order, or both, or the use of which is governed by block signals or other method of control; (voie principale)

owning or operating company

owning or operating company means the person or company owning or operating the installation erected with leave of the Commission granted upon application made therefor by the railway company concerned on behalf of such person or company; (compagnie propriétaire ou exploitante)

private track

private track means a track outside of a carrier’s right-of-way, yard and terminals, and of which the carrier does not own either the rails, ties, roadbed or right-of-way, or a track or portion of a track which is devoted to the purpose of its user, either by lease or written agreement, in which case the lease or written agreement will be considered as equivalent to ownership; (voie particulière)

shall

shall is used to indicate mandatory provisions; (le futur)

should

should is used to indicate recommendatory; (le conditionnel)

team track

team track means a track on railway property which is used for loading or unloading purposes by more than one company or person. (voie de desserte industrielle)

Application

 These Regulations apply to stationary bulk storage facilities for anhydrous ammonia on the right-of-way owned or leased by any railway company subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission.

  •  (1) These Regulations apply to new installations and additions or changes to existing installations, as of February 1, 1965.

  • (2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), installations in operation before February 1, 1965 shall be operated in accordance with these Regulations and, if ordered by the Commission, shall also be made to conform to those parts of these Regulations pertaining to location, construction and design.

PART IStorage Installations

Application of Part

 This Part does not apply with respect to installations with a total storage capacity not exceeding 2,000 Imperial gallons of water measured at 60°F, if such installations otherwise comply with all other applicable requirements of these Regulations.

Application for Leave

 No person shall begin the construction of storage facilities for anhydrous ammonia without leave of the Commission granted upon an application made therefor through the railway company concerned.

 The application shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Commission together with four copies of all drawings, including plans and profiles, which shall comply with the requirements of sections 8 to 13.

 The plan shall be drawn to a scale of not less than 50 feet to one inch and the profile to a scale of not less than 20 feet to one inch.

 All drawings shall be dated and bear an identification number and the name of the applicant.

 The plans shall show the distances between

  • (a) the loading or unloading rack or point and

    • (i) the gauge side of the nearest rail of the loading or unloading track,

    • (ii) schools, stations, residential areas, hospitals and other similar places of public assembly within 200 feet of the said loading or unloading rack or point, and

    • (iii) all engine houses, railway shops, grain elevators and other similar buildings within 125 feet of the said loading or unloading rack or point;

  • (b) the centre line of the loading or unloading track and

    • (i) the gauge side of the nearest rail of main track, and

    • (ii) the gauge side of the nearest rail of the nearest adjacent track not serving the installation;

  • (c) the storage tanks and

    • (i) other storage tanks, pumphouses, warehouses, loading and unloading racks, and other structures on the site,

    • (ii) the line of adjoining property,

    • (iii) the gauge side of the nearest rail of the closest track,

    • (iv) the gauge side of the nearest rail of the main track,

    • (v) stations, schools, residential areas, hospitals or other similar places of public assembly within 350 feet of the said storage tanks, and

    • (vi) all engine houses, railway shops, grain elevators or other similar buildings within 200 feet of the said storage tanks.

  •  (1) The profile shall show the elevation of the installation in relation to the loading and unloading track and any main track within 200 feet of the nearest tank on the said installation.

  • (2) A second profile is required where it is necessary

    • (a) to show the direction of drainage from the site; or

    • (b) to give a clear picture of major features of the installation.

 The drawing shall show the location of the railway right-of-way, property fences, dikes, pipelines under roadways or railways, sewers, ditches, watercourses, highways and other similar structures that are on the installation site.

 The notes or legend on the drawing shall include the following information:

  • (a) evidence that the Provincial Fire Marshal or other authority having jurisdiction in the surrounding area has no objection to the proposed installation; this evidence may take the form of a plan signature of the authority concerned, or by a letter addressed to the owning or operating company by such authority;

  • (b) a statement that the storage tank design shall be approved by the Pressure Vessel Inspection Branch of the provincial government concerned prior to fabrication of the tanks;

  • (c) size, contents, and water capacity in Imperial gallons of all storage tanks;

  • (d) type and construction of pumphouse, warehouse, compressor house, bottling house, and any other building on the site;

  • (e) type of motive power to be used for pumps or compressors; and

  • (f) whether the track or tracks serving the installation are team tracks or private tracks.

 Where the Commission has, pursuant to section 6, granted leave to construct a storage facility for anhydrous ammonia, a copy of each drawing referred to in section 7 shall be kept by the railway for the life of the facility and retained for a least two years thereafter.

  • SOR/85-469, s. 1

PART IIDistances

  •  (1) In no case shall an anhydrous ammonia storage tank be located less than 20 feet from any track. This distance shall be measured from the gauge side of the nearest rail to the nearest point on the tank shell.

  • (2) The following minimum distance from the gauge side of the nearest rail of the main track to the nearest point on the tank shell shall be observed:

    Water Capacity (Imperial Gallons) at 60°F, Single TankMinimum Distance (Feet)
    0 to 2,00020
    2,001 to 10,00050
    10,001 to 25,00075
  • (3) It is recommended that the distance of a storage tank from the right-of-way of a provincial highway be not less than one-half the distance prescribed in subsection (2).

  •  (1) The distances prescribed in this section shall be measured from the nearest point on the tank shell to the nearest point of the building, property line, etc.

  • (2) A storage tank with a water capacity exceeding 2,000 Imperial gallons shall be not less than 50 feet from any location on another property which may be built upon or from a source of drinking water such as a reservoir, well or spring.

  • (3) For a tank with a water capacity of 2,000 Imperial gallons or less, the distance from any location on another property which may be built upon shall be not less than 25 feet.

  • (4) If the storage tank is part of a water treatment system, the distance from a source of drinking water is not prescribed.

  • (5) A storage tank with a water capacity exceeding 2,000 Imperial gallons shall be at least 300 feet from any station, office building or other similar place of public assembly on railway property.

  • (6) It is recommended that the distance of storage tanks with water capacities exceeding 2,000 Imperial gallons from schools, hospitals, theatres, residential areas or other similar places of public assembly be not less than 300 feet.

  • (7) Except as provided in subsection (10), the distance of a tank with a water capacity of 2,000 Imperial gallons or less from any of the buildings mentioned in subsections (5) and (6) shall not be less than 50 feet.

  • (8) Except as provided in subsection (10), a storage tank with a water capacity exceeding 2,000 Imperial gallons shall not be less than 150 feet from engine houses, railway shops, grain elevators or other similar buildings.

  • (9) For a tank with a water capacity of 2,000 Imperial gallons or less, the distance from any of the buildings mentioned under subsection (8) shall not be less than 25 feet.

  • (10) Except as provided in subsection (12), the distance of a storage tank with a water capacity exceeding 100 Imperial gallons from any building on the installation site which is used exclusively by the company owning or operating the installation shall not be less than 10 feet.

  • (11) A tank with a water capacity of 100 Imperial gallons or less shall not be less than five feet horizontally from a building opening located at the same level as the tank vent or within five feet above the vent.

  • (12) When the construction or occupancy of the buildings referred to in subsection (10) is of such a nature as to constitute a hazard to the storage area, the distance between a building and the closest tank with a water capacity exceeding 100 Imperial gallons shall not be less than 50 feet.

  • (13) The clear distance between two anhydrous ammonia storage tanks with an individual water capacity exceeding 2,000 Imperial gallons shall not be less than five feet.

  • (14) The clear distance between a tank containing anhydrous ammonia and a tank containing a flammable liquid shall not be less than 20 feet, except that installations with a storage capacity exceeding 150,000 Imperial gallons of water measured at 60°F shall be located not less than 100 feet from the above ground storage of flammable liquids.

  • (15) An anhydrous ammonia storage tank shall not be located within a diked area containing a flammable liquid storage tank.

  • (16) The distance between any tank of one group and any tank of another group as defined in section 22 shall not be less than 25 feet.

  •  (1) The distances prescribed in this section shall be measured from the gauge side of the nearest rail of the nearest adjacent track not serving the installation or the main track, as the case may be, to the centre line of the unloading or loading tracks.

  • (2) The unloading or loading tracks at the loading or unloading site shall be at least 50 feet from the main track.

  • (3) The unloading or loading tracks shall be at least 20 feet from the nearest adjacent track not serving the installation, and if the nearest adjacent track is a main track, the distance shall be 50 feet.

  •  (1) That portion of loading or unloading racks or other structures over four feet high shall be at least six feet from the gauge side of the nearest rail of the loading or unloading track. That portion of the structure four feet or less in height shall be at least three feet 7¾ inches from the gauge side of the nearest rail of the loading or unloading track, except for non-standard gauge track in the Province of Newfoundland where this clearance distance shall be at least three feet 10 inches. When the track is curved, the clearance distance shall be increased one inch per degree of track curvature.

  • (2) Loading and unloading terminals or structures of an overall height that is less than four feet shall be located at least six feet from the gauge side of the nearest rail of the loading or unloading track.

  •  (1) The distances prescribed in this section shall be measured from the loading or unloading point to the nearest point of the building or property line, as the case may be.

  • (2) The loading or unloading racks or points shall be at least 150 feet from any station, office building or other similar place of public assembly on railway property.

  • (3) It is recommended that the distance of loading or unloading racks from schools, hospitals, theatres, residential areas, or other similar places of public assembly be not less than 150 feet.

  • (4) Except as provided in subsection (5), the loading or unloading racks or points shall not be less than 75 feet from engine houses, rail shops, grain elevators, or other similar buildings.

  • (5) The distance of loading or unloading racks from a tank or building used exclusively by the owning or operating company shall not be less than 10 feet.

  •  (1) Pumphouses or compressor houses and outdoor pumps or compressors driven by non-explosion proof motors or internal combustion engines shall be located not less than 10 feet from any storage tank, loading or unloading point, or building.

  • (2) The distance requirement of subsection (1) does not apply to outdoor pumps or compressors driven by explosion proof motors marked or labelled Class I, Division I, Group D and wired in accordance with the Canadian Electrical Code for Class I, Division I, Group D locations.

  • (3) The distance of pumphouses or compressor houses and outdoor pumps or compressors from any location on another property which may be built upon shall not be less than 25 feet.

 The distance between a tank truck and a tank or tank car during loading or unloading operations shall not be less than 10 feet measured between the nearest points on the two tank shells.

PART IIIStorage Tanks

 A cylinder or tank with a water capacity not exceeding 100 Imperial gallons and manufactured, filled, operated and maintained in accordance with a Canadian Transport Commission or an Interstate Commerce Commission specification, which is approved by either of these authorities for anhydrous ammonia, is exempt from sections 22 to 28 and all sections of Part V.

  •  (1) The water capacity (measured at 60°F) of any unrefrigerated anhydrous ammonia storage tank located on carrier’s right-of-way shall not exceed 25,000 Imperial gallons.

  • (2) The aggregate water capacity of tanks assembled in one group shall not exceed 150,000 Imperial gallons and groups of tanks shall be segregated as prescribed in subsection 15(16).

  •  (1) Unrefrigerated tanks shall be constructed in accordance with the 1956, 1959 or 1962 issues of the A.S.M.E. Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code for Unfired Pressure Vessels to a design working pressure not less than 250 psig and a safety factor of not less than four.

  • (2) The tank design shall be approved by the Pressure Vessel Inspection Branch of the province concerned.

  • (3) Tank design drawings and specifications shall be in accordance with the requirements of Canadian Standards Association Pamphlet B-51 (1957).

  • (4) Refrigerated tanks shall be designed in accordance with the directions of subsection (1) to a minimum design working pressure of 60 psig.

  • (5) Containers exceeding 36 inches in diameter or 200 Imperial gallons water capacity shall be stress relieved after fabrication in accordance with the Code, or cold-formed heads, when used, shall be stress relieved, or hot-formed heads shall be used.

  • (6) Welding to any parts of a tank subject to internal pressure shall be in accordance with the Code under which the tank was fabricated; non-Code welding is permitted only on saddle  plates, lugs or brackets attached to the container by the tank manufacturer.

 

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