Sand/Salt Storage Area Rules
- Download the final rule in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat. Microsoft Word
Final rule (54 Kb); Adobe Acrobat
Final rule (25 Kb)
Public Law 1999, Chapter 387 directed the Department of Environmental Protection to develop rules for the siting and operation of salt and sand/salt storage areas. The subject matter is not new to DEP as there have been various versions of guidelines for siting of new Sand/Salt piles for several years.
On June 21, 2001, the Board of Environmental Protection posted for public comment Chapter 574, "Siting and Operation of Road Salt and Sand-Salt Storage Areas." A public hearing was held on July 19 in Augusta. The final rule was adopted by the Board of Environmental Protection on November 15, 2001, with an effective date of December 3, 2001.
Chapter 574 describes the registration, siting and operational requirements that new sand/salt storage areas and some existing state and private sand/salt storage areas must meet in order to be exempt from having to obtain a waste discharge license. To summarize:
- Sand/salt storage areas with less than 100 cubic yards of mixed sand/salt are exempt from the rule (Section 2(C)1);
- All new sand/salt storage areas must be registered with the Department (Section 3(A));
- All new sand/salt storage areas must meet the following siting criteria (Section 3(B)):
- The storage area may not overlie a significant sand and gravel aquifer,
- The storage area may not overlie a source water protection area, and
- The storage area may not be within 300 feet of a well, excluding any well that solely serves the storage area;
- All new sand/salt storage areas and state and private Priority 4 and Priority 5 storage areas must meet the following operational criteria (Section 4):
- All storage, mixing and loading of salt or sand/salt mixtures must occur on a floor or pad of bituminous concrete (i.e., ashpalt) that is at least three inches thick,
- Piles must be covered. This can be accomplished by construction of a building or covering with a "well-secured, durable, waterproof product" such as a tarp, and
- All piles must be securely covered by May 31 and may not be rebuilt on the site until September 1;
- The owner or operator of a storage area must have a written plan that address operation and maintenance procedures for the storage area (Section 4);
- Existing state and private Priority 4 and Priority 5 storage areas have until October 1, 2004 to be in compliance with the rule. New sand/salt storage areas must be in compliance upon commencement of activities (Section 5); and
- Finally, the rule describes factors the department may consider when granting a site-specific variance from the siting or operational requirements of the rule (Section 6).
Copies of the rule may also be obtained by contacting
Erich Kluck (207)287-7814 or 791-8110 at the Department of Environmental Protection.
