Section 174.310  Bulk Loading and Unloading for Railroad Tank Cars and Tank Vehicles 

a)         Any kind of loading or unloading activity, either to or from railroad tank cars and tank vehicles, or any other kind of loading or unloading into or out of USTs, shall require compliance with Section 174.300 and the following minimum requirements.

1)         All electrical installations shall comply with the Edition of NFPA 70, incorporated by reference in Section 174.210, which was in force at the time of installation of the electrical equipment at all hazardous (classified) locations, such as loading and unloading docks, to include vapor-proof lighting, wiring in sealed conduit, and explosion-proof switches. Equipment and installations shall further comply with the requirements of 41 Ill. Adm. Code 175.425.

2)         A person shall be present to actively supervise the product transfer during loading and unloading operations.

3)         When transferring Class I liquids, motors of tank vehicles and portable or auxiliary pumps shall be shut down during the making and breaking of hose connections. If loading or unloading is done without requiring the use of the motor of the tank vehicle, the motor shall be shut down throughout the transfer operations.

4)         Before loading or unloading operations begin, the depositor shall determine the quantity of product that can be unloaded into each tank or tank vehicle (i.e., the tank ullage) without overflow of product. The volume shall be logged with the facility owner/operator. The log may consist of any bill of lading.

5)         The driver, operator or attendant of any tank vehicle shall not remain in the vehicle, but shall not leave the vehicle unattended during the loading or unloading process. Delivery hose, when attached to a tank vehicle, shall be considered to be a part of the tank vehicle. The driver, operator or attendant shall monitor fuel flow at the deposit point at all times during fuel transfer operations.

6)         When loading or unloading product into or from underground tanks located at bulk facilities and motor fuel dispensing facilities equipped with tank vapor recovery equipment, the driver, operator or attendant of the tank truck shall ensure that all vapor return paths are effectively made liquid and vapor tight to prevent the discharge of vapors at grade level.

7)         No fuel deliveries shall be made while tank entry work is going on at the same UST facility unless the facility can demonstrate that:

A)        the fill port to be fueled is not connected to the UST being worked on;

B)        no other connection directly or indirectly exists between the UST being worked on and the UST receiving the fuel; and

C)        the conditions for delivery are safe, including the distance between the UST being worked on and the UST receiving fuel.

8)         Smoking on or about any tank truck while loading or unloading any flammable or combustible liquid is forbidden. Extreme care shall be taken during unloading operations to avoid deliveries where spark generating equipment is being operated nearby, to avoid other practices involving a risk of fire, to keep fire away, and to prevent persons in the vicinity from smoking, lighting matches or carrying any flame or lighted cigar, pipe or cigarette.

9)         Tank trucks and tank wagons used for the transport and delivery of Class I, II or III liquids shall not be parked for other than delivery purposes in residential districts, as defined in the Illinois Vehicle Code [625 ILCS 5/1-172].

10)         Owners, operators and delivery personnel shall ensure that releases due to spilling or overfilling do not occur and that all transfer operations are monitored constantly to prevent overfilling and spilling.

11)         The depositor shall report any release of a regulated substance into the environment according to the reporting requirements for owners/operators set forth in 41 Ill. Adm. Code 176.340. The depositor shall then also notify the UST owner/operator immediately. If the depositor fails to report, the facility shall report under 41 Ill. Adm. Code 176.340. 

12)         Owners or operators shall report, investigate and clean up any spills or overfills in accordance with 41 Ill. Adm. Code 176.300 through 176.350, including the required reporting of a release when not already reported by the depositor.

b)         The unloading hose from a railroad tank car or tank vehicle into an underground tank shall have a static wire or its equivalent and shall be equipped with a non‑ferrous nozzle or tight connection metal nipple.

c)         Before unloading operations begin, the depositor shall determine the following:

1)         The facility has a green decal, issued by OSFM, that is current and valid and in plain view.

2)         Any fill or remote fill that has a red tag, issued by OSFM, attached. Depositing into the associated tank is prohibited.

3)         The depositor shall inspect the fill device to assure that no tampering has occurred. Before unloading may begin into a remote fill, the depositor shall ensure that all fill caps are secure and tight. Any overriding or tampering with an overfill device that may result in the overfilling of any tank is prohibited and is subject to immediate placement of red tags on the affected USTs.

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 6801, effective May 2, 2023)