Section 257.90  Operation and Management Practice Requirements

In addition to the requirements included in 8 Ill. Adm. Code 255 regarding agrichemical facilities and 8 Ill. Adm. Code 256 regarding lawncare facilities, the following operation and management practice requirements shall be followed at facilities affected by this Part:

a)         All containment structures, storage tanks, valves, and piping shall be visually inspected at least daily during the application season and maintained as necessary to assure compliance with this Section.  A written record of all inspections and maintenance shall be kept at the facility available for inspection by the Department.  This requirement shall not be applicable to facilities issued general Class A or B lawncare containment permits.

b)         Clay-based containment structures may be used for the construction of fertilizer secondary containment at agrichemical facilities subject to the provisions of 8 Ill. Adm. Code 255.  Spilled materials held in clay-based secondary containment structures shall be removed within twenty-four (24) hours of detection unless the facility has notified and received approval from the Department.  Direct discharge of collected precipitation from clay-based secondary containment structures shall be prohibited after a spill event until such time as the collected precipitation is demonstrated to be free of contaminants.

c)         Drip and catch pans shall be placed under valves, pumps and hose connections at agrichemical and lawncare facilities where intermittent spillage has occurred.

d)         An agrichemical facility shall require the transport vehicle operator to remain at the transport vehicle during all agrichemical loading and unloading operations.  All unloading of bulk pesticides at an agrichemical facility shall be conducted over loading operational containment structures.  The agrichemical facility shall post emergency telephone numbers at the designated fertilizer unloading area.  The Department may require the bulk unloading of liquid fertilizers at an agrichemical facility over operational area containment with a containment capacity of not less than 500 gallons based on facility past performance and management practices pursuant to 8 Ill. Adm. Code 255.110.

e)         The repair and maintenance of agrichemical application systems associated with application devices at agrichemical facilities and lawncare facilities shall be performed over operational area containment unless the device and the system have been thoroughly cleaned and rinsed.  This requirement shall not be applicable to facilities issued general Class A or B lawncare containment permits.

f)         Agrichemical facilities and lawncare facilities shall record the date and estimated amount of accumulated precipitation discharged from operational and secondary containment areas. The Department may require prior notification of discharge of collected precipitation from operational and secondary containment areas from selected facilities for a period of three (3) to six (6) months based on facility past performance and management practices pursuant to 8 Ill. Adm. Code 255.110 or 8 Ill. Adm. Code 256.70.  Written records shall be maintained at the agrichemical facility for possible inspection by Department personnel.  These requirements shall not be applicable to facilities issued a general Class A lawncare containment permit.

g)         All mixing and loading activities at lawncare facilities shall be conducted over wash water containment areas.

h)         All facility containment operations personnel associated with agrichemical facilities and lawncare facilities shall attend, at least once during the term of the facility permit, a training session offered by the Department regarding containment management and incident response. Programs offered by other sponsoring organizations may be utilized to meet this requirement provided that the Department has reviewed and approved the program content prior to its offering.  The training session sponsoring organization shall issue, to all persons attending said training sessions, a certificate of participation.  The sponsoring organization shall also maintain a record of all persons attending said training sessions and make such records available for inspection by the Department upon request.  This requirement shall not be applicable to facilities issued general class A or B lawncare containment permits.