This Bylaw is adopted by the Town of Medfield under its home
rule powers, its police powers to protect the public health, safety
and welfare, and under powers authorized by MGL c. 40, § 21,
and MGL c. 148, § 9.
The purposes of this Bylaw are, through regulation of the design,
construction, installation, testing and maintenance of underground
hazardous material storage facilities, to protect public health from
the contamination of public and private water supplies due to leakage
from such facilities, to protect the public safety from the dangers
of fire and explosion associated with such leakage, and to protect
the general welfare by preserving limited water supplies for present
and future use.
As used in this Bylaw, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
ABANDONED
Being out of service for a continuous period in excess of
six months, in the case of storage facility for which a license from
the local licensing authority is required under the provisions of
MGL c. 148, § 13, as amended, and for a period in excess
of 24 months, in the case of any other storage facility.
CATHODIC PROTECTION
A system that inhibits the corrosion of a tank or components
through either the sacrificial anode or the impressed current method
of creating a corrosion-inhibiting electrical current.
COMPONENTS
Piping, pumps and other related storage, conveyancing and
dispensing elements that, together with one or more tanks and any
cathodic protection or monitoring system, constitute a storage facility.
EFFECTIVE DATE
The date on which the Bylaw is approved by a Town Meeting,
providing the Bylaw thereafter becomes effective under the provisions
of MGL c. 40, § 32, as amended.
HAZARDOUS MATERIAL
Any liquid substance which, because of its quantity, concentration,
or its chemical, corrosive, flammable, reactive, toxic, infectious
or radioactive characteristics, either separately or in combination
with any other substance or substances, constitutes a present or potential
threat to human health, safety, welfare, or to the environment, when
improperly stored, treated, transported, disposed of, used, or otherwise
managed, including, but not limited to, any liquid petroleum product
of any kind, and any combination or mixture that includes any liquid
petroleum product of any kind.
LEAKAGE or LEAK
Any uncontrolled movement, measurable by a final or precision
test that can accurately detect a leak of 0.05 gallon per hour or
less, after adjustment for relevant or approved equipment, materials
or methods published by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
MONITORING SYSTEM
A full-time approved system installed between the walls of
double-walled tanks or inside a tank or in the vicinity of a tank
such as observation wells, visual or audible alarms or its equivalent;
which, for the purpose of early monitoring systems, shall consist
of in-tank equipment which provides continuous monitoring of any liquid
from the tank of 0.05 gallon per hour or equivalent leakage over a
longer period of time.
OBSERVATION WELL
A dug or drilled cased well which can be used for detecting
the presence of hazardous materials, which is drilled to a depth intercepting
the water table, and which is installed and maintained in an approved
manner.
OPERATOR
The lessee of a storage facility or the person or persons
responsible for the daily operation of a storage facility.
OUT OF SERVICE
Not in use, in that no filling or withdrawal is occurring.
OWNER
The person or persons or government entity having legal ownership
of a storage facility.
STORAGE FACILITY
One or more tanks, at a particular site, together with its
or their components used, or designed to be used, for the underground
storage of hazardous material, and shall include any cathodic protection
or monitoring system used, or designed to be used, for inhibiting
or detecting leaks of hazardous material from any element of the facility.
TANK
Any structure any part of which is used, or designed to be
used, for the underground storage of any hazardous material.
UL-LISTED
Included in a current list or report of approved equipment,
materials or methods published by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
Where 10% or more of the tank volume and its piping is below
ground level, but shall not include storage in a freestanding container
within a building.
WATER SUPPLY
Any existing or potential source of potable water, including
both groundwater and surface water.
The owner of any new or existing storage facility for which a permit has been issued under this Bylaw must apply to the Fire Chief for a renewal of the permit at five-year intervals from the date on which the original permit was granted. The fee for renewal of such permit, payable to the Town of Medfield, shall be such sum as determined from time to time by the Fire Chief. The application for renewal must include any changes in the information required under §§
140-5C and
140-6A. No application for renewal may be denied except for violations of this Bylaw and in accordance with the procedural requirements of §
140-16B.
The Fire Chief may, after a public hearing, vary the application
of any provision of this Bylaw, unless otherwise required by law,
when, in his or her opinion, the applicant has demonstrated that an
equivalent degree of protection will still be provided to public and
private water supplies and to the public health and public safety.
Notice of the hearing shall be given by the Fire Chief, at the applicant's
expense, at least 10 days prior thereto, by certified mail to all
abutters to the property at which the owner's storage facility
is located and by publication in a newspaper of general circulation
in the Town. The notice shall include a statement of the variance
sought and the reasons therefor. Any grant or denial of a variance
shall be in writing and shall contain a brief statement of the reasons
for the grant or denial.
The invalidity of any provision of this Bylaw shall not affect
the validity of the remainder.