For the purpose of this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
"Approved"
means the approval of the chief of the fire department, the state commissioner of public safety or the state fire marshal.
"Dike"
means the impoundment area or wall around the aboveground tank designed to contain and impound accidentally discharged petroleum products.
"Flammable liquid"
means any fluid which will emit a vapor which can be ignited by flame or spark.
A. 
"Class A" means any flammable liquid having a flashpoint below one hundred degrees Fahrenheit (37.8° C), to be ascertained by standard closed-cup instruments.
B. 
"Class B" means any flammable liquid having a flashpoint of not less than one hundred degrees Fahrenheit (37.8° C), nor higher than one hundred eighty-seven degrees Fahrenheit, to be ascertained by standard closed-cup instrument.
"F.P.R."
means Fire Prevention Rules and Regulations made by the Board of Fire Prevention Regulations of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Safety in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 148, Sections 9, 10 and 38 of the General Laws, Tercentenary Edition, as amended.
"License"
means the authority granted to the city council by General Laws, Chapter 148, Section 13.
"Permit"
means the authority granted by the chief of the fire department.
"Storage terminal"
means a place for the bulk storage of flammable liquids in an amount exceeding one million gallons.
(Prior revision § 7-41; C.O. 78-1061 § 1 (part))
A. 
No storage tank for flammable liquids shall be located aboveground having a capacity for more than four thousand gallons of class A liquid or five thousand gallons of class B liquid, unless enclosed within a metal, reinforced-concrete, clay-core or earthen dike not higher than one-half the amount of the highest tank enclosed, forming an impoundment area not less than the capacity of the largest tank plus ten percent of the aggregate capacity of all other tanks within the impoundment area.
B. 
A dike surrounding a tank containing fluid susceptible to a boilover shall form an impoundment area having a capacity of not less than one hundred twenty-five percent of the capacity of the tank or group of tanks surrounded.
C. 
Tanks containing fluid susceptible to boilover shall be equipped at the top with a flareback section designed to turn back a boilover wave.
D. 
The total gallonage of a group of tanks to be enclosed in any group of tanks to be enclosed in any one diked area shall not exceed six million three hundred thousand gallons, and any single tank in excess of this amount shall be separately diked.
(Prior revision § 7-42 (part); C.O. 78-1061 § 1 (part))
A. 
The dike or impoundment area embankment shall be made of earth, gravel fill, clay core, masonry, reinforced concrete or steel designed to be liquid-tight and to withstand a full hydrostatic load. An earthen dike or impoundment area shall be firmly and compactly built of clean earth from which stone, vegetable matter, etc., have been removed; and shall have a flat top not less than three feet in width and slope of at least one and one-half to one on both sides.
B. 
To permit access, the outside base of the dike at ground level shall be no closer than ten feet to any property line that is or can be built upon.
C. 
The chief of the fire department shall direct and require the owners of aboveground storage tanks, at their owner's expense, to give special treatment to diked areas where class A and B liquids are stored which are located in extremely porous soils to prevent seepage of hazardous quantities of liquids to low-lying areas or waterways in case of spills.
D. 
Tanks with capacities of not over twenty-five thousand gallons each may be grouped and an impoundment area or dike built around the group or tanks.
E. 
Impoundment areas or dikes shall be continuous with no openings for piping or roadways. Piping shall be laid over or under impoundment areas or dikes.
F. 
No building shall be located within a diked area.
(Prior revision § 7-42 (part); C.O. 78-1061 § 1 (part))
The following rules of the Commonwealth, Department of Public Safety, Board of Fire Prevention Regulations, are adopted by reference and incorporated as a part of this chapter: Rules 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46A, 46B, 46C, 47, 48, 49, 50.
(Prior revision § 7-73B; C.O. 78-1061 § 4; C.O. 83-52 § 41)
All tanks described in Sections 8.20.020 and 8.20.030 receiving transfer of flammable liquids from mainline pipeline or marine vessels shall be equipped with an independent alarm, at the owner's expense, located where personnel are on duty during the transfer, who shall supervise and monitor the operation and arrange for flow stoppage or diversion to prevent overfilling of tanks and to detect any leakage caused by a breach of a tank wall or footing.
(Prior revision § 7-73A; C.O. 78-1061 § 3)
Such means of fire protection shall be provided in connection with aboveground storage of flammable liquids as may be required by the chief of the fire department. Any person aggrieved by an order of the chief may, in writing, appeal within ten days to the state fire marshal. The decision of the state fire marshal relating to such protection shall be final.
(Prior revision § 7-43)
No tank contemplated by this chapter shall be cleaned, washed or flushed except under such conditions as may be prescribed by the chief of the fire department. No such operation shall be started until a permit, in writing, has been issued by the chief of the fire department. All waste material removed from a tank shall be disposed of in a place and manner approved by the chief of the fire department.
(Prior revision § 7-44)
No ship, tanker or watercraft shall discharge or receive any class A or class B liquids unless competent persons are present to supervise the operation during the entire period by such method as may be prescribed by the chief of the fire department.
(Prior revision § 7-45)
No person shall pump, discharge, deposit, throw or spill, or cause to be pumped, discharged, deposited, thrown or spilled, into or on the waters of any lake, pond, river, creek, brook or drain, or into any public or private drain or sewer, or into or on the waters of any harbor, cove or bay, or on the land beyond that owned or controlled by the person, any crude petroleum or its products or any other flammable fluid, or any bilge water, or any water, or any sewerage of any private sewer, containing any of such substances.
(Prior revision § 7-47)
A. 
Whenever any ship or vessel enters any wharf or petroleum-product storage terminal to deposit petroleum products into tanks or other receptacles, within the city and its waters, it shall be provided with a plastic or other boom surrounding such ship so as to contain any seepage, overflow or excess petroleum product and prevent the same from getting into and otherwise contaminating the waters of the city, Boston Harbor or surrounding waters.
B. 
It shall be the responsibility of the terminal owners and operators to provide this plastic boom for such purpose.
C. 
The city harbormaster shall be charged with enforcement of this section and he or she shall report all violations to the mayor, the city council, the state and the city departments of public health, the fire chief, the United States Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and all others concerned.
(Prior revision § 7-48)
The area within a dike shall only be drained with the written consent of the chief of the fire department and until authorized by such permit all dike drain valves shall be kept tightly closed and locked.
(Prior revision § 7-49)
A. 
Any storage terminal having a capacity for more than three million five hundred thousand gallons of class A or class B liquids shall be protected by an approved means of watchman service.
B. 
A trained and competent yardman shall conduct systematic and periodic inspections of all product storage areas, loading racks and dock areas not less than every two hours to ensure the proper and safe operation of all terminal, land and marine facilities. At the expense of the terminal owners and operators, recording devices shall be installed at various sector locations on terminal property, approved by the chief of the fire department, to allow a trained and competent yardman on inspection tours to record the time, date, location and condition of various sector locations within the terminal area.
C. 
Inspection logs shall be maintained which indicate the name of the person recording the inspection information, the time and date of each inspection and the condition reported at each inspection location. Inspection logs shall be made available to personnel of the fire department for periodic review.
(Prior revision § 7-50; C.O. 78-1061 § 7)
Before the exercise of any license granted for the storage, sale or handling of any product authorized in the license, a certificate of use and occupancy shall be received from the chief of the fire department.
(Prior revision § 7-51)
The owner of any terminal, if the storage capacity is in excess of one million gallons, shall maintain a plant fire department. The members of such department shall be trained in the methods of fire prevention and fire extinguishment. At least one man shall be continuously on duty who is fully familiar with the operation of the terminal mechanical foam system.
(Prior revision § 7-52)
No vehicle, except tank trucks, tank cars, company trucks or freight trucks shall be allowed upon the premises where flammable liquid is stored, transported or handled unless in an area set apart for parking purposes by the chief of the fire department.
(Prior revision § 7-53)
Vegetation growing on dikes and within the interior of a dike shall be kept cut close to the earth and immediately after cutting shall be removed from the tank storage area.
(Prior revision § 7-54)
The chief of the fire department shall not approve the construction or repair of any aboveground storage tank which is proposed to be constructed or repaired using the so-called "floating roof." Further, the chief of the fire department shall also require all storage tanks which are equipped with floating roofs as of the effective date of the ordinance from which this section derives to be covered on or before December 31, 1979, with a roof which can withstand ice and snow loading and is approved by the chief of the fire department.
(Prior revision § 7-55.1; C.O. 78-1061 § 2)
No open-flame device shall be used for the purpose of thawing frozen pipes, valves or pipelines and no such device shall be used to generate steam for such a purpose on premises regulated by this chapter.
(Prior revision § 7-56)
Welding or the use of any apparatus or tool that may emit a spark or flame shall not be permitted or used upon any premises regulated by this chapter unless a permit, in writing, has been issued by the chief of the fire department.
(Prior revision § 7-57)
On premises regulated by this chapter, motor vehicle batteries shall not be repaired or charged in a garage. Vehicle repairs shall only be made in that part of a garage separated from the storage section by an approved unpierced firewall. A garage shall only be used for the storage of company-owned motor trucks and the contents of a truck storage tank.
(Prior revision § 7-58)
A. 
No oil tank truck shall be filled or allowed upon any premises regulated by this chapter unless the truck has been inspected and approved by the fire marshal.
B. 
Such certificate of approval shall be posted in a protected place near the driver's seat on the tractor for which it was issued. In the case of a semi-trailer the certificate or approval identification plate shall be carried in the semi-trailer for which it was issued.
(Prior revision § 7-59)
A. 
There shall be a trained and competent yard person constantly on duty during and at the place of operation to supervise and regulate the racks and bays where vehicular oil tankers are being loaded with petroleum product. During the entire operation the fill valve shall be held open only by hand and when the hand is removed the valve shall close instantly.
B. 
No tank car shall be loaded or unloaded unless a competent person is constantly on duty during and at the place of operation and only such number of cars shall be loaded as can be controlled without danger of accident or overflow.
(Prior revision § 7-60; C.O. 78-1061 § 6)
"NO SMOKING" signs shall be conspicuously posted upon the premises regulated by this chapter and smoking shall only be allowed in a section set apart for that purpose by the chief of the fire department.
(Prior revision § 7-61)
Tanks, buildings, electrical equipment and appliances, pumps, pipelines, loading platforms, appurtenances and fire-extinguishing systems and appliances regulated by this chapter shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association, and approved by the head of the fire department.
(Prior revision § 7-62; C.O. 78-1061 § 5)
All petroleum-carrying pipes shall, wherever practical, be located above ground. Whenever in contact with the ground or submerged in water, the pipe shall be treated by an approved coating and wrapping.
(Prior revision § 7-63)
The motor of a tank truck shall not be left running during the period that the truck is being loaded or unloaded. In the event of an overflow the motor shall not be started until the liquid has been removed sufficiently to avoid danger of ignition.
(Prior revision § 7-64)
No tank truck or watercraft shall be loaded or unloaded while on oil-burning or coal-burning locomotive is located within one hundred fifty feet of the place of loading or unloading, and no tank car shall be loaded or unloaded while such type of locomotive is located within fifty feet of the place of loading or unloading.
(Prior revision § 7-65)
A tank truck shall not receive a divided load of class A and class B liquid unless the tank is provided with double bulkheads forming an air space between compartments. Such air space shall be properly vented and provided with complete drainage facilities.
(Prior revision § 7-70)
A system of communication to be both visual and audible and of an approved type shall be installed, maintained and kept in service between the tank storage area, dock and warehouse office.
(Prior revision § 7-71)
All petroleum lines extending to the dock shall, within one hundred feet of the shoreline, be equipped with approved valves.
(Prior revision § 7-72)
The provisions of this chapter shall be posted upon each premises regulated by this chapter, under glass, in at least two locations, and where it will be convenient for reading by the employees.
(Prior revision § 7-73)