Draw a facility site plan on which you locate
and sketch important
structures and activity
areas using accurate
dimensions and distances.
Locate the building downslope and away from your
well. Separation from the well should be greater
if the site has sandy soils or fractured bedrock
near the soil surface. If the site must be upslope
from the well, be sure to take precautions to have
any spill contained to prevent it from moving into
the water that supplies your well.
Surface water should drain to a retention area in
the event of a fire.
The mixing and loading area should be close to
your storage
facility, to minimize the distance that chemicals
are carried.
Maintain safe separation
distances from
your fertilizer storage facility to other structures
and activity
areas.
The building foundation should be well drained
and high
above the water table. The finished grade should be
3 inches
below the floor and sloped away from the building to
prevent
frost heave. The subsoil should have a low
permeability.
Provide pallets to keep large drums or bags off
the floor in
order to keep them dry. Shelves for smaller
containers should
have a lip to keep the containers from sliding off
easily.
Steel shelves are easier to clean than wood if a
spill occurs.
If you plan to store large tanks, provide a
containment area
capable of confining 110-125% of the volume of the
largest
container (check state regulations).
The building may need to be insulated and heated
if the
fertilizers are stored over the winter. It may need
to be air
conditioned in the summer, depending on the type of
fertilizers
stored.
Keep the building locked and clearly labeled as
a fertilizer
storage area. Provide exterior illumination of the
warning
signs and of the building to identify it as a
fertilizer storage
facility. Preventing unauthorized use of
fertilizers reduces
the chance of accidental spills or theft. Labels on
the windows
and doors of the building give firefighters
information about
fertilizers and other products during an emergency
response to a
fire or a spill. It is a good idea to keep a
separate list of
the chemicals and amounts stored. If a fire should
occur,
consider where the water will go and where it might
collect.
For example, a curb around the floor can help
confine
contaminated water.
Provide adequate road access for deliveries and
use, and in
making the storage area secure, also make it
accessible, to
allow getting fertilizers and other chemicals out in
a hurry.