There are certain hazards associated with specific hazardous facilities, which store, handle, or process hazardous substances of a flammable or explosive nature. There are inherent potential dangers associated with locating HUD-assisted projects near such hazardous facilities.
Project sites located too close to facilities handling, storing or processing conventional fuels (e.g. petroleum), hazardous gases (e.g. propane) or chemicals of an explosive or flammable nature (e.g. benzene) is a matter of concern when conducting an environmental assessment. Calculating the Acceptable Separation Distance (ASD) is one of several steps toward determining site suitability for a proposed HUD-assisted project near hazardous facilities. Gathering specific site information using the guidance found in the guidebook “Siting of HUD-Assisted Projects near Hazardous Facilities” and the regulation 24 CFR Part 51 Subpart C, is a requirement for the determination of the ASD between the proposed HUD-assisted project site and the assessed hazardous facility. For further assistance contact the Environmental
Contact in your area or Nelson
Rivera at HUD Washington.
Siting of HUD-assisted Projects near Hazardous Facilities
Acceptable Separation Distance (ASD) Electronic Assessment Tool
Is
the property located near hazardous operations handling conventional
fuels or chemicals of an explosive or flammable nature?
Threshold:
Properties that are located near hazardous industrial operations handling
fuels or chemicals of an explosive or flammable nature are subject
to HUD safety standards (24 CFR 51, Subpart C). In the case of tanks
containing common liquid fuels, the requirement for an acceptable
separation distance (ASD) calculation only applies to storage tanks
that have a capacity of more than 100 gallons.
Documentation: Grantees are to select the condition that best
describes the project either A_ or B_ and document the source of the
information.
A.
The grantee provides HUD a finding by a qualified data source stating:
(1) that the grantee's proposed property is located within the immediate
vicinity of hazardous industrial operations handling fuel or chemicals
of an explosive or flammable nature; (2) the type and scale of such
hazardous operations; (3) the distance of such operations from the
proposed property; (4) a preliminary calculation of the acceptable
separation distance (ASD) between such operations and the proposed
property; and (5) a recommendation as to whether it is safe to use
the property in accord with 24 CFR Part 51, Subpart C.
B.
The grantee provides HUD a finding from a qualified data source
that the grantee's proposed property is not located within the immediate
vicinity of hazardous industrial operations handling fuel or chemicals
of an explosive or flammable nature by citing data used and the
maps used.
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