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 pesticide 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
pesticides are stored over the winter. It may need to be air
conditioned in the summer, depending on the type of pesticides
stored.
Keep the building locked and clearly labeled as a pesticide
storage area. Provide exterior illumination of the warning
signs and of the building to identify it as a pesticide storage
facility. Preventing unauthorized use of pesticides reduces
the chance of accidental spills or theft. Labels on the windows
and doors of the building give firefighters information about
pesticides 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 pesticides and other chemicals out in a hurry.