36.22.1207    EARTHEN PITS AND OPEN VESSELS

(1) Waste oil, oil sludge, tank bottoms, merchantable oil, petroleum products, hazardous wastes, or hazardous or deleterious substances must not be stored, disposed of, or retained in earthen storage pits or in open vessels.

(2) The owner or operator may make temporary use of an unlined earthen pit to retain oil or water in the event of an emergency or to retain fluids generated in recompletion or workover operation. The oil, water, and contaminants must be removed from the emergency, recompletion or workover pit within 48 hours and disposed of in a manner that will not degrade surface water or groundwater or cause harm to soils. An owner or operator must apply for and obtain a permit under ARM 36.22.1227 to construct or operate a permanent emergency pit. Repeated use of an earthen pit or pits to contain oil or water spills from an improperly or inadequately designed or maintained production facility does not constitute an “emergency” for purposes of this rule.

History: 82-11-111, MCA; IMP, 82-11-123, 82-11-124, MCA; Eff. 12/31/72; AMD, 1992 MAR p. 654, Eff. 4/1/92.