(a) Drip pads must:
(1) Be constructed of non-earthen materials, excluding wood and non-structurally supported asphalt;
(2) Be sloped to free-drain treated wood drippage, rain and other waters, or solutions of drippage and water or other wastes to the associated collection system;
(3) Have a curb or berm around the perimeter;
(4)
(i) Have a hydraulic conductivity of less than or equal to 1 × 10−7 centimeters per second, e.g., existing concrete drip pads must be sealed, coated, or covered with a surface material with a hydraulic conductivity of less than or equal to 1 × 10−7 centimeters per second such that the entire surface where drippage occurs or may run across is capable of containing such drippage and mixtures of drippage and precipitation, materials, or other wastes while being routed to an associated collection system. This surface material must be maintained free of cracks and gaps that could adversely affect its hydraulic conductivity, and the material must be chemically compatible with the preservatives that contact the drip pad. The requirements of this provision apply only to existing drip pads and those drip pads for which the owner or operator elects to comply with § 264.572(b) instead of § 264.572(a).
(ii) The owner or operator must obtain and keep on file at the facility a written assessment of the drip pad, reviewed and certified by a qualified Professional Engineer that attests to the results of the evaluation. The assessment must be reviewed, updated and recertified annually. The evaluation must document the extent to which the drip pad meets the design and operating standards of this section, except for paragraph (b) of this section.
(5) Be of sufficient structural strength and thickness to prevent failure due to physical contact, climatic conditions, the stress of daily operations, e.g., variable and moving loads such as vehicle traffic, movement of wood, etc.
[Note: EPA will generally consider applicable standards established by professional organizations generally recognized by the industry such as the American Concrete Institute (ACI) or the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) in judging the structural integrity requirement of this paragraph.]
(b) If an owner/operator elects to comply with § 264.572(a) instead of § 264.572(b), the drip pad must have:
(1) A synthetic liner installed below the drip pad that is designed, constructed, and installed to prevent leakage from the drip pad into the adjacent subsurface soil or groundwater or surface water at any time during the active life (including the closure period) of the drip pad. The liner must be constructed of materials that will prevent waste from being absorbed into the liner and to prevent releases into the adjacent subsurface soil or groundwater or surface water during the active life of the facility. The liner must be:
(i) Constructed of materials that have appropriate chemical properties and sufficient strength and thickness to prevent failure due to pressure gradients (including static head and external hydrogeologic forces), physical contact with the waste or drip pad leakage to which they are exposed, climatic conditions, the stress of installation, and the stress of daily operation (including stresses from vehicular traffic on the drip pad);
(ii) Placed upon a foundation or base capable of providing support to the liner and resistance to pressure gradients above and below the liner to prevent failure of the liner due to settlement, compression or uplift; and
(iii) Installed to cover all surrounding earth that could come in contact with the waste or leakage; and
(2) A leakage detection system immediately above the liner that is designed, constructed, maintained and operated to detect leakage from the drip pad. The leakage detection system must be:
(i) Constructed of materials that are:
(A) Chemically resistant to the waste managed in the drip pad and the leakage that might be generated; and
(B) Of sufficient strength and thickness to prevent collapse under the pressures exerted by overlaying materials and by any equipment used at the drip pad;
(ii) Designed and operated to function without clogging through the scheduled closure of the drip pad; and
(iii) Designed so that it will detect the failure of the drip pad or the presence of a release of hazardous waste or accumulated liquid at the earliest practicable time.
(3) A leakage collection system immediately above the liner that is designed, constructed, maintained and operated to collect leakage from the drip pad such that it can be removed from below the drip pad. The date, time, and quantity of any leakage collected in this system and removed must be documented in the operating log.
(c) Drip pads must be maintained such that they remain free of cracks, gaps, corrosion, or other deterioration that could cause hazardous waste to be released from the drip pad.
[Note: See § 264.573(m) for remedial action required if deterioration or leakage is detected.]
(d) The drip pad and associated collection system must be designed and operated to convey, drain, and collect liquid resulting from drippage or precipitation in order to prevent run-off.
(e) Unless protected by a structure, as described in § 264.570(b) of this subpart, the owner or operator must design, construct, operate and maintain a run-on control system capable of preventing flow onto the drip pad during peak discharge from at least a 24-hour, 25-year storm, unless the system has sufficient excess capacity to contain any run-off that might enter the system.
(f) Unless protected by a structure or cover as described in § 264.570(b) of this subpart, the owner or operator must design, construct, operate and maintain a run-off management system to collect and control at least the water volume resulting from a 24-hour, 25-year storm.
(g) The drip pad must be evaluated to determine that it meets the requirements of paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section and the owner or operator must obtain a statement from a qualified Professional Engineer certifying that the drip pad design meets the requirements of this section.
(h) Drippage and accumulated precipitation must be removed from the associated collection system as necessary to prevent overflow onto the drip pad.
(i) The drip pad surface must be cleaned thoroughly in a manner and frequency such that accumulated residues of hazardous waste or other materials are removed, with residues being properly managed as hazardous waste, so as to allow weekly inspections of the entire drip pad surface without interference or hindrance from accumulated residues of hazardous waste or other materials on the drip pad. The owner or operator must document the date and time of each cleaning and the cleaning procedure used in the facility's operating log. The owner/operator must determine if the residues are hazardous as per 40 CFR 262.11 and, if so, must manage them under parts 261-268, 270, and section 3010 of RCRA.
(j) Drip pads must be operated and maintained in a manner to minimize tracking of hazardous waste or hazardous waste constituents off the drip pad as a result of activities by personnel or equipment.
(k) After being removed from the treatment vessel, treated wood from pressure and non-pressure processes must be held on the drip pad until drippage has ceased. The owner or operator must maintain records sufficient to document that all treated wood is held on the pad following treatment in accordance with this requirement.
(l) Collection and holding units associated with run-on and run-off control systems must be emptied or otherwise managed as soon as possible after storms to maintain design capacity of the system.
(m) Throughout the active life of the drip pad and as specified in the permit, if the owner or operator detects a condition that may have caused or has caused a release of hazardous waste, the condition must be repaired within a reasonably prompt period of time following discovery, in accordance with the following procedures:
(1) Upon detection of a condition that may have caused or has caused a release of hazardous waste (e.g., upon detection of leakage in the leak detection system), the owner or operator must:
(i) Enter a record of the discovery in the facility operating log;
(ii) Immediately remove the portion of the drip pad affected by the condition from service;
(iii) Determine what steps must be taken to repair the drip pad and clean up any leakage from below the drip pad, and establish a schedule for accomplishing the repairs;
(iv) Within 24 hours after discovery of the condition, notify the Regional Administrator of the condition and, within 10 working days, provide written notice to the Regional Administrator with a description of the steps that will be taken to repair the drip pad and clean up any leakage, and the schedule for accomplishing this work.
(2) The Regional Administrator will review the information submitted, make a determination regarding whether the pad must be removed from service completely or partially until repairs and cleanup are complete and notify the owner or operator of the determination and the underlying rationale in writing.
(3) Upon completing all repairs and cleanup, the owner or operator must notify the Regional Administrator in writing and provide a certification signed by an independent, qualified registered professional engineer, that the repairs and cleanup have been completed according to the written plan submitted in accordance with paragraph (m)(1)(iv) of this section.
(n) Should a permit be necessary, the Regional Administrator will specify in the permit all design and operating practices that are necessary to ensure that the requirements of this section are satisfied.
(o) The owner or operator must maintain, as part of the facility operating log, documentation of past operating and waste handling practices. This must include identification of preservative formulations used in the past, a description of drippage management practices, and a description of treated wood storage and handling practices.
[56 FR 30196, July 1, 1991, as amended at 57 FR 5861, Feb. 18, 1992; 57 FR 61503, Dec. 24, 1992; 71 FR 16907, Apr. 4, 2006; 71 FR 40274, July 14, 2006]