The Manitoba government created new guidelines for on-farm fuel storage systems so it should have to foot the bill for inspecting them, says the Keystone Agricultural Producers.
Manitoba Conservation introduced rules this year that require fuel storage facilities of 5,000 or more litres to meet new environmental standards. There were concerns that some of these tanks are housed in high traffic areas accessible to the public or are near sewer systems.
Ian Wishart, KAP vice-president, said the only inspectors available to do the safety audits and certifications are in Ontario.
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“We feel it’s their (the government’s) responsibility to provide inspectors,” he said.
Fuel delivery services are increasingly under pressure to refuse deliveries to non-inspected sites. Wishart said farmers are willing to pay for the service of Manitoba-based inspectors but not for those from outside.
He noted the high costs of fuel and decommissioning aging tanks, along with inspection costs as high as $5,000 per tank, are more than farmers can afford.
He maintains farmers are already doing a good job of managing fuel on their farms, with most tanks located away from buildings to prevent accidental fires. Access is often restricted to farm sites, reducing the chance of accidental contact by vehicles.
Tanks larger than 5,000 litres are required to have secondary containment systems in place to prevent harm to the environment in the event of spills or leaks.
KAP is hoping to discuss the issue with Manitoba Conservation, but no meeting date has been set.
Mike Baert of Manitoba Conservation said KAP was briefed on environmental requirements for tanks, noting many regulations have been in place since the 1970s.
He said fuel tanks must be certified by engineers from Underwriters Laboratories of Canada, an independent, not-for-profit product safety testing and certification organization.
There is insufficient business for ULC to establish regional offices in Manitoba, he said.
Baert said many farms are awaiting shipments of new ULC approved tanks, or have certified tanks whose tags have simply been painted over. Other farms installed illegal tanks, such as those obtained from defunct breweries.
He acknowledged the inspections come at a price for farmers, but explained: “That is the cost of doing business.”
