Sec. 26.13.05.18-1. Containment Buildings — Design Standards

A. The owner and operator of a containment building being used to manage hazardous waste shall assure that the containment building meets the following design standards:

(1) The containment building is a structure completely enclosed with a floor, walls, and a roof to:

(a) Prevent exposure of the interior to the elements, that is, precipitation, wind, and surface water run-on; and

(b) Assure containment of managed wastes;

(2) Except as provided in §A(3) of this regulation, the floor and containment walls of the unit, including a secondary containment system required under §B of this regulation have been designed and constructed of manmade materials in accordance with the following requirements:

(a) The floor and containment walls are of sufficient strength and thickness to:

(i) Support themselves, the waste contents, and any personnel and heavy equipment that operates within the unit; and

(ii) Prevent failure due to pressure gradients, settlement, compression, uplift, physical contact with the hazardous wastes to which the materials are exposed, climatic conditions, and the stresses of daily operation, including the movement of heavy equipment within the unit and contact of heavy equipment with containment walls; and

(iii) Have sufficient structural strength to prevent collapse or other failure; and

(b) All surfaces in contact with hazardous wastes or intended to be in contact with hazardous wastes are chemically compatible with those wastes;

(3) Lightweight doors and windows are not subject to the design requirements concerning structural strength in §A(1)-(2) of this regulation if:

(a) The incorporation of the lightweight doors and windows into the design of the containment building is appropriate to the nature of the waste management operation to take place in the unit;

(b) The lightweight doors and windows provide an effective barrier against fugitive dust emissions in accordance with the requirements of Regulation .18-2B(5)- (7) of this chapter; and

(c) The containment building design and the way in which it is operated assures that wastes will not come in contact with these openings; and

(4) The containment building has a primary barrier that is:

(a) Designed to withstand the movement of personnel, waste, and handling equipment in the unit during the operating life of the unit; and

(b) Appropriate for the physical and chemical characteristics of the waste to be managed.

B. Except as provided in §E of this regulation, the owner and operator of a containment building used to manage hazardous waste that contains free liquids or that is treated with free liquids shall assure that the containment building meets the following design standards:

(1) The containment building includes a primary barrier designed and constructed of materials to prevent the migration of hazardous constituents into the barrier, such as, for example, a geomembrane covered by a concrete wear surface;

(2) The containment building includes a liquid collection and removal system to minimize the accumulation of liquid on the primary barrier of the containment building;

(3) The primary barrier required by §B(1) of this regulation is sloped to drain liquids to the associated collection system;

(4) The system required by §B(2) of this regulation provides for the collection and removal of liquids and wastes at the earliest practicable time to minimize hydraulic head on the containment system;

(5) The containment building includes:

(a) A secondary containment system with a secondary barrier designed and constructed to prevent migration of hazardous constituents into the barrier; and

(b) A leak detection system that is capable of detecting failure of the primary barrier and collecting accumulated hazardous wastes and liquids at the earliest practicable time;

(6) The leak detection component of the secondary containment system required by §B(5)(b) of this regulation performs at least as well as a system that is, at a minimum:

(a) Constructed with a bottom slope of 1 percent or more; and

(b) Constructed of:

(i) A granular drainage material with a hydraulic conductivity of 1 × 10^-2 centimeters/second or more and a thickness of 12 inches (30.5 centimeters) or more; or

(ii) Synthetic or geonet drainage materials with a transmissivity of 3 × 10^-5 square meters/second or more;

(7) If hazardous waste is to be treated in the containment building, each area in which hazardous waste treatment is conducted is designed to prevent the release of liquids, wet materials, or liquid aerosols to other portions of the building; and

(8) The secondary containment system is constructed of materials that are:

(a) Chemically resistant to the waste and liquids managed in the containment building; and

(b) Of sufficient strength and thickness to prevent collapse under the pressure exerted by overlaying materials and by any equipment used in the containment building.

C. Determination of the Presence of Free Liquids. For the purposes of §B of this regulation, a person shall determine whether free liquids are present by:

(1) The paint filter liquids test, Method 9095A of Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods EPA SW-846, which is incorporated by reference in COMAR 26.13.01.05A(4);

(2) A visual examination; or

(3) Another appropriate means acceptable to the Secretary.

D. For a containment building that contains areas both with and without secondary containment, the owner or operator shall assure that each area is designed in accordance with the requirements of this regulation.

E. Waiver of Secondary Containment Requirements. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this regulation and Regulations .18 and .18-2 of this chapter, the Secretary may waive the requirements for secondary containment for a permitted containment building if the owner or operator demonstrates that:

(1) The only free liquids in the unit are limited amounts of liquids used to provide dust suppression required to meet occupational health and safety requirements; and

(2) Containment of managed wastes and liquids can be assured without a secondary containment system.

F. Containment Building as an External Liner for a Tank. A person may use a containment building to serve as an external liner system for a tank for the purposes of providing secondary containment for the tank under Regulation .10-4D of this chapter if the containment building meets the requirements of Regulation .10-4B-C of this chapter.