1996-02-06_REVISION - M1977493 (14)

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Chapter 4-Site-Spec Industrial Storm Water BMPs 4.2 EXPOSURE MINIMIZATION PRACTICES By eliminating or minimizing the possibility of storm water coming into contact with pollutants, facilities can eliminate or minimize the contamination of storm water discharges associated with their industrial activity. As a result, fewer materials will be carried away by storm water runoff, the costs of collecting and treating contaminated storm water will be decreased, and safety and environmental liabilities that result from spills and leaks will be reduced. Completely eliminating the exposure of materials to storm water is not always possible, however. For many industrial: facilities, enclosure of facility grounds is not technologically or economically possible. Therefore, this section describes several simple and inexpensive structural and nonstructural BMPs that a facility can use to minimize the exposure of materials to storm water. Containing spills is one of the primary methods of minimizing exposure of contaminants to storm water runoff. Spill containment is used for enclosing any drips, overflows, leaks, or other liquid material releases, as well as for isolating and keeping pollutant spills away from storm water runoff. There are numerous spill containment methods, ranging from large structural barriers to simple, small drip pans. The benefits of each of these practices vary based on cost, need for maintenance, and size of the spill they are designed to control. This section describes several containment methods, including: • Containment Diking • Curbing • • Drip Pans • Catch Basins • Sumps. Other practices commonly used to minimize exposure of contaminants are also discussed, including the following: • Covering • Vehicle Positioning • Loading and Unloading by Air Pressure or Vacuum. 4-11