UPDATE – ON: Regulatory authority proposed revisions on tank installations do not address industry challenges

The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) has provided a revised process for underground storage tank installations after meeting with the CPA and industry members who have long been advocating for simpler and less costly application processes and fees. 

However, the TSSA’s proposed revised regime that it presented to members on May 2 does not address the challenges experienced by the propane industry. It includes a mandatory 12-point checklist for all installations, requires an engineer’s review of all tanks, and provides no concrete costs or approval turn around times. The TSSA says these proposed requirements are to help improve industry safety. 

Industry members have assessed the TSSA’s proposed plan and will provide their feedback at a meeting with the Authority on June 28, 2022. The CPA will report back to members on the outcome of this meeting. 

TSSA’s treatment of underground tank installations became an issue due to changes in the 2020 Code Adoption Document (CAD section 1.16 – clause 7.8.1) for propane storage and handling moving approvals from manufacturers’ instructions to the authority having jurisdiction (TSSA), resulting in more complex processes and increased costs in February 2021.