1. (a) Instead of NFPA 58, §§3.2.19.1, 3.2.19.2, 3.2.19.3, and 3.2.19.6, effective February 1, 2001, new stationary LP-gas installations with individual or aggregate water capacities of 4,001 gallons or more, including licensee and nonlicensee locations, shall install a vertical bulkhead and pneumatically-operated internal valves and pneumatically-operated emergency shutoff valves (ESVs), as required in this section and in the table in §9.403 of this title (relating to Sections in NFPA 58 Not Adopted by Reference, and Adopted With Changes, Additional Requirements, or Corrections) for NFPA 58, §§3.2.18.1 and 3.3.3.6. In lieu of a pneumatically-operated internal valve or a pneumatically-operated ESV, a back check valve where the flow is into the container only may be installed.

   1. (1) The pneumatic ESVs shall be installed in the fixed piping of the transfer system upstream of the bulkhead and within four feet of the bulkhead with a stainless steel flexible wire-braided hose not more than 36 inches long installed between the ESV and the bulkhead.
   2. (2) The ESVs shall be installed in the piping so that any break resulting from a pullaway will occur on the hose or swivel-type piping side of the connection while retaining intact the valves and piping on the storage side of the connection and will activate the ESV at the bulkhead and the primary discharge valves at the container or containers. Provisions for anchorage and breakaway shall be provided on the cargo tank side for transfer from a railroad tank car directly into a cargo tank. Such anchorage shall not be required from the tank car side.
   3. (3) Temperature sensitive elements of ESVs shall not be painted nor shall they have any ornamental finishes applied after manufacture.
   4. (4) Internal valves, ESVs, and backflow check valves shall be tested annually for working order. The results of the tests shall be documented in writing and kept in a readily accessible location for one year following the performed tests.
   5. (5) Pneumatically-operated internal valves and ESVs shall be interconnected and incorporated into at least one remote operating system.
2. (b) Within two years of February 1, 2001, or by February 1, 2003, at the latest, stationary LP-gas installations in existence as of February 1, 2001, with individual or aggregate water capacities of 4,001 gallons or more, including licensee and nonlicensee locations, or railroad tank car transfer systems to fill trucks with no stationary storage involved, which do not have a bulkhead and/or backflow check valves where the flow is in one direction into the container and ESVs installed shall install vertical bulkheads and pneumatic ESVs.

3. (c) Existing installations which have horizontal bulkheads and/or backflow check valves where the flow is in one direction into the container or cable-actuated ESVs are not required to replace that equipment except as follows:

   1. (1) If the horizontal bulkhead requires replacement, it shall be replaced with a vertical bulkhead;
   2. (2) If a backflow check valve or a cable-actuated ESV requires replacement, it shall be replaced with a pneumatic actuated ESV; or
   3. (3) If the horizontal bulkhead or a backflow check valve or a cable-actuated ESV are moved from their original location to another location, no matter what the distance from the original location, then the installation shall comply with the requirements for a vertical bulkhead and pneumatic actuated ESVs.

4. (d) Bulkheads, whether horizontal or vertical, shall comply with the following requirements:

   1. (1) Bulkheads shall be installed for both liquid and vapor return piping;
   2. (2) Only one or two transfer hoses shall be attached to a pipe riser. If two hoses are simultaneously connected to one or two transports, the use of the two hoses shall not prevent the activation of the ESV in the event of a pullaway;
   3. (3) Both liquid and vapor transfer hoses shall be plugged or capped;
   4. (4) Bulkheads shall be located at least 10 feet from any aboveground container or containers and a minimum of 10 feet horizontally from any portion of a container or valve exposed aboveground on any underground or mounded container. If the 10-foot distance cannot be obtained, the licensee or nonlicensee shall inform the Safety Division (the Division) in writing and include all necessary information. The Division may grant administrative distance variances to a minimum distance of five feet. If the licensee or nonlicensee requests that the bulkhead be closer than five feet to the container or containers, the licensee or nonlicensee shall apply for an exception to a safety rule as specified in §9.27 of this title (relating to Application for an Exception to a Safety Rule);
   5. (5) Horizontal bulkheads shall not be converted to vertical bulkheads;
   6. (6) Bulkheads shall be anchored in reinforced concrete to prevent displacement of the bulkhead, piping, and fittings in the event of a pullaway;

   7. (7) Bulkheads shall be constructed by welding using the following materials or materials with equal or greater strength, as shown in the diagram.
      Attached Graphic
      

      1. (A) Six-inch steel channel iron shall be used;
      2. (B) Legs shall be four-inch schedule 80 piping;
      3. (C) The top crossmember of a vertical bulkhead shall be six-inch standard weight steel channel iron. The channel iron shall be installed so the channel portion is pointing downward to prevent accumulation of water or other debris. The height of the top crossmember above ground shall not result in torsional stress on the vertical supports of the bulkhead in the event of a pullaway;
      4. (D) The kick plate shall be at least 1/4 inch steel plate installed at least 10 inches from the top of the bulkhead crossmember. A kick plate is not required if the crossmember is constructed to prevent torsional stress from being placed on the piping to the pipe risers;

      5. (E) Either a schedule 40 pipe sleeve or a 3,000-pound coupling shall be welded between the top crossmember and the kick plate;

         1. (i) Pipe sleeves shall have a clearance of 1/4 inch or less for the piping to the pipe riser, and the piping shall terminate through the bulkhead with a schedule 80 pipe collar, a minimum 12-inch schedule 80 threaded (not welded) pipe riser (nipple), and an elbow or other fitting between the bulkhead and hose coupling;
         2. (ii) If a 3,000-pound coupling is used, no collar is required; however, the minimum 12-inch length of schedule 80 threaded pipe riser and an elbow or other fitting between the bulkhead and hose coupling are required;
         3. (iii) Elbows or other fittings shall comply with NFPA 58, §2.4.4 and shall direct the transfer hose from vertical to prevent binding or kinking of the hose.
   8. (8) In lieu of a minimum 12-inch nipple or a vertical bulkhead, swivel-type piping (breakaway loading arm) may be installed. The swivel-type piping shall meet all applicable provisions of the LP-Gas Safety Rules. The swivel-type piping may also be used for unloading, but shall not be used in lieu of ESVs. The swivel-type piping shall be installed and maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions.
   9. (9) The Division may require additional bulkhead protection if the installation is subject to exceptional circumstances or located in an unusual area where additional protection is necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the general public.
5. (e) In addition to NFPA 58, §2.3.3.2 as amended in the table in §9.403 of this title (relating to Sections in NFPA 58 Not Adopted by Reference, and Adopted with Changes, Additional Requirements, or Corrections), ESVs and internal valves shall have emergency remote controls conspicuously marked according to the requirements of Table 1 of §9.140 of this title (relating to Uniform Protection Standards). Effective February 1, 2001, for all new facilities, where a bulkhead, internal valves, and ESVs are installed, at least one clearly identified and easily accessible manually operated remote emergency shutoff device shall be located between 20 and 100 feet from the ESV in the path of egress from the ESV; beginning September 1, 2005, for new installations, this distance shall be a minimum of 25 feet. Existing installations shall comply by August 1, 2001. The use of swivel-type piping as specified in subsection (d)(8) of this section shall not eliminate the requirement for an ESV. Swivel-type piping may be installed between the bulkhead and the minimum 12-inch nipple, but shall not eliminate the requirement for an ESV. The swivel-type piping shall be installed and maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions.
6. (f) The bulkheads, internal valves, backflow check valves, and ESVs shall be kept in working order at all times in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and the LP-Gas Safety Rules. If the bulkheads, internal valves, backflow check valves and ESVs are not in working order in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and the LP-Gas Safety Rules, the licensee or operator of the installation shall immediately remove them from LP-gas service and shall not operate the installation until all necessary repairs have been made.
7. (g) By February 1, 2003, rubber flexible connectors which are 3/4-inch or larger in size installed in liquid or vapor piping at an existing liquid transfer operation shall be replaced with a stainless steel flexible connector. Stainless steel flexible connectors shall be 36 inches in length or less, and shall comply with all applicable LP-Gas Safety Rules. Flexible connectors installed at a new installation after February 1, 2001, shall be stainless steel.
8. (h) If necessary to increase LP-gas safety, the Division may require a pneumatically-operated internal valve equipped for remote closure and automatic shutoff through thermal (fire) actuation to be installed for certain liquid and/or vapor connections with an opening of 3/4 inch or one inch in size.

9. (i) Stationary LP-gas installations with individual or aggregate water capacities of 4,001 gallons or more are exempt from subsections (a) and (b) of this section provided:

   1. (1) each container is filled solely through a 1 3/4 inch double back check filler valve installed directly into the container; and
   2. (2) the LP-gas installation is not used to fill an LP-gas transport.

Source Note:The provisions of this §9.143 adopted to be effective February 1, 2001, 26 TexReg 947; amended to be effective September 29, 2003, 28 TexReg 8318; amended to be effective September 1, 2005, 30 TexReg 4810.