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LP gas board | comments & reviews
t the October 14, 2021 quarterly removed from transportation service to stationary
meeting the Board approved service, then all testings may cease However,
adoption of the 2020 edition of NFPA hairline cracks such as in welds may continue to
A58. The specific regulation amended deteriorate and eventually fail without continued
is 530-X-2- 06 Storage and Handling of LP-Gas monitoring and testing for stress damage
Codes The amendment, having cleared all Therefore, to clear all confusion as to their use,
Alabama Administrative Act reviews, became the board voted to prohibit the use of cargo
effective December 13, 2021 Below is a tanks in permanent stationary service Code
summary of the amendment and its effect on our does allow the use of specialized containers
industry known by definition as “Porta-Pac” to be used
With the approval of the amendment to in temporary stationary service The board’s
Alabama Administrative Act 530-X-2- 06 Storage modification of the cargo tank definition would
and Handling of LP-Gas Codes, the Board voted not prohibit the use of Porta-Pacs as they are by
to move from the 2011 edition of NFPA 58 to definition for temporary service and not intended
the 2020 edition with a few modifications. The for transporting LP-Gas
exact language of the adopted change may NFPA 58 has mandated for quite some
be viewed on the board website at www lpgb time that when a container is deemed in
alabama under the News & Meetings section noncompliance with applicable codes, the
Most modifications to the adopted 2020 edition owner and user must be notified in writing
of NFPA 58 were intended to keep specified (See § 7 2 2 2, 2020 edition) It seems overly
sections of code exactly as stated in the 2011 cumbersome to require written documentation
edition. Two unique modifications to the 2020 for every container that is denied filling due to
edition of NFPA 58 included the definition of noncompliance with some portion of code The
“Cargo Tank” and notification to owners of fact that an LP-Gas distributor refuses to fill a
containers deemed in noncompliance with cylinder is notice to the owner or user Therefore,
code the Board took the initiative to modify § 7 2 2 2
The published definition of a cargo tank in to read “Refusal to fill a container based on
the 2020 edition of NFPA 58 is “A container that rejection criteria established by code shall be
is used to transport LP-Gas as liquid cargo that deemed sufficient notification to a container
either is mounted on a conventional truck chassis owner or user that the container is not in
or is an integral part of a cargo transporting compliance with applicable codes ” Strike a
vehicle ” This would include tanks from former blow for common sense!
bobtail, transport, or railcar service The board You are encouraged to visit the Board’s
modified the definition by adding one additional website at www lpgb alabama gov for more
sentence stating, “Cargo tanks shall not be used news and information that will certainly be of
as permanent stationary containers ” benefit. In closing, I hope the New Year brings
Cargo tanks are exposed to tremendous peace and happiness to each of you!■
strains to both the metal and welds while in
transportation Potential weak points that
deteriorate over time are hopefully discovered
during one of the many pressure tests and
internal examinations performed while the
truck is in cargo tank service The traditional
line of thought has been that if a cargo tank is
7 Alabama Propane Gas Association | January / February 2022
