DEQ Extends Public Comment Period on Fuel Tank Seismic Stability Bill

By on Thursday, June 15th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

EASTERN OREGON – (Release form the Department of Environmental Quality) The public comment period has been extended until 4 p.m., Wednesday, July 12, 2023. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is in the process of creating rules to implement the fuel tanks seismic stability requirements enacted in Senate Bill 1567. The bill requires operators of large capacity fuel handling facilities to assess their facility’s ability to withstand a magnitude 9 Cascadia earthquake event and propose mitigation to minimize risk.

Public comment

The Department of Environmental Quality is seeking public comment on the proposed rules More information on this rulemaking, including the draft rules, can be found on the Fuel Tank Seismic Stability webpage.

How to comment: DEQ will accept comments by email, postal mail or verbally at the public hearing. Anyone can submit comments and questions about this rulemaking.

  • Email: Send comments by email to SeismicStability.2023@DEQ.oregon.gov 
  • Postal mail: Oregon DEQ, Attn: Fuel Tank Seismic Stability Team, 700 NE Multnomah Street, Suite 600, Portland, Oregon 97232-4100 
  • At a public hearing (see below):
  • 7 p.m., Thursday, June 15, 2023 
  • 2 p.m., Saturday, June 17, 2023 
  • 12 p.m., Tuesday, June 20, 2023 

DEQ will only consider comments on the proposed rules that DEQ receives by 4 p.m., on July 12, 2023.

Rulemaking Hearing: DEQ will hold three public hearings, with registration details below:

Hearing 1
June 15, 2023, 7 p.m. PT
Register via Zoom 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

Hearing 2
June 17, 2023, 2 p.m. PT
Register via Zoom

Hearing 3
June 20, 2023, 12 p.m. PT
Register via Zoom

Note for public university students:

ORS 192.345(29) allows Oregon public university and OHSU students to protect their university email addresses from disclosure under Oregon’s public records law. If you are an Oregon public university or OHSU student, notify DEQ that you wish to keep your email address confidential.

Additional Information

To view copies of the notice documents, learn more about this rulemaking, and how to submit comments, you can view the rulemaking web page at: Fuel Tank Seismic Stability webpage.

If you want to receive future email notices about this rulemaking, you must sign up at: Fuel Tank Seismic Stability GovDelivery

You can also obtain more information about this rulemaking by contacting:

Svetlana Lazarev
Svetlana.lazarev@deq.oregon.gov

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