What is Secondary Containment?

• A. A method of containing a spill or leak if a leak should accrue from the primary tank or line
• B. A separate storage tank designed to store additional spills
• C. A monitoring system for detecting leaks from the primary line
• D. A protective barrier around the entire facility

Answer: (A)

Secondary containment is a containment system placed around the primary tank or line to catch any spills or leaks if they occur. It’s designed to prevent the released material from reaching soil or water by holding it in an impermeable basin, trench, or double-walled setup. This provides time to detect and respond before environmental damage happens. It isn’t simply a larger storage tank, which would store more liquid rather than contain a leak; nor is it a monitoring system that detects leaks without holding the material; nor is it a facility-wide barrier, which isn’t the targeted approach for individual containers.