[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 24, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 24CFR51.201]

[Page 383-384]
 
                 TITLE 24--HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
 
PART 51_ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA AND STANDARDS--Table of Contents
 
  Subpart C_Siting of HUD-Assisted Projects Near Hazardous Operations 
 Handling Conventional Fuels or Chemicals of an Explosive or Flammable 
                                 Nature
 
Sec. 51.201  Definitions.

    The terms Department and Secretary are defined in 24 CFR part 5.
    Acceptable separation distance (ASD)--means the distance beyond 
which the explosion or combustion of a hazard is not likely to cause 
structures or individuals to be subjected to blast overpressure or 
thermal radiation flux levels in excess of the safety standards in Sec. 
51.203. The ASD is determined by applying the safety standards 
established by this subpart C to the guidance set forth in HUD 
Guidebook, ``Siting of HUD-Assisted Projects Near Hazardous 
Facilities.''

[[Page 384]]

    Blast overpressure--means the pressure, in pounds per square inch, 
in excess of normal atmospheric pressure on the surrounding medium 
caused by an explosion.
    Danger zone--means the land area circumscribed by the radius which 
delineates the ASD of a given hazard.
    Hazard--means any stationary container which stores, handles or 
processes hazardous substances of an explosive or fire prone nature. The 
term ``hazard'' does not include pipelines for the transmission of 
hazardous substances, if such pipelines are located underground or 
comply with applicable Federal, State and local safety standards. Also 
excepted are: (1) Containers with a capacity of 100 gallons or less when 
they contain common liquid industrial fuels, such as gasoline, fuel oil, 
kerosene and crude oil since they generally would pose no danger in 
terms of thermal radiation of blast overpressure to a project; and (2) 
facilities which are shielded from a proposed HUD-assisted project by 
the topography, because these topographic features effectively provide a 
mitigating measure already in place.
    Hazardous substances--means petroleum products (petrochemicals) and 
chemicals that can produce blast overpressure or thermal radiation 
levels in excess of the standards set forth in Sec. 51.203. A specific 
list of hazardous substance is found in appendix I to this subpart.
    HUD-assisted project--the development, construction, rehabilitation, 
modernization or conversion with HUD subsidy, grant assistance, loan, 
loan guarantee, or mortgage insurance, of any project which is intended 
for residential, institutional, recreational, commercial or industrial 
use. For purposes of this subpart the terms ``rehabilitation'' and 
``modernization'' refer only to such repairs and renovation of a 
building or buildings as will result in an increased number of people 
being exposed to hazardous operations by increasing residential 
densities, converting the type of use of a building to habitation, or 
making a vacant building habitable.
    Thermal radiation level--means the emission and propagation of heat 
energy through space or a material medium, expressed in BTU per square 
foot per hour (BTU/ft.2 hr.).

[49 FR 5103, Feb. 10, 1984, as amended at 61 FR 5204, Feb. 9, 1996; 61 
FR 13334, Mar. 26, 1996]