New state rule requires propane overfill device.

Byline: TRICIA SCHWENNESEN The Register-Guard

For many, it's a common enough springtime chore: Drive to the nearest gas station and have an attendant refill the propane tank for the barbecue grill, the camp trailer or RV.

But this year, the chore gets a little more complicated:

A new state guideline, effective April 1, requires an added safety feature on most propane tanks between 4 and 40 pounds capacity (1- to 10-gallon size) - an overfill prevention device.

Tanks made after October 1998 already have the device. Your tank complies with the new rule if it has a three-point nonremovable handle and "OPD" stamped on its steel stem.

And if it doesn't, you can trade in your outdated tank this weekend for a reconditioned one with a retrofitted device at a discounted price. Retro-fitting runs an average of between $28 and $30 for a 20-pound cylinder versus about $14 for a reconditioned one.

The state fire marshal's office has organized a propane cylinder roundup at GI Joe's in Eugene - one in a series of turn-ins around the state.

There are an estimated 60 million refillable propane tanks nationwide, including 2 million to 3 million in Oregon, said Gordon Simeral, a propane compliance specialist with the fire marshal's office.

People already have turned in thousands at roundups in Salem and Tualatin, he said.

Oregon adopted the standards set by the National Fire Protection Association, which proposed the propane change in 2000 to protect people from gas leaks and explosions that can occur when a tank is overfilled.

"Propane is a unique fuel," Simeral said. "When the propane vents, it creates a vapor cloud. When the vapor cloud finds a source of ignition like electrical - a spark - a cigarette or extreme heat like a muffler, it will ignite causing a small explosion or a flash."

At times it occurs when someone transports the propane, causing explosions in campers and RVs and sometimes serious injury, he said.

The overfill prevention device uses a ball that floats inside the tank and stops the fill at 80 percent full - leaving room for expanding gas, Simeral said. The safety feature reduces accidents - and you only pay for the amount of fuel that fills the tank, not the tank size, he said.

If your tank doesn't have the new features, you can trade in the old one for a new one at events such as the one this weekend. Or if the tank is in good condition, you can have it retrofitted with the safety device at licensed propane dealers.

"It is unsafe to vent gas in an attempt to work on propane cylinders without the knowledge and proper training," Simeral said.

Some tanks are exempt from the new rule - those smaller than 4 pounds and those that are horizontally mounted, such as those in motor homes and forklifts, he said.

There is no penalty or fine for missing the April 1 deadline, but a filling station attendant can't legally fill a tank with an old valve.

TANK TURN-IN

What: Turn in your old propane tank and buy a new one at a discount to meet the new requirement.

When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Where: GI Joe's, 1030 Green Acres Road

Before you go: Check your tank. If it has a three-point hand valve and a stem stamped "OPD," then it meets the requirement. Exemptions include horizontally mounted tanks used to power forklifts and motorhomes as well as small, nonrefillable backpack camp stove tanks.

Can't make it: For a list of additional sites and times, call toll-free [phone].

For more information: Call the state fire marshal's office at [phone], ext. 278, or check online at www.sfm.state.or.us.

- State Fire Marshal