Safety clearances.
Municipal Code of Chicago § 15-28-250
in effect15-28-250 Safety clearances.
Nitromethane. Outside drum storage areas, if not equipped with a deluge-type automatic sprinkler system, shall be located in the following minimum distances from any building, combustible storage in the open, flammable liquid storage, lot line or public way:
Weight (Pounds) | Distance (Feet)
2,000 | 100
2,001 – 10,000 | 200
10,001 – 20,000 | 300
20,001 – 40,000 | 400
40,001 – 80,000 | 500
In no case shall a safety clearance of less than 500 feet be provided to any lot line of any plot of ground on which is situated a school, institutional, assembly or open air assembly building.
It shall be permissible to store nitromethane in underground tanks meeting the requirements of Section 15-24-280 or in aboveground tanks meeting the requirements of Section 15-24-170 and barricaded in accordance with the requirements of Section 15-20-140. However, in no case shall a clearance of less than 500 feet be provided to any lot line of any plot of ground on which is situated a school, institutional, assembly or open air assembly building.
(Prior code § 92-20)
Source: City of Chicago, Municipal Code of Chicago (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2679699Fetched: 10/24/2026