In late June, the Environmental Protection Agency announced the publication of a final rule regarding underground storage tank (UST) requirements. The goal of the rule is to improve leak prevention and detection, reducing groundwater contamination.
“These changes will better protect people’s health and benefit the environment in communities across the country by improving prevention and detection of underground storage tank releases,” said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “Extensive and meaningful collaboration with our underground storage tank partners and stakeholders was vital to the development of the new regulations. The revised requirements will also help ensure consistency in implementing the tanks program among states and on tribal lands,” Stanislaus added.
The EPA says the revised rule will strengthen existing requirements and ensure that all USTs in the United States are required to meet the same release protection standards. The revisions include:
adding secondary containment requirements for new and replaced tanks and piping
adding operator training requirements
adding periodic operation and maintenance requirements for UST systems
removing past deferrals for emergency generator tanks, airport hydrant systems, and field-constructed tanks
adding new release prevention and detection technologies
updating codes of practice
updating state program approval requirements to incorporate these new changes
If your facility needs assistance in meeting the new regulations for your USTs, please contact us here.
For more information on the revised rule, click here.