WASHINGTON (June 24, 2015) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final regulation strengthening federal underground storage tank (UST) requirements to improve prevention and detection of petroleum leaks.
“These changes will better protect people's health and benefit the environment in communities across the country,” said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator of the EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, in a press release.
There are hundreds of thousands of petroleum USTs in the U.S., the EPA said in its release. Gasoline stations, convenience stores and other retail establishments have the largest USTs, but non-retail facilities that service taxis, buses, trucks, limousines, boats, vans and heavy equipment also have them, according to the agency.
The revised UST requirements include:
• Adding secondary containment requirements for new and replaced tanks and piping;
• Adding operator training requirements;
• Adding periodic operation and maintenance requirements;
• Removing past deferrals for emergency generator tanks, airport hydrant systems and field-constructed tanks;
• Updating codes of practice; and
• Updating state program approval requirements to incorporate the changes to the regulations.
More information about the UST regulation can be found on the EPA's website.