On July 15, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published an update to underground storage tank (UST) regulation and state program approval (SPA) regulation in the Federal Register. This was the first major revision to federal UST regulations since 1988.
But it’s 2018—what do those regulations have to do with now? Put simply: The final compliance deadline for UST owners is just a few months away.
The revisions strengthen the 1988 federal UST regulations by increasing emphasis on properly operating and maintaining UST equipment. The revisions are designed to help prevent and detect UST releases and ensure that all USTs in the U.S. (including Tribal Land and Indian Territory) meet the same minimum standards for safety and leak prevention.
Download OPW’s Free Guide to the 2018 EPA Regulations
OPW’s guide is designed to give UST owners/operators a quick overview of the most important parts of the regulation that will impact them and what they must do to become and
stay compliant with it. You’ll also learn seven ways your underground fueling system can save you money.
Here are three things that every retailer needs to know about the EPA’s new regulations and how to protect their site, their customers and their bank account.
1. October 13, 2018, is a significant date for retail-fueling operators across the U.S.
That’s when latest EPA regulations go into full effect regarding the testing and maintenance of UST equipment and systems.
Additionally, required training for owners/operators and other site personnel will be enforced.
2. There are four major regulatory requirements for new and existing UST systems.
- Are you prepared for these testing and inspection requirements?
- Testing of sumps and under-dispenser containment systems must be performed every three years if the system uses interstitial monitoring of the piping as its primary form of leak deterrence.
- Spill-bucket testing will be required every three years, unless the UST system is outfitted with double-wall spill buckets where the interstitial space is tested regularly.
NOTE: Some states already require spill-bucket testing every year. - Compliance testing of repaired components: Whenever any component in the spill-protection, overfill-containment and secondary-containment areas of the UST system needs to be repaired, compliance testing of the repaired system must be completed within 30 days, regardless of whether or not an actual product release occurred.
- Overfill-prevention equipment inspections will be required every three years, except in states where they are already required annually.
3. The penalties for non-compliance are fierce.
Civil penalties for failure to comply with any state requirements or standards for existing or new tank systems must be capable of being assessed for each instance of violation, up to $5,000 or more for each tank for each day of violation. These penalties are according to Page 41,681 of the Federal Register, Vol. 80, No. 135, July 15, 2015.
So, are you ready?
OPW is standing by to help get you and your site ready for the October 13 deadline.
Visit opwglobal.com to learn more about the world’s leading below-ground products.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.