WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a report to Congress on implementation and enforcement of the UST program in Indian Country. The report describes the progress that tribes and the EPA have made working together to prevent and clean up releases from USTs and discusses challenges facing the program. The EPA developed the report as required by the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
Of the more than 560 separate federally recognized tribal governments in the United States, approximately 200 have active or closed federally regulated [image-nocss] USTs on their lands. There are approximately 2,600 active USTs in Indian Country.
Also, the EPA has released the final operator training grant guidelines for states, which implement a key provision of the underground storage tank (UST) amendments of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The operator training grant guidelines describe the minimum requirements states must meet in order to comply with the operator training provision contained in the Energy Policy Act.
The guidelines establish three distinct classes of UST operators, describe how and when states will implement the guidelines, and discuss when operators must be trained. The guidelines include a description of the classes of operators, required training for each class of operator, deadlines when operator training is required and examples of acceptable state approaches to operator training. In order for states to comply with these requirements, they must develop state-specific operator training requirements by Aug. 8, 2009, and ensure that all three classes of operators are trained according to state-specific requirements by Aug. 8, 2012.
The EPA worked with states, regional tank offices and other stakeholders to develop the operator training grant guidelines. It provides funding to states through grants, which provide resources to help states regulate USTs and implement the UST program.
Click here for information on the operator training grant guidelines.
Click here to view the Indian Country report.
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