UPDATE: Underground Storage Tank – General Requirements

Adam M. Barbash, P.E., CHMM & Craig A. Calvert, Ph.D., C-CHO
April 30, 2010
Welcome to the May issue of the School Safety Newsletter. Underground storage tanks (USTs) play a role in our day-to-day lives by storing the fuel that we use to power our automobiles, heat our schools, and power generators in the event of an emergency. Since USTs are out of sight, we sometimes take for granted their presence and neglect the maintenance and compliance obligations associated with their operation and ownership. Below we have provided some basic information on the maintenance of fuel oil USTs and the compliance obligations associated with their ownership. We hope that you find this newsletter useful, and as always, we look forward to providing you with the quality service and information that has made Fuss & O’Neill successful.
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Most USTs at schools are fuel oil tanks used for heating. Other USTs have additional compliance obligations.
Fuel Oil UST Operation and Maintenance Requirements
• Steel tank systems must have a means of corrosion protection:
o Fiberglass tanks may be exempt; however, piping systems may still be regulated
o Passive or active cathodic protection with monitoring, or an approved isolation method
o Corrosion protection must be tested on an annual basis
Fuel Oil UST Operation and Maintenance Recommendations
• Tank systems should maintain spill and overfill protection in good condition
o Common spill protection devices are spill buckets
o Overfill protection devices include shutoff valves, whistler valves, and automatic gauges
• Release prevention devices and methods should be used on tank systems. Including:
o Interstitial space monitoring; Manual or Automatic tank gauging; Tank tightness testing
UST Closure/Life Expectancy
• All USTs have a life expectancy based on the manufacturer’s warranty and compliance history.
• When tank systems approach their life expectancy they must be:
o Closed in accordance with the applicable regulations which, for fuel oil USTs, must include failure determinations in both the preceding year of the end of the warranty period and 2 years of the warranty period.
o Confirmatory soil sampling for fuel oil USTs used for heating purposes is recommended.
o Removed and replaced
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Fuss & O'Neill offers UST compliance auditing, UST removal and replacement, and environmental sampling and remediation services to meet your facility needs. Non-compliance with UST regulations can result in enforcement and/or costly environmental remediation. Fuss & O’Neill has years of experience with providing schools with UST compliance evaluations, design and installation services, and release response measures and is offering these services to help you establish and/or increase your regulatory compliance.

For additional assistance and information, please contact:
Adam Barbash, P.E., CHMM
abarbash@fando.com
(860) 646-2469 x5534

We look forward to the opportunity to help you in your mission to provide the safest possible food to your students.

For previous newsletters visit: http://www.fando.com/News_&_ Resources/School_Safety_Newsletters/