UST Program Facts - Looking Back, Looking Ahead
Looking Back
Every December, the EPA publishes its UST Program Facts, a short summary of UST statistics compiled through September of that year. Information includes the number of active USTs in the United States, percentages of significant operational compliance (SOC) with UST requirements, number of releases confirmed, and number of clean-ups completed. I thought it would be interesting to compare some statistics from 2012 (the first year for required operator training) and 2015. Not surprisingly, the comparison indicates positive changes happening in the UST universe.
Looking Ahead
While the bulk of the new requirements in the revised federal UST regulations will become effective in October 2018, some will go into effect this year. As of April 11, 2016,
- All new USTs must have secondary containment and interstitial monitoring; and
- All new dispensers must have under-dispenser containment (UDC).
Keep in mind that these are federal requirements and apply in those states which do not already have state program approval (SPA). In states with SPA, UST owners/operators should follow that state's requirements.