Attention owners of old underground storage tanks (UST) in Arizona:  the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has launched a new program that will remove these tanks at no cost.  The program will also provide a soil sampling from around the removal site.  This program is being coordinated by the UST State Lead Non-Corrective Action Program.  UST owners, operators, or property owners are eligible to apply.  According to the ADEQ website, applications may be prioritized based on site-specific criteria related to risk and available financial resources in the UST revolving fund that have been allocated for this purpose.  This could not have come at a better time because a recent ADEQ analysis shows that more than 1,000 USTs in Arizona are thirty years old or older.  Aging in USTs increases the risk of leaks or spills into our soil and groundwater.  Removing these old USTs on behalf of people who may not be able to afford to have them removed otherwise will be a great help and another good step forward in protecting our environment.  Another benefit to removing an old UST from a property is that it may also increase the market value of that property.  To learn more about the UST State Lead Non-Corrective Action Program or to fill out an application, visit the ADEQ website at http://legacy.azdeq.gov/environ/waste/ust/statelead.html.