On June 19, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy signed off on regulatory revisions governing underground storage tanks (USTs). The revisions represent the first significant updates to UST oversight requirements since 1988, strengthening existing regulations by “increasing emphasis on properly operating and maintaining UST equipment.”
Among the primary components of the revised regulations are additional and updated requirements for secondary containment for tanks and piping, operator training, and periodic operation and maintenance. The revisions also remove past deferrals for certain tanks and UST systems and update codes of practice. The revised regulations will be in effect 90 days after publication in the Federal Register.