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Underground Storage Tanks

National information

Underground Storage Tanks: includes in-depth program information and EPA publications

Leaking Underground Storage Tanks: includes cleanup information

The Underground Storage Tank (UST) / Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Program, authorized under Subtitle I of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), works to prevent the release of petroleum and other products stored in USTs. Because leaking underground storage tanks have been a major cause of groundwater contamination in the United States, Congress enacted laws to cleanup leaking tanks, to prevent tanks from leaking, and to detect leaks quickly if they do occur. All Region 6 states have attained State Program Approval to implement the UST/LUST program. The Region 6 state regulatory agencies are:

Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ)
New Mexico Environment Department (NMED)
Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC)
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

The Region 6 Underground Storage Tank Program is actively involved in revitalization initiatives:

Ready for Reuse Determinations:

	The first UST Ready for Reuse Determination was awarded by the EPA and the OCC to the City of Sayre, Oklahoma on October 22, 2003, for the successful investigation and, where appropriate, cleanup of 19 abandoned sites.

	Ready for Reuse Determination awarded by EPA and LDEQ to ExxonMobil for USTs to the Cities of in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana March 2, 2004.

Brownfields Grants: Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act (signed on January 11, 2002) now mandates that 25 percent of appropriated funding for Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup Grants be used for petroleum contaminated sites.

Priorities of the Underground Storage Tanks Program:

The following initiatives are directed at fulfilling the EPA's mission to protect human health and the environment from leaking underground storage tanks:

Cleaning Up and Reusing Abandoned Gas Stations
Improving Compliance with UST Requirements
Reducing the Cleanup Backlog
Evaluating UST System Performance (making sure UST requirements work adequately to safeguard the environment and public health)

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