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Underground Storage
Tanks: A Government/Industry Success Story
March 14, 2002
The U.S. oil and natural gas industry has made a major
commitment to ensuring that underground storage tanks
(USTs) are reliable and free of releases. Working closely
with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and state government agencies, American Petroleum Institute
(API) member companies assigned a high priority to replacing
and upgrading tanks to meet the federal requirements:
- API member companies have spent more than $1.5 billion
to upgrade or replace their USTs.
- More than a million old tanks have been removed
as potential sources of releases and the remaining
upgraded tank population is much less likely to create
contamination problems. API has also been a strong
advocate of strict enforcement of UST regulations.
- API member companies train their work forces to
safely and efficiently operate and maintain UST systems
in full compliance with all applicable federal and
state requirements.
- API has prepared a rigorous procedure for the proper
installation of USTs (API Recommended Practice 1615)
and for effectively responding to UST releases (Publication
1628), both of which are referenced in federal regulations
and used by the industry.
- API supports inspection covering all owners and
operators of UST systems and supports enforcement
against those not in compliance.
- API member companies monitor UST systems for leaks
using equipment certified to meet EPA requirements.
If a release is identified, the companies are committed
to stopping the release and cleaning up any contamination.
Federal UST standards implemented in 1998 are helping
owners do a better job of preventing releases and spills.
Under these standards, owners have taken actions to
enhance protection against corrosion that eats away
at steel tank walls; to utilize systems that identify
possible leaks in the piping and the tank; to install
overfill protection devices such as alarms, automatic
switches and ball float valves that alert drivers that
the tank is full; and to install buckets that catch
any drips or spills during delivery from the truck.
The 1998 deadline for compliance with the federal UST
standards has brought about substantial improvements
in UST performance: Recent statistics provided by EPA's
Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) show that,
during Fiscal Year (FY) 2000, the number of new UST
releases decreased by 50 percent compared to FY 1999.
During FY 2001, the number of new releases again decreased
by 50 percent. These statistics provide a good indication
that the overall release prevention performance of the
upgraded UST population has improved significantly,
and that future impacts to groundwater should be significantly
diminished.
There is no evidence of a significant increase in releases
from newly installed USTs. Of the systems tested in
the State of California's ongoing enhanced leak detection
study, only 1 out of 73 UST systems tested had experienced
a liquid release.
API member companies will continue to work closely
with federal and state agencies in a partnership effort
to prevent UST releases and respond promptly and effectively
to those that occur.
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