United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste And
Emergency Response
5403W
EPA510-F-93-031
October 1993
Background
Action
Purpose of
This Notice
Office of Underground Storage Tanks
Environmental
Fact Sheet
STI Notice Of Data Aval I ability
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated final technical
regulations for underground storage tanks (USTs) containing regulated
substances in September and October 1988; these regulations became
effective in December 1988 and January 1989.
EPA included in the technical requirements four important categories of
measures designed to prevent leaks: (1) tank design and installation, (2)
release detection, (3) corrosion protection, and (4) spill and overfill control.
As part of the corrosion protection requirements for steel UST systems,
owners and operators of steel UST systems equipped with cathodic protec-
tion must ensure that all cathodic protection systems are tested within 6
months of installation and at least every 3 years thereafter or according to
another reasonable time frame established by the implementing agency. See
40CFR280.31(b)(l).
In 1992, the Steel Tank Institute (STI), a trade organization of steel tank
manufacturers, requested that EPA alter the mandated frequency for ca-
thodic protection monitoring of steel USTs, specifically, USTs manufactured
by STI members under the "sti-P3" specification. In support of this request,
STI submitted a report prepared by the Tillinghast Company (an interna-
tional risk management consulting firm) containing primarily anecdotal
information and data on external corrosion and cathodic protection monitor-
ing practices.
On October 25, 1993, EPA published a Notice of Data Availability in the
Federal Register. This Notice summarizes the methodology, findings, and
conclusions of the study.
EPA published this Notice to allow for public comment on the Tillinghast
report and to obtain quantitative information to confirm or refute the report's
findings on corrosion of sti-P3 USTs and other cathodically protected steel
USTs.
EPA encourages public review of and comment on this document, as the
Agency plans to use it to arrive at a final determination regarding STI's
request for EPA to modify the current requirements for cathodic protection
monitoring for steel underground storage tanks. Written comments are due
to EPA 60 days after publication of the Notice in the Federal Register.
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.. For general information about this Notice or to obtain a copy, contact the
MOre RCRA/Superfund Hotline, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Information EST j^ national toll-free number is 1 800 424-9346 or 703 412-9810
(local). For the hearing impaired, the toll-free number is 1 800 553-7672.
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