United States EPA 510-F-96-004
Environmental Protection August 1996
Agency
Solid Waste And Emergency Response (5403G)
&EPA Closing
Underground
Storage Tanks
Brief Facts
Was your underground
storage tank installed
before December 22,1988?
You may want to dose your
tank to meet a deadline in
December 1998...
Printed on Recycled Paper
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Tank Closure
Closure is one way to help protect human
health and the environment, particularly
groundwater, from the threats posed by
many older underground storage tanks.
Don't
Wait...
Was your underground storage tank (LIST)
installed before December 22, 1988?
If the answer is "yes,"
by December 22, 1998, you must select
one of the following three options:
# Upgrade the LIST by adding spill,
overfill, and corrosion protection, OR
# Replace it with a new LIST that has
spill, overfill, and corrosion protection,
OR
# Properly close the old LIST.
The information that follows will help
you close your UST properly.
You can close your UST temporarily or
permanently.
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Closing Temporarily
You may temporarily close your LIST for up
to 12 months by following these
requirements for temporary closure:
# Continue to monitor for leaks by
maintaining the UST's leak detection. (If
your LIST is empty, you do not need to
maintain leak detection.) Also, continue
to monitor and maintain any corrosion
protection systems. If a release is
discovered, quickly stop the release,
notify your regulatory authority, and take
appropriate action to clean up the site.
# If the LIST remains temporarily closed for
more than 3 months, leave vent lines
open, but cap and secure all other lines,
pumps, manways, and ancillary
equipment.
After 12 months of temporary closure, you
have three options:
1. You must permanently close your
LIST if it doesn't meet the applicable
requirements for new or upgraded USTs
(except for spill and overfill).
2. You can ask your regulatory authority
for an extension beyond 12 months, if
you provide an assessment that
determines whether contamination is
present at your site.
3. Your UST can remain temporarily
closed without needing an extension
granted by the regulatory authority if the
UST meets the applicable requirements
for new or upgraded USTs (except for
spill and overfill) and the requirements
noted above for temporary closure.
Closing Permanently
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If you decide to close your LIST
permanently, follow these requirements
for permanent closure:
# Notify the regulatory authority at least
30 days before you close your LIST.
# Determine if contamination from your
LIST is present in the surrounding
environment. If there is contamination,
you may have to take corrective action.
For at least 3 years, keep a record of
the actions you take to determine if
contamination is present at the site
(or you can mail this record to your
regulatory authority).
# Either remove the LIST from the
ground or leave it in the ground. In both
cases, the tank must be emptied and
cleaned by removing all liquids,
dangerous vapor levels, and
accumulated sludge. These potentially
very hazardous actions need to be
carried out carefully by trained
professionals who follow standard safety
practices. If you leave the LIST in the
ground, have it filled with a harmless,
chemically inactive solid, like sand.
State and local regulations may
be more stringent than the
federal regulations. Check with
your regulatory authority. If you
are not sure who your regulatory
authority is, you can find out by
calling EPA's toll-free Hotline at
(800) 424-9346.
Safe Closure Is A Must
People who do not follow standard safety
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practices are killed or injured every year
while closing or removing tanks. For a
safe closure, you need qualified
professionals who will use standard safety
practices.
For more information on standard safety
practices, LIST owners and closure
contractors should refer to "Closure of
Underground Petroleum Storage Tanks,"
API Recommended Practice 1604 (1996),
which is available for about $22 from the
American Petroleum Institute, 1220 L
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005, or
call (202) 682-8000 for assistance.
A video and companion booklet called
"Tank Closure Without Tears: An
Inspector's Safety Guide" is available for
$35 from the New England Interstate
Environmental Training Center, ATTN:
VIDEOS, 2 Fort Road, South Portland, ME
04106, or call (207) 767-2539 for
assistance.
WARNING: People are
killed or injured every year
while closing or removing
tanks, because they have
not followed safe removal
practices. Only trained
professionals should close
or remove USTs.
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Hire A Qualified Contractor
The following tips may help you find a
reliable contractor to close your tanks:
# Ask other tank owners who have closed
tanks to recommend contractors they
have used.
# Look closely at the contractors'
qualifications and experience to make
sure you are satisfied with both.
# Get references from the contractor.
Want More Information?
Call EPA's toll-free Hotline at (800) 424-
9346 for phone numbers of regulatory
authorities. You can also call the Hotline
number to obtain a free copy of
Don't Wait Until 1998, a booklet describing
the 1998 federal deadline requirements and
compliance options.
You can order other free EPA publications
about USTs from the Hotline number.
Information on USTs is available on the
Internet by going to EPA's Office of
Underground Storage Tank's World Wide
Web Home Page at
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswerand looking
for "underground storage tanks."
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