&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste And
Emergency Response
5403W
EPA 510-F-94-007
August 1994
UST Program Facts
Leaking Underground
Storage Tank Trust Fund
What is the "LUST" Trust Fund?
Congress created the Leaking Underground Storage
Tank (LUST) Trust Fund in 1986 by amending
Subtitle I of the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act. In December 1990, Congress
reauthorized the Trust Fund for five more years.
The LUST Trust Fund has two purposes. First, it
provides money for overseeing corrective action
taken by a responsible party, who is usually the
owner or operator of the leaking underground
storage tank (UST). Second, the Trust Fund
provides money for cleanups at UST sites where
the owner or operator is unknown, unwilling, or
unable to respond, or which require emergency
action.
What's in the Trust Fund?
The Trust Fund is financed by a 0.1 cent tax on each
gallon of motor fiiel sold in the country. As of May
1994, about $1.2 billion had been collected.
Of this amount, Congress has given $475 million to
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
through fiscal year 1994. About $410 million—or
86 percent of the amount given to EPA—has been
dispersed to state programs for state officials to use
for administration, oversight, and cleanup work.
The remaining Trust Fund money—about $65
million or 14 percent of the total—has been used by
EPA for administrative activities: negotiating and
overseeing cooperative agreements; implementing
programs on Indian lands; and supporting regional
and state offices.
How does the Trust Fund work?
To receive money from the Trust Fund, a state
must enter into a cooperative agreement with the
federal government to spend the money for its
intended purpose. Every state except Florida
(which has its own state cleanup fund) has a
cooperative agreement with EPA.
The money is divided among EPA regional offices
based on a formula that uses state data. In fiscal
year 1994, each state received a base allocation
plus additional money depending on the following:
die number of confirmed releases in the state; the
number of notified petroleum tanks; the number of
residents relying on groundwater for drinking
water; and the number of cleanups initiated and
completed as a percent of total confirmed releases.
How do states use Trust Fund money?
States use Trust Fund money to oversee corrective
action by a responsible party and to clean up sites
where no responsible party can be found. Only
about 1 percent of all cases have been without a
responsible party.
To date, slates have used about one-third of their
Trust Fund money for administration, one-third for
oversight and state-lead enforcement activities, and
one-third for cleanups.
How many USTs are leaking?
As of July 1994, EPA, states, and local agencies
have confirmed more than 262,000 UST releases.
Over the next several years, EPA expects more
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than another 100,000 confirmed releases to be
reported, primarily releases discovered during the
replacement or closure of USTs. After this peak,
EPA expects fewer additional releases as USTs
comply with requirements.
How much do cleanups cost?
Cleanup costs depend on a variety of factors,
including die extent of contamination and state
cleanup standards. The average cleanup is
estimated to cost $125,000.
If only a small amount of soil needs to be removed
or treated, cleanup costs can run as low as
$10,000. However, costs to clean more extensive
soil contamination can reach $125,000. Corrective
action for leaks that affect groundwater can cost
from $100,000 to over $1 million, depending on
the extent of contamination.
What cleanup activities have taken place?
As of July 1994, states have used Trust Fund and
state money to:
• Confirm more than 262,000 releases,
• Oversee or conduct more than 7,800
emergency responses,
• Oversee or initiate more than 202,000
cleanups,
• Oversee or complete more than 101,000
cleanups, and
• Oversee or conduct more than 892,000
closures.
"Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund" is
one in a series of fact sheets about underground storage
tanks (USIs) and leaking USIs. The series is designed
to help EPA, other federal officials, and state authorities
answer the most frequently asked questions about USIs
with consistent, accurate information in plain language.
Keep the fact sheets handy as a resource. This fact sheet
addresses federal regulations. Hbu may need to refer to
applicable state or local regulations, as welL For more
information on UST publications, call the
RCRA/Superfiind Hotline at 800 424-9346.
Recycted/Recyctabto
Printed with Soy/Canola Ink on paper that
contains at least 50% post-consumer recycled fiber
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