What if my UST system is not
compatible with biofuels?
You may find that some of your UST system
equipment is not compatible with the biofuel you want
to store. If it is not compatible, you may not store this
fuel in your UST system unless you upgrade it to be
compatible with the fuel.
How do I upgrade an incompatible
UST system to store biofuels?
If you determine that your UST system is
incompatible with biofuels, you may be able to store
them if you choose to replace the incompatible
equipment. It is very likely that you have tanks and
piping that are already compatible with biofuel blends
up to 100 percent; in this case you could use targeted
retrofits to upgrade the containment sumps, pumping
equipment, release detection equipment, spill
equipment, and overfill equipment. This may require
less investment than replacing the entire UST system
because it may not require digging up and replacing
the concrete slab over the UST to replace the tank or
piping.
You may also choose to install a new UST system
compatible with the fuel you wish to store. UST
systems compatible with up to 100 percent ethanol or
100 percent biodiesel are available. Owners and
operators wishing to install new systems to store
these fuels should ensure that they require
compatible equipment to be installed because it may
not be the installer's default option.
If you do not have a compatible UST system and you
do not choose to install a new one or undertake
targeted retrofits to replace incompatible equipment,
then you may not store biofuels containing over 10
percent ethanol or over 20 percent biodiesel in your
UST system.
For More Information
EPA's 2015 Federal UST Regulation
www.epa.gov/oust/fedlaws/revregs.html
Additional Resources
EPA, states, and industry groups developed
several biofuels compatibility resources.
• EPA's Biofuels Compendium
www.epa.gov/oust/altfuels/bfcompend.htm
• California State Water Resources Control
Board
www.waterboards.ca.gov/water issues/pr
ograms/ust/alt comp opt/soc.shtml
• Petroleum Equipment Institute UST
Component Compatibility Library
www.pei.org/ust-component-compatibilitY-
library
• Steel Tank Institute
www.steeltank.com/Publications/E85BioDi
eselandAlternativeFuels/ManufacturerStat
ementsofCompatibilitY/tabid/468/Default.a
spx
• Underwriters Laboratories Online
Certification Page
http://database.ul.com/cgi-
bin/XYV/template/LISEXT/1FRAME/index.
htm
UST System Compatibility
With Petroleum-Biofuel
Blends:
A Brief Guide To The 2015 Federal
UST Regulation For Owners And
Operators Of USTs Located On
Tribal Lands
vxEPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Underground Storage Tanks
www.epa.gov/oust
EPA-510-F-15-002
August 2015
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EPA developed this brochure
to help owners and operators of underground
storage tanks (LIST) on tribal lands meet
compatibility requirements in the 2015 federal
regulation when storing gasoline blends
containing greater than 10 percent ethanol or
diesel blends containing greater than 20
percent biodiesel. We refer to these blends as
biofuels. The information in this pamphlet
pertains to storing these types of biofuels.
What is biofuels compatibility?
Compatibility means that when storing fuels, the
materials and equipment comprising your LIST
system continue to perform as they were intended to.
If a biofuel is incompatible with your LIST system, it
could cause components in your LIST system to
change how they were intended to perform. For
example, components could become harder, softer,
brittle, or swell or shrink. Any changes to materials in
your LIST system caused by incompatibility with a
biofuel could lead to a release to the environment.
What are the UST system compatibility
requirements to store biofuels?
The 2015 UST regulation requires an UST system be
compatible with the substance stored within the UST
system.
It also adds three additional requirements for owners
of USTs choosing to store certain biofuel blends:
gasoline containing greater than 10 percent ethanol;
diesel blends containing greater than 20 percent
biodiesel; or any other substance identified by EPA in
the future, such as a new type of biofuel that may
enter the marketplace. These are the requirements:
Notify EPA before switching to
store a biofuel in your UST system
Beginning on
October 13, 2015,
owners and operators
of USTs on tribal
lands must notify
EPA at least 30 days
before switching to
store a biofuel. If you install a new UST system, you
must notify EPA within 30 days after bringing the UST
into use and identify on the notification form what fuel
is being stored. If you are storing a biofuel, EPA may
then contact you to help determine the compatibility of
the UST system.
• Demonstrate that your UST system
is compatible with the biofuel
Owners and operators storing a biofuel must
demonstrate compatibility of the UST system through
one of these options:
• Certification or listing of UST system
equipment or components by a nationally
recognized independent testing lab for use
with the fuel stored. Underwriters Laboratory
(UL) is the most common.
or
A written statement of approval for use with
the biofuel from the manufacturer of the
equipment or component. The statement
must include the entire range of biofuel
blends for which the component is
compatible.
• Keep records of UST system
compatibility
Owners and operators must maintain records
demonstrating the compatibility of the UST system
with the biofuel being stored as long as the UST
system stores biofuel.
What parts of the UST system need to
be demonstrated to be compatible
with biofuels?
These parts of the UST system must be
demonstrated compatible to store biofuels:
• tanks;
• piping;
• containment sumps;
• pumping equipment;
• release detection equipment;
• spill equipment;
• overfill equipment.
For more information to help you determine if you
have the necessary documentation to demonstrate
these parts of your UST system are compatible with
the fuel you store, see EPA's biofuels website:
www.epa.gov/oust/altfuels/biofuels.htm
What will EPA look for during an UST
inspection on tribal lands?
If you are storing a biofuel, EPA will review your
records to ensure that your UST system is compatible
with the fuel being stored. EPA will check your
documentation for a certification or listing or
manufacturer approval, which demonstrates that each
part of the system is compatible with the fuel you are
storing.
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