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DEFINITION:

The term "Underground Storage Tank" (UST) is often misunderstood. Many believe UST's are no more than tanks placed beneath the ground surface, but this is not entirely true. A tank does not have to lie beneath the ground surface to qualify as a UST. A UST is defined as a tank system with at least 10% of its total volume (including the piping) underground.

Consequently, an above ground storage tank with underground piping may qualify as a UST. As a result, some tank owners may not realize their responsibility to comply with UST regulations.

Underground storage tank systems are usually composed of steel or fiberglass, or a combination of the two. UST's have been used for over 50 years in various locations and capacities. They are found at industrial facilities, gasoline service stations, residential housing and many other locations. UST's can also contain a wide variety of regulated substances. Depending on the tank contents and the intentions of the tank owner, UST's have been used for reasons ranging form safety to convenience to simply aesthetics.

NEED FOR CONCERN:

Presently, there are millions of underground storage tanks in use and tens of thousands of these tanks are leaking, causing soil and groundwater contamination. This poses a serious problem since approximately half the United States population relies on groundwater for their drinking water supply.

In 1988, the federal government promulgated UST regulations as an addendum to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The newly enacted regulations were established to protect human health and the environment from UST releases. The goals of the UST regulations are three-fold: to prevent leaks and spills from occurring, find leaks and spills if they do occur, and correct problems caused by leaks and spills.
Each tank owner is responsible for maintaining compliance with appropriate federal, state and local UST regulations. This may require existing tanks to be retrofitted or even removed.

Although this may seem like a costly proposition, the consequences of not complying with the regulations can be staggering. Tanks that do not meet regulation standards are not only subject to fines but they are much more likely to leak, which can potentially lead to large clean-up costs.

AVAILABLE SERVICES:

Because of the liabilities and potential clean-up costs associated with owning UST's, it is important that a qualified company be involved in some capacity with the UST process from installation to operation and maintenance to removal. CES has experienced personnel with geologic, hydro geologic and engineering backgrounds to accommodate UST owners' needs. CES will ensure every precaution is taken to prevent potential spills and leaks from occurring. If a release has occurred, CES has the capability and experience to delineate the horizontal and vertical extent of the leak and design the remediation of any free-phase, dissolved or residual contamination.

CES offers a full spectrum of UST-related services. They include:

1. Geologic and Hydro geologic Surveys
2. Remediation System Design
3. Project Management
4. Operation and Maintenance Programs

Prior to conducting intrusive and/or extensive activities at the site, it is important to understand the subsurface environment involved. CES has personnel experienced with designing and performing geologic and hydrologic investigation using a variety of methods such as soil vapor surveys, magnetometer surveys, soil and well boring programs, pump tests, and slug tests. Accurate and thorough geologic and hydrologic investigations are necessary for the success of future on­site activities.

Subsequent to a geologic and hydrologic investigation, remedial options may be explored. CES engineers can design a remediation program for petroleum-impacted sites using a wide variety of techniques such as air sparging and surging, catalytic oxidation systems, carbon absorption systems, free-product removal using skimmers, and soil excavation and disposal.

Project management of tank installations and removals is perhaps the most important activity involving UST's. After all, a large portion of UST leaks are a result of improper installation and most fatalities involved with UST's are a result of improper removal procedures. Consequently, experienced personnel should be involved in supervision and project management of UST installation and removals.

Advantages of using Complete Environmental Services:

CES offers The Healthy Environment Program, a certification program that guarantees that the underground storage tank is maintained in accordance with EP A's guidelines. After performing our investigation, CES will develop an operation & maintenance program and train the building staff to assure that the underground storage tank is safely maintained. The Healthy Environment Program informs everyone that your underground storage tank is maintained through preventive measures, proper system maintenance and periodic monitoring. Also, it can help assure that expensive corrective actions are avoided.