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EPA Issues Two Grant Guidelines for State Underground Storage Tank Programs

Release Date: 04/27/2007
Contact Information: Roxanne Smith, (202) 564-4355 / smith.roxanne@epa.gov

(4/27/07) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued two final guidelines for states, which will implement key provisions of the underground storage tank (UST) amendments of the Energy Policy Act of 2005: the inspection grant guidelines and the grant guidelines for state compliance reports on government USTs.

The inspection grant guidelines describe the minimum requirements states must meet in order to comply with the inspection provisions contained in the Energy Policy Act. The guidelines require states to ensure that USTs not inspected since Dec. 22, 1998 undergo an on-site inspection before Aug. 8, 2007 and then undergo an on-site inspection at least once every three years thereafter. The guidelines identify which underground storage tanks require an on-site inspection, what the requirements are for the on-site inspection, who can perform the on-site inspection, and what information needs to be reported to EPA. To ensure the grant guidelines are implemented with minimal disruption, EPA is giving states considerable flexibility to establish their own inspection programs.

The grant guidelines for state compliance reports on government USTs describe the minimum requirements a state's report must contain in order to comply with the government UST compliance report provision in the Energy Policy Act. The guidelines require that states must report to EPA no later than Aug. 8, 2007 on the compliance status of federal, state, and local government-owned and government-operated USTs. The guidelines include what information a state's compliance report must include and when a state must submit its report. As required in the Energy Policy Act, EPA will make the states' reports available to the public.

EPA provides funding to states through grants to regulate underground storage tanks. EPA worked with states, regional tank offices, and other stakeholders to develop the inspection grant guidelines and the grant guidelines for state compliance report on government USTs.

Information on the grant guidelines: epa.gov/oust/fedlaws/epact_05.htm#Final