Region 2

• ARRA Fund Leaking Underground Storage Tanks Video EPA Responds to Leaking Underground Storage Tanks Using Recovery Act Funds

  Related Information Underground Storage Tanks Home Publications Compliance Assistance Federal Regulations Energy Policy Act of 2005 Recovery Act of 2009

  Frequently Asked Questions FAQ's Frequently asked questions about heating oil, UST regulation clarifications, closing USTs, size of regulated USTs, etc.

  UST Program Directory This online directory provides contact information for EPA, state, territory, and tribal UST/LUST programs.

  Valuable Technical links: Operating & Maintaining a UST System  Brief summaries of the federal UST requirements, as well as practical help. UST Technical Compendium  Interpretations and guidance letters. ATSWAMO's Guide to Insurance Automatic Tank Gauges   Automatic Tank Gauging and Leak Detection Reference Manual. Corrosion Protection-How does it work?  Information describing the corrosion process and how cathodic protection is usually accomplished. List of Leak Detection Evaluations for UST Systems  A variety of information pertaining to leak detection. LUSTLine NEIWPCC publishes LUSTLine, a national bulletin on underground storage tanks. ATSWMO Tanks Subcommittee The Tanks Subcommittee includes four task forces related to the UST national program. Petroleum Equipment Institute This site provides training information. New England Interstate Water Pollution and Control  This site provides training information.

  General Information
• Is my UST Regulated?
• Residential heating oil USTs in New Jersey | New York
• Who regulates my UST System?
• What to do if you received an UST Field Citation from EPA
• Federal and State UST Programs
• Forms

General Information

The Underground Storage Tanks (UST) program strives to prevent leaks from USTs and clean up petroleum contaminated sites (LUSTs).  Over the last two decades, EPA and its partners have:

• Closed over 1.5 million substandard tanks that were corroding and leaking petroleum into the nation's groundwater
• Cleaned up more than 300,000 petroleum leaks
• Reduced the number of new releases from a high of over 66,000 in 1990 to roughly 7,000 in 2008

EPA Region 2 has approximately 50,246 federally regulated USTs and 37,579 Leaking USTs (LUSTs).

Cleanups have been initiated at 36,569 of the LUST sites and 30,432 cleanups have been completed.

View the latest statistics

Who regulates my UST System?

• New Jersey - You are regulated by EPA, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's UST Program or Leaking UST (LUST) Program and your local community, potentially including the county department of health and the local fire department.
• New York - You are regulated by EPA, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation's Petroleum Bulk Storage (PBS) Program and your local community potentially including the county department of health and the local fire department.
• Puerto Rico - You are regulated by both EPA and the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board's UST Program. Puerto Rico's program has "State Program Approval."
• U.S. Virgin Islands - You are regulated by EPA and the Virgin Islands Department of Natural Resources' UST Program.
• Indian Nation lands - You are regulated by EPA.

This online directory provides contact information for EPA, state, territory, and tribal UST/LUST programs.

What to do if you received an UST Field Citation from EPA

If you received a Field Citation directly from an EPA UST Inspector (or in the mail after an inspection), you must undertake the following within 30 days:

• Submit payment to EPA for the violation(s). Make checks payable to "Treasury of the United States" and write the Field Citation Form Number (located at the top of the Form) on your check. Mail a copy of the UST Field Citation and the check to:
  
  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  Fines and Penalties Cincinnati Finance Center
  P.O. Box 979077
  St. Louis, MO 63197-9000
  
  
• Return your facility to compliance. Mail the signed Field Citation, along with documentation confirming the facility has returned to compliance, to:
  
  U.S. EPA Region 2
  UST Team - 20th Floor
  290 Broadway
  New York, NY 10007

Federal and State UST Programs

Federal and State UST Programs ensure that owners/operators of UST systems comply with the requirements of the law (RCRA, Subtitle I) and UST regulations found at 40 CFR Part 280 and applicable state UST regulations. The goal is to ensure that UST systems are installed, operated, maintained and closed in compliance with federal UST regulations to prevent harm to others and the environment, particularly groundwater. To achieve compliance, we conduct inspections, use enforcement actions when necessary, and provide compliance assistance. Compliance with UST regulations not only protects human health and the environment, it makes good business sense too.

Forms

• UST Notification Form (PDF, 5pp, 81K) - If your facility is on Tribal Land, this notification form must be submitted to EPA and/or the Tribal EPA within 30 days of a new installation or removal for closure.
• Basic Checklist for UST Systems