Enforcement of federal underground storage tank regulations

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Environmental Law; (United States)

OSTI ID:5115179

Gauthier, C C ^[1]

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1. North Carolina Univ., Wilmington (United States)

During the 1980s, underground storage tanks (USTs) were leaking petroleum products into the soil and groundwater at an alarming rate. The federal government has recently developed an UST regulatory program that includes operating and financial responsibility requirements. Federal regulation requires UST system owners to notify state environmental agencies of the existence of these systems, and directs the EPA to formulate regulations concerning UST release detection, prevention, and corrective action, as well as for financial responsibility for leaks of regulated substances from USTs. State environmental agencies are required to compile tank inventories and to provide this information to the EPA. The EPA is mandated to establish a federal program for the regulation of USTs that allows state programs to operate in lieu of the federal program is they are no less strict than the federal requirements and can be adequately enforced. To recover shallow spills, the contaminated soil may be excavated and placed in a landfill. For deeper pollution, the only methods of treatment are flushing and recovery or an in-situ treatment, such as biological degradation using bacteria. Ethical issues include the relationship between the public demand for petroleum products, environmental damage, and the conflicts encountered by environmental consulting firms. Legal issues concern the notification of the public and the sale of property on which storage tanks are located, as well as the increasing involvement of the legal system in enforcement of environmental legislation.

• OSTI ID: 5115179
• Journal Information: Environmental Law; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Law; (United States) Vol. 20:2; ISSN 0046-2276; ISSN EVLWA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020900* -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540320 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
CONTAMINATION
CONTROL
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENFORCEMENT
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LEAKS
LEGAL ASPECTS
LIABILITIES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS RECOVERY
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OIL SPILLS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
POLLUTION CONTROL
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
REGULATIONS
SOILS
STORAGE
UNDERGROUND STORAGE
US EPA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WATER
WATER POLLUTION CONTROL