California to Update Underground Storage Tank Program

At a June 5 Board meeting, the California State Water Board proposed bolstering California’s Underground Storage Tank program requirements to bring the State program up to date with revised Federal UST rules. US EPA revised its UST program (40 CFR 280) in July 2015. The new EPA UST requirements take full effect in October 2018.

If and when the State Water Board’s proposal is finalized, California’s State requirements will be “at least as stringent” as the Federal regulations. California’s UST rules reside at 23 CCR, Chapter 16, Division 3. California must adopt the more-stringent elements of the Federal UST requirements in order to maintain authorization and funding for the state program. 

Get familiar with EPA’s updated UST program with the new Underground Storage Tanks online course designed specifically for professionals who manage UST compliance and now up to date with EPA’s latest 40 CFR 280 updates. 

2015 EPA UST Program Updates

EPA’s 2015 UST program updates eliminated some exclusions for tanks previously deferred from regulation. In addition to roping in the previously excluded tanks, EPA made some substantial updates to the requirements by adding:
 

• New operation and maintenance requirements for UST systems.
• New training requirements for UST operators.
• Secondary containment requirements for new and replaced tanks and piping.
• New release prevention and detection technologies.
• Updates to the State approval program to incorporate the other changes.

Previously Excluded USTs Now Covered

Under the revised UST program, some tanks previously deferred from regulation are no longer excluded and, as of October 2018, will be subject to the requirements of 40 CFR 280.
No-longer-deferred-tanks include:
 

• USTs for emergency power generators.
• Airport hydrant fuel distribution systems.
• Field-constructed tanks. 

While most tanks constructed after October 13, 2015 are already subject to the bulk of the Federal UST requirements, some older tanks that were previously deferred or excluded now will be regulated. 

Read more about the updates to the Federal UST program here.

See documentation of California’s State Water Board decision to adopt the updates to the Federal UST program here.

Title 22 Hazardous Waste Training

Join us in Anaheim, Palmdale, Modesto, and San Jose in July for Title 22 training trusted by EHS pros in the Golden State for over twenty years. Learn the latest DTSC hazardous waste regulations you must know to keep your site in compliance with California’s complex, stringent Title 22 regulations and the state Health and Safety Code.

The two-day California Hazardous Waste Management Workshop is designed to satisfy DTSC’s initial or annual training requirement for hazardous waste personnel. Learn what you need to know to keep your facility in full compliance with America’s most stringent hazardous waste regulations. Collaborate and learn alongside other managers who face the same challenges that you do. You will get answers to your compliance questions from expert instructors who specialize in simplifying California’s hazardous waste rules.
 

Tags: California, DTSC, EPA, hazardous waste, UST