Toxics Cleanup > Underground Storage Tanks

UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS (USTs)

Ecology currently regulates more than 11,000 active tanks on approximately 4,000 different properties, including gas stations, industries, commercial properties, and governmental entities.  The agency works to ensure these tanks are installed, managed, and monitored in a manner that prevents releases into the environment.  To do so, the agency conducts compliance inspections on about 800 sites per year (most sites have multiple tanks) and provides technical assistance to tank owners.

WHAT'S NEW?

Overview of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and Leaking Underground Storage Tank Sites in Washington State... (more)

CURRENT RULEMAKING ACTIVITY

Washington’s UST rule is being re-written!  Find out more by clicking here: Focus on Underground Storage Tank Law - July 2007

Washington’s UST rule is being rewritten for increased clarity, and to comply with new requirements signed into federal law via the Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005. The United States Congress passed and President Bush signed the Act into law in 2005. Among many other things, this federal law requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and delegated state agencies to adopt new requirements for their underground storage tank programs. Some of the new requirements include: conducting more frequent routine compliance inspections of USTs; developing an UST operator training program; implementing a delivery prohibition process; requiring secondary containment for new or replacement UST components (double walled tanks and piping and under dispenser containment sumps); and providing reports to EPA and the public. 

• Two UST Cathodic Protection Evaluation Checklists
  
  
  • Galvanic Cathodic Protection Evaluation Checklist ECY 070-339 (October 2008)
  
  
  
  • Impressed Current Cathodic Protection Evaluation Checklist  ECY 070-340 (December 2008)
  
  
  These checklists are for the use of UST Cathodic Protection (CP) Service Providers who test the adequacy of existing systems (also known as CP Testers) and for those who design, retrofit, and repair existing systems (also known as CP experts).   If you have questions or comments about these two  checklists, please contact Arthur Buchan with Ecology’s Northwest Regional Office by phone at  (425)649-7149 or e-mail Arthur at abuc461@ecy.wa.gov. 
  

  The forms are password-protected.  Please note that while these forms may be filled out online, a paper copy must be printed, signed and mailed to Ecology at:

  Department of Ecology
  Toxics Cleanup Program
  P.O. Box 47600
  Olympia, WA 98504-7600

LAWS & RULES 

• Underground Storage Tank Regulations (Chapter 173-360 WAC) -- Updated Jul 14, 1999
• Regulatory Interpetation Manual for Underground Storage Tank Regulations
  (Chapter 173-360 WAC)  - May 2004
  
• Underground Storage Tank Law  (Chapter 90-76 RCW)   -- Updated July 2007.  Official version provided by the Washington State Code Reviser
  
• Focus on Underground Storage Tank Law - July 2007
  
• Ecology-Issued version of the law with merged revisions is provided here for your convenience

INFORMATION FOR UST OWNERS AND OPERATORS

• Automatic Tank Gauges Added  March 29, 2005
  
  Also available in Hindi:



• Biodiesel in Underground Storage Tanks Added October 29, 2003
   
• Check Your Farm Tank... It May be Regulated -- Updated November 2004
  
  
• Contacts
  • People
  • Regional Map
    
    
• Detailed UST Site Inspection Guidance Document Added October 2004 (.pdf)
  This guidance document explains each item on the UST Site Inspection Checklist, as used by Ecology inspectors.
  
  
• FAQ: Financial Responsibility for Underground Storage Tanks  Updated November 81, 2005
 
 


• Flood Information for Underground Storage Tank Owners

  • Flood Prevention for Underground Storage Fuel Tanks in the Green River Valley --  Added August 24, 2009
  • King County Web Page on Flooding
  • Focus on Flooding - December 2007
  • Korean: 정부 간행물을 애크로밧 (Acrobat) PDF 형식으로 보기
    
   Free Technical Assistance for Managing your UST System
   
• Heating Oil Tanks
  Also see the Pollution Liability Insurance Agency for information on the insurance program for residential heating oil tanks.
  
  
• Inspection Overview (.pdf 1,128 kb) Updated May 12, 2004
  An overview in words and pictures of what Ecology inspectors look for during UST inspections.
  
  
• Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether (MTBE) -- Added Oct 10, 2000
  
  
• Requirements for Temporarily Closed Underground Storage Tank Systems
  
  
• Waste Oil Tanks -- Updated September 2003
  
  
• What To Do If You Find A Leak Or Spill From Your Underground Storage Tank

SERVICE PROVIDERS

• Draft List of  UST Service Providers -- September 21, 2009



• Are you interested in becoming certified for tank installation & retrofitting, tank decommissioning, tightness testing, cathodic protection installation & testing, or site assessment associated with tank closures?

ELECTRONIC DATA & LISTS

• UST and LUST Lists
  Try out the Web Reporting Portal.
• LUST List Instructions
  
• Regulated USTs List Instructions (November 8, 2007)
  
  
• Facility Site on the Web
  The Facility/Site Identification System contains key information for each facility/site that is currently, or has been, of interest to Ecology, including underground storage tanks (UST) and leaking underground storage tanks (LUST) . The system allows users to dynamically query the database based on specific criteria (e.g. county, city, facility site, site id, Standard Industrial Classification codes, etc.).
  
  
• Facilities with Compliance Tags -- August 17, 2009
  
  
• Data Submittal Requirements

LINKS AND FURTHER INFORMATION

• Documents Available by Mail (paper copies) -- Updated September 8, 2004
• Documents Available Electronically
• Department of Health (Washington State)
• Department of  Licensing (Washington State)
• EPA's Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) -- Added Feb 27, 1998
• Pollution Liability Insurance Agency (PLIA)
• Voluntary Cleanup Program