The Environmental Quality Board published notice in the December 22 PA Bulletin (page 7875) of final changes to the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Program regulations covering aboveground and underground storage tanks.  It is the first comprehensive update to the tank regulations in 10 years.

One primary purpose of the changes is to maintain consistency with updates made to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency underground storage tank regulations.

Among the changes made-- and there are many-- are--

-- Underground tank owners must not only have spill prevention, overfill prevention and release detection equipment in place, they now need to periodically prove the equipment is functioning;

-- Shortens the in-service inspection cycle for certain aboveground storage tanks; and

-- Updates and changes certification requirements for third party storage tank inspectors.

This final-form rulemaking will affect approximately 7,000 storage tank owners at nearly 12,600 storage tank facilities.

DEP said the changes were needed because of the continuing problems with storage tank leaks. Between October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2017, there were 210 confirmed releases from underground storage tanks.

Click Here for a copy of the final regulation starting on page 7875, a detailed description of changes made in the regulation and a summary of responses to comments received by DEP.

Questions should be directed to Kris Shiffer, Chief, Division of Storage Tanks, at 717-772-5809 or by sending email to: kshiffer@pa.gov.

For more information on the program, visit DEP’s Storage Tanks webpage.

[Posted: Dec. 21, 2018]

12/24/2018