State DOT pays $30K for alleged UST violations

 

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A $30,000 penalty will be paid by a State Department of Transportation (DOT) to settle alleged violations of underground storage tank regulations.   Ten facilities operated by the State’s Division of Highways Department are involved in the settlement.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on on March 21, that DOT has will also make statewide improvements of its UST monitoring as part of the settlement. The DOT was not complying with federal and state safeguards designed to prevent, detect and control leaks of petroleum and other hazardous substances.

According to the EPA, the “DOT failed to perform and/or document required release detection activities at 17 USTs used to store diesel fuel and used oil at Division of Highway facilities … ”

Moreover, DOT agreed to improve release detection activities at 43 underground fuel tank facilities statewide, including  upgrading monitoring systems.  According to the EPA, leaking tanks are a major source of soil and groundwork contamination.  Throughout America. USTs store millions of gallons of petroleum products and hazardous substances.

The the EPA Regulations designs for regulations for USTs  to reduce the risk of underground leaks.  The regulations require prompt detection and resolution of leaks  to minimize environmental harm and to avoid the cost of major cleanups.

Information courtesy of:

EPA

Photo: Public Domain and does not represent any party referenced in the article.

UST – Underground Storage Tank Removal Video

Here are two videos showing underground tank removal.

Project Photos added to Facebook

Engineering Pictures Photographs Indiana
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Leaking Underground Storage Tank – Business owner tips

LUST Brochure

LUST Brochure

The Indiana Department of Enviornmental Management (IDEM) has posted a newLeaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) brochure for savvy business owners.  You can find this excellent brochure by here – http://www.in.gov/idem/files/lust_tips_for_business_owners_brochure.pdf

Source and reference information:

This information is available at the follow IDEM page under Guidance for Owners and Operators.

IDEM > Environmental Cleanup > Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (LUSTs)

 

$4 Million – Indiana LUST – Recovery Act

Indiana will receive $4.0 Million from the Recovery Act to clean up Leaking Underground Storage Tanks.  More information about the program can be found at the links below.

Recovery Act Indiana LUST

Indiana — $4.0 Million

Awarded – 07/16/2009

Summary Of Work – The Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) and the Indiana Brownfields Program (Program), on behalf of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), will use the LUST Recovery Act money to perform site assessments and remedial actions at petroleum-contaminated sites throughout the state.

The 25 proposed shovel-ready sites throughout Indiana have been identified as orphaned or abandoned sites that are eligible for ARRA funding but for which adequate funding is not available to conduct assessment or clean-up. Some sites may be removed from the list and others added as the site assessment activities are completed. As of September 21, 2009, site work is underway at 14 sites with a total projected cost of $1.46 million. An estimated 36 USTs will be removed in order to undertake site cleanup, which will include the excavation of 11,200 tons of contaminated soil, resulting in the cleanup of 6.56 acres of property.

For More Information

On July 16, 2009, the U.S. EPA awarded the State of Indiana $4,039,000 in LUST Recovery Act funds. Work is underway at 14 sites approved by the Program for LUST ARRA funding using consulting firms qualified by the IFA in May 2009. Work on these 14 sites is estimated to cost $1.46 million, and result in the removal of 36 underground storage tanks and 11,200 tons of contaminated soil, making 6.56 acres ready for redevelopment.