Underground Storage Tank (UST) Program
The purpose of the UST Program is to protect public health and safety and the environment from releases of petroleum and other hazardous substances from USTs. Most frequently, the leaks are petroleum products associated with gasoline service stations. Leaking USTs are a significant source of petroleum impacts to groundwater and may pose the following potential threats to health and safety:
- Exposure from impacts to soil and/or groundwater;
- Contamination of drinking water aquifers;
- Contamination of public or private drinking water wells;
- Inhalation of vapors;
TABLE OF CONTENTS
UST Regulations
State regulations regarding underground tank construction, monitoring, repair, closure, release reporting, and corrective action are contained within CCR Title 23, Chapter 16.Implementation of the UST Program is unique, as the Health and Safety Code Division 20, Chapters 6.7 and 6.75, gives local agencies the authority to oversee investigation and cleanup of UST leak sites. The Corrective Action regulations (CCR, Title 23, Chapter 16, Article 11) use the term "regulatory agency" in recognition of the fact that local agencies have the option to oversee site investigation and cleanup, in addition to their statutory mandate to oversee leak reporting and tank closure.
The Water Board is the lead agency for a leaking UST case when one or more of the following apply:
- solvents or solvents commingled with fuels are the pollutants of concern;
- the petroleum discharge is from something other than a UST; such as sumps, spills, or agricultural tanks;
- there are complex technical or policy issues;
- conflict of interest issues in which the local agency is the responsible party or for which the local agency requests Water Board lead;
- cases given to the Water Board as part of the Site Designation Process (AB 2061);
- there is no LOP or the local agency is unable, unwilling, or unavailable to provide proper oversight;
- part of the site is within a larger facility currently under Water Board oversight;
Assessment and Cleanup
Assessment and cleanup is governed by the Porter Cologne Water Quality Control Act (Water Code) and Chapter 16 (Article 11) of the Underground Storage Tank Regulations. Results of the assessment provide details about the size and magnitude of the release and are used to determine an appropriate cleanup strategy. A good site assessment study can be used to recommend one of several cleanup alternatives (feasibility study). Click here to link to site assessment publications.Cleanup is conducted under the direction of the lead regulatory agency and may include free product removal, vapor extraction, ozone sparging, or technologies such as groundwater extraction. In some cases, soil excavation and disposal completes the cleanup. Click here to link to cleanup publications.
Evaluating alternative cleanup technologies requires an understanding of site specific conditions and the nature and extent of the contamination. Data from site assessment studies can be used to recommend one of several cleanup alternatives. Conducting extended interim remedial actions without concurrent evaluation of alternative cleanup technologies should be avoided. A responsible party must be aware of inherent limitations of a chosen cleanup alternative given the specific conditions of the site. Finally, the evaluation of alternative cleanup technologies should include cleanup objectives and estimated times to reach those objectives.
Case Closure
A UST site qualifies to receive a "No Further Action" (closure) letter once the owner or operator meets all appropriate corrective action requirements. After this occurs, the local regulatory agency or Water Board will inform the responsible party in writing that no further work is required.UST Cleanup Fund
The Barry Keene Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund Act of 1989 (Cleanup Fund) was created by the California Legislature, and is administered by the State Water Board, to provide a means for petroleum UST owners and operators to meet the federal and state requirements and to have their cleanup costs reimbursed by the UST cleanup fund.Contact Information
Water Board UST Program contact: Chuck Headlee (510) 622-2433
GeoTracker
GeoTracker is a data warehouse which tracks regulatory data about underground fuel tanks and fuel pipelines. http://www.geotracker.swrcb.ca.gov
UST Program Contacts at Water Board
UST Program Water Board Contacts |
|
County |
Water Board Contact |
Marin - All except San Rafael |
John Jang (510) 622-2366 |
Marin - San Rafael |
Ralph Lambert (510) 622-2382 |
Sonoma |
John Jang (510) 622-2366 |
Napa |
Kent Aue (510) 622-2446 |
Solano |
Kent Aue (510) 622-2446 |
Contra Costa-Central |
Kevin Brown (510) 622-2358 |
Contra Costa-East |
Martin Musonge (510) 622-2396 |
Contra Costa-West |
Barbara Sieminski (510) 622-2423 |
Alameda - Hayward to San Leandro |
Marcia Liao (510) 622-2377 |
Alameda - Remainder of County |
Cherie McCaulou (510) 622-2342 |
Santa Clara |
Nathan King (510) 622-3966 |
San Mateo |
Nancy Katyl (510) 622-2408 |
San Francisco |
Nancy Katyl (510) 622-2408 |
|
UST Program contacts at Local Agencies Alameda County Water District City of Berkeley Toxics Management Division Hayward Fire Department - Hazardous Materials Division City of San Leandro - Hazardous Materials Division CONTRA COSTA COUNTY MARIN COUNTY San Rafael Fire Department NAPA COUNTY SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY SAN MATEO COUNTY
SANTA CLARA COUNTY SOLANO COUNTY SONOMA COUNTY |