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EPA Delegates Underground Storage Tank Program to Hawai'i

Release Date: 9/25/2002
Contact Information: Mike Ardito

    SAN FRANCISCO --  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the Hawai'i Department of Health will be authorized to administer the program regulating underground storage tanks containing petroleum and hazardous substances effective Sept. 30.

    "The Department of Health staff have labored long and hard to develop a program to prevent leaks from petroleum storage tanks and clean up sites that have been contaminated over the years.  We are ready to accept the lead from EPA for this important work," said Gary Gill, the
deputy director for environmental health at the Hawai'i Department of Health.

     "The EPA has determined Hawai'i's application meets all requirements for achieving state delegation.  This now gives the state primary responsibility for administering the underground storage tank program," said Wayne Nastri, the EPA's regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest.

     The state's authorized program will act in lieu of the federal underground storage tank program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.  Although the EPA will retain its authority to inspect and bring enforcement actions, the EPA now will enforce the provisions of the state's program rather than federal requirements.  The state's program must be no less stringent than the federal program and provide for adequate enforcement compliance with standards.

    The EPA now assumes an oversight role by authorizing Hawai'i to run this program.  The EPA will provide technical support and conduct an annual review of the state's program in order to assist Hawai'i in implementing its program.    
     
There are approximately 1100 operating underground storage tank facilities in Hawai'i with approximately 400 facilities inspected annually.  Each facility should expect to be inspected at least once every three years to ensure compliance with state underground storage tank regulations.

     The Hawai'i Department of Health submitted its final application for approval of its underground storage tank program on May 23, 2001.  The proposed approval for delegation of the program was announced in a Federal Register notice on Oct. 5, 2001.  The EPA held a public hearing about this proposal in Honolulu on Nov. 13, 2001.