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STATEMENT FROM JOHN P. DeVILLARS REGARDING DEC. 22 UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK DEADLINE

Release Date: 12/22/1998
Contact Information: Peyton Fleming, EPA Press Office (617-918-1008)

"The good news is that the UST Program has been a huge success in New England. The six New England states have some of the highest compliance rates in the country, with Maine leading the way at 99 percent. More than 50,000 tanks have been pulled in the past 10 years and each week we're getting dozens more. Still, there's more work to be done, with more than 5,000 tanks still being out of compliance. The EPA, in close concert with the states, will be working aggressively in the coming months to identify and remove illegal tanks, especially those that pose a threat to drinking water supplies and other sensitive ecosystems. Considering that there have been 13,000 UST releases over the past decade in New England alone, there is no under-estimating the importance of getting full, 100 percent compliance."