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EPA, DEM REMIND RHODE ISLAND TANK OWNERS OF UPCOMING DEADLINE

Release Date: 03/17/1998
Contact Information: Leo Kay, EPA Press Office, (617) 918-4154 Stephanie Powell, RIDEM, (401)222-4700, ext. 4418

BOSTON - The Environmental Protection Agency and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management are reminding owners and operators of underground storage tanks containing motor fuels or hazardous materials that they now have less than nine months left until the Dec. 22 deadline to upgrade, replace, or properly close outdated, substandard tanks.

Under EPA regulations that took effect in December of 1988, tanks installed before that date and not protected against corrosion, spills, and overfills must be upgraded, replaced, or closed by Dec. 22, 1998. Underground storage tanks that are considered to be in compliance must have as a minimum: corrosion protection on the tank, non-corrodible piping, catchment basins to contain spills from delivery hoses and overfill protection such as an automatic shutoff device.

States have reported that underground tanks are the most common source of groundwater contamination and that petroleum is the most common contaminant. Two thirds of Rhode Island communities rely in whole or in significant part on groundwater for their drinking water supplies, and 12 of those communities derive all of their drinking water from groundwater.

"Now is the time for getting ahead of the curve,'" said John P. DeVillars, administrator of the EPA's New England office. "For those who think 'out of sight, out of mind,' please think again. If you still have substandard tanks by this time next year, you could be facing substantial fines. So save yourself some aggravation and take care of your tanks now."

"Rhode islanders have experienced too many times the human costs of polluted drinking water supplies and exposure to vapors due to old and inadequate underground tanks," said DEM Director Andy McLeod. " Upgraded tanks and equipment are essential for the protection of human health and safety and our finite environmental resources."

DEM has documented 1,081 releases of petroleum products into the environment from underground storage tanks since the inception of the state's program in 1985. Last year, 164 new releases were discovered, 46 of which impacted or threatened to impact private or public drinking water supplies, surface water bodies or air quality due to vapors. DEM also oversaw the remediation of 98 sites in 1997, while 132 were monitored to determine if the threat or impact was properly mitigated.

In Rhode Island, more than 6,000 tanks storing motor fuels or hazardous materials that were not protected from corrosion or had no continuous leak detection have been closed since the legislature enacted laws governing such tanks in 1985. Currently, nearly 2,700 such tanks are registered in Rhode Island and more than 1,000 of them still need to be upgraded to meet the new standards.

"With what we know about environmental damage resulting from leaking underground tanks, and considering the extended grace period we provided a decade ago, there really is no excuse anymore for not having removed antiquated, potentially dangerous tanks," DeVillars said.

DeVillars, McLeod and commissioners of the five other New England states' environmental agencies recently adopted a joint resolution to eliminate high-risk, commercial underground storage tanks. The states and the EPA are planning to work together in enforcing state and federal requirements for upgrading, replacing or removing bare steel, commercial underground storage tanks.

Costs to bring a facility into compliance with the 1998 requirements vary widely, depending on the size and nature of a facility, local labor rates, and other factors. As December 1998 nears, these costs could be higher due to increased customer demand for upgrading, replacing, or closing tanks, and finding available contractors to do the work by the deadline may be difficult.

The EPA provides a free booklet on "Financing Underground Storage Tank Work: Federal and State Assistance Programs." To order the EPA booklets, call the EPA's Hotline at 1-800-424-9346.

DEM provides a free booklet called "Don't Wait Until 1998" that clearly explains the regulatory requirements. For a copy of this booklet, or for more specific information about underground storage tanks in Rhode Island, contact the DEM's Office of Technical and Customer Assistance at (401)222-6822.