(January 8, 2013) Michigan-based association representing independent retailers is charged with preparing owners and operators of Underground Storage Tanks (UST) for a certification test.
The MIRA has been holding classes for the last year and has trained more than 250 people in Federal UST regulations.
On Thursday January 10 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Vice President of Petroleum for MIRA, Ed Weglarz will instruct another course at MIRA offices located at 5779 West Maple in West Bloomfield.
An underground storage tank system is a tank and any underground piping connected to the tank that has at least 10 percent of its combined volume underground. The federal UST regulations apply to only underground tanks and piping storing either petroleum or certain hazardous substances.
It takes more than equipment to be in compliance and to have a safe facility. You must operate and maintain this equipment properly over time or you will not benefit from having the equipment.
Failure to operate and maintain equipment can lead to new releases. A spill bucket that is allowed to crack or fill up with debris is useless as spill protection. An overfill device that is not maintained may not function and your site will suddenly have a large overfill release to clean up. Corrosion protection devices or systems that are not regularly operated and maintained properly can fail and result in an expensive cleanup at your UST site.
In 1985, EPA created the Office of Underground Storage Tanks to carry out a Congressional mandate to develop and implement a regulatory program for underground storage tank (UST) systems.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed part of the technical regulations for underground storage tank (UST) systems to prevent releases from USTs. The regulations require owners and operators to protect their USTs from spills, overfills, and corrosion and require correct filling practices to be followed.
Spills and overfills often result from bad filling practices and can be avoided if owners and operators use appropriate spill and overfill equipment, use correct filling practices, and follow industry standard practices for tank filling. Also, unprotected metal tanks and piping can corrode and release product through holes caused by corrosion of the metal tank or piping.
There are some 9,000 underground storage tanks in Michigan. While hospitals, dry cleaners, marinas and local public works departments account for many sites, about 5,000 tanks are at gas stations.
“We have worked with the state to amend cleanup requirements for abandoned tanks to more realistically reflect the intended future use of the property,” said Ed Weglarz, Vice President of Petroleum for MIRA. “This reduces the cost to the developer, which, in turn, boosts the likelihood that the site will be redeveloped as a jobs-creating enterprise.”