Service Station FAQs

They were likely making improvements to protect the environment, especially against potential leaks from underground storage tanks.  By law, older tanks had to be replaced, but newer tanks can be "upgraded" to include improved leak detection systems and protection against future corrosion.

No, The law covers all underground tanks containing petroleum products.  Police department, school districts, automobile dealers and many other facilities have underground storage tanks on their property.  The only exemptions are farm or residential tanks of 1,100 gallons or less capacity; and residential commercial or industrial heating oil tanks used for consumptive use on the premise where the heating oil is stored.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Underground Storage Tanks has produced a number of documents explaining the requirements.

Congress passed Subtitle I of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in 1984, which required the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop a comprehensive program to protect, detect and correct releases from underground storage tanks.  The EPA Office of Underground Tanks was organized to develop the technical standards, and those regulations were issue 4 in September 1988.  The low provided for a 10-year phase-in of the requirement, so the work had to be completed by December 1998.