The County agreed to pay penalties of $4,600 for failing to maintain release detection records on three tanks between March and December 2007. The EPA also found that the county never performed automatic leak detection tests on two of the underground tanks between 2004 and 2007. Additionally, the EPA charged that county didn’t perform required line tightness testing on two of the underground storage tanks for 7 months in 2006 and 2007.

As part of its settlement with the EPA, Frederick County also agreed to install a $22,500 leak monitoring system on its above-ground tanks. According to the EPA, Frederick County will install the automatic tank monitoring system on one 12,000-gallon tank and 2 6,000-gallon tanks. The monitoring system will tie into a dedicated computer with software designed to track any fuel releases. Reliable monitoring of tanks, whether above ground or underground, leads to quicker and more efficient responses in the event of an accidental leak.

According to the EPA, the county “neither admitted nor denied liability for the alleged violations, but certified its compliance with applicable UST regulations. The settlement reflects the county’s cooperation with EPA’s investigation, and good faith compliance efforts.”

“With millions of gallons of gasoline, oil, and other petroleum products stored in USTs throughout the U.S., leaking tanks are a major source of soil and groundwater contamination,” the EPA said in a statement about the settlement.

“EPA and state UST regulations are designed to reduce the risk of underground leaks and to promptly detect and properly address leaks which do occur, thus minimizing environmental harm and avoiding the costs of major cleanups,” the agency said.

SOURCE: Leaking Underground Storage Tanks › Maryland county settles UST violations with EPA

Congress established UST regulations in 1984 as part of a nationwide effort to protect the nation’s soil and natural water supplies from contamination caused by leaking USTs. Hundreds of thousands of tanks holding fuel and other environmentally hazardous substances lay buried throughout the country. Many of the older tanks are constructed with single layer steel walls that are highly corrosive and prone to leaking.

The 28 USTs at the Army’s facility in Aberdeen range in capacity from 600 to 25,000 gallons and are used to store gasoline, fuel oil, diesel, and JP-8 jet fuel. According to the EPA, the Army was cited for its failure to test the tanks’ line leak detection system, failure to keep tank release detection records, failure to install spill and overfill protection equipment, and failure to perform tank release and line lease detection. The EPA strictly regulates all USTs within national boundaries because the environmental risks they pose are so high. Just one leaking UST can contaminate billions of gallons of fresh water and soil.

According to the EPA, the Army has removed the USTs and replaced them with above ground storage tanks. The facility is now in compliance with UST regulations.

The EPA found record numbers of UST violations by government agencies last year. The agency settled nearly 40 cases involving federal facilities  and filed another 3 complaints in 2008. Penalties leveraged against the federal government, combined with the cost of cleanup projects, totaled more than $1.3 million.

SOURCE: Leaking Underground Storage Tanks › EPA cites Army for UST violations