EPA Approves South Carolina's Underground Storage Tank -UST- Program.

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 13, 2002

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the approval of South Carolina's Underground Storage Tank (UST) Program.

EPA recognizes that, because of the large size and great diversity of the regulated community, state and local governments are in the best position to oversee USTs. Subtitle I of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) allows state UST programs approved by EPA to operate in lieu of the federal program, and EPA's state program approval regulations set standards for state programs to meet.

EPA worked closely with South Carolina officials while the program was under development. Once the state's legislature remedied certain legal points in accordance with EPA requirements, South Carolina applied for formal approval. A program is approved if it is judged to meet three criteria:

-- Standards set for eight performance criteria that are no less stringent than federal standards;

-- Contains provisions for adequate enforcement, and

-- Regulates at least the same USTs as are regulated under federal standards.

Benefits of UST program approval include: owners and operators in states with an approved UST program do not have to deal with two sets of statutes and regulations (state and federal) that may be conflicting and states have the lead role in UST program enforcement for approved programs.

An underground storage tank (UST) system is a tank (or a combination of tanks) and connected piping having at least 10 percent of their combined volume underground. The tank system includes the tank, underground connected piping, underground ancillary equipment, and any containment system. The federal UST regulations apply only to underground tanks and piping storing either petroleum or certain hazardous substances.