Howard County, MD's underground storage tank violations.

Howard County, Maryland, has agreed to pay a $9,727 penalty to settle alleged violations of underground storage tank (UST) regulations at two facilities in Columbia, Md.

EPA cited the county for not complying with safeguards designed to prevent, detect, and control leaks of petroleum and other hazardous substances from USTs. The alleged violations involved federal and state UST regulations requiring monthly leak detection monitoring, and cathodic anti-corrosion protection.

According to EPA, a 1,000-gallon UST containing used oil was not regularly monitored for leaks for three and a half years. Also, the county failed to provide cathodic protection for piping to a 2,500 gallon UST containing diesel fuel.