Supervisor: Stephen Kent, 502-564-5981, ext. 262

The Compliance Section is responsible for assisting owners and operators (of underground storage tank systems) by helping them understand and comply with federal and state regulations.  This includes: operational and maintenance requirements for leak detection methods, spill and overfill prevention, corrosion protection and other technical and recordkeeping aspects. 

All underground storage tank (UST) systems must meet uniform performance standards for corrosion protection and spill and overfill protection. In addition, owners must install and maintain an approved method of release detection.  Proper installation and maintenance of UST systems along with these pollution prevention measures help protect against releases of petroleum products into the environment, especially groundwater (GW). 

The Compliance Section produced a detailed framework to assist UST owners called an Outline for the Evaluation of Underground Storage Tank Cathodic Protection System.

One aspect of assistance from the Compliance Section to owners/operators is providing educational information through outreach efforts.  Newsletters, seminars and speaking engagements are routinely offered to clarify and increase their understanding of compliance requirements for their UST systems.

A key component of outreach and pollution prevention is the UST technical compliance inspection (TCI) program.  UST inspectors, from the Field Operations Branch, routinely conduct TCIs from 10 regional offices across the commonwealth.  Field inspectors verify onsite the technical compliance requirements applicable to a UST system and inform the owner/operators of any noted deficiencies.  They also serve as an objective resource for owner/operators on the various options available for meeting the 1998 requirements.  The Compliance Section provides necessary follow-up to the TCIs by contacting owner/operators on referred and deficient inspections.  This follow-up helps owner/operators attain and maintain compliance with technical and recordkeeping requirements and helps in the pollution prevention effort.

UST regulations were enacted to help prevent contamination of the nation's groundwater, and complying with these regulations helps to safeguard against pollution.

For additional information on procedures and answers to the most asked questions, check out our Frequently Asked Questions page.