Ben Thomas of UST Training joined the Board of Directors as an Affiliate Member of the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI) in 2020 and recently attended his first Board meeting via Zoom. Here are some highlights and observations as summarized the PEI Tulsa Letter:

EPA Region 9’s Underground Storage Tanks (UST) Program is Hiring!

We are looking for cleanup project managers (GS 11/12) to work in the UST Program of EPA’s Region 9 Office in San Francisco, CA.  These individuals will manage environmental cleanups of sites impacted by petroleum and/or hazardous contaminants across the states and tribes of the Pacific Southwest Region. These positions are advertised as “Physical Scientists/Life Scientists”, and most engineers, geologists, chemists, physicists, and biologists with the required experience will qualify.  Full details on the duties, requirements, and documentation to apply are linked below.   

Apply Here:

This opportunity is open to the public from 3/15/21 to 3/29/21 (8:59pm PT/11:59pm ET). 

The salary range is from $78,861 to $122,884 per year and offers great federal benefits. See the USAJobs Help Center on how to get started.  

Steven Linder, P.E.

Special Projects Coordinator (LND-4)

US Environmental Protection Agency Region 9

San Francisco, California

[email protected]

415-972-3369 – office

650-592-2000 – mobile

Attention Arizona Class A/B UST operators: UST Reporting Coming Soon to myDEQ

Register for a myDEQ account today and soon you will be able to:

• Easily submit a variety of UST documents online
• Receive confirmation emails and reminders so you don’t miss a deadline
• Access your facility information on one dashboard
• Securely log in to the myDEQ portal at your convenience, 24/7

Click Here to Learn More & Register >

Ben Thomas of UST Training will be providing a one-day only live Florida Class A/B UST operator training course in Orlando, Florida on Thursday, July 15, 1:30 – 5:30 PM at 2021 Sunshine Expo at the Orlando World Center Marriott. Sponsored by the Florida Petroleum Marketers Association, an authorized resellers of our online courses. Learn more here.

This is a one-time chance to get live Florida from nationally recognized trainer Ben Thomas. Stop back in for updates. Registration coming soon!

Questions? Please contact [email protected].

Further Resources for US EPA Region 10 Advanced UST Inspector Training
March 17-18, 2021

Thanks Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Idaho UST inspectors for attending the NEIWPCC-sponsored webinar. Please feel free to use these helpful videos and national testing standards and add them to your own UST resource library.

Lesson 1: Containment Sump Testing

• Dri-Sump Testing
  Unique and patented method using fog and lasers. Literally.
  

Basic commercial video but helpful
Fogging the sump
Failed Test results

• EPA’s Low Liquid Level UST Containment Sump
  Testing Procedures
• RP1200: Testing of UST Spill, Overfill, Leak Detection and Secondary Containment (2019 Edition)

C-4 Containment Sump Integrity Testing Hydrostatic Testing Method
C-4-A Containment Sump Testing Low Liquid Level Test Method
C-8 Liquid Sensor Functionality Testing

Lesson 2: New Tank Monitors: How to get reports

• Veeder-Root TLS 450 Plus
  The black Veeder Root console with touch screen. There are 13 one-minute videos on various topics done by Ben Thomas on his Tank Savvy Minute video series.
• Veeder-Root TLS-450 Plus
  A brief sensor reports video done by Veeder Root
• Veeder-Root TLS-450 Plus
  A brief review of Environmental Regulatory Reports done by Veeder Root.
• Veeder-Root TLS 450
  How to operate the briefly available gray Veeder Root console with touch screen. Done by AAFES
• Veeder-Root TLS 350
  The old standard Veeder Root console with buttons for navigation. There are 10 one-minute videos on various topics done by Ben Thomas on his Tank Savvy Minute video series.
• Franklin EVO 550
  The silver console with touch screen. There are 16 one-minute videos done by Ben Thomas on his Tank Savvy Minute video series.
• RP1200: Testing of UST Spill, Overfill, Leak Detection and Secondary Containment (2019 Edition) C-7 Automatic Tank Gauge Operation Inspection

Lesson 3: Spill Bucket Testing

• Vacuum spill bucket testing
  By Wheeler Tank Testing. Pretty helpful real time test. Not responsible for lack of PPE.
• Hydrostatic spill bucket testing
  By the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
• Dri-Sump spill bucket testing
  Unique and patented method using fog and lasers. Literally.
  Basic commercial video but helpful
  Fogging the sump
  Failed Test results

• RP1200: Testing of UST Spill, Overfill, Leak Detection and Secondary Containment (2019 Edition)

C-3 Spill Bucket Integrity Testing Hydrostatic Test Method Single- and Double-Walled Vacuum Test Method 

Lesson 4: Overfill Prevention Equipment Testing

• Overfill prevention device testing
  By Commtank. Pretty basic but helpful for the big picture
• RP1200: Testing of UST Spill, Overfill, Leak Detection and Secondary Containment (2019 Edition)

C-5 UST Overfill Equipment Inspection Automatic Shutoff Device and Ball Float Valve

C-6 Overfill Alarm Operation Inspection

Any questions or comments please contact [email protected] or 360-321-4776

UST Training, Inc. can offer your state UST program an alternative to your existing online Class A/B UST operator training at no cost to your agency. Based on our years of experience training UST operators nationwide, in conjunction with our efforts helping numerous UST agencies, we can create, launch, run, manage and report online training for your entire state. The goal of this proposal is to reduce leaks, spills, accident, and ignored alarms while improving UST operational compliance through high quality and motivational training.

How it would work

• UST Training creates a state-specific Class A/B course.
• Your agency reviews, comments, edits and approves content.
• UST Training launches the course online and charges users.
• UST Training manages all aspects of the program, from tech support to final certification.
• Your agency places a link to the course on your web page and promotes the course.
• UST Training provides certificates, and user progress reports to your agency.
• UST Training makes changes to content as needed at no cost.

Want to discuss how we can offer you a statewide solution? Contact Ben Thomas at 360-321-4776 or [email protected]

Benefits

Ben Thomas of UST Training was recently granted the honor of joining the newly formed editorial Board of LUSTLine, the oldest UST/LUST newsletter in the US. The new Board consists of many of today’s UST experts in the prevention and cleanup of leaking underground tanks. The Board basically replaces the decades-long efforts of LUSTLine’s former editor Ellen Frye. Ben Thomas has been a contributing writer for many years and wore his first NEIWPCC “Lust Buster” commemorative t-shirt way back in 1986 when he was overseeing UST removals in Vermont.

Get the most current edition and back issues here.

So look for more great articles to come from NEIWPCC. Have an idea for a newsletter article? Drop Ben an email.

We were surprised and pleased to learn that a few of our Tank Savvy Minute videos were mentioned on the popular auto web page Jalopnik.

I Finally Looked Up Why Gas Pumps Sometimes Run Slow And It’s Not What I Thought

“But the one slow flow cause that I found really interesting was a tripped leak detector. When the leak detector uh, detects a leak, it will trigger a slow flow condition, which ideally will result in a customer notifying someone at the station that there’s something wrong. Here’s Ben again in an absolute 10/10 Popcorn classic Tank Savvy Minute:

The US Virgin Islands… it sounds like paradise…unless you’re a Class A/B UST operator there and get banned from receiving fuel due to numerous UST violations.

According to the Virgin Islands Daily News, March 5, 2021 “Three One Love Service Station locations on St. Croix are barred from receiving fuel delivery because the company failed to abide by safety regulations, according to a statement issued Thursday by the V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resources.

According to DPNR, its enforcement officers identified several violations at One Love stations, including failure to register tanks and obtain a permit to operate an underground storage tank system, failure to secure financial responsibility and coverage of insurance, and failure to obtain Class AB Operator certification training from a DPNR-approved source.”

Read more

Good Class A/B operators know to get correct training; know about pollution insurance, and know about operating permits. Don’t wait to get shut down to learn about proper management of your UST systems. Learn more about Class A/B training today and what steps you can take to avoid serious violations.

Hello new Class A/B UST operators. We came across this great video prepared by OPW,which explains in very easy-to-understand terms what parts make up a UST system. Any person new to the world of USTs will find it very useful. And special thanks to OPW for all the great convention events we’ve attended over the years.

Any questions about UST parts? Contact us anytime at [email protected] or 866-301-8265