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Get the latest state, federal and trade association news about UST regulations and operator training. Scroll down or search our archives.

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March 30, 2023

Free Webinar April 25th: The ABCs of ATGs

Everything you needed to know about automatic tank gauges but were afraid to ask.

Class A/B UST operators, as well as UST inspectors, are encouraged to attend this lively and down-to-earth (ABCs) webinar about automatic tank gauges (ATGs).

Ben, Thomas, President of UST Training will share his many years of experience explaining how ATG’s first started, as well as their purpose, functions, and applicability. From the 30,000 foot view all the way down to the programming level, there’s something here for everyone interested in automatic thank gauges. Improve your understanding of automatic tank gauges in one hour, or less, guaranteed!

Tuesday, April 25th, 2023, 10:00 – 11:00 AM Pacific Time

Register here

Seating is limited to the first 500

March 23, 2023

30-Day Walkthrough Inspections

Hello State UST agencies

A simple idea to help improve compliance with your regulated community – make it easier for UST operators to start using your 30-day walkthrough inspection form.

Here at UST Training, we put a lot of stock into ensuring not only do Class A/B UST operators understand the regulations, but they actually know what actions to do after they become certified. Take, for example, the 30 day walk-through inspection. Ben Thomas, President of UST Training often calls the 30-day inspection the centerpiece of an excellent compliance for any UST system.

This requirement ensures that someone– hopefully the Class A/B UST operator– is checking your system every 30 days, noticing potential problems, and fixing them which is the best way to stay out of major trouble. For all of our state-approved Class A/B operator training courses we provide a complementary copy of each state’s 30 day walk-through form to make it easier for people to start doing it after class.

Read More →

March 22, 2023

Veeder Root TLS Webinar Now Available on YouTube

UST Training is pleased to publish the Veeder Root webinar we hosted on January 24, 2023. Ben Thomas interviewed Veeder Root’s Field Marketing Manager Lee Girard who explained how to prepare for the phase-out of the popular Veeder Root TLS 300/350 and the many reasons why an upgrade is both inevitable and necessary to UST operators nationwide.

Click here for more information about Veeder Root TLS 300/350 and the Veeder Root TLS 450Plus.

Click here for Tank Savvy Minute videos about the TLS 300/350 and the TLS450Plus.

For information about Class A/B and C UST operator training nationwide click here.

 

March 21, 2023

History of the UST Program Nationwide

In 1982 at the tender age of 18, I was (what is now considered) a Class C UST operator at a Mobil/Howard Johnson’s  rest area on I-95 in Connecticut, working the graveyard shift. I was taught to stick a tank to do inventory reconciliation by jamming a stick down to the bottom of the tank as hard as I could and see how high the stick would pop out.

My how times have changed. If you’re an old timer in the industry like me, to this day I continue to be amazed at how many improvements we’ve seen to the UST Program nationwide. Check out EPA’s timeline from 1983 chronicling the major milestones of success that make the UST program what it is today. Like many of you that have been in the business a long time, I’m very proud of those who have been witness — and perhaps contributor — to these many improvements to prevent another generation of leaking UST’s.

Milestones In The Underground Storage Tank Program’s History

 

March 21, 2023

Back to Basics: How to hire and retain good store managers

A great article for C-store owners, courtesy of C-Store Dive.

Building a strong workforce starts with having the right policies in place to identify, train and reward store leaders, experts say.

Read now

Published March 13, 2023 (c) C-Store Dive

March 16, 2023

See you at M-PACT

We were excited to meet our friends at the M-PACT trade show in Indianapolis Indiana April 4-6, 2023.

M-PACT
April 4-6, 2023
Indianapolis, IN
Stop by our Booth 1115 and say hi

Also hear Ben Thomas present a technical talk on Automatic Tank Gauges April 6 at 10 AM.

Want to schedule a meeting with Ben in advance? Contact us at 360-321-4776 or [email protected]

March 16, 2023

Money Available for Biodiesel and Ethanol Upgrades

Interested in providing higher blends of biodiesel and ethanol, but concerned that your UST equipment is not fully compatible? The Federal government is offering incentives to improve and upgrade existing UST systems to handle higher blends of biodiesel and ethanol. I pass along this great incentive program for all of our Class A/B UST operators.

What is the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program?

The purpose of the HBIIP is to increase significantly the sales and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel by expanding the infrastructure for renewable fuels derived from U.S. agricultural products. The program is also intended to encourage a more comprehensive approach to market higher blends by sharing the costs related to building out biofuel-related infrastructure.

Learn more here

January 27, 2023

See you at WPMA in Las Vegas Feb. 21-23

Any of you attending WPMA Expo 2023? If so, make sure to connect with Ben and Tammy. We’d love to hang out with you and talk about operator training. If you haven’t registered yet, please do so here. It’s going to be another great year and we’re looking forward to seeing you.

Want to schedule a meeting with Ben or Tammy in advance? Email us and we can set one up.

Western Petroleum Marketers Association
WPMAEXPO 2023
February 21-23, 2023
Las Vegas, NV
Stop by our booth 1205 and say hi

Read More →

January 27, 2023

Free Webinar: What we’ve done and where we’re going: a national EPA UST perspective

Our 2023 UST webinar series continues…

UST Training is proud to host a live webinar discussion with Mark Barolo, Deputy Director of EPA’s Office of Underground Storage Tanks on the State of the UST Nation: What we’ve done and where we’re going.

Tuesday, March 7, 2023
10:00 AM Pacific Time
Register now

Mark will share his nearly three decades of policy making experience with the national UST Program, providing an overview of the major milestones the UST program has achieved preventing groundwater contamination, as well as forecast what to expect in the near future. Anyone interested in the Big Picture of UST’s– whether you are a UST owner, operator, inspector, service, provider, policy, maker, or compliance manager– will find this an insightful discussion. UST Training’s President, Ben Thomas, who has known Mark since 1997 will moderate the session. Have a question for the nation’s top UST regulator? Now is your chance!

Register now

 

 

January 25, 2023

Virtual UST system: check it out!

 

Here at UST Training we love to help people connect with UST equipment in real time. Now you can literally go underground and check out an UST system from the bottom up without leaving your home or office. Check out this awesome interactive webpage from OPW.