News And Events

Here at UST Training we try hard to always use real-life UST related images of UST parts and the people who own and operate UST systems. We like to think people relate to the training material better if they can see themselves in the shoes of the people they are watching on the computer screen.

That being said, we are always looking for new pictures to improve our training, so we have a special offer to our customers: Send us your best picture of Class A/B or C operators doing UST duties, and if we like your photos, we will give you complementary online credit – $200 worth of online training for every picture we use.

Pictures should include individuals ideally performing a certain task at an obvious UST site. This can include brand name or not. Submissions grant UST training to use those likenesses for promotional purposes. This is your chance to be famous! And trained for free!

Send your pictures to [email protected] and we’ll let you know if we select your entry.

Any questions please let us know at [email protected] or 866-301-8265.

Big news from our friends at the EPA for emergency power generator UST operators: The EPA published a number of new documents to help emergency power generator tank operators with all aspects of UST compliance.

Here’s our favorite:

Federal UST Requirements for Emergency Power Generator UST Systems

Dear UST Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce several regulatory compliance and implementation assistance resources for emergency power generator UST systems are now available on the Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) web site – https://www.epa.gov/ust/release-detection-underground-storage-tanks-usts-introduction#:~:text=003).%20May%202022.-,Emergency%20generator,-tanks

Ben Thomas of UST Training has been selected to present and/or organize two sessions at the EPA National Tanks Conference and Expo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this year:

Sessions

• Challenges and Opportunities of a Changing Multi-Cultural UST Industry
• Strategies for Dealing with Covid-19 Impact on UST Compliance

The conference will be held September 13^th – 15^th  (with Pre-Conference Workshops on September 12^th) at the Wyndham Grand Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA.

For the most current information about the conference, please visit the NTC website:

www.neiwpcc.org/NTC2022

UST Training has been training operators in Indian Country for many years – first live in person, then live webinars, and now 100% online 24/7.

What is Indian Country?
Think of Indian Country as autonomous, Federally recognized nations within the boundaries of a state (or, states, in some cases). For those inclined towards legalese, here’s the legal definition.

What UST rules apply?
Generally, UST Systems that are located within an Indian Country reservation of a Federally recognized tribe are subject to US EPA UST rules and not state rules where the Indian Country reservation is located. There are some exceptions so it’s important to establish under which jurisdiction a particular UST applies.

From the Seattle Times, May 16, 2022, is a surprisingly well researched and well written article about aging underground tanks in Washington state… but it could be nearly any state. Kudos to writer David Kroman for an in-depth and balanced look at this nearly-invisible-to-the-public problem.

As our Tank Savvy UST  operators know, a large part of your mission is to not end up in one of these tough stories.

Aging gasoline storage tanks in WA pose environmental hazard, but many owners can’t afford cleanup

Note from UST Training: Here’s a national update on the UST program: fewer UST releases, but compliance with new requirements still needs improving.

Dear UST Colleagues:

I am pleased to tell you that our mid fiscal year (FY) 2022 semiannual report of underground storage tank (UST) performance measures is now available.  You can access the report on EPA’s website https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-05/ca-28-12.pdf.

Our semiannual UST reports show the continued progress EPA and our state, territorial, tribal, and industry partners are making in protecting public health and the environment from UST releases.

It’s great to see an Automatic Tank Gauge (ATG) in the news but it’s not so good when it’s showing how thieves stole hundreds of gallons of gasoline from an unsuspecting UST owner.

Many operators do not lock their fuel tanks. Please take a moment and purchase some high-quality locks and make sure your fill pipes are secure. With the high price of fuel these days, security of your fill openings is now more important than ever.

Ben Thomas of UST Training recently attended an EPA Webinar: Underground Storage Tanks: Preparing and Responding to Extreme Events on April 13^th, 2022.

Summary: Climate change and extreme weather events are increasingly important in how we prevent, prepare and respond to management of underground storage tanks. Former Senior Director for Resilience Policy in the National Security Council, Alice Hill, framed this issue as, “We are colliding with a future of extremes. We base all our choices about risk management on what’s occurred in the past, and that is no longer a safe guide.” The fuel supply network and its infrastructure are critical elements in the supply chain to prepare for and address in the recovery of disasters. As an example, in Hurricane Harvey, the ability of emergency managers to understand post-storm supply chain issues was constrained by limited pre-storm assessment of vulnerable and critical supply chain nodes.

The recording of the presentation Preparing and Responding to Extreme Events

As a PEI member, and with Ben Thomas being on the board of PEI, we are always excited to share new initiatives the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI) has to offer its members with the UST community at large.

See Jason Blake explain the 5 PEI initiatives, with learning being #1!

Look forward to more updates shortly.

The Seattle Times in our home state of Washington did a great job explaining the legacy of old and potentially leaking UST systems. Check out this well researched and presented story by David Kroman.

Aging gasoline storage tanks in WA pose environmental hazard, but many owners can’t afford cleanup