Although we can’t meet our friends face-to-face at this year’s PEI Show at NACS, we are excited to help spread the word that the convention is a go virtually with a new date of November 12, 2020.

From PEI today:

Dear PEI Member:

It’s true. Last week, we cancelled the 2020 PEI Convention at the NACS Show, scheduled for Oct. 11-14 in Las Vegas, on the order of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

However, if the global pandemic and economic shutdown have taught our industry anything, it is that we can adapt. In that spirit, we invite you, your colleagues and customers to join us Nov. 10-12 at the 2020 PEI Virtual Convention.

The 2020 PEI Virtual Convention is no simple Zoom meeting or webinar. Each day will include about 4 hours of programming and activities. Key presentations also will be viewable on demand at your convenience. By participating in the virtual event, you’ll experience many of the same elements that have made the in-person PEI Convention so special.

This just in…

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—As part of daily communications with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), NACS was informed that the 2020 NACS Show, scheduled for October 11-14, cannot be held due to the ongoing pandemic.

“It is with heavy heart that we make this announcement,” said NACS President and CEO Henry Armour. “We had worked closely with the health department with jurisdiction, the LVCVA, our official partners, vendors and other stakeholders to develop a world-class ‘city within a city’ that prioritized safety for our attendees and staff. At the same time, there are issues beyond our control that led to this decision.”

“We know that this decision is disappointing to our entire community of retailer and supplier attendees, as well as our NACS Show supporting partner organizations PEI, PMAA and Conexxus,” Armour added. He said that NACS will be directly communicating to registered attendees and exhibitors no later than August 7 to quickly facilitate full refunds for the event.

New virtual offering

With new UST regulations comes more inspecting, testing and costs. Is the cost worth it? For this site it certainly is. Can you see the problem? As a trained Class A/B UST operator you should see it right away.

An Oregon service provider sent us these pictures today so we know there’s still to do work out there. Have a picture you’d like to share? Send it to info@USTtraining.com.

Ben Thomas of UST Training is excited to offer a live webinar on September 16, 2020 on Indian Country Class A/B UST Operator Training. The course open to any and all Indian Country UST operators with Federally regulated USTs.

Since October of 2018, all Indian Country UST sites must have a trained, certified Class A/B operator to be in compliance with EPA UST rules. Plus we know from experience trained operators tend to have fewer leaks, spills and violations.

The class is sponsored by the Tribal Convenience Store Association (TCSA) and is in conjunction with their Board Meeting which will be held virtually this year due to COVID-19 concerns.

Register now!

UST Training is excited to offer the nation’s first Class C UST Operator course via live webinar in Hindi.

Sign up today!

This 45-minute class is perfect for any Hindi-speaking employee of a convenience store who needs to know how to detect and respond to spills, leaks, alarms and other accidents.

We’ve teamed up with Javed Surani of Your Environmental Specialist who will narrate in real time our Class C course in Hindi.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality just sent a notice to all UST owners and operators that ” ADEQ has suspended Class A and B, no cost, in-person Operator Training classes” and they “are are working diligently to restore the no cost, in-person classes and we apologize for any inconvenience.”

We at UST Training offer a self-paced Class A/B course that meets and exceeds ADEQ requirements so consider us when looking for an interim solution Click here to learn more. The new rules enacted January 1, 2020 have Arizona-specific Operator Training requirements.

If you need more information about the past and future free training, contact  Merry Ellen Boom at 602-771-4196 or at boom.merryellen@azdeq.gov.

Hafa Adai and great news for our western-most UST Operators: We now offer online Class A/B training for Guam and CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands). Check it out!

Due to travel restrictions because of COVID-19, UST Training’s Ben Thomas will not be able to travel to Guam and CNMI to provide live UST operator classes to the general public. Ben has taught hundreds of operators in live classes every other year since 2012. Because a refresher is required every two years, most Island operators must renew this July, 2020. We are pleased to offer “Virtual Ben” online as a safe and cost-effective alternative.

We are excited to be recommended by the US Virgin Island’s Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) as the only approved training solution for Class A/B UST operator training. Plus our course is 100% online so USVI operators can take the course from home or work whenever they like.

DPNR Shares Important Reminder With Underground Storage Tank Operators

Note that if you are taking the course for the first time or have an expired certificate, our course is the only one currently approved by the USVI DPNR. Do not accept another vendor without first checking with DPNR.

UST Training did live classes in St. Thomas and St. Croix back in 2010 and are excited to be helping our Caribbean UST operator friends to stay in compliance with high quality training–now self-paced and online.

Download and share the flyer

Any questions about our course please contact us at 360-321-4776 or info@USTtraining.com

The June 2020 edition of LUSTLine is now available to download and read.

For those who don’t know, LUSTLine has been published for over 35 years and covers important regulatory matters related to underground storage tanks (UST) and leaking underground storage tanks (LUST), hence the catchy name LUSTLine.

In this issue:

Personal note from UST Training’s President Ben Thomas:

Hello UST professional. It’s been a tough spring for us all. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended daily routines, put many people out of work, and created a sense of widespread uncertainty, both personally and professionally.

And if that wasn’t enough, the civil unrest across the country has been heartbreaking.

I want to make it clear that UST Training is a strong supporter of the diversity that makes up our UST community, whether you are a customer, colleague, partner, competitor or just someone stopping by our trade show booth or calling us about a tank question.

We at UST training are proud that we support, honor and promote racial and cultural diversity in the United States. And globally for that matter. Our customers come from every walk of life, every educational level, every cultural background and speak many more languages at home than just English. We’ve trained, personally or online, every imaginable American, from Guam to Alaska to Puerto Rico and pretty much everywhere in between. Whether a “new” American, an Indigenous American or an “old” American (I’m 8th generation), we treat you the same: with respect.

No matter your color, race or creed, UST Training welcomes you as a friend in our efforts to promote fueling handling safety and environmental protection.

Thanks for being part of our family.

Ben