News And Events

Proposed rules governing fuel inspection, underground storage tanks, aboveground storage tanks, tank indemnity funds and corrective action were adopted February 3 by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission en banc. The proposed rules and related documents pertaining to the rulemakings may be downloaded from the Commission’s website. (Courtesy of PEI)

UST Training will do our best to track and share with you all state and territory rules changes as we become aware of them. It’s going to be a very busy next couple of years of rulemaking.

EPA continues to update its publications to accommodate the new 2015 changes to the UST rules, and they’ve just announced the revised version of Operating and Maintaining Underground Storage Tank Systems: Practical Help and Checklists.

Here’s the link to the Word and PDF versions:

• Word: Operating and Maintaining Underground Storage Tank Systems: Practical Help and Checklists (EPA 510-K-16-001). February 2016. (DOCX) (59 pp, 2 MB)
• PDF: Operating and Maintaining Underground Storage Tank Systems: Practical Help and Checklists (EPA 510-K-16-001). February 2016. (PDF) (59 pp, 2 MB)

Ben Thomas of UST Training helped author portions of the 2001 version and is happy to see these important updates. UST operators will benefit from this useful guide.

Enjoy!

UST Training, in cooperation with JD2 Environmental, is proud to offer this Live Preparatory Classroom for New York UST Class A/B facility operators. This course will prepare you to take the NY Class A/B final exam to become a certified Class A/B UST operator. Don’t forget the training deadline is coming up: No later than October 11, 2016, all regulated NY UST facilities must have certified Class A/B (and C) UST Operators.

This course is excellent for any NY UST operator who wants to become certified as a Class A/B UST operator but might need a little help getting ready to take the DEC online exam. JD2 Environmental Inc. can provide private training to those taking the New York Class A/B Operator exam.  Training is provided by JD2 principals who are recognized nationwide as industry experts on storage tank issues.

To learn more about this option and bring a class to your company or region, email or call (610) 430-8151 today.

Need NY Class C Training? Click here

Since 2009, UST Training has been offered complimentary inspection forms to our Class A/B UST operators, using Recommended Practice 900: UST Inspection and Maintenance (2008 Edition) by the Petroleum Equipment Institute. The document includes super helpful checklists used to verify conditions at UST systems on a daily, monthly and annual basis. UST Training has given out thousands of these forms and, as a PEI member, is proud to have provided UST operators nationwide with a simple way to stay organize and stay in compliance.

We’re coming East! Ben Thomas and Oregon Fuels Association will be offering a live Class A/B Oregon UST Operator Training course

March 2, 2016, 8 AM – 3 PM
Oregon DEQ Building. Blue Mountain Conference Room
700 SE Emigrant Ave # 330, Pendleton, OR 97801

Register here

Please help spread the word.

Ben Thomas of UST Training is offering a live Hawaii Class A/B UST Operator training course March 9, 2016. Like our training but prefer a live classroom? Have other folks who need training?

Hawaii Class A/B UST Operator Training
March 9, 2016, 8 AM to 3 PM
University of Hawai’i Maui College, Laulima 225 – Executive Classroom
310 W. Ka’ahumanu Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732
$300.00 per operator. Prepayment is required. Credit Card or check.
Includes training, unlimited personalized technical assistance, binder, exam and certificate of completion. Lunch included.

Register by calling 866-301-8265 or email.

The next Oregon Class A/B UST Operator Training class is set for Thursday March 3, 2016, 8 AM to 4 PM

Oregon has the distinction of being the first state in the US to require UST operator training back in 2003 and instructor Ben Thomas has trained the majority of UST operators in Oregon since then. This course will prepare students to become a certified Class A/B UST operator in Oregon (Washington operators welcome too!). Attend this lively, interactive class to learn about UST rules, best management practices and come away with practical advice about being a top notch UST operator.

Oregon Class A/B UST Operator Training
George Fox University, 12753 SW 68th Avenue
Portland OR 97223-8305

Register now

On January 1, 2016, Nebraska become one of the last few states to pass the UST operator training deadline. So every UST site in Nebraska should have a designated, trained and certified Class A, B and C operator. UST Training is proud to have helped hundreds of UST operators achieve this goal.

2015 was a good year for the clean groundwater and the environment. We trained many thousands of new UST operators in the last 365 days, adding to the growing pool of professionals who manage compliance for USTs nationwide. And near as we can tell, reported leaking USTs were down nationwide. And hopefully, though we cannot confirm, the number of compliance violations have dropped in part due to our training.

So where does that leave operator training in 2016 and beyond? Here’s my observations about what’s working, what’s not, and what we might expect in the near future.