Two Overfill Videos: What Happened?

Calling all Class A/B UST Operators who like a good mystery:

We’ve added a few extended versions of UST overfills caught on video cameras at gas stations.

Watch each and see if you can determine what went wrong. Would operator training helped prevent these?

This just in from EPA: It should help Class A/B UST operators get ready for the new testing deadlines.

Dear UST Colleagues:

As many of you know, we developed questions and answers (Qs & As) to clarify implementation issues regarding the 2015 underground storage tank (UST) regulation, and we posted the Qs & As on the EPA UST website in a Technical Compendium.

Another reminder to be careful with gasoline vapors and always hire out UST work where safety is in question.

“The co-owner of a local gas station here was killed this week when he and an employee were removing water from the vault of a vaulted tank system.  It was found out that they were using a shop vac to do the work when one of the tanks in the underground vault exploded killing the co-owner and severely injuring an employee. This is a sad example of why owners should leave routine maintenance work to the professionals who know what they’re doing.  It took over 24 hours for rescue crews to locate the body of the co-owner down in the vault.”

Special thanks to Ed Kubinsky of Crompco for sharing this sobering article.

Crews recover body of man trapped after Bensalem gas station explosion

We found this old article about “new” EPA regulations back in 1998 as we’ve been updating all of our courses to new current EPA regulations. How times have changed. Check it out here.

Ben Thomas is ready to head back to the Pacific Islands of Guam and Saipan in early June to lead 5 all day Class A/B training courses. We enjoyed uncovering this article describing his previous training classes there. You can read it here.

Attendee registration is now open for the 26th National Tanks Conference & Exposition.

The NTC will be held September 11-13, 2018, at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Pre-conference workshops are scheduled for September 10.

Ben Thomas of UST Training will offering a UST operator training workshop plus another speaking session, plus will have a booth there. Ben has been attending, organizing or presenting at this conference since 1996 (where he gave a talk about why state UST agencies should create web pages) and it’s really the premier national venue for UST professionals.

Aloha Hawai’i UST Operators. Our Class A/B UST Operator Training course has just been re-approved by the Department of Health (DOH). The course needed to be updated to account for the rule changes, which go into effect this summer.  Check it out!

And for a limited time we are offering a discount on all Hawai’i Class A/B licenses though June 30, 2018. When you check out, add the coupon code ALOHAUST and save 20%.

Or just really want a live class? Ben Thomas of UST Training has a one-day only live class in Honolulu August 1, 2018. Learn more.

Check out this lengthy but well researched article about the life of the (leaking) underground storage tank program:

CHARLTON’S ‘DIRTY LITTLE SECRET’: The Long Haul for Clean Water by Alejandra Ibarra Chaoul

We’ve been super busy this spring gearing up to provide live classroom training throughout the Pacific and Western states. Plus we’re attending a number of cool UST conferences this year.

Interested in attending? Sign up below, And feel free to share this schedule with UST professionals who might benefit from these live classes and events.

Indian Country

Indian Country Class A/B UST Operator Training
Great Wolf Lodge, Grand Mound, WA
May 16, 2018
Open to all tribal UST operators. Register Now. Seating Limited

Tribal Summit Membership Meeting
Great Wolf Lodge, Grand Mound, WA
May 17, 2018
Ben will discuss the 2018 deadline for Indian Country UST operators and how to motivate operators to comply.

Here’s a story about why UST operator training is important. And a lesson on how not to dispose of unwanted fuel in Georgia.

Arrest made in recent diesel spill

Aloha Hawai’i Class A/B UST Operators:

If you’re interested, learn more or just register now. Seating is limited.

Ben is attending the NISTM 2018 Hawaii Storage Tank Conference the day before on July 31, so maybe he’ll see you there as well.

Starting October 13 of this year, many states will now require for the first time an ongoing 30-day walkthrough inspection. And the remaining states either already require the periodic inspection or will make it mandatory shortly.  And like with many things in the UST world, each state has a slightly different form to document proof that the inspection was completed. So if you’re UST operator in many states, where do you get all those forms?

In order to help Class A/B UST operators nationwide, we’ve created a list of all states with 30 Day Walkthrough Inspection Forms. Follow this link, find your state, and download the form or forms you need. The first thing you’ll notice is that lots of state forms aren’t there. Yet. If your state is not on the list, stop by for updates as we will be adding forms as they become available. In case we missed one, and if you know of another state form out there, please let us know and we’ll update our list.

October 13, 2018: The date by which many state UST agencies require additional testing for many UST facilities throughout the US. For thousands and thousands of Class A/B UST operators, this will be the first-time tests for spill buckets, sumps, overfill equipment and more. This also applies to all Indian Country USTs nationwide.

Some things to consider as you look at your 2018 calendar and budget:

UST Training’s Tank Savvy Minute videos are now on another video sharing web page: Vimeo. We’ve had some feedback over the years that some UST operators don’t have access to our Tank Savvy Minutes because of office restrictions on YouTube. So we decided to publish them on Vimeo as well. Share with your friends and feel free to embed the videos on your own page to train your Class A/B and C UST operators.

Welcome to Tank Savvy from Ben Thomas on Vimeo.

Attention Class A/B and C UST Operators – We’d love to hear what you like about UST Training. And a video testimonial would be awesome!

So grab your phone or computer and take a brief video of yourself or a friend and share what you like best about us. Then email it to [email protected] or upload right to YouTube.

The winners will posted on our web page and get some awesome prizes. Deadline is April 30!

Hafa Adai and great news for our Pacific Island friends in Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. Ben Thomas of UST Training is coming back to provide live Class A/B UST operator courses this June. UST Training has provided training to all the Class A/B UST operators in 2012, 2014 (CNMI only), 2016 and now again in 2018.

Refresher training is required every two years, even if you took the class in 2016. So sign up today! Here’s the schedule. See you soon! Register before May 1 and save $50/person.

Yikes! Here’s a good reminder for delivery drivers to make sure and check the parking brake before offloading fuel. And a reminder to Class A/B and C UST operators, fuel is flowing down the hose into your tank at about 300 gallons per minute so you should make sure the driver is doing things like setting the parking brake, setting up a safety area with orange cones, and standing by and monitoring the entire delivery.

Veeder Root recently posted a time lapse video of a UST system being constructed from start to finish. For all you Class A/B and C UST operator geeks out there, check it out!

This is a big year for UST rule changes. States are busily working to incorporate the 2015 EPA UST rules that are supposed to be either in effect in each state by this October, 2018, or at least adopted as rules with a deadline on the near horizon. Here at UST Training, we’re getting lots of calls and emails about what to expect and where.  It pretty much boils down to two basic questions:

When did my state adopt the new UST rules?

When must I do things like test my spill buckets and flapper valves for the first time?

And guess what? Good news! The US EPA’s Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) now posts information about states that have adopted the Federal rules 40 CFR 280.

One of our friendly reseller outlets Compli recently interviewed Ben Thomas about the importance of UST training. Check it out! (Originally published March 27, 2018)

Fires. Explosions. Motor vehicle accidents. Leaks. Groundwater contamination.

The potential hazards associated with storing gasoline in underground environments are staggering, and staggeringly vivid. Here on this blog, we’ve written numerous articles about compliance in industries where the risks are largely abstract—that is, financial and litigatory—in nature. By contrast, non-compliance in the world of selling and storing automotive fuel looks like a Michael Bay film.