Friday the 13th and One Year to Go!

As you may know, one year from today, on October 13, 2018, the nation’s UST owners must have met a number of new Federal requirements. New compliance targets include:

• Monthly walkthrough inspections,
• Annual sump inspections and leak detection equipment function testing,
• Tri-annual spill bucket and sump tightness testing, and overfill equipment function testing,
• Emergency generator tanks must now do leak detection,
• Class A/B and C UST operator training,
• and a few more things.

UST owners have exactly one year to comply.

Except, not exactly.

Want a price break on online Class C UST operator Training?

Have your own Learning Management System?

Need to integrate all of your employee training in-house?

With the release of the latest version of our online Class C UST Operator Training course, we want to remind our middle and large size customers that you can license our course directly and run it on your company intranet. Chances are if your company runs and hosts a Learning Management System or LMS, you can save considerable time, money and resources through our license option.

Ben Thomas of UST Training will be headed to Chicago October 17-20 to attend Petroleum Equipment Institute at the NACS Show. Send me a text at 360-661-5497 and let’s connect!

And it’s not too late to register.

Ben is also honored to be moderating a session on Thursday October 19. Be sure to attend this important update on UST testing and fuel quality.

Fuels and Fuel Equipment
10:00 a..m. – 11:30 a.m.
McCormick Place Convention Center, S404

This fast-paced panel discussion will feature short updates from industry heavyweights and will allow plenty of time for you to ask questions. Key topics include the cause and cure for ULSD corrosion; the future of fuels; and essentials on two highly anticipated recommended practices revisions: PEI/RP900, Inspection and Maintenance of UST Systems, and PEI/RP1200, Testing and Verification of Spill, Overfill, Leak Detection and Secondary Containment Equipment.

Joining the panel is John Eichberger, executive director of the Fuels Institute, Brad Hoffman, chairman of the PEI UST System Inspection and Maintenance Committee; Edward S. Kubinsky, Jr., chairman of the PEI Overfill, Release Detection and Release Prevention Equipment Testing Committee; and Manuch Nikanjam, Ph.D., P.E., fellow and consulting engineer, Chevron, and chairman, Coordinating Research Council Diesel Section.

You’d think after three decades of service in the UST industry that there wouldn’t be much in the way of new and updating talking points. But here at UST Training, we’re always looking ahead to help Class A/B and C UST operators plus UST inspectors look to improve UST compliance and safety.

So what’s new? Lots!

• New web page: We recently updated our web page. Check it out!
• New Class C course: We made our awesome course even better.
• New Emergency Response Placard: Suitable for posting at your dispenser. Download, print, fill out, laminate, post
• New UST Regs Interpretations: EPA has published helpful interpretations of the new UST rules. Read more.
• New Monthly Inspection Forms: PEI has been busy publishing and advertising the new PEI RP 900 document. Class A/B UST operators, get your new RP 900 forms here.
• New Way to Look at the 30-Day Inspection. Ben Thomas of UST Training provides a great summary of the new 30-day walkthrough inspection rule.

Have something new the UST community would find helpful? Let us know!

The Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety’s UST Program has just published a great 5-page summary of the new UST rules that take effect 1/1/2020.

We’ve loaded the handout into our Colorado Class A/B UST operator training course so existing and new operators can login and get it under the Attachments tab.

You can also get a hyperlinked version of the document at the Colorado OPS web page.  (Click on “Every 3 Years”).

UST Training is pleased to unveil our brand new web page! We’ve been working over the past year to improve how we deliver our training courses as well as our awesome UST resources library. Improvements include:

• Easier to find your courses,
• More searchable posts, news and events,
• Improved layout for easier navigation,
• Faster loading time,
• More graphics,
• More mobile device friendly,
• Better explanations of how it all works,
• More contemporary look and feel.

Check it out!

Feedback welcome!

Ever wonder what a small pipe leak looks like?

The US EPA’s Office of Underground Storage Tanks continues to put out excellent technical assistance documents for the UST community. And now that state are starting to develop their own UST rules we are getting tons of interpretation questions.

UST Training was recently shown amazing video footage of a fire that occurred during the filling of an underground storage tank at a convenience store.  Special thanks to Pat Vuchetich of Willams & Company for sharing it with us.

Every so often we go through our course feedback and see what folks think. Here are some kudos to share from our satisfied Class A/B UST operators over the past year.

Colorado

Well organized training with good information.

Thank you. excellent information and well detailed.

Big news: UST Training recently updated our nationally recognized Class C UST operator training course Fueling Station Safety. The updates include improved graphics, the addition of gas station 3D images and videos, and a a fresh new look and feel.

The course, first published in 2009, has been used by several hundred thousand Class C operators nationwide and is considered one of the most widely used Class C UST training course in the industry.

Hey Class A/B UST operators: Learn all about the new 30-day inspection rules.  Ben Thomas of UST Training breaks it all down into bite-sized pieces in the cover story of the latest edition of LUSTLine on the 30-day walkthrough inspections. Download the latest version today.

What is LUSTLine?

Want to read back issues LUSTLine?

Earlier last week, PMAA sent a joint letter to House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) and Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY) urging them to reject President Trump’s FY 2018 budget request of $47 million for the Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Trust Fund Program because the funding amount is inadequate. In previous years, Congress has appropriated between $90 – $100 million each year, an amount PMAA would like Congress to continue to appropriate.

Just filmed this yesterday while filling up my vehicle. How is this possible? No delivery happening at this convenience store but the overfill light is blinking and the alarm is silent. What’s going on Class A/B UST operators?

BREAKING NEWS – EPA APPROVES PMAA’S LOW LIQUID LEVEL ALTERNATIVE TEST METHOD FOR SUMPS!
Provides major cost savings to Petroleum Marketers

Kudos to Bruce Garrett and the rest of the Team Members of PMAA’s Underground Storage Tank (UST) Task Force as the U.S. EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) announced last week that it has approved PMAA’s low liquid level integrity test as an alternative method for containment sump testing that is required under the 2015 federal UST regulations. The 2015 regulations require liquid testing every three years of all containment sumps used for interstitial monitoring of piping. However, the test method cited in the rule requires filling sumps with water above the penetration points in the sump wall. This sump test method would be prohibitively expensive for tank owners. Instead, the PMAA UST Task Force developed an alternative test for containment sumps.

NEIWPCC is excited to announce the next National Tanks Conference, scheduled for September 11-13, 2018, at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky! Follow the links at the top of this page for the most current information on the conference. We will continue to update this website as we plan the conference, so please return periodically for details on the call for abstracts, exhibition, registration, accommodations, and more.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2015 conference in Phoenix a major success. To access information from the 2015 conference, please access our Archives. We look forward to seeing you again in Louisville!

If you have any questions, please feel free to Contact Us.

A free webinar will simplify the 2017 edition of “Recommended Practices for the Testing and Verification of Spill, Overfill, Leak Detection and Secondary Containment Equipment at UST Facilities,” which replaces the 2012 version.

TULSA, Oklahoma, June 12, 2017/Petroleum Equipment Institute/ — The 2017 edition of PEI/RP1200: Recommended Practices for the Testing and Verification of Spill, Overfill, Leak Detection and Secondary Containment Equipment at UST Facilities is available for purchase at www.pei.org/rp1200. The purchase price is $40 for PEI members and $95 for nonmembers.

In addition, a free webinar  at 10 a.m. CDT Wednesday, July 12 will help state regulators and PEI members better understand key provisions of PEI/RP1200-17. Presenters are four members of the Overfill, Release Detection and Release Prevention Equipment Testing Committee: Ed Kubinsky, Crompco LLC (chair); Michael Frank, Maryland Department of the Environment and ASTSWMO (EPA) Region 3 UST Task Force member; Scott Boorse, Wawa Inc.; and Kevin Henderson, Kevin Henderson Consulting. Registration is available at http://bit.ly/2sksdrZ. A confirmation email will contain information about joining the webinar.

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. 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. Seating is limited, sign up today!

This just in from the Petroleum Equipment Institute:

TULSA, Oklahoma, April 21, 2017/Petroleum Equipment Institute/ — The 2017 edition of PEI/RP100: Recommended Practices for Installation of Underground Liquid Storage Systems is available for purchase at www.pei.org/rp100.

UST Training found this good summary of the 2018 deadline for the new EPA rules published by Peter J. Cochefski, Director of Ryder Fuel Services. Thanks Peter for sharing your perspective.

Vendor View: Do You Know the ABCs of the EPA 2018 UST Regulation Deadline?