Critical Vulnerabilities Discovered in Automated Tank Gauge Systems

Is your automatic tank gauge (ATG) potentially subject to a cyber security breach? The short answer is yes.

Here at UST Training, we strive hard to make sure our customers are safe. Safe environmentally, safe compliance-wise, and in this case, now cyber security safe.

This startling article, which is based on a just-published Department of Defense study, brings in a whole new level of risk concern to the back room of your UST office.

What does that mean and how can it affect the typical Class A/B UST operator? This in-depth but slightly technical document from Bitsight.com tries to answer the question.

We recently learned about the terrible accident at a Cardiff, Idaho gas station where a massive explosion occurred during a fueling delivery. We’re still learning the cause or causes of the accident, but it is a somber reminder about being careful when receiving fuel at a UST site. Remember gravity is dropping fuel into your tank about 300 gallons a minute, and there are a number of safety procedures that must be carefully in place before the fuel drop begins.

Two burned, others unaccounted for after explosion, subsequent fire in North Idaho

We’re excited to see old friends and make new ones at the PEI convention at the NACS show in Las Vegas this October. Here’s how you can connect with us:

Stop by Our Booth

We’d love to meet you in person. Stop by our booth and say hi. We’re just a couple of rows behind the big OPW/Dover booth. See the map in the link.

Our booth C6682

Attend Ben’s 1 on 1 Session

The votes are in and Ben Thomas, President of PEI, has been elected to serve another term on the PEI Board of Directors. Ben will serve on the Affiliate Division, which represents a large and diverse group of companies that support the other petroleum equipment divisions such as manufacturing (makes parts) and distribution (shares parts), service and construction (maintains and builds parts). The Affiliate Division includes companies such as ours (online Class A/B and C UST operator training) as well as other software, technology and support services.

Ben served as Affiliate Director back in 2020 and is excited to help bring the Affiliates voice to the table and be a part of PEI’s ongoing mission to be the premier source of energy handling equipment.

Look for Ben at the PEI show in Las Vegas in October. Stop by our booth and say hi! (Booth C7452)

Also Ben will be hosting a PEI 1-on-1 Session Oct 9 at 1:30 PM.

From Ben: A special thanks to all the PEI members who entrusted their vote in me. I’m looking forward to meeting you and seeing how I can help.

Save the date! DFW Environmental Pros is pleased to invite you to our September 2024 webinar – “The ABCs of ATGs.”

If you’ve got an underground storage tank (UST), you more than likely have an ATG (automatic tank gauge), so you don’t want to miss this presentation! Don’t be afraid of the box on the wall – join us!

Environmental professionals, service technicians, UST operators, and inspectors are encouraged to attend this lively and down-to-earth (ABCs) webinar about ATGs.

Ben Thomas, President of UST Training, will share his many years of experience explaining how ATGs first started, as well as their purpose, functions, and applicability. From the 30,000 foot view all the way down to the programming level, there’s something here for everyone interested in automatic tank gauges. Improve your understanding of automatic tank gauges in one hour, or less, guaranteed!

Date: Thursday, September 12, 2024

Time: 1:00 PM CST / 11:00 AM PT

Register here

Here at UST training we believe real people need real solutions to real problems from real experts. With over 35 years in the UST industry, and after talking to thousands of people in the industry, we believe we know what UST operators want. Which is why we recently went through the huge effort to update all of our Class A/B courses, based on customer feedback. And we’re excited to share some recent comments from real Class A/B UST operators:

“The videos were put together, and narration was excellent (didn’t make me sleep:)”

“Good learning environment without stodgy presentation.”

“Good call to use real voiceover over AIAG voice.”

“Great instructor! Easy to understand.”

“Explanation is very good then we understand very easily Thanks”

“Good education, to the point, not overinflated with a bunch of unnecessary information. broken up into nice, manageable sections.”

” It gives me a better understanding on how everything works and why it’s so important. I didn’t think that there was that much to learn about gas stations but there’s a lot actually”

“I am now ready to put everything I’ve learned in practice once I start working on the floor .. because of this training I am now familiar. ”

“State-provided regulations are provided as a 200+ page document that’s drier than a desert in the midday sun, making things seem complicated & overwhelming. This training was the opposite. Thanks!”

“I liked the stepped informational layout of the training. I found it easier than hearing a constant chattering of information that I would have had to keep up with, or rewind constantly.”

Thanks to our many customers who found the information not only useful and practical, but down to earth and easy to understand.

Need Class A/B training?

Want to visit with nationally recognized UST expert Ben Thomas? He’ll be at the following events in 2024.

Tribal Lands Environmental Forum
August 12-15, 2024
Graduate Hotel in Eugene, OR
More information and registration is available on the conference website.
Ben will be leading a mock UST inspection at a tribal gas station, and will present a session called “Leveraging Internet Technology for Better UST Compliance”. Hope to see you there!

SIGMA Share Group
September 17-20, 2024
New Orleans, LA
Meet the industry experts who will be discussing today’s biggest maintenance and environmental issues.
Register today!

PEI Show at NACS
October 7-10, 2024
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV
Stop by our booth and say hi! (Booth C7452)
Also Ben Thomas will be hosting a PEI 1-on-1 Session. More to follow.

Virtual Tank Savvy Fridays
You can also meet Ben most Fridays 10-11 AM Pacific Time starting September 6 on zoom. Register today

If you want to schedule meeting with Ben at any one of these events  Call (866) 301-8265 or email [email protected]

The Mississippi Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores Association (MPMCSA) is now an authorized reseller of our online Compliance Manager and Clerk UST operator training for UST operators in Mississippi, plus Class A/B and C UST operators nationwide. Check it out!

Exciting news for our Class A/B UST operators in 30+ states.

After gathering and studying extensive feedback from our customers over the past few years, we’ve made some subtle but significant improvements to our Class A/B courses.

It’s still the same great, down-to-earth UST content, but now with:

• Shorter viewing time (fewer clicks and more auto-advancing, our most asked-for change)
• Updated pictures (some were getting a bit outdated)
• A short test quiz added to the end of each lesson (many folks asked for this)
• Updated rules, policies and forms, plus removing expired deadlines (making sure you always have the most current information)
• Improved final exams (we’re always working to remove potentially confusing questions)
• Improved auto advance feature after each lesson (saves you time and effort)

These changes are only to the navigation and flow of the lessons. Please note the technical and regulatory content remains the same. We take your user experience very seriously and we’ve used your excellent feedback to make a great course even better.

We’ve already gotten great feedback from one Illinois Class A/B UST operator:

Ben Thomas of UST Training is excited to be attending another Tribal Lands and Environmental Forum (TLEF) August 12 -15, 2024 in Eugene Oregon. Ben will help lead a a UST inspection exercise at a tribal gas station,  and present a session called Leveraging Internet Technology for Better UST Compliance. Hope to see you there!

This is the fourteenth annual forum for environmental professionals from Tribes, US EPA, State/Local/Federal agencies, community organizations, and other interested parties to meet, share knowledge and learn from one another how to improve management, protection and restoration of Tribal lands for us and all our relations.

UST Training’s new and improved Utah Class A/B UST operator training course can literally save UST operators an entire day out of their busy lives.

One stop shop: We are excited to announce that we are the first training vendor to provide online Utah Class A/B UST operator training that now includes the final exam. Watching our 10 lessons plus passing the final exam now meets the certification standards of the Utah Department of Enviromental Quality (DEQ).

No more travel: Previously the Utah DEQ required operators to take a third party Class A/B course, but then complete a final certification exam in person at a test center.

New and improved course:  In addition to the final exam, we’ve update the course to make it run quicker while presenting the same great content as before.

Check out the new and improved course!

Any questions about our new course? Contact us at [email protected] or 866-301-8265

If you are a Texas UST operator with double-walled tanks and piping and are using interstitial monitoring for release detection, you no longer have to do inventory control as well. According to TCEQ, this rule went into effect February 15, 2024.

Revised Rule on Inventory Control for Retail Service Stations

Note, if you were still using SIR (Statistical Inventory Reconciliation) or automatic tank gauging (ATG 0.2 GPH test), you must still do inventory reconciliation.

Here at UST Training, we are often a fan of the “belts and suspenders” approach to leak detection, meaning the more methods of leak detection the better. However, due to the common measurement errors associated with inventory control, and the inherent simplicity of interstitial monitoring, we feel like this is a good move to simplify the UST rules while maintaining sufficient environmental protection.

Our guest speaker in April is John D’Aintree, VP of Sales at Pro Technology, a veteran in digital transformation of paper-based processes such as inspections and other digital data capture solutions.

Wednesday April 17, 10-11 AM PST

John will be focusing on:

• UST compliance and how a digital solution can help.
• Benefits vs. paper-based processes service providers and customers.
• Showcase a digital solution process.
• Challenges and hurdles to adopt new technologies.

This talk is perfect for any UST owner who is looking for digital solutions while performing inspections, but can also be useful for UST service providers and UST inspectors as well.

Sign up today!

If you have a large number of Class A/B UST operators in one or more states, or if you have high Class A/B turnover, consider purchasing in bulk and save 50%.

It’s easy:

• Select the number of Class A/B licenses (normally $150 each) that you need from our 34 approved state courses.
• Be sure to select the Team Account option when you checkout.
• Discounts per license are automatically applied at checkout:
  • 5+ saves $25 each
  • 10+ saves $50 each
  • 15+ saves $75 each
• Once purchased, your new unassigned “blank” licenses are instantly added to your team account, ready for immediate use.
• Assign names to your licenses whenever you need.
• Unassigned licenses never expire and are 100% transferable.

Example: Fred oversees UST compliance in 5 states at 20 locations. Based on his estimates, he thinks he’ll need 20 Class A/B operator licenses in the coming year. Fred buys 20 to cover 20 locations. Normally the total price is $3,000 but now it’s $1,500. Fred can now assign licenses to new hires as needed and he tells his boss he just saved the company $1,500 on the upcoming yearly training costs.

How do I assign training to my UST operators?

You don’t need to know upfront the names of the individuals needing training. Just a general idea of numbers. You can buy and save now, then assign anytime.

Do UST Training licenses expire?

Your team seats never expire, so you can use them now or anytime. You might know that you’ll be hiring new operators, but with team seats you don’t need to know their information in advance. Once assigned, your operators will have a full year to complete.

Are team seats available for both Class A/B and C?

Yes, team seats and bulk discounts are available for Class A/B and C training courses.

If I have UST systems in multiple states, do I need to buy training for certain states?

Team seats can be shared between different states that sell at the same retail price. This means you can save across all states you need training in.

(And if you’re in Florida and Texas, lucky you, these states already qualify for discounts! Additionally, for FL and TX, bulk discounts kick in after 15+ licenses, just as with all other states.)

What’s the difference between single accounts, team accounts, and invite codes?

In addition to bulk discounts, a team account lets you assign training, track progress, access certificates anytime, generate reports, and receive alerts when refresher training is due (if required in your state). You can also add other account managers (group leaders) to your team account, to delegate administration duties.

Invite codes also qualify for bulk discounts, but don’t include any of the management features of team accounts.

Single accounts are just that, a simple account for just one person needing training, and bulk discounts are not applicable.

Have more questions?

Learn more here.

Or contact us anytime at [email protected] or 866-301-8265

Check out this interesting interview with Jason Blake, President of PEI, and Liliana Cruz, head of PEI’s Latin American initiative.

One thing we love doing at PEI trade shows is meeting UST professionals from around the world. PEI has helped open up a whole world of technical exchanges and opportunities from Mexico and the Caribbean all the way down to the tip of South America.  Thanks Liliana!

Free Webinar: Why you Shouldn’t Operate a UST Without SIR
February 7, 2024, 11 :00 AM – 12 PM PST
Hosted by Ben Thomas, President of UST Training
Register now

Statistical Inventory Reconciliation or SIR: often misunderstood, sometimes maligned, common in certain parts of the country and mysteriously opt-in in others. Hear veteran UST professional Reggie Roberson, CEO of Tank Management Services, discuss his journey from nonbeliever to believer about the application of SIR as a monthly method of release deduction for UST systems.

UST Training is pleased to announce a partnership with NASM, the National Association of Shell Marketers, who becomes our most recent organization to become an affiliate reseller of our online Class A/B and C UST operator training.

According to their webpage, “NASM is a brand-specific trade association for companies that have wholesale supply contracts with Shell Oil, its licensees or its branded marketers. NASM provides Shell marketers with access to valuable legal services and educational programs; maintains a dialog with Shell on behalf of members; and engages in public policy advocacy on behalf of petroleum marketers by communicating with federal agencies, the U.S. Congress and other petroleum industry associations.”

Learn more about NASM

Interested in becoming a UST Training affiliate and earn income selling our nationally recognized courses? Learn more.

We’ve seen a growing interest in companies needing large scale solutions for Class A/B UST operator training. We know it takes significant organization willpower to manage lots UST systems, and here at UST Training we have a number of options available to help you stay in compliance on a large scale basis.

And you may not know it but if you buy 15+ Class A/B licenses, your training costs are cut in half.

And remember: licenses never expire, which makes bulk purchases a great long-term option.

The following features of our Class A/B training may be a good fit for you and your organization.

• Statewide Solution: Have an entire state to train? Our existing systems allow us to not only train but verify an entire state or territory of UST operators.
• Multi-State Solution: Have tanks in multiple states? We have multiple-state solutions.
• Incentive Program: We now offer a sponsorship program where you can purchase large numbers of licenses upfront and distribute them to your members as needed.
• Bulk Discounts: We offer a great discount program for greater than five, greater than 10, and greater than 15 licenses at a single purchase. After 15+ licenses per purchase your cost is 50% off.
• Licenses Never Expire: buy now, use anytime.
• Team Accounts: if you buy two or more licenses, you automatically get a complementary team account structure that allows you to manage dozens, hundreds or even thousands of Class A/B operators.
• Unlimited Groups: You can manage large numbers of trainees by organizing your team into any number of groups. Easily train your team, even across multiple states. Need your managers to have access to some groups but not all? It’s easy to assign admin access wherever needed, at no additional cost.
• Share Licenses: Buy ahead and save! Even though staff turnover can make buying training a moving target, we can help. Our pooled seats feature makes it easy to use the same purchased licenses across multiple groups. Choose the team account option when buying for multiple states, and separate groups are created automatically. Bulk discounts automatically apply, and licenses never expire.

And what about Class C training?

If you have lots of class C operators who need training, we have an excellent licensing program. Learn more here.

Whether you need one or 1000 licenses, we are happy to talk with you about what solution is best for you. We treat each individual customer as unique and will help you find the best and most cost effective solution that is available today.

Contact us for a free consult at 866-301-8265 or [email protected]

UST Training is excited to announce that we have partnered with the Pennsylvania Petroleum Association (PPA) to provide their members with direct access to PA DEP-approved Class A/B and C UST operator training. Welcome PPA!

For more information please contact:

Ted Harris, Executive Vice President, PA Petroleum Association
(717) 578-4026
[email protected]

Interested in becoming a UST Training affiliate and earn income selling our nationally recognized courses? Learn more.