In order to be considered no less stringent than the corresponding federal requirements for new UST system design, construction, installation, and notification, the state must have requirements that ensure all new underground storage tanks, and the attached piping in contact with the ground and used to convey the regulated substance stored in the tank, conform to the following:

(a) Be designed, constructed, and installed in a manner that will prevent releases for their operating life due to manufacturing defects, structural failure, or corrosion. Unless the state requires manufacturer and installer financial responsibility and installer certification in accordance with section 9003(i)(2) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, then the state must meet the following:

(1) New or replaced tanks and piping must use interstitial monitoring within secondary containment in accordance with section 9003(i)(1) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act except as follows:

(i) Underground piping associated with: Airport hydrant systems or field-constructed tanks greater than 50,000 gallons or

(ii) Underground suction piping that meets § 281.33(d)(2)(ii).

(2) New motor fuel dispenser systems installed and connected to an UST system must be equipped with under-dispenser containment in accordance with section 9003(i)(1) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act.

(b) Be provided with equipment to prevent spills and tank overfills when new tanks are installed or existing tanks are upgraded, unless the tank does not receive more than 25 gallons at one time. Flow restrictors used in vent lines are not allowable forms of overfill prevention when overfill prevention is installed or replaced.

(c) All UST system owners and operators must notify the implementing agency of the existence of any new UST system and notify the implementing agency within a reasonable timeframe when assuming ownership of an UST system using a process designated by the implementing agency.

In order to be considered no less stringent than the corresponding federal upgrading requirements, the state must have requirements that ensure existing UST systems meet the requirements of § 281.30; are upgraded to prevent releases for their operating life due to corrosion, spills, or overfills; or are permanently closed with the following exceptions:

(a) Upgrade requirements for previously deferred UST systems. Previously deferred airport hydrant fuel distribution systems and UST systems with field-constructed tanks must within three years of the effective date of its state requirements meet the requirements of § 281.30 or be permanently closed. This provision would not apply, however, to states that did not defer these UST systems and already had, prior to the effective date of this provision, existing requirements with specified compliance periods for these types of UST systems.

(b) Upgrade requirements for other UST systems. States may allow UST systems to be upgraded if the state determines that the upgrade is appropriate to prevent releases for the operating life of the UST system due to corrosion and spills or overfills.

In order to be considered no less stringent than the corresponding federal general operating requirements, the state must have requirements that ensure all new and existing UST systems conform to the following:

(a) Prevent spills and overfills by ensuring that the space in the tank is sufficient to receive the volume to be transferred and that the transfer operation is monitored constantly;

(b) Where equipped with cathodic protection, be operated and maintained by a person with sufficient training and experience in preventing corrosion, and in a manner that ensures that no releases occur during the operating life of the UST system;

(c) Be made of or lined with materials that are compatible with the substance stored; in order to ensure compatibility, the state requirements must also include provisions for demonstrating compatibility with new and innovative regulated substances or other regulated substances identified by the implementing agency or include other provisions determined by the implementing agency to be no less protective of human health and the environment than the provisions for demonstrating compatibility;

(d) At the time of upgrade or repair, be structurally sound and upgraded or repaired in a manner that will prevent releases due to structural failure or corrosion during their operating lives;

(e) Have spill and overfill prevention equipment periodically tested or inspected in a manner and frequency that ensures its functionality for the operating life of the equipment and have the integrity of containment sumps used for interstitial monitoring of piping periodically tested in a manner and frequency that prevents releases during the operating life of the UST system;

(f) Have operation and maintenance walkthrough inspections periodically conducted in a manner and frequency that ensures proper operation and maintenance for the operating life of the UST system; and

(g) Have records of monitoring, testing, repairs, and inspections. These records must be made readily available when requested by the implementing agency.

In order to be considered no less stringent than the corresponding federal requirements for release detection, the state must have requirements that at a minimum ensure all UST systems are provided with release detection that conforms to the following:

(a) General methods. Release detection requirements for owners and operators must consist of a method, or combination of methods, that is:

(1) Capable of detecting a release of the regulated substance from any portion of the UST system that routinely contains regulated substances—as effectively as any of the methods allowed under this part—for as long as the UST system is in operation. In comparing methods, the implementing agency shall consider the size of release that the method can detect and the speed and reliability with which the release can be detected.

(2) Designed, installed, calibrated, operated and maintained so that releases will be detected in accordance with the capabilities of the method;

(3) Operated and maintained, and electronic and mechanical components and other equipment are tested or inspected periodically, in a manner and frequency that ensures proper operation to detect releases for the operating life of the release detection equipment.

(b) Phase-in of requirements. Release detection requirements must, at a minimum, be applied at all UST systems immediately, except for UST systems previously deferred under § 280.10(a)(1). Release detection requirements must, at a minimum, be scheduled to be applied to those previously deferred UST systems as follows:

(1) Immediately when a new previously deferred UST system is installed; and

(2) For any previously deferred UST system within three years of the effective date of its state requirements. This provision would not apply, however, to states that did not defer these UST systems and already had, prior to the effective date of this provision, existing release detection requirements with specified compliance periods for these types of UST systems.

(c) Requirements for petroleum tanks. All petroleum tanks must meet the following requirements:

(1) All petroleum tanks must be sampled, tested, or checked for releases at least monthly, except that tanks installed before October 13, 2015 or upgraded tanks (that is, tanks and piping protected from releases due to corrosion and equipped with both spill and overfill prevention devices) may temporarily use monthly inventory control (or its equivalent) in combination with tightness testing (or its equivalent) conducted every five years for the first 10 years after the tank is installed; and

(2) New or replaced petroleum tanks must use interstitial monitoring within secondary containment in accordance with section 9003(i)(1) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act except when the state requires manufacturer and installer financial responsibility and installer certification in accordance with section 9003(i)(2) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act.

(d) Requirements for petroleum piping. All underground piping attached to the tank that routinely conveys petroleum must conform to the following:

(1) If the petroleum is conveyed under greater than atmospheric pressure:

(i) The piping must be equipped with release detection that detects a release within an hour by restricting or shutting off flow or sounding an alarm; and

(ii) The piping must have monthly monitoring applied or annual tightness tests conducted.

(2) If suction lines are used:

(i) Tightness tests must be conducted at least once every three years, unless a monthly method of detection is applied to this piping; or

(ii) The piping is designed to allow the contents of the pipe to drain back into the storage tank if the suction is released and is also designed to allow an inspector to immediately determine the integrity of the piping system.

(3) Except as provided for in § 281.30(a)(1) new or replaced petroleum piping must use interstitial monitoring within secondary containment in accordance with section 9003(i)(1) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act except when the state requires evidence of financial responsibility and certification in accordance with section 9003(i)(2) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act.

(e) Requirements for hazardous substance UST systems. All new hazardous substance UST systems must use interstitial monitoring within secondary containment of the tanks and the attached underground piping that conveys the regulated substance stored in the tank. For hazardous substance UST systems installed prior to October 13, 2015, owners and operators can use another form of release detection if the owner and operator can demonstrate to the state (or the state otherwise determines) that another method will detect a release of the regulated substance as effectively as other methods allowed under the state program for petroleum UST systems and that effective corrective action technology is available for the hazardous substance being stored that can be used to protect human health and the environment.

In order to be considered no less stringent than the corresponding federal requirements for release reporting, investigation, and confirmation, the state must have requirements that ensure all owners and operators conform with the following:

(a) Promptly investigate all suspected releases, including:

(1) When unusual operating conditions, release detection signals and environmental conditions at the site suggest a release of regulated substances may have occurred or the interstitial space may have been compromised; and

(2) When required by the implementing agency to determine the source of a release having an impact in the surrounding area; and

(b) Promptly report all confirmed underground releases and any spills and overfills that are not contained and cleaned up.

(c) Ensure that all owners and operators contain and clean up unreported spills and overfills in a manner that will protect human health and the environment.

In order to be considered no less stringent than the corresponding federal requirements for release response and corrective action, the state must have requirements that ensure:

(a) All releases from UST systems are promptly assessed and further releases are stopped;

(b) Actions are taken to identify, contain and mitigate any immediate health and safety threats that are posed by a release (such activities include investigation and initiation of free product removal, if present);

(c) All releases from UST systems are investigated to determine if there are impacts on soil and groundwater, and any nearby surface waters. The extent of soil and groundwater contamination must be delineated when a potential threat to human health and the environment exists.

(d) All releases from UST systems are cleaned up through soil and groundwater remediation and any other steps are taken, as necessary to protect human health and the environment;

(e) Adequate information is made available to the state to demonstrate that corrective actions are taken in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section. This information must be submitted in a timely manner that demonstrates its technical adequacy to protect human health and the environment; and

(f) In accordance with § 280.67, the state must notify the affected public of all confirmed releases requiring a plan for soil and groundwater remediation, and upon request provide or make available information to inform the interested public of the nature of the release and the corrective measures planned or taken.

In order to be considered no less stringent than the corresponding federal requirements for temporarily closed UST systems and permanent closure, the state must have requirements that ensure UST systems conform with the following:

(a) Removal from service. All new and existing UST systems temporarily closed must:

(1) Continue to comply with general operating requirements, release reporting and investigation, and release response and corrective action;

(2) Continue to comply with release detection requirements if regulated substances are stored in the tank;

(3) Be closed off to outside access; and

(4) Be permanently closed if the UST system has not been protected from corrosion and has not been used in one year, unless the state approves an extension after the owner and operator conducts a site assessment.

(b) Permanent closure of UST systems. All tanks and piping must be cleaned and permanently closed in a manner that eliminates the potential for safety hazards and any future releases. The owner or operator must notify the state of permanent UST system closures. The site must also be assessed to determine if there are any present or were past releases, and if so, release response and corrective action requirements must be complied with.

(c) All UST systems taken out of service before the effective date of the federal regulations must permanently close in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section when directed by the implementing agency.

(a) In order to be considered no less stringent than the federal requirements for financial responsibility for UST systems containing petroleum, the state requirements for financial responsibility for petroleum UST systems must ensure that:

(1) Owners and operators have $1 million per occurrence for corrective action and third-party claims in a timely manner to protect human health and the environment;

(2) Owners and operators not engaged in petroleum production, refining, and marketing and who handle a throughput of 10,000 gallons of petroleum per month or less have $500,000 per occurrence for corrective action and third-party claims in a timely manner to protect human health and the environment;

(3) Owners and operators of 1 to 100 petroleum USTs must have an annual aggregate of $1 million; and

(4) Owners and operators of 101 or more petroleum USTs must have an annual aggregate of $2 million.

(b) States may allow the use of a wide variety of financial assurance mechanisms to meet this requirement. Each financial mechanism must meet the following criteria in order to be no less stringent than the federal requirements. The mechanism must: Be valid and enforceable; be issued by a provider that is qualified or licensed in the state; not permit cancellation without allowing the state to draw funds; ensure that funds will only and directly be used for corrective action and third party liability costs; and require that the provider notify the owner or operator of any circumstances that would impair or suspend coverage.

(c) States must require owners and operators to maintain records that demonstrate compliance with the state financial responsibility requirements, and these records must be made readily available when requested by the implementing agency.

(a) A state program that contains a security interest exemption will be considered to be no less stringent than, and as broad in scope as, the federal program provided that the state's exemption:

(1) Mirrors the security interest exemption provided for in 40 CFR part 280, subpart I; or

(2) Achieves the same effect as provided by the following key criteria:

(i) A holder, meaning a person who maintains indicia of ownership primarily to protect a security interest in a petroleum UST or UST system or facility or property on which a petroleum UST or UST system is located, who does not participate in the management of the UST or UST system as defined under § 280.10 of this chapter, and who does not engage in petroleum production, refining, and marketing as defined under § 280.200(b) of this chapter is not:

(A) An “owner” of a petroleum UST or UST system or facility or property on which a petroleum UST or UST system is located for purposes of compliance with the requirements of 40 CFR part 280; or

(B) An “operator” of a petroleum UST or UST system for purposes of compliance with the requirements of 40 CFR part 280, provided the holder is not in control of or does not have responsibility for the daily operation of the UST or UST system.

(ii) [Reserved]

(b) [Reserved]

In order to be considered no less stringent than the corresponding federal requirements for operator training, the state must have an operator training program that meets the minimum requirements of section 9010 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act.