Dual Purpose Tank Policy Rescinded March 1, 2006
Please visit the Dual Purpose Tank webpage for more information.

2005 Annual Inspector Summit occurred

• Anchorage: March 1, 2005
• Fairbanks: March 2, 2005

Reorganization of Storage Tanks Program

Inspection and certification of underground petroleum storage tanks (UST's) has been shifted from the Contaminated Sites Program to the Industry Preparedness Program (July 1, 2004). The Storage Tank webpages have moved to a new address within DEC's website, but there are no changes in regulations or requirements.

Bill Steele is the new UST Manager. Please feel free to ask questions and send comments to:

Bill Steele, Environmental Specialist IV
Industry Preparedness Program
DEC Division of Spill Prevention and Response
555 Cordova Street
Anchorage, AK  99501-2617
Telephone: (907) 269-7886
Fax Number: (907) 269-7600
Email Address: bill.steele@alaska.gov

FreeTraining Completed
UST Owner training was scheduled for March 24th, 2004 from 9:00 to 4:00.

• Letter of Information to Owners/Operators (PDF 129K)
• Survey of Owners/Operators interested in training (PDF 74K)

Brownfields webpage DEC is developing resources to assist eligible entities in Alaska in applying for EPA brownfields grants. The program also will provide technical assistance, perform some site assessments, and develop a site inventory and public database of brownfields properties in Alaska.

MTBE in Alaska's Groundwater (PDF 1.14MB) (ZIP 428K) (04/2003)

Flexible Piping Concerns (PDF 502K) from LUSTLine Bulletin (10/2002)

EPA Region 10 Policy on Stand Alone Sump Sensors and Line Leak Detection. (10/10/200) New policy on release detection.

Line Leak Detectors. 4/17/02. Do you have one on your UST's pressurized piping system? Not sure? Check out our instructions page on how to find them. Starting this fall, stand-alone sump sensors will no longer be allowed to substitute a mechanical or electronic line leak detector.

DEC issues inspector award. 4/15/02. Lance and Gordy Leonard of Alaska Plus Environmental in Anchorage recently received an award from Commissioner Michele Brown for their outstanding work in the UST third party inspection program.

2002 UST Third Party Inspection Updates. 3/7/02. DEC has updated the Third Party Inspection Report Form and Inspector Handbook. 

UST Workers Renew State Licenses. 1/2/01. Many UST workers and inspectors renewed their State certification, but not everyone did. See who's current and who's not.  

Cleanup Loans. 6/28/01. Eligible UST owners can now apply for cleanup loans.

Automatic Line Leak Detector Alert. 6/28/01. DEC has determined that a stand-alone sump sensor in a double wall pipe on a UST system is no longer a valid form of leak detection. DEC will require a phase-in period to ensure all pressurized pipe systems have automatic line leak detectors by 2004. Learn more about ALLD testing and other requirements (PDF 64K)

UST/LUST Database On-Line. 5/14/01. Test our new searchable, internet based UST and LUST database. Quick, easy and helpful.

GAO finds many underground US storage tanks leak. 5/10/01. The web page Planet Ark and the Kansas City Star both have a story about the nation's USTs. 

Dual-Purpose UST systems no longer regulated. 7/25/00.  UST systems used for both on-premises heat and emergency power are now exempt from UST regulations 18 AAC 78.  

First UST Compliance Tag Issued. 5/23/00. This summer DEC is issuing UST Compliance Tags after tanks successfully pass the third party inspection. Look for those tags at UST facilities around Alaska.

Underground tank ignited by spark. 5/16/00. The owner of a former service station received burns to most of his face Monday when the underground gasoline tank he was trying to empty exploded. See the story.

Insurance Companies. 4/24/00. DEC now has a list of insurance companies who are approved to sell UST pollution liability insurance in Alaska.

O&M Manuals. 2/23/00. DEC is pleased to provide electronic copies of the new Operation and Maintenance manual for UST Owners and Operators. DEC mailed out over 500 copies to all owners with active tanks in Alaska.

Legal Case. 2/14/00. The Alaska Supreme Court  finds a fuel supplier that fills a service station's tanks is not statutorily liable or liable in common law to an adjacent landowner for the contamination of groundwater when the contamination solely originates from the leaking underground tanks.

Forms. 11/3/99. Most UST forms were recently updated. Get your latest copy and get rid of the old ones.

Financial Responsibility. All private, commercial and local government tank owners must provide proof of financial responsibility by December 31, 1999.

EPA Fines BIA. 9/8/99. For the first time in the Northwest, EPA fined another Federal agency for UST violations.

New Assistance Eligibility Forms. 8/27/99. DEC created new grant and loan eligibility forms to meet new legislative changes to the Assistance Program.

Labs Approved for Aliphatic And Aromatic Petroleum Hydrocarbon Methods.  8/27/99. Laboratories are now approved for the New Aliphatic and Aromatic Methods (AK 101AA gasoline range, AK 102AA diesel range, and AK103AA residual range) for Petroleum Hydrocarbons in water and soil.

Operation Inspections become law:  8/15/99. UST regulations 18 AAC 78 were amended to add Operations Inspections, Inspectors and a Tag program.

Attention Fuel Distributors. 8/15/99. It is now it unlawful to deliver fuel to a regulated UST without the tank having a current inspection tag.

One Less Rule:  3/26/99. EPA has ruled that most gas stations don't have to submit annual right-to-know inventories any more so long as all tanks are in compliance with the 1998 deadline. Learn more.

Statistical Inventory Reconciliation. 12/31/98.

US EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks

What's New on the Office of Underground Storage Tanks Web Site

For more information about UST's in Alaska, please contact:

Bill Steele, UST Manager
Industry Preparedness Program
DEC Division of Spill Prevention and Response
555 Cordova Street
Anchorage, AK  99501-2617
Telephone: (907) 269-7886
Fax Number: (907) 269-7600
Email Address: bill.steele@alaska.gov