Regulatory Spotlights

February 2010: Permits and Paperwork

Feeling buried in paperwork? According to Federal Regulations (gotta love ‘em), all USTs over 110 gallons fall under EPA regulation and are subject to periodic inspection. At these inspections, regulators will almost always ask owners to show their current UST permits. Additionally, in some states, fuel drivers are also required to check for valid permits before dropping fuel. This means as a UST owner or compliance director, you’ll need to be sure that facilities with USTs over 110 gallons have these permits posted or readily available. What’s more, as a c-store operator (depending on your state) a whole slew of additional permits must be kept current and accessible. Be sure not to get burned with fines by letting these permits lapse—margins are slim enough these days!

C-Store Permits may also include (but not limited to):

• Tobacco and Alcohol        
• Business License
• Dairy License
• Drug Permits
• Sales Tax
• Retail Gas Dealer

Other permits to keep your eye on include:

• UST registration
• Delivery Certificate
• Weights & Measures Certificate
• Permit to operate
• Permit to construct
• Operator/Training Certificates
• Waste water/Storm water/Well Permits
• Fire Permits
• Vapor Recovery Permits

All permits will depend on location and will vary from state to state. In particular, counties and cities may require additional permitting on top of the Federal and State requirements.

Make sure you check with your state to verify your facility is up to date and in compliance with all permitting regulations. Good resources for this permit information can be found at http://www.epa.gov/OUST/ustsystm/tanko&m.htm.

• The life of a tank permit will range from annual to every 5 years to no expiration.
• Tank fees are associated with the permits for some states.
• Permit details & posting requirements vary by state.