Hazardous Waste Program
Underground Storage Tank Regulations for Operation, Temporary Closure and Permanent Closure
In 1985, the Environmental Protection Agency created the Office of Underground Storage Tanks to carry out a Congressional mandate to develop and implement a regulatory program for underground storage tank, or UST, systems. In 1989, Missouri enacted statutes to create the Missouri Department of Natural Resource’s Underground Storage Tank regulations and program. Since 1989, the regulations had not been substantially changed or updated to reflect the many changes and improvements to underground storage tanks, piping, release detection methods and other equipment.
On August 18, 2011, the Hazardous Waste Management Commission voted to adopt the final order of rulemaking that would update Missouri's underground storage tank regulations. While there were some minor changes and clarifications, there were only a few significant changes from the May 2011 Missouri Register publication:
- Cathodic protection testers must be certified by either NACE International, the Steel Tank Institute (sacrificial systems), or the newly added International Code Council.
- Lining of fiberglass tanks was added to the interior lining regulations. They were inadvertently omitted in the originally proposed draft language.
- The high-throughput threshold changed from 500,000 gallons of product through the system each month to 800,000 gallons of product through the system each month. The options for release detection for high-throughput facilities are: continuous, electronic interstitial monitoring, a continuous reconciliation program specifically designed for high-throughput facilities or a vapor monitoring system (for diesel tanks- chemical marker monitoring).
The Final Orders of Rulemaking for these regulations were published in the Nov. 1 Missouri Register.
A Web page has been developed detailing all of the changes to the underground storage tank regulations.
If you have questions, contact Heather Peters of the Hazardous Waste Program at 800-361-4827 or 573-522-5665. The department will be sending updates on legislation, rulemaking and other topics by email to those interested. To sign up send an email to heather.peters@dnr.mo.gov
Rulemaking documents
- Changes to the Underground Storage Tank Regulations Web page
- Proposed rule - May 16, 2011 Missouri Register
- Initial Discussion Topics
- Draft Regulation Changes
- Draft Rule Amendments
- 10 CSR 26-1.010 - Organization
- 10 CSR 26-3 - Financial Responsibility
- 10 CSR 26-4.080 - Administrative Penalty Assessment
- 10 CSR 26-5 - Aboveground Storage Tanks
- Regulatory Impact Report - The department accepted comments until March 14 on the Regulatory Impact Report for a group of proposed amendments to update and modify the technical requirements for operation of Underground Storage Tanks.
