Underground Storage Tank Closures
One of the services that Encorus Group provides through our Environmental Services Team is monitoring underground storage tank (UST) closure procedures. When a storage tank located underground is no longer needed or no longer intended for continued usage it is required to undergo closure operations per regulatory requirements. The tanks must be emptied and then either removed or filled with inert materials (i.e., cement grout, concrete, etc.), depending on site conditions and restrictions.
There are three UST closure operations that can be utilized depending on the situation: placed in temporary out-of-service condition, closure-in-place, or total removal. It is important to adhere to the closure procedures to maintain proper environmental and safety standards, and to be in compliance with regulatory requirements.
Placing an UST in temporary out-of-service condition occurs when an UST has been emptied and is intended to be refilled with a controlled substance within a predetermined period of time. The closure-in-place operation involves filling the UST with a solid material that will not shrink or change form in any way. In some cases, the tank can be subject to a type of closure-in-place procedure called a change in service, where the type of substance that is stored in the tank is changed to an unregulated substance. The removal operation is performed by removing the entire UST from the ground (permanently out-of-service). Monitoring of the closure operations requires scanning of the excavated and remaining soils, removal of evidence of subsurface impact (e.g., staining, odors, spillage), collection of soil samples for confirmatory laboratory analyses, and evaluation to regulatory clean-up requirements for efficacy of the closure operations. Final closure is attained when the regulatory agency is provided with an UST Closure Report and that agency has confirmed that all closure operations and requirements have been attained.
If you are in need of UST Closure services, please contact Senior Geologist Andrew Kucserik at (716) 592-3980 ext 149 or akucserik@encorus.com.
