Breadcrumb

UST Notices

FAQ Index

    Questings

    Notice:  UST Regulation Revisions

    Posted 1-8-2019

    UST regulation revisions effective since 10/13/2018 are being enforced now in Illinois.  Read more here.

     

    Notice: Internal Inspections of E85 Tanks by 3rd parties

    Posted 10-2-2018

    In recent days both a licensed UST contractor and IPMA have asked the OSFM about the process of doing internal inspections of E85 tanks by a "3rd party inspector" in order to certify compatibility. THERE IS NO SUCH PROCESS. Refer to 175.415(b)(1) in the revised Illinois UST Regulations for how to document compatibility of a UST system, and to which equipment components this applies. You can read more about the blended fuel certification of compatibility by using this link. . .

    Compatibility Checklist Notice.pdf 

     

    Notice: 30-Day and Annual Walkthrough Inspections

    Posted 8-13-2018

    With the implementation of the revised UST regulations, a change is being made from A/B Operators performing Quarterly Equipment Inspections every 90 days. Instead the A/B Operators will begin doing 30 Day Walkthrough Inspections, and licensed contractors and A/B Operators will begin conducting their respective designated parts of the new Annual Walkthrough Inspection. As of 10/13/2018 there will need to be 30 Day Walkthrough Reports in every facility's compliance folder. In order to achieve that, obviously the 30 Day Walkthrough Inspections need to start before that date.  

    Here is how this will be handled:

    • As of today, August 13, 2018, we are 30 days into the last Quarterly segment of the current, and soon to be replaced, UST regulation period based on the original August 8, 2012 Operator Training deadline. If a facility has a Quarterly Equipment Inspection due, make sure that it is done to avoid any gaps in recordkeeping. Once that is brought up to date, then conduct the new 30 Day Walkthrough Inspection within 30 days following the end of that last quarter, and discontinue doing the Quarterly Equipment Inspections.
    • If the facility is up to date on Quarterly Equipment Inspections, however, begin conducting the new 30 Day Walkthrough Inspections now, and discontinue doing the Quarterly Equipment Inspections.

    • The new 30 Day Walkthrough Report and Annual Walkthrough Inspection Report forms are now posted on the Operator Training page of the website, as well as at Applications and Forms. You can also open the reports by clicking on these links:

    • Once 30 Day Walkthrough Inspections have begun at a facility, the Quarterly Equipment Inspections will no longer be performed. Hold on to your reports, though, to preserve an unbroken sequence of Inspection Reports. Your OSFM inspector will tell you when it is safe to discard older records.  

    Remember, if a Quarterly Equipment Inspection is due, take care of that now. Then start doing 30 Day Walkthrough Inspections, documenting the inspections on the new form. If you are up to date on Quarterly Inspections, then begin doing the new 30 Day Walkthrough Inspection within 30 days of the end of your last Quarterly Equipment Inspection quarter. Be sure to keep the new report available for OSFM's inspectors to check during inspections.  

    To avoid NOVs for failing to maintain complete records, there must be 30 Day Walkthrough Inspection Reports recorded for at least 24 consecutive months, once that much time has passed. Some of that 24 month timespan will also include the old Quarterly Equipment Inspection Reports for a while. 

    As for the new Annual Equipment Inspection Report, there must be one of those in each facility's folder before 10/13/2019, and every year thereafter.  

    Many stakeholders have been aware of the requests to EPA over the last several months for a delay in implementation of the requirements found at 40 CFR 280.35. That section contains the new requirements for testing all overfill containment equipment and any containment sumps used for interstitial monitoring of piping, as well as the requirement to inspect all overfill prevention equipment. The most recent request has now been answered by EPA. You can read the response letter that went out on July 24 by going to this link

    OSFM considers this to be the final word on whether implementation will be delayed or not. It will not. We encourage those who haven’t already done so to get ahead of the rush on this by scheduling your testing and inspections as soon as possible. Implementation of the revised Illinois UST regulations is effective on 10/13/2018.

    Notice: UST Rule Changes Effective 10-13-2018

    Posted: 6-26-2018

    EPA UST regulation changes released on 7-15-2015 required state UST programs to revise their state regulations to conform to extensive changes in the new federal UST rules. OSFM's Division of Petroleum & Chemical Safety has been engaged for months in revising the Illinois UST regulations, and that effort is now completed. The revised Illinois UST regulations were accepted on 6-4-2018 and published on 6-15-2018.

     

    Be advised that the new UST rules do not go into effect until 10-13-2018. The current Illinois UST regulations released 9-1-2010 are still in effect, and will be until midnight of 10-12-2018. The current UST regulations are still posted at the OSFM website at Petroleum and Chemical Safety Division Rules Page. We will be following and enforcing the current rules until 10-13-2018, although there are some accommodations being made to allow owners and operators to get a start on some of the new requirements that will be due beginning 10-13-2018.

    To help stakeholders familiarize themselves with those revised UST regulations, we are also posting the new rules. For now the revised rules will be available at our website, but only in a "redline" version. Using this format will make it easier to find and track changes in the new rules compared to the current version. Black text is unchanged; underlined text in colors indicates new language; strikethrough text indicates language that is now deleted. Using this version makes it easier to see the changes without having to compare versions of current and new regulations side by side.

    Continue to use the current UST regulations as you maintain compliance at your UST facility, but take advantage of the availability of the redline version of the revised UST regulations to familiarize yourselves with the coming changes. Remember – the current rules are in effect until midnight of 10-12-2018. Then on 10-13-2018, the new regulations and the new requirements will be in effect.

    Notice: UST Regulations Preview Meeting

    Posted: 1-10-2018
    Sessions have been scheduled in Des Plaines and in Springfield to review the revised UST draft regulations.

    RuleRevisionMeetingsNotice.pdf

    Notice: Immediate USEPA Rule Changes

    Posted: 12-5-2017
    OSFM has been getting numerous questions pertaining to the UST regulation revision in progress, as well as the effective date for the revised state regs. The Notice from 2015 has been updated to help address some of the questions, and direct interested parties to supplemental information.

    Immediate USEPA Rule Changes.pdf

    Notice: New Checklist for Documenting UST Compatibility is available on the Applications and Forms Page

    Posted: 8-7-2017
    This Notice  provides additional information about the new Checklist for Documenting UST Compatibility form, which is posted on the Applications and Forms page under Manually Submitted Reports and Forms. Demonstration of compatibility for all blended fuels over E10 and B20 is effective now under federal regulations, and will be effective under Illinois regulations when the revised UST regulations are released in 2018.

    Information Notice for New Checklist for Documenting UST Compatibility Form

     

    Notice: Containment Sump Testing Form Available Online

    Posted 7/20/2017
    An online form is available to contractors through the Portal to document containment sump testing. 
    Instructions on how to fill out the form are here.

    Notice: Online Contractor Licensing Information

    Posted: 5/16/2017
    As you know, Petroleum & Chemical Safety has been converting our once-paper processes and forms to online and digital processes and forms for some time now. The latest process to undergo this conversion is UST Contractor licensing. On June 1, 2017 P&CS will launch an online process whereby licensed contractors and applicants will be able to. . .
     

    • Apply for new UST contractor licensure with our office online
    • Renew an existing UST contractor license online
    • Pay for either of those with a credit card, debit card, or eCheck
    • Update employee certification online and submit documentation as a PDF attachment
    • Update contractor liability insurance policy information online
       

    For assistance you will find a link to a help document on the Licensing start page and, as always, there is a help feature at the top right of every page in the portal. Additionally, you can email P&CS here.

    Notice: Change of Ownership Form

    Posted: 8/22/2016
    A new one-page Notification Form is now available on the Applications and Forms page. It should only to be used to report changes in ownership to OSFM. Use the link below to read more. . .

    USEPA Notice regarding diesel tank corrosion

    Use this link to go to articles from USEPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) about recent findings pertaining to corrosion found inside tanks and systems storing diesel fuel:

    The article also includes a link to corrosion related information pertaining to ethanol blends.

    Notice Regarding Shear Valve Mounting Reference Points

    This notice is regarding resurfacing islands and the shear valve mounting reference points

    Notice of Shear Valve Top Replacement Policy Change

    When only the top of a shear valve is replaced, and not the entire shear valve, this activity will now be treated as a Like for Like replacement. Please see document below for the entire text of the new Policy/Interpretation covering this change

    Notice of Violation (NOV)

    A new Notice of Violation (NOV) for specific Operator Certification deficiencies will be written beginning Friday, April 1, 2016. Instead of the 60 day compliance period allowed for correcting violations, this new Operator Certification NOV will lead to immediate red tagging of USTs at the facility when any of the listed violations are found. Immediate red tagging will only be done when the Operator Certification NOV is issued. UST NOVs will continue to have a 60 day compliance period.

    Revised Federal UST Regulations Effective 10/13/2015

    US EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) released revised UST regulations on July 15, 2015. The new regulations become effective 90 days following that release date, which is 10/13/2015. Several of the revised requirements are already covered by the current Illinois UST regulations, while some of the revisions to federal regulations will require revisions to our state UST regulations. For the full document, click on this link: