ABSTRACT
The available means for underground tank closure are represented by a wellestablished set of technologies described by a number of industry standards. While innovative developments have refined some aspects of tank waste treatment and disposal, the available options for underground tank closure consist of essentially two general sequences, defined here as the following strategies: (1) abandonment-in-place; and (2) tank removal, followed by either landfilling or recycling the tank. Federal regulations allow a third, albeit temporary, option of retrofitting. Although differentiated largely by the final disposal location or treatment of the used vessel, both abandonment and removal include certain standard procedures which, when coupled with the waste management requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) legislation, provide a fairly straightforward sequence of opera tions. Variability is introduced by site conditions, presence or extent of con tamination, proximity of structures, additional state or local requirements, and site-specific concerns.
