ABSTRACT
The closure of old and unwanted underground storage tanks (USTs), for merly handled in a relatively straightforward if often somewhat environmen tally questionable manner, has recently become more problematic as both the quantity of tanks removed from service and the regulations affecting the practice increase in number. Evolving federal and state regulations that contain strict technical and performance standards are resulting in the closure of thousands of unneeded or substandard USTs each year. Although tank manage ment (as opposed to closure) is governed largely by a single set of state or federal regulations, at the time of closure both hazardous waste laws and the strict liability mandates of the “Superfund” program come into play and affect both the availability and the environmental desirability of established disposal options. To many, it seems that the problem of final disposal gets bigger while the solutions become fewer; this view, while not entirely accurate, does illus trate the need for tank owners to have a thorough understanding of all the applicable environmental laws and the technologies and strategies realistically available to deal with them, before embarking on costly tank removal and replacement programs.
