The guidelines do not require owners or operators to retrofit existing equipment. Instead they apply when owners or operators choose to replace existing equipment or install new equipment.
By Feb. 8, 2007, states receiving federal funds under Subtitle I of the Solid Waste Disposal Act must implement either these guidelines or the financial responsibility and certification grant guidelines EPA plans to issue in the next few months.
Secondary containment provides a barrier between an underground storage tank and the environment by holding the leaking petroleum between the tank and the barrier so that the leak is detected. EPA provides funding to states through grants to regulate underground storage tanks, and it has worked with states and regional tank offices to develop the secondary containment grant guidelines.
The guidelines describe the minimum requirements states must meet in order to comply with the secondary containment provision contained in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. They provide compliance requirements, detailed definitions, and examples for states choosing to implement the secondary containment provision.
