Several tank failures with serious environmental and economic impacts generated new industry standards and regulations, which call for tank integrity management and inspection programs.

The EPA requires the preparation of a Spill Prevention Control & Countermeasures (SPCC) plan for any facility that has aggregate aboveground storage capacity greater than 1320 gallons. ASTs located inside and outside of buildings are included. All facilities are regulated to the same standard regardless of storage capacity and many commercial and industrial sites in New England are impacted.

A portion of the SPCC requirements dictates that qualified tank inspectors are to perform certified tank inspections of aboveground tanks that store combustible and flammable liquids.

As part of its prevention program, EPA personnel reportedly conduct periodic on-site inspections of facilities. These inspections often involve a walk-through of the facility to evaluate implementation of spill prevention and response measures.

(Back to AST Overview, AST Inspection Requirements, or AST Inpection Details.)