환경보호청(EPA)은 대표적인 지하수 오염원 중 하나인 지하수저장탱크(UST)에서 배출된 석유의 예방 및 감지를 향상시키고자 연방 지하수저장탱크 자격요건을 강화하겠다고 발표했다. EPA의 이번 행동은 기존의 자격요건을 강화하고, 미국 내 모든 UST가 동일한 배출보호기준을 충족하도록 보장하는 데 도움을 줄 것으로 기대된다.

EPA의 고형폐기물사고대응부장 Mathy Stanislaus는 “이번 변화는 UST 방출의 예방·감지를 향상시킴으로써 공공의 보건을 보호하고 환경에 이익을 가져다 줄 것”이라고 말했다.

 

 

 

The Environmental Protection (EPA) has announced that it is strengthening federal underground storage tank (UST) requirements to improve prevention and detection of petroleum releases from USTs, which are one of the leading sources of groundwater contamination. EPA's action will strengthen existing requirements and help ensure that all USTs in the United States meet the same release protection standards.

 

"These changes will better protect people's health and benefit the environment in communities across the country by improving prevention and detection of underground storage tank releases," said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "Extensive and meaningful collaboration with our underground storage tank partners and stakeholders was vital to the development of the new regulations. The revised requirements will also help ensure consistency in implementing the tanks program among states and on tribal lands."

 

Secondary containment and operator training requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 will apply to USTs on tribal lands. In addition, these requirements improve EPA's original 1988 UST regulation by closing regulatory gaps, adding new technologies, and focusing on properly operating and maintaining existing UST systems.

 

Underground storage tanks are located at hundreds of thousands of facilities across America. Both marketers and non-retail facilities own USTs. Marketers include retail facilities such as gas stations and convenience stores that sell petroleum products. Non-retail facilities include those that do not sell petroleum products but may rely on their own supply of gasoline or diesel for taxis, buses, limousines, trucks, vans, boats, heavy equipment, or a wide range of other vehicles.

 

States and territories primarily implement the UST program. Many states already have some of these new requirements in place. For others, these changes will set standards that are more protective.

In developing the final UST regulation, EPA reached out extensively to affected and interested UST stakeholders. The Agency carefully considered the environmental benefits of the UST requirements, while balancing those with the potential future costs of compliance for UST owners and operators. For example, EPA is not requiring owners and operators to replace existing equipment, but rather is focusing on better operation and maintenance of that equipment.

 

[출처 = Water World / 2015년 6월 22일]