About Leaking Underground Storage Tanks & Why They Matter

As of March 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that there are 534,534 active underground storage tanks (USTs) at approximately 192,000 facilities with 56,432 LUST releases still requiring cleanup in the United States (EPA 2024).

The EPA details that as of March 2024, Rhode Island has a backlog of 131 cleanups and has the third worst technical compliance rate (29 percent) of UST facilities in the contiguous United States (EPA 2024). The EPA report further specifies that only 37 percent of the USTs in Rhode Island were in compliance with spill prevention requirements as of mid-2024 – the worst in the country.

While the total number of leaks to be cleaned up is relatively small compared to the rest of the nation, it bears observing that the state of Rhode Island is risking the health of its’ residents with such poor compliance standards posing a threat of potential leaks of hazardous hydrocarbons and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) from LUSTs. The research on this topic has found the dangers posed by LUSTs to be profound although oftentimes unnoticeable by people in the area.
Image:  Environmental Due Diligence https://a3e.com/leaking-underground-storage-tank-removal-closure/

1
2
3