Underground Storage Tank Program
An Environmental Program Fact Sheet
Program Overview
The Underground Storage Tank (UST) program, administered by the Bureau of Materials Management and Compliance Assurance, is designed to prevent releases by closely monitoring petroleum and chemical USTs and by imposing deadlines for the removal of older USTs, connected underground piping, and ancillary equipment before they fail. If you own a nonresidential UST which is currently in use, which will be brought into use, or was taken out of service, even if empty, you must complete a Notification Form and file it with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), if you have not previously done so. By filing a Notification Form with DEEP and the local fire marshal, you will comply with both state and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) UST registration requirements.
Authorizing Statutes
Section 22a-449(d) of the Connecticut General Statutes (CGS)
Regulations
Sections 22a-449(d)-1 and 22a-449(d)-101 through 113 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (RCSA)
Who Must Comply?
All owners and operators of nonresidential USTs that contain motor fuels, heating fuels, waste oils, or Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) listed chemicals must comply with the above referenced regulations. UST is defined as a tank that is used or designed to contain an accumulation of regulated substances, and the volume of which (including the volume of underground pipes connected thereto) is 10 percent or more beneath the surface of the ground. For exemptions to these requirements refer to section 22a-449(d)-1(a) and (c) and section 22a-449(d)-101(a) RCSA.
For guidance on residential USTs, (e.g., FAQs, tank releases) refer to the DEEP website, Residential Home Heating Oil Tanks.
Who Must Notify?
All current or former owners, or operators of nonresidential USTs, as described above, are required to notify DEEP and the local fire marshal. For exemptions to this requirement refer to section 22a-449(d)-1(a) and (c) and section 22a-449(d)-101(a) RCSA.
Required Documents
Notification for Underground Storage Tanks (DEEP-UST-NOT-001) completed in 
Fees
The one-time fee for the installation of a regulated UST is $100.00 per tank. In addition, there is a $100.00 fee per tank per year for all USTs in-use or temporarily out of service. Fees are payable with the required notification through .
It is the responsibility of the UST owner and operator to ensure that
- all notifications are submitted annually along with the required fee, and
- notifications are updated within 30 days of any change in information.
Unique Processing Features
Owners and operators of all USTs, including residential, and above ground tanks must notify and/or comply with local fire marshal requirements.
Standards for New Installations
Underground storage tanks (including USTs for apartments of five or more living units), connected underground piping, and ancillary equipment must be constructed of fiberglass reinforced plastic (i.e., non-corrosive) or constructed of steel, with a manufacturer-applied anti-corrosive coating and cathodic protection or be a composite or jacketed tank. These standards for the installation of new USTs have been in effect since November, 1985.
As of October 1, 2003, all newly installed commercial USTs, and heating oil USTs for apartment units of five or more, must also be double-walled with double-walled piping, both having a continuous 360-degree interstitial space that is continuously monitored using inert gas or liquid, or vacuum, electronic, or mechanical monitoring.
As of May 2012, all newly installed petroleum USTs, except those used exclusively for on-site heating, must be equipped with secondary containment sumps including piping containment sumps and under-dispenser containment sumps that are monitored and alarmed.
1998 Deadline for Meeting New Standards and Requirements
As of December 22, 1998, owners and operators of USTss were required to implement the following upgrades to their underground storage tanks: spill and overfill protection, corrosion protection, and release detection. Tanks not meeting the December 22, 1998 requirements must be properly closed.
The following are exempt from the December 22, 1998 deadline:
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USTs storing heating oil for consumptive use on the premises where it is stored (although other usage deadlines are applicable);
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Farm and residential USTs of 1100 gallons or less capacity used for storing motor fuel for noncommercial purposes;
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Tanks on or above the floor of underground areas such as basements;
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Septic tanks;
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Storm-water or wastewater collection systems;
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Flow-through process tanks; and
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Emergency spill and overfill tanks.
Reporting and Record Keeping
Owners and operators of nonresidential USTs must report the following to the UST Enforcement Program on the Notification for Underground Storage Tanks Form (DEEP-UST-NOT-001): new installations, closures, changes in status, and any changes in information previously reported.
Owners and operators of nonresidential USTs must keep and maintain the following records at the UST site and make them immediately available for inspection by DEEP: documentation of operations of corrosion protection equipment, UST system repairs, compliance with release detection requirements, and the results of the site investigation conducted at permanent closure. Such records, including copies of all Notification Forms, must be maintained at the UST site for at least five years beyond the operational life of the UST system. Records, if greater than five years old, or with written approval by the commissioner, may be kept at a readily available alternative site, but must be made immediately available to DEEP inspectors upon request.
For all USTs which contain or contained, gas, diesel, waste oil or CERCLA regulated hazardous waste: Samples must be collected at the time of closure. If corrective action is indicated by the sample results, then UST closure notifications must be accompanied by a closure report that includes sampling results of soils and groundwater. If contamination is discovered, it must be reported immediately to DEEP and site clean-up must be conducted to bring the levels of contaminants below the current DEEP remediation standards. For additional guidance refer to the Sampling and Analytical Methods for Underground Storage Tank Closure.
For additional information, refer to the DEEP website, Underground Storage Tank Notification, Compliance & Release Prevention.
Contact Information
Underground Storage Tank Enforcement Program
Bureau of Materials Management and Compliance Assurance
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06106-5127
860-424-3374
Fact Sheet: DEEP-UST-FS-001
Content Last Updated June 2019