UST Finder/National Underground Storage Tanks: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/ASTSWMO Release Web Map

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (“ASTSWMO”) released in early October what they denominate “UST Finder.”

The UST Finder is described as a:

. . . flexible web map application containing a comprehensive, state-sourced national map of underground storage tank (UST) and leaking UST (LUST) data.

The UST Finder provides the attributes and locations of active and closed USTs, along with UST facilities and LUST sites. The information is current as of 2018-2019. In other words, it does not reflect real time data. However, EPA states it will be updated.

The UST Finder provides information about proximity of UST facilities and LUST sites to:

• Surface and groundwater public drinking water protection areas
• Estimated number of private domestic wells and number of people living nearby
• Flooding and wildfires

The UST Finder is publically available via EPA’s GeoPlatform. EPA states that primary users will likely include:

• Underground storage tank implementing partners, such as state, territorial, and tribal UST programs; EPA regional UST programs
• Underground storage tank industry organization partners
• Emergency management personnel, such as EPA’s Office of Emergency Management, Department of Homeland Security, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and state fire marshals
• Water stakeholders, such as EPA’s Office of Water, state water programs, and local water utilities
• General public interested in information about UST facilities and LUST sites

The objective in developing the UST Finder is stated to have included the following:

• Prioritize site cleanups and inspections
• Triage risk
• Identify sites that may be more likely to have a release based on UST age and substance stored
• Assist in locating UST facilities and responding to emergencies, such as floods, wildfires, and earthquakes
• Identify potential risks to public and private drinking water supplies

A document containing a link on accessing the UST Finder and further information can be downloaded here.