Everything You Need To Know About NJDEP UST Guidance, Compliance and Enforcement
We use 82 billion gallons of groundwater per day in the U.S. Over a quarter of the population depends on groundwater for drinking water.
Before the EPA set regulations in the 1970s, hazardous materials were dumped or buried into the ground. We now recognize the dangers of contaminated water and soil.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) protects water and soil from underground storage tank (UST) contamination.
In this article, we go over NJDEP UST Guidance and NJDEP UST Compliance and Enforcement. These state services help protect you and the environment.
NJDEP UST Guidance
The purpose of NJDEP UST Guidance is to assess underground storage tank systems for compliance with N.J.A.C. 7:14B.
This state regulation protects the environment from underground storage tank contamination. It outlines the requirements for preventing and detecting contamination, including UST systems:
- Design
- Construction
- Installation
- Operation
- Registration
- Permits
- Reporting
- Investigation
- Closure
It also sets forth remediation policies. This includes sampling recommendations to identify water and soil contamination.
These regulations are what environmental services will use to detect and remediate (remove) any issues.
NJDEP UST Compliance and Enforcement Program
Underground storage tank enforcement comes from the NJDEP UST Compliance and Enforcement Program.
This program has many functions, including:
- Assisting compliance
- Performing inspections
- Investigating complaints
- Maintaining the certificate program
- Issuing penalties
- Negotiating settlements
- Testifying in court for the AG
Their underground storage tank enforcement also includes a registration system. You can look up your UST status and expiration date by PI number.
UST Regulations and UST Compliance
The EPA also maintains federal UST regulations and compliance. C&E enforces all applicable local, state, and federal UST regulations at the state level.
UST regulations help prevent environmental issues before they begin. It includes methods to prevent corrosion or leaks.
UST compliance keeps issues from remaining undetected. This includes hazardous materials in the water or soil.
Contamination complaints come from local residents all the way to federal agencies. C&E investigates these complaints to see if remediation and/or UST removal is necessary.
C&E’s track record includes over 24,000 inspections and 6,000 enforcements. They’ve also investigated over 2,700 complaints.
Several environmental issues fixed by UST compliance would have remained undetected indefinitely.
NJDEP Resources
To keep up-to-date on UST regulations and compliance, NJDEP resources include:
- Revised Rules
- Forms
- Training Program Information
- Reports
- Permits
- Lists of certified UST contractors
- UST contractor certification
- Specific guidance
- UST training powerpoints
For questions not covered by the NJDEP resources page, you can reach out to NJDEP general information phone line, or use the C&E directory.
Protect Your Health and Your Future
The NJDEP UST Guidance keeps everyone from UST groundwater and soil contamination.
All American Environmental Services are your go-to experts for underground storage tank services. We inspect, clean, replace, or remove USTs according to state and federal UST compliance.
Contact us for more information about our services. We’re always happy to help all your environmental needs!
