Underground Storage Tanks Containing Petroleum; Financial Responsibility Requirements

요약

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is today promulgating a rule to amend the financial responsibility requirements for underground storage tanks (USTs) containing petroleum that appear in subpart H of 40 CFR part 280. Specifically, this rule modifies the financial responsibility compliance date under 40 CFR 280.91(e) for one category of UST owners. Under this modification, Federally-recognized Indian tribes that own USTs on Indian lands are required to comply with Federal Financial Responsibility requirements of 40 CFR part 280 subpart H--Financial Responsibility--by December 31, 1998 if those USTs are in compliance with applicable technical requirements for USTs in 40 CFR part 280. Today's rule extends the deadline for certain USTs owned by Indian tribes from the previous date of February 18, 1994. This change will allow EPA, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian tribes additional time to explore options for solving the root problem of lack of funding for past contamination on Indian lands and further assist tribes with future technical requirements, such as tank upgrading. EPA is not changing the financial responsibility deadline for rural petroleum marketers or local go