Petroleum - Underground Storage Tanks (UST) and Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (LUST)

Federal Funding Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) - Learn about Recovery Act dollars going toward the investigation and cleanup of contaminated properties in Wisconsin, including brownfields, LUST and Superfund sites.

• Wisconsin Closure Protocol Study
• Wisconsin UST & LUST Overview
• Wisconsin Tank Regulations
• Federal Energy Act Reports
• Tank Abandonment Site Assessments
• More UST and LUST Information

Wisconsin Closure Protocol Study

Study Evaluates Site Closure and Natural Attenuation for Petroleum Contamination

The Wisconsin Closure Protocol Study by the DNR and several partners takes a close look at the state’s procedure for approving the cleanup of petroleum contamination. The Study finds that allowing natural processes to reduce petroleum contamination generally keeps groundwater contamination from spreading, but doesn’t improve soil and groundwater quality at the location where a leaking tank was removed. Partners who contributed to the design, evaluation or funding of this study included the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the University of Wisconsin Department of Geology and Geophysics, United States Geologic Survey (USGS), Utah State University and Exxon-Mobil Corporation.

DNR has formed an advisory group of external representatives to help the agency review the study’s recommendations and identify any changes needed in the way that petroleum cleanups are conducted. Questions regarding this study may directed to DNR's Terry Evanson (608.266.0941).

The complete study includes the report, 23 figures, 12 tables, and 12 appendices. Please Note: For optimum use, you may want to save the PDF of the Report to your computer before clicking on any hyperlinks in the document.

• Wisconsin Closure Protocol Study (RR-805) [PDF 2,811KB] - includes Figures and Tables
• Appendices
• Appendix A [PDF 2,040KB] - VOC Analytical Results
• Appendix B [PDF 108,291KB] - GIS Registry Map Compared to NA Protocol Site Map
• Appendix C [PDF 6,669KB] - Keller [2005] Thesis, Annotated
• Appendix D [PDF 80,600KB] - Greve [2007] Thesis, Annotated
• Appendix E [PDF 1,040KB] - Depth to Groundwater Observed at Post-Closure Wells
• Appendix F [PDF 14,492KB] - Soil Boring Logs and Photos
• Appendix G [PDF 1,004KB] - Temporary Monitoring Well Construction Reports
• Appendix H [PDF 623KB] - Temporary Monitoring Well Abandonment Forms
• Appendix I [PDF 22,268KB] - Site Photos during Field Work
• Appendix J [PDF 429KB] - Blank Electronic Forms Used in the Review
• Appendix K [PDF 336KB] - Closed Storage Tank Capacity and COMM Web Links
• Appendix L [PDF 1,157KB] - Statistical Tests Applied to the Historical Benzene Data from Near-Source Monitoring Well

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Wisconsin UST & LUST Overview

Wisconsin's regulatory program for petroleum storage tanks is divided between two agencies - The Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Commerce.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is responsible for:

1. Establishing investigation and remedial action requirements for contamination in the NR 700 series of environmental rules.
2. Oversight of cleanups at petroleum tank discharges that include high risk factors. High risk factors are:
• confirmed contamination in a water supply well above an NR 140 preventive action limit,
• confirmed free petroleum product with a thickness of .01 feet or more,
• groundwater contamination above an NR 140 enforcement standard within 1000 feet of a well operated by a public utility,
• groundwater contamination above an NR 140 enforcement standard within 100 feet of any other water supply well,and
• groundwater contamination above an NR 140 enforcement standard in fractured bedrock.

The Department of Commerce [exit DNR] is responsible for:

1. Tank standards for both underground and aboveground tank systems.
2. Wisconsin's tank registration database.
3. Wisconsin's fund for reimbursement of environmental cleanup costs (PECFA).
4. Oversight of cleanups at petroleum tank discharges that do not include high risk factors.

Jurisdiction of sites where risk factors have not yet been determined is with DNR. Jurisdiction of sites where petroleum contamination is co-mingled with non-petroleum contamination is also with DNR. Completed LUST site investigation reports should be sent directly to Commerce or to DNR, depending on the risk factors that are identified during the investigation. When site investigation reports are sent to Commerce, send DNR a copy of the cover letter so that we know the site jurisdiction has changed.

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Wisconsin Tank Regulations

All of the following links exit the DNR web site:

• Comm 10 - Department of Commerce rule governing installation, registration, maintenance and abandonment of petroleum tanks.
• NR 746 - Applies to certain sites where petroleum products have been discharged from tanks.
• Comm 47 - Department of Commerce rule that governs reimbursement from PECFA.
• PECFA - The Petroleum Environmental Cleanup Fund Act (PECFA) is the Department of Commerce's reimbursement program for cleaning up contamination from storage tank systems.
• NR 700 - Investigation and Remediation of Environmental Contamination

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Tank Abandonment Site Assessments

• Mail reports of tank closure site assessments to: Tank Site Assessment" at the DNR Regional headquarters address. For regional addresses please see the RR Staff page.  For tank abandonment site assessments in Northern Region, mail to Danielle Wincentsen, DNR, 223 East Steinfest Road, Antigo, WI 54490.
• Closure Assessments for Underground Storage Tanks - Technical Guidance (Dept. of Commerce) [exit DNR]

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More UST and LUST Information

• Find LUST Sites in Wisconsin via the RR Program’s Database
  From the RR Program’s Contaminated Lands Environmental Action Network (CLEAN), you can locate active and closed LUST cleanups in Wisconsin. Choose "Activity Type" of "LUST" to find cleanups. Choose "Activity Type" of "No Action Required" to find tank removal sites that didn't require cleanup.
• Reporting LUST Site Discoveries to the DNR
  You can find leak, spill & overfill reporting requirements on this web page.
• Department of Commerce Tank Registration Database [exit DNR]
  Searchable database with information about active and abandoned petroleum tank systems.

Fact Sheets

• Fact Sheet 8: Underground Storage Tanks - Clarifying local government unit’s responsibility to remove tanks on properties they own (RR-627) [PDF 73KB]
  
• Fact Sheet 5: Environmental Liability Exemptions for Lenders & Representatives (RR-508) [PDF 228KB]
• Fact Sheet 14: Clarification of Procedures for Parties Seeking a Voluntary Party Liability Exemption (VPLE) for Petroleum Contaminated Sites (RR-677) [PDF 70KB]

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