Governor's Management Scorecard
Environmental and Historic Stewardship Criteria
Environmental compliance - Petroleum storage tanks
Through regulation, inspection and approval of contingency plans, DEQ seeks to reduce the number and severity of leaks from underground and aboveground storage tanks. Underground and aboveground petroleum storage tanks are required by law and regulation to meet operational and construction requirements for the early detection and prevention of leaks. DEQ accepts and maintains registration records of approximately 38,000 active regulated storage tanks; conducts compliance inspections at storage tank facilities; reviews and approves contingency plans for potential oil spills; and provides technical assistance to tank owners.
The cleanup activity requires remediation of the many sites in Virginia that are contaminated by petroleum products each year (approximately 1500/year). As part of site corrective action clean water is provided to individuals with petroleum contaminated water supplies. The DEQ determines the Responsible Party (RP) and ensures that the RP performs proper site remediation. DEQ provides guidance on the extent of site characterization to be done, reviews characterization reports, requires cleanup activity appropriate to the environmental and health risks posed by the contamination and monitors cleanup progress. Where the RP of a petroleum release cannot be determined or is unable to correct the problem, DEQ conducts state-led investigations and cleanups.
The Reimbursement activity funds cleanups under the provisions of the Virginia Petroleum Storage Tank Fund. The Fund provides money for reimbursing RPs, for the reasonable and necessary costs they incur while conducting petroleum cleanups. The DEQ processes claims for cleanup and reimburses tank owners based upon eligibility, necessity, and reasonableness determinations.
Description of Measure: Compliance with petroleum storage tank regulatory cleanup and inspection requirements. Percent of storage tank cleanups completed and percent of storage tank facilities in compliance with operational requirements.
Scorecard Data Sources
- Storage tank characterizations and cleanup reports
- Storage tank inspection reports
Contact information