The U.S. Army Settles Underground Storage Tank Violations at Aberdeen Proving Ground

PHILADELPHIA (April 20, 2009) - The U.S. Army has settled alleged violations of underground fuel storage tank regulations at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Md.

To settle the alleged violations, the U.S. Army has agreed to pay a $29,928 civil penalty and to perform a supplemental environmental plan at a cost of $209,432.

Federal underground fuel storage tank regulations are designed to prevent, detect, and control fuel leaks from underground storage tanks, or USTs. E.P.A. cited the Army for failing to annually test the line leak detection equipment, to maintain tank release detection records, to install spill and overfill protection equipment, to perform tank release detection, to install line leak detection and provide line release detection. The alleged violations involved 28 underground tanks at the Aberdeen facility that were used to store gasoline, fuel oil, diesel fuel, and JP-8 jet fuel and ranged in capacity from 600 gallons to 25,000 gallons.

The supplemental environmental plan involves the removal of the underground storage tanks and the installation of above-ground tanks.

As part of the settlement, the U.S. Army certified that it has corrected the alleged violations and is now in compliance with applicable UST regulations at the Aberdeen facility.

In fiscal year 2008, there were record levels of enforcement at federal facilities under EPA's underground storage tank program. E.P.A. settled nearly 40 cases with federal facilities and filed 3 additional complaints. The total penalties assessed and settled, along with the facility cost to come into compliance, exceeded $1.3 million.

With million of gallons of gasoline, oil, and other petroleum products stored in USTs throughout the U.S., leaking tanks are a major source of soil and groundwater contamination. E.P.A. and state UST regulations are designed to reduce the risk of underground leaks and to promptly detect and properly address leaks which do occur, thus minimizing environmental harm and avoiding the costs of major cleanups.

For more information on EPA's underground storage tank program, visit: www.epa.gov/swerust1.

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