Underground Storage Systems (USS) are most often associated with
the storage of petroleum products (commonly referred to as Underground
Petroleum Storage Systems UPSS), but other hazardous substances,
including waste products, may also be stored in underground tanks.
Underground Storage Systems are one of the major sources of soil
and groundwater contamination due to the potential for leakage
of product to the environment.
The resulting contamination may represent, or potentially represent,
risks to human health and the environment and impact on the acceptability
of the site, or nearby sites, for their current or proposed use.
Removal of old or unused Underground Storage Systems
The EPA recommends the removal of all USS that are no longer
being used for the originally intended purpose (ie storage of
petroleum products or other hazardous materials) as soon as reasonably
practicable.
A suitably qualified and experienced site
contamination consultant should be engaged to assess the site
to determine if there has been any impact to soil or groundwater
and to recommend remediation if necessary in order to verify the
suitability of the site for the intended use.
An independent auditor may be required
to review the work completed to ensure the site is suitable for
its intended use, depending on the land use proposed and the nature
and extent of site contamination issues.
Guidelines for design, installation and management
The EPA is in the process of developing a code of practice on
the design, installation and management of USS. This code is based
on the Victorian EPA Guideline (Publication 888), which was issued
in February 2003.
In the interim, the EPA recommends compliance with the Victorian
EPA Guidelines on the Design, Installation and Management Requirements
for Underground Petroleum Storage Systems as a means of ensuring
that all reasonable and practical measures are taken in regard
to complying with the Environment Protection Act 1993 and the
Environment Protection (Water Quality) Policy, 2003.
Further information on the assessment of sites containing USS
can be obtained from the EPA Guidelines
for Assessment of Underground Storage Systems (273KB
PDF).
This page was last modified 08-01-2008
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