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New KY Regulations Speed Up Cleanup of Underground Storage Tanks

By Stu Johnson/KPR

Murray, KY – A decades long crackdown on underground storage tanks continues in Kentucky. Since 1988, Kentucky has cut the number of active underground tanks by two-thirds. The 20 year effort targets leaky tanks that can contaminate drinking water. Underground Storage Tank Branch manager Lori Terry says new state regulations went into effect this month. When a leaky tank must be replaced, Terry says its replacement must now satisfy a new set of tougher state standards .

"They can continue to use those until they either have a release from that tank that they cannot repair or they choose to remove that old tank and install a new tank system. The requirements for double wall tanks and piping together would be just new installs so it would be an owners option to install a new system or not," said Terry.

The replacement of aging tanks is moving along, but not at a very fast pace.

"Right now maybe 20..15 to 20 facilities might have a new tank installed annually now sort of what we are seeing. We do have a lot of old tanks in the system still so a lot of those in the years down the road will be removing those tanks and installing new tanks," added Terry.

The vast majority of underground storage tanks are found at service stations.