Illinois UST Class A/B Operator Training – 1 Year
This Illinois UST Class A/B Operator Training course is designed to help owners and operators meet the underground storage tank (UST) training requirements established by the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and satisfy state compliance obligations related to UST systems. The training supports understanding of both state regulatory requirements and practical compliance expectations outlined by OSFM’s Petroleum and Chemical Safety Division (see https://sfm.illinois.gov/about/divisions/petroleum-chemical-safety.html).
Why This Training Matters
OSFM’s Petroleum and Chemical Safety Division administers Illinois requirements governing UST system operation, maintenance, release prevention, inspections, reporting, and operator training. Illinois requires Class A and Class B operators to complete approved training and an examination within 30 days after assuming operation and maintenance responsibilities.
This training helps ensure operators understand key regulatory responsibilities, including:
• Proper operation, maintenance, and release detection for UST systems
• Compliance with Illinois spill, overfill, corrosion protection, and release-prevention requirements
• Reporting and response procedures for suspected or confirmed releases
• Required inspections, testing, documentation, and recordkeeping
• Financial responsibility, notification, and closure requirements
These measures are critical to protecting public health, safety, groundwater, and the environment from the risks associated with underground storage tank releases.
Course Coverage
Topics include:
• Illinois UST regulatory framework and compliance expectations
• Responsibilities of Class A operators, including regulatory oversight and compliance management
• Responsibilities of Class B operators, including day-to-day operation, maintenance, testing, and recordkeeping
• Spill and overfill prevention, release detection, corrosion protection, and emergency response
• Periodic operation and maintenance walkthrough inspections
• Reporting, notification, financial responsibility, and closure requirements
• Illinois operator-training, examination, retraining, and Notice of Violation requirements
Course Format & Certification
• Self-paced online training — accessible 24/7 from any device
• Designed for flexibility — complete in one session or in segments
• Reinforcement through quizzes and a final exam
• A score of at least 80% is required to successfully complete the final exam
• This course fulfills Illinois’s annual Class A/B retraining option
• Operators who select the annual option are not subject to additional Notice of Violation retraining under Illinois’s four-year retraining provisions
• Upon successful completion, receive a certificate from an OSFM-approved Class A/B training provider
• Certificate available for download and printing to support required compliance documentation
Who Should Take This
This training is intended for:
• UST owners and facility managers responsible for regulatory compliance
• Designated Class A and Class B UST operators in Illinois
• Environmental, safety, and operations personnel needing OSFM-approved Class A/B operator training
Operator Overview
Chapter 1
This first chapter discusses one of the most critical components of any facility: the personnel. Both the EPA and each state has regulations for operator duties and training. This chapter explains the different roles. Stations are expensive to run and maintain. It is not just as simple as distributing product, selling sodas and collecting money.
System and Components
Chapter 2
This chapter gives a thumbnail description of the mechanics of a facility. It is extremely important for station personnel to know the components of a station, and how it operates. Many points addressed in this training also will examine environmental issues. Throughout the training are documents to download. These will help station operators perform their duties.
Release Detection
Chapter 3
While every facility is different, they all have release detection, or monitoring, equipment in common. This chapter looks at the various monitoring devices, and what role an operator plays. Monitoring is important to catch leaks before they become a major headache. No operator wants to be responsible for ignoring monitoring issues resulting in a release into the environment
Release Prevention
Chapter 4
In their collective wisdom, the states and the EPA mandate certain components to avoid a major spill or leak. Station operators should follow the two M’s: maintenance and monitoring. Doing both can avoid or lessen the impact of costly repairs or remediation. This chapter will help operators do just that.
Planning and Response
Chapter 5
Okay, so there is a leak/spill/or overfill: what to do? First, be prepared. Think these steps through before a problem occurs. This chapter outlines what must be done in the event of a small incident or a major spill. Have a list of procedures and contacts posted at the facility, so personnel will not have to scramble under pressure.
Financial Responsibility
Chapter 6
Running a facility is an expensive investment. Both the state and the EPA want to make certain that operators can handle the financial requirements and the costs of a cleanup. In this chapter, are required financial guarantees. These are fairly standard in all the states, as is a state cleanup fund to help in remediation. Operators will want to keep records of all expenditures and costs, as in any business., The state will inspect the facility and all documents.
Registration and Installation
Chapter 7
All tanks must be registered with the states before they go into operation, with annual fees paid. They also need permits for the local authorizing body before being installed. If the ownership changes, the state must be notified. If there is a bankruptcy, the state must be notified, and if the product is changed in a tank, the state needs to know. Again, keep all records.
Inspection and Closure
Chapter 8
In this final chapter are instructions on inspection and monitoring, and guidelines for when it should be done. These are not suggestions, consider this a station’s “To Do” list. If the two M’s are not followed: Monitoring and Maintenance -- it could lead to a function failure. If there is a problem, the state can issue a warning with a deadline for repairs; and in most states a Red Tag. A Red Tag prohibits delivery to one or several tanks if the deadline passes and repairs are not made. Also in this chapter, if one of the tanks needs to be “retired” or put out of service either temporarily or permanently, there are guidelines for this procedure as well.