Hawaii UST Operator Training

UST Operator Certification Procedures

Class A/B Operator Training
Class A/B Operator Training in Hawaii is approved by the Hawaii Department of Health.
Class C Operator Training
Class C Operator Training in Hawaii is approved by the Hawaii Department of Health.

All of PASS’ UST operator training courses meet and exceed the federal requirements for UST operator training and are offered through our in-house designed and built Learning Management System (LMS). PASS’ state-specific A/B training courses are custom tailored to meet state requirements, and are accepted by more states than any other training provider. Our courses are available on demand, 24/7 and are accessible from any internet-connected computer, tablet, or phone. The student can complete an entire course in a single session or take the course in segments. The training may be stopped and restarted, allowing for maximum schedule flexibility. PASS also does not impose time restrictions on course access, so students may take as much time as they need to complete their training. Once training is completed a certificate is available to save and print.

Registration & Fees

Permit to Operate: All USTs or tank systems in the state of Hawai`i must have a permit to operate. Owners/operators must submit a completed Application for an Underground Storage Tank permit form (available on the DOH's website) and the $300 fee to the DOH prior to operating a UST or tank system. The director will approve, approve with conditions, or deny permit applications and notify applicants within 180 days. Each permit is valid for five years, after which it will need to be renewed. There is a renewal fee of $100.
Registration: The Notification for Underground Storage Tanks form (available on the DOH's website) must be filed prior to installing or placing into service any UST or tank system.

Release Reporting

Owners/operators must report any suspected or confirmed releases to the to the DOH’s Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response (HEER) office either by phone (808-586-4249 during business hours or 808-236-8200 after hours) or in person and call the local fire department within 24 hours of discovery. After reporting a confirmed release, the owner/operator must submit a Confirmed Release Notification form to the DOH.

Release Detection

UST owners/operators in Hawai`i may use any of the following methods of release detection:

ATG (Automatic Tank Gauging);
Secondary containment with interstitial monitoring;
Inventory control;
Manual tank gauging;
Vapor monitoring;
Groundwater monitoring; or
Tank tightness testing.

Financial Responsibility

Hawai`i follows the federal financial responsibility coverage amounts found in 40 CFR §280.93 (scroll to page 77 of 119 in the pdf document). Allowable mechanisms to demonstrate financial responsibility in Hawai`i include:

Financial test of self-insurance;
Guarantee;
Insurance and risk retention group coverage;
Surety bond;
Letter of credit; or
Trust fund or standby trust fund.

Delivery Prohibition/Non-Compliance Enforcement

If a Hawai`i Department of Health (DOH) inspector determines that a UST or UST system is out of compliance with UST regulations, the DOH shall identify it as ineligible for delivery, deposit, and acceptance by affixing a tag or other notice onto the fill pipe. The DOH will make a reasonable effort to notify tank owners/operators prior to tagging the UST or tank system. The DOH may choose to issue a Field Citation, to which the owner/operator has 30 days to respond. Owners/operators may submit a written request for a hearing to contest the DOH’s determination.

Temporary & Permanent Closure

Temporary closure.

An UST or tank system is considered temporarily closed if owners and operators do not deposit regulated substance into the UST or tank system or dispense regulated substance from the UST or tank system during a time period of three hundred sixty-five days or less except.

When an UST or tank system is temporarily closed, owners and operators must continue operation and maintenance of any corrosion protection system in accordance with section 11-281-42, and any release detection method in accordance with subchapter 5. However, release detection is not required as long as the UST or tank system is empty. The UST or tank system is empty when all materials have been removed using practices commonly recognized by the industry so that no more than 2.5 centimeters (one inch) of residue, or residue that is no more than 0.3 percent by weight of the total capacity of the UST or tank system, remains in the UST or tank system.

When an UST or tank system is temporarily closed for ninety days or more, owners and operators must also comply with the following requirements:

Leave vent lines open and functioning; and
Cap and secure all other lines, pumps, manways ,and ancillary equipment.

When an UST or tank system is temporarily closed for more than three hundred sixty-five days, owners and operators must permanently close the UST or tank system if it does not meet the performance standards in sections 11-281-11 through 11-281-19. An UST or tank system filled by transfers of more than twenty-five gallons at one time, must meet spill and overfill prevention equipment requirements and owners and operators who fail to meet such requirements must permanently close the UST or tank system. Permanent closure must be conducted in accordance with sections 11-281-82 through 11-281-85, unless the department grants an extension of the three hundred sixty-five days temporary closure period. Owners and operators must complete a site assessment before such an extension can be requested.

Permanent closure and change-in-service.

In permanently closing or changing the service of an UST or tank system, owners and operators must comply with the requirements of this section. At least thirty days before beginning either permanent closure or a change-in-service of an UST or tank system, owners and operators must notify the department in writing of their intent to permanently close or make the change-in-service, unless such action is in response to a confirmed release. At least seven days before a permanent closure or change-in-service action, owners or operators must notify the department of the exact date (s) that the activity will occur.

To permanently close an UST or tank system, owners and operators must:

Empty the UST and tank system by removing all liquid contents and accumulated sludges from the UST and tank system;
Remove the UST or tank system from the ground, or leave the UST or tank system in-place and fill the UST or tank system with an inert solid material in accordance with local agency requirements; and
Conduct a site assessment of the area beneath and around the UST or tank system.

Continued use of an UST or tank system to store a non-regulated substance is considered a change-in-service. Before a change-in-service, owners and operators must:

Empty the UST and tank system by removing all liquid contents and accumulated sludges from the UST and tank system; and
Conduct a site assessment of the area beneath and around the UST or tank system.

Recordkeeping

Owners and operators must generate and maintain accurate records of the following information, in a form that is capable of being reviewed by the department upon request, for the remaining operating life of the UST or tank system unless otherwise specified:

Compliance with the corrosion protection requirements of subchapter 2 and this subchapter;
Compliance with the release detection requirements of subchapter 5, for at least three years after the record is generated;
Documentation of any and all maintenance performed on the UST system and tests, including the results and analysis for functionality or operability, for at least three years after the record is generated;
Documentation of any and all repairs to the UST system;
Any and all records that the equipment being utilized to monitor or maintain the UST system is designed to produce, for at least three years after the record is generated;
All written performance claims pertaining to any release detection system used, and the manner in which these claims have been justified or tested by the equipment manufacturer or installer;
Compliance with change-in-service or permanent closure requirements, including results of the site assessment, under subchapter 8, for at least three years after completion of permanent closure or change-in-service;
Permits or variances or both, including all documentation, as specified in section 11-281-34(a); and
Operating manuals for all currently installed leak detection equipment;
Proof of current financial assurance mechanisms used to demonstrate financial responsibility.

Owners and operators must keep and maintain records at the following locations:

All records required by this section shall be made immediately available for inspection by the department by:
- Being maintained at the UST site; or
- Another method as approved by the director.
The permanent closure records may be maintained at a readily available alternative site and shall be provided for inspection to the department upon request.