Nebraska UST Operator Training

UST Operator Certification Procedures

Class A/B Operator Training
PASS' Class A/B Operator Training in Nebraska is approved thru the Nebraska State Fire Marshal
Class C Operator Training
In Nebraska, Class C training should be done on-site by an A/B operator. They may use our training course and orientation checklist to guide them through Class C operator training.

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

UST Registration

Within 30 days of bringing a UST into use, the owner/operator must register the UST with the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) by submitting a completed Notification for Underground Storage Tanks form along with the registration fee of $30.00 per tank. Upon receipt of the form and fee(s), the State Fire Marshal will issue a temporary operating permit to the owner/operator. A representative of the State Fire Marshal’s office will conduct an inspection of the UST site. If the site meets all UST requirements, a regular operating permit will be issued, and it will be valid until the next State Fire Marshal’s inspection.

Each UST registration is valid only until December 31 of the year it was issued. Registration renewal notices will be mailed to owners/operators in November and December. The annual $30 per tank fee must be paid by January 1. In addition, a $90 per tank fee is collected for the Petroleum Release Remedial Reimbursement Action Fund, which assists owners/operators in cleaning up petroleum releases.

AST Registration
Owners/operators must register their aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) by submitting a completed Aboveground Storage Tank Registration form and paying the registration fee of $10 per tank.

Release Reporting

Immediately report spills and releases which:

are over 25 gallons unless the release is confined and expected to stay confined within a building owned by the responsible party and is cleaned up within 24 hours of its discovery; or
occur beneath the surface of the land or impact or threaten waters of the state or threaten the public health and welfare.

Within 24 hours of discovery, report all other spills and releases.

Releases must be reported to the State Fire Marshal’s office (402-471-9465) and the NDEQ (402-471-2186). On weekends, holidays, and outside of normal business hours (8:00 am – 5:00 pm), call the Nebraska State Patrol Dispatch at 402-471-4545. A sample release response procedures form can be found on page 23 of the publication Operating and Maintaining Underground Storage Tanks in Nebraska.

The Nebraska Petroleum Remediation Program oversees investigations of petroleum contamination at UST sites. The Petroleum Remediation Program has developed risk-based corrective action (RBCA) regulations and guidance, which are used to evaluate sites based on the threat they pose to human health and the environment and prioritize those sites for remediation, clean-up, and/or closure.

Release Detection

UST owners/operators in Nebraska may use any of the following methods of release detection:

Automatic Tank Gauge (ATG);
Secondary containment with interstitial monitoring;
Statistical Inventory Reconciliation (SIR);
Manual tank gauging;
Tank tightness testing; and
Inventory control.

If you use, or would like to use, vapor monitoring or groundwater monitoring, contact the State Fire Marshal’s office at (402) 471-9465.

Financial Responsibility

Nebraska follows the federal financial responsibility coverage amounts found in 40 CFR §280.93 (scroll to page 77 of 119 in the pdf document) and 159 Neb. Admin. Code, Ch. 9 §006. Owners/operators may use any of the following mechanisms to demonstrate financial responsibility.

Financial test of self-insurance
Guarantee
Insurance and risk retention group coverage
Surety bond
Letter of credit
State-required mechanism
State fund or other state assurance
Trust fund
Stand-by trust fund

The NDEQ administers the Petroleum Remediation Program, which oversees the investigation and clean-up of releases from petroleum storage tanks, and the Petroleum Release Remedial Action Reimbursement Fund, which helps pay for investigation and clean-up costs. Owners/operators of petroleum storage tanks who have incurred costs during the investigation and remediation of petroleum releases may be eligible for reimbursement from the Petroleum Release Remedial Action Reimbursement Fund.

Inspection & Testing Requirements

Monthly

Class A/B operators should, at a minimum, conduct a monthly inspection at the facility. The Nebraska State Fire Marshal’s publication Operating and Maintaining Underground Storage Tanks in Nebraska includes useful checklists and information about inspections. Monthly inspections should include:

Checking the operation of release detection equipment;
Reviewing all maintenance and repair documentation;
Checking spill buckets for dirt, liquid, or debris;
Checking overfill alarm(s) for proper operation;
Ensuring any impressed current cathodic protection systems are turned on and operating properly;
Checking inventory of spill response materials;
Checking that dispenser hoses, nozzles, and breakaways are in good condition and working properly; and
Checking dispensers, dispenser sumps, and piping sumps for signs of leakage.

Annual

The State Fire Marshal will inspect each tank at least once every year, and may conduct periodic safety inspections. These inspections will include, but not be limited to, inspection of release detection records, release detection equipment, vent pipes and dispenser systems, corrosion protection records, and applicable fire safety codes.

Delivery Prohibition/Non-Compliance Enforcement

The State Fire Marshal will notify the owner/operator of a delivery prohibition determination by delivering a notice in person or by clearly posting a notice at the facility and sending a copy of the notice by certified mail to the last known address of the owner/operator. Once the notice has been served, the State Fire Marshal will affix a red tag to the fill pipe of any non-compliant UST. No person other than the State Fire Marshal may remove a red tag from a UST system without prior approval. The State Fire Marshal will also add non-compliant USTs to its list of ineligible USTs.

The owner/operator must notify the State Fire Marshal when a UST has been returned to compliance. Within two business days of receiving this notification, the State Fire Marshal will verify that the corrections have been made. If the State Fire Marshal determines that the UST is in compliance, the red tag will be removed. Within three business days of removing the red tag, the UST will be removed from the list of ineligible USTs.

Temporary & Permanent Closure

Permanent Closure

If a UST is temporarily closed for more than twelve months, it must be permanently closed and either removed from the ground or left in place.
At least 30 days prior to closing the UST, the owner/operator must notify the State Fire Marshal of the intent to close the UST.
The owner/operator must also obtain a closure permit by submitting an Application for Permit to Permanently Close Underground Storage Tanks and/or Piping to the State Fire Marshal prior to beginning tank closure.
In addition, the owner/operator must initiate and complete a closure assessment by measuring for a release where contamination is most likely to be present. If contaminated soils, contaminated groundwater, or free product as liquid or vapor is discovered during the site assessment, the owner/operator must notify the State Fire Marshal and immediately begin corrective action.
When a tank has been permanently closed, it must be emptied, cleaned, and either removed from the ground or filled with an inert solid material. A certified tank closure contractor must supervise any closure and/or removal activities.
Within 45 days of closure, the owner/operator must ensure that the certified tank contractor submits a closure assessment report and certification of compliance to the State Fire Marshal’s office.

Recordkeeping

UST system owners/operators in Nebraska must maintain the following records.

Maintain all written performance claims pertaining to any release detection system used and the justification for those claims for five years from the date of installation.
Maintain the results of any sampling, testing, or monitoring for five years.
Results of all tank tightness tests must be retained until the next test is conducted.
Maintain written documentation of all calibration, maintenance, and repair of release detection equipment for at least one year.
Schedules of required calibration and maintenance provided by the equipment manufacturer must be retained for five years from the date of installation.