New Hampshire UST Operator Training

UST Operator Certification Procedures

Class A/B Operator Training
In New Hampshire, UST System Operators can only be certified after taking and passing the exam administered by the International Code Council (ICC) through Pearson VUE testing centers.

Getting ready for the ICC exam(s) is a three-step process:

Step One: Take the PASS ICC Preparatory Course

PASS is the only training provider approved by the ICC to offer preparatory training for the ICC UST/AST operator exams. These ICC preparatory courses do not include a final exam or provide certification upon completion and is not required to take, but they will provide you with the information and guidance you need to study and prepare for the exams.

Step Two: Read the UST/AST Examination Information Bulletin and Prepare Your Reference Materials

First, you should read the UST/AST Examination Information Bulletin. You may also call the ICC at 1-888-ICC-SAFE (422-7233), ext. 5524 to request a paper copy of the Bulletin.

Pay particular attention to the information on your state’s exams. Specific exam information usually begins around page 24 in the Bulletin, and includes the number of exam questions, the exam fee, the type of exam, and the list of reference materials.

Most ICC UST/AST operator exams are open book, which means that you may take certain documents (called reference materials) with you into the exam room and refer to them during the exam. The ICC, however, has strict requirements about which reference materials you can take into the exam with you and in what format. PASS strongly recommends that you obtain your reference materials well in advance of taking the exam.

Which reference materials do I need? How do I get them?

The reference materials you need are listed in the UST/AST Examination Information Bulletin. They typically include the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) UST regulations (40 CFR §280), the state’s UST regulations (which usually can be found on the state UST program’s website), and one or more of the following EPA publications, any of which can be downloaded here or through a PASS ICC preparatory course.

Operating and Maintaining Underground Storage Tank Systems (EPA 510-B-05-002)
Straight Talk on Tanks, 2005 (EPA 510-B-05-001)
Musts for USTs, November 2015 (EPA 510-K-95-002)
Dollars and Sense, Financial Responsibility Requirements for USTs(EPA 510-K-95-004)

Your reference materials list may also include publications of the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI), which you must purchase through PEI’s online store. Typically, these include PEI/RP 500 Recommended Practices for Inspection of Motor Fuel Dispensing Equipment and PEI/RP 900 Recommended Practices for Inspection and Maintenance of UST Systems. You may also be able to purchase these bundled with your state’s other reference materials through the ICC’s online store.

How do I prepare my reference materials? You may take only the reference materials listed in the current UST/AST Examination Information Bulletin with you into the exam. In order to be able to take them into the exam, you should prepare them as follows.

If you do not follow these steps, the Pearson Vue test center personnel will not let you take your materials into the exam room and you will not be able to use them during the exam.

STAPLE OR BIND YOUR MATERIALS. You may not take loose pages into the exam room, so we recommend that you print the reference materials and either staple them together or place them in a three-ring binder.
MAKE NOTES. You may make notes in your reference materials as long as the notes are in ink and any highlighting is done before you arrive for the exam. For example, you should locate and mark in the reference materials information such as your state’s allowable release detection methods, allowable financial responsibility mechanisms, record - keeping requirements, operator retraining requirements, etc. This will make it easier to find the information during the exam itself. PASS’ ICC preparatory courses make this easier by giving you rule citations or page numbers keyed to your reference materials.
USE TABS. You may also use tabs to mark important sections, but these tabs must be permanently attached and not be removable without damage to the page (removable post-it type tabs, for example, would not be allowed).

Step Three: Schedule Your Exams

ICC exams are offered periodically at Pearson VUE testing centers around your state. When you are ready to take your exams, you can register online at www.pearsonvue.com/icc or by calling Pearson VUE at 1-800-275-8301.

Class C Operator Training
PASS' Class C Operator Training in New Hampshire is approved by the NHDES.

Registration & Fees

Owners/operators must register each UST facility by completing and submitting to the NHDES a signed Registration for Underground Storage Tank Systems form. In addition, the owner/operator must apply to the NHDES for a permit to operate by providing, in addition to the information required for registration, a Stage I/Stage II notification and system test report. When received, the permit must be on permanent display at the facility and visible to NHDES inspectors.

Within 10 days after an ownership change to the UST system, the new owner/operator should submit a registration form with the updated information.

Release Reporting

Owners/operators must report any suspected releases within 24 hours and confirmed releases immediately to the NHDES notification line:

Monday-Friday, 8am to 4pm: (603) 271-3899
Weekends and Evenings: (603) 223-4381 (State Police)

Call 911 or the local fire department and the NHDES Spill Response and Complaint Investigation Section (Monday-Friday 8 am-4 pm call 603-271-3899; weekends and evenings call the State Police at 603-223-4381) immediately if a spill occurs and any one of the following is true:

The spill is 25 gallons or more;
The spill is not contained;
The spill is not removed/cleaned up within 24 hours;
There is impact to the groundwater or surface water; or
Vapors have been emitted that cause an immediate threat to human health.

Release Detection

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

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

Financial Responsibility

Owners/operators in New Hampshire must demonstrate financial responsibility in the amount equal to or greater than $1,000,000 per occurrence. Allowable financial responsibility mechanisms in New Hampshire include:

Letter of credit;
Third-party insurance policy;
Surety bond;
Trust fund; or
An alternate method agreed upon by the owner/operator and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES).

If using a surety bond, insurance policy, or letter of credit, the owner/operator must also establish a stand-by trust fund to receive the proceeds of the surety bond, insurance policy, or letter of credit. Each financial responsibility mechanism used must identify the state of New Hampshire as the beneficiary. Letters of credit must include a provision to automatically extend the expiration date by at least one year unless the issuing institution notifies the owner/operator and the NHDES by certified mail of a decision not to extend the expiration date at least 120 days before the current expiration date. Insurance policies and surety bonds must include a provision to prohibit any cancellation without prior notice to the NHDES and the owner/operator at least 120 days before the effective date of the cancellation.

Eligibility for the New Hampshire Petroleum Funds will also satisfy the financial responsibility requirement.

Inspection & Testing Requirements

Monthly: A monthly visual inspection of each UST facility must be conducted by or under the direction of the Class A or B operator. Results must be recorded in a Visual Monthly Inspection report. These reports must be maintained and made available for department inspection and copying for at least 3 years. Any deficiencies must be corrected within 30 days.
Annual: Owners/operators must do the following annually.
- Test all leak monitoring and/or overfill protection equipment at the facility.
- Test all automatic line leak detectors.
- No later than September 30 of each year, the owner/operator must conduct an annual maintenance inspection of the UST facility’s Stage I vapor recovery system, to include:
  - All activities included in the monthly maintenance inspection;
  - Replacing or permanently plugging each drain valve located in each spill bucket;
  - Verifying that adaptor caps and dust covers are not in contact with overlying access covers; and
  - Ensuring that the submerged fill tube has the required clearance.
Results of the inspection must be recorded on the Maintenance Inspections of Vapor Recovery System for AST/UST Gasoline Dispensing Facilities form.

Delivery Prohibition/Non-Compliance Enforcement

If an NHDES inspector determines that a UST or UST system is out of compliance with UST regulations, he or she may initiate non-compliance enforcement procedures. The NHDES inspector will first provide written notification to the facility owner/operator listing the violations, the regulatory requirements, the options available for correcting the violations, and the deadline for correcting the violations.
If the owner/operator fails to correct the violations by the deadline, the NHDES will issue a written notice of the intent to red-tag the UST(s) to the owner/operator and will also notify all oil delivery companies which have requested such notification. The written notice will include a compliance deadline.
If the owner/operator again fails to complete the corrective actions, the NHDES inspector will document the level of stored product in the tank or facility and affix a red tag to the fill pipe of the non-compliant UST(s). The NHDES will also add the facility to the list of red-tagged facilities on its website.
The owner/operator may request, in writing, that the delivery prohibition be removed. The NHDES will verify that the violations have been corrected and any fines and penalties assessed by the NHDES have been paid, and will re-inspect the facility to determine if it is in compliance. If the facility is in compliance, the NHDES will either remove the red tag or authorize the owner/operator to remove the red tag and return the tag to the NHDES within 5 business days.

Temporary & Permanent Closure

The owner of a regulated underground storage tank (UST) facility must provide closure notification to the Underground Storage Tank Program least 30 days prior to any scheduled UST system permanent closure. A regulated UST facility is any facility having an individual tank capacity greater than 110 gallons or of unknown size that store a regulated substance. Does not apply to owners of residential heating oil USTs and non-residential heating oil USTs not larger than 1,100 gallons.