New Jersey UST Operator Training

UST Operator Certification Procedures

UST regulations in New Jersey are still pending. For more information, visit the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection website. We currently do not offer UST Operator Training in New Jersey.

Registration & Fees

The owner or operator shall file registration and certification information on the New Jersey Underground Storage Tank Facility Certification Questionnaire. The owner or operator shall obtain all registration and certification forms from and accurately complete, sign, date, and return all such documents to the address below:

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Case Assignment and Initial Notice
Mail Code 401-05H
401 East State Street, 5th floor P.O. Box 420
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0420

Telephone: (609) 292-2943

The owner or operator shall complete the New Jersey Underground Storage Tank Facility Certification Questionnaire prior to the expiration of the facility's Registration Certificate. The Department may issue a Registration Certificate to the registrant following submission of the complete New Jersey Underground Storage Tank Facility Certification Questionnaire. The Department will issue the Registration Certificate for a maximum period of three years. The expiration date of the Facility Certification will be specified on the Registration Certificate.

The owner or operator shall submit a $150.00 Registration Fee for each facility upon registration of the facility with the Department. The Department shall only issue a Registration Certificate following the submission of the Registration Fee.

Release Reporting

To report an environmental incident impacting NJ, call the Toll-Free 24-Hour Hotline 1-877-WARNDEP / 1-877-927-6337

Release Detection

Release Detection Methods for Tanks

Automatic tank gauging (ATG)
Interstitial monitoring
Secondary containment with interstitial monitoring
Statistical Inventory Reconciliation (SIR)
Manual tank gauging
Vapor monitoring
Groundwater monitoring
Tank tightness testing

Release Prevention

To prevent spilling and overfilling associated with product transfer to the underground storage tank system, owners and operators shall use the following spill and overfill prevention equipment:

Spill prevention equipment that shall prevent release of product to the environment when the transfer hose is detached from the fill pipe (for example, a spill catchment basin); and

Overfill prevention equipment that shall:

Automatically shut off flow into the tank when the tank is no more than 95 percent full;
Alert the transfer operator when the tank is no more than 90 percent full by restricting the flow into the tank or triggering a high-level alarm; or
Restrict flow 30 minutes prior to overfilling, alert the operator with a high level alarm one minute before overfilling, or automatically shut off flow into the tank so that none of the fittings located on top of the tank are exposed to product due to overfilling.

Owners and operators are not required to use the spill and overfill prevention equipment specified above if:

A permit is issued in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:14B-10 for the use of alternative equipment that is determined by the Department to be no less protective of human health and the environment than the equipment specified above; or
The underground storage tank system is filled by transfers of no more than 25 gallons at one time.

Financial Responsibility

Financial responsibility assurance requirements have been set up for owners and operators of underground storage tank systems for the purpose of remediation and for compensating third parties for bodily injury and property damage as a result of a discharge from an underground storage tank system. If the owner and operator of an underground storage tank system are separate persons, only one person is required to demonstrate financial responsibility; however, both the owner and operator are responsible in the event of noncompliance. A copy of the current rule N.J.A.C. 7:14B-1.1 et seq. can be found at www.nj.gov/dep/srp/regs/. The Federal Requirements for Financial Responsibility can be found at https://www.epa.gov/ust The State Requirements for Financial Responsibility can be found at www.nj.gov/dep/srp/bust/finresp/ustfr_table.htm

In addition, the Federal EPA has developed a List of Known Insurance Providers for Underground Storage Tanks. This provides UST owners and operators with a list of some of the insurance providers who may be able to help them comply with financial responsibility requirements by providing a suitable insurance mechanism.

If you think you presently have liability insurance for your underground storage tank(s), please make sure you are covered for taking corrective action and compensating third parties for bodily injury and property damage caused by both sudden accidental releases and non-sudden accidental releases.

If you have not submitted updated financial responsibility information for your facility you must complete and submit to the Department as required by N.J.A.C. 7:14B-2.2(d) 5 & 7:14B-15 the New Jersey 'Underground Storage Tank Facility Certification Questionnaire - UST-021'. Please complete Section A #3 and #4 with updated Facility Operator and Tank Owner information, Section C-Financial Responsibility, and sign the certification section on the back of the form.

When Self-Insurance is chosen for insurance type in Section C please complete and attach the Financial Test of Self Insurance form to your Questionnaire. When Local Government is chosen for insurance type in Section C please complete and attach the Financial Test for Local Government form to your Questionnaire.

Temporary & Permanent Closure

Temporary Closure

The owner or operator may request that the underground storage tank system remains out of service for a period of more than 12 months without having to close the tank system as required below by:

Submitting to the Department a site investigation report prepared by licensed site remediation professional in accordance with the Administrative Requirements for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites, N.J.A.C. 7:26C-2.3, and the Technical Requirements for Site Remediation, N.J.A.C. 7:26E-3.3(b) and 3.13, at least 30 calendar days prior to the expiration of the 12-month period referenced above; or
Submitting documentation at least 30 calendar days prior to the expiration of the 12- month period referred above that the requirements above have been completed and that the system has had a release detection monitoring system operated in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:14B-6.1 through 6.6 indicating that no discharge of hazardous substances has occurred during the operational life of the system or since the performance of a site investigation or remedial investigation performed in accordance with the provisions of the Technical Requirements for Site Remediation, N.J.A.C. 7:26E.

Any underground storage tank system which is out of service for greater than 12 months without complying with the requirements of above shall be closed in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:14B-9.2 through 9.3.

Permanent Closure

The NJDEP is required to be notified of the intent to close the underground storage tank at least 14 calendar days prior to the anticipated closure date by logging on to the NJDEP Online service via either the myNewJersey Portal at www.nj.gov or directly from www.njdeponline.com, selecting the underground storage tank notice of intent to close in the Service Selection section of the My Workspace screen, and completing and submitting the form.

A copy of the NJDEP's approval of the notice of intent to close the tank, which is automatically generated upon submission of the online notification is required to be provided to the applicable municipal and county health departments, and the applicable local authority with the application for a local demolition permit at least 14 calendar days prior to the anticipated closure date.

You may also call the Bureau of Case Assignment and Initial Notice at 609-292-2943 for additional information.

Recordkeeping

Owners and operators shall maintain the following information:

For underground storage tank systems susceptible to corrosion:
- A corrosion expert's analysis of site corrosion potential if corrosion protection equipment is not used in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:14B-4.1(a) 1iv and 2iii; and
- Documentation of operation of corrosion protection equipment pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:14B-5.2;
Documentation of underground storage tank system repairs made in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:14B-5.4;
Recent compliance with release detection requirements pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:14B- 6.7;
All remediation documents prepared or required pursuant to this chapter;
An installation checklist as required by N.J.A.C. 7:14B-4.1; and
Documentation of compliance with N.J.A.C. 7:14B-5.1(d).

Owners and operators shall keep the records required either:

At the underground storage tank site and immediately available for inspection by the implementing agency; or
At a readily available alternative site and be provided for inspection to the implementing agency upon request.

After a site is no longer operational, an owner or operator may make a written request to discard any such documents. Such a request shall be accompanied by a description of the documents involved. Upon written approval by the Department, the owner or operator may discard only those documents that are not required to be preserved for a longer time period.