Tennessee UST Operator Training

UST Operator Certification Procedures

Class A/B Training
In order to earn an A/B operator certification in Tennessee, the operator must register for and attend a UST operator training course offered through Tennessee Tank Helper, the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation’s (DEC’s) online training program.
Class C Training

PASS'Class C Operator Training in Tennessee is accepted thru the DEC

– 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 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

Owners/operators of all USTs must register their USTs with the DEC by submitting a completed Notification for Underground Storage Tanks form (available on the DEC’s UST Forms & Guidance page).

Owners/operators are assessed annual tank fees, which is currently $125 per tank. The fee billing cycle is different in different regions of Tennessee, as listed below.

The fee year for East Tennessee is July 1 through June 30.
The fee year for Middle Tennessee is October 1 through September 30.
The fee year for West Tennessee is January 1 through December 31.

Tank fees apply to tanks which are temporarily out of service as well as to active tanks.

Release Reporting

Owners/operators must report any suspected or confirmed releases to the appropriate Tennessee Environmental Field Office (EFO) within 72 hours of discovery.

Nashville Field Office

711 R.S. Gass Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: 615-687-7000

Cookville Field Office

1221 South Willow Avenue
Cookeville, TN 38506
Phone: 931-432-4015

Johnson City Field Office

2305 Silverdale Road
Johnson City, TN 37601
Phone: 423-854-5400

Memphis Field Office

8383 Wolf Lake Drive
Bartlett, TN 38133
Phone: 901-371-3000

Jackson Field Office

1625 Hollywood Drive
Jackson, TN 38305
Phone: 731-512-1300

Columbia Field Office

1421 Hampshire Pike
Columbia, TN 38401
Phone: 931-380-3371

Chattanooga Field Office

1301 Riverfront Parkway, Suite 206
Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: 423-634-5745

Knoxville Field Office

3711 Middlebrook Pike
Knoxville, TN 37921
Phone: 865-594-6035

Release Detection

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

Manual tank gauging;
Automatic tank gauging (ATG);
Secondary containment with interstitial monitoring (must be used for all tanks installed after July 24, 2007);
Statistical Inventory Reconciliation (SIR); or
Tank tightness testing.

Release Prevention

Owners/operators must have or install containment under dispensers.
Under-dispenser containment must be inspected quarterly.
Sumps must be checked monthly.

Financial Responsibility

Tennessee follows the federal financial responsibility coverage amounts found in 40 CFR §280.93 (scroll to page 77 of 119 in the pdf document). Owners/operators may use any of the following mechanisms to demonstrate financial responsibility.

Financial test of self-insurance
Corporate parent financial test guarantee
Liability insurance
Surety bond
Irrevocable stand-by letter of credit
Trust fund
Tennessee Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Fund (pdf)

Inspection & Testing Requirements

Owners/operators must visually inspect dispensers and under-dispensers at least quarterly and complete the Quarterly Dispenser Inspection Log (available on the DEC’s UST Forms & Guidance page).

The DEC will conduct periodic inspections of all UST facilities. Owners/operators are notified by mail and/or telephone prior to the inspection date, except in cases of emergency situations or complaints. There are two parts to each inspection: the records review and the equipment inspection.
The inspector will verify that information entered in the DEC’s central tracking system is correct and will update it as necessary. The inspector will ask to see the following:

Confirmation that the facility has been issued an invoice for annual tank fee payment;
Most recent 12 months of tank release detection records;
Most recent 12 months of line release detection records;
Spill bucket inspection logs;
Quarterly dispenser inspection logs;
Documentation of UST operator designation and training;
Documentation of spill and overfill prevention installation and operation; and
Documentation of any repair or replacement of system components.

The inspector will inspect all of the associated tank system equipment. The owner must ensure there is someone present to assist the inspector in accessing all equipment and that all keys to locked equipment are available. The inspector will examine or observe the following components:

Spill and overfill prevention devices;
Corrosion protection system (if applicable);
Areas underneath dispensers;
Vent lines;
Tank gauging methods and gauging stick; and
Drop tubes (if applicable).

Delivery Prohibition/Non-Compliance Enforcement

If a DEC 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 DEC will first notify the owner/operator in a written order that lists the violations discovered. If the violations are not corrected within a reasonable time frame, the DEC will red tag the UST, identifying it as ineligible for delivery, deposit, or acceptance of product. The DEC maintains a list of sites under delivery prohibition on its website.

Temporary & Permanent Closure

When a UST system is temporarily closed for 3 months or more, the owner/operator must file an amended Notification form with the DEC.
Owners/operators must submit a completed Application for Permanent Closure of UST System form (available on the DEC’s UST Forms & Guidance page) to the appropriate EFO for approval at least 30 days prior to beginning permanent closure work. Owners/operators must contact the EFO at least one working day prior to implementing any closure activities. Once tanks have been removed, the owner/operator must file an amended Notification with the DEC. Within 90 days of tank closure, the owner/operator must submit a UST Permanent Closure Report(available on the DEC’s UST Forms & Guidance page) to the appropriate EFO.
Owners/operators can find more information in the DEC’s UST System Closure Assessment Guidelines document.