Washington DC UST Operator Training

UST Operator Certification Procedures

Class A/B Operator Training
PASS' Class A/B Operator Training in Washington D.C. is approved thru the District Department of the Environment
Class C Operator Training
PASS' Class C Operator Training in Washington D.C. is approved thru the District Department of the Environment

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

Within 30 days of bringing a UST or UST system into use, the owner/operator must submit a completed UST Facility Notification form to the DDOE and pay the appropriate registration fee. This registers the UST or UST system with the District. Whenever any changes are made to the UST or UST system, such as a change in ownership, a new notification form must be submitted to the DDOE.

Release Reporting

A spill or overfill of petroleum product in excess of 25 gallons or that causes a sheen on nearby surface water must be reported to the DDOE's spill response reporting number (202-535-2600) within 24 hours of discovery. Smaller spills or overfills must be reported if they are not cleaned up within 24 hours. Information will also need to be submitted to the DDOE on a Release/Suspected Release Notification Form as well.

Release Detection

Owners/operators in the District of Columbia may use any of the following release detection methods for tanks.

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

Financial Responsibility

The District of Columbia 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
Guarantee
Insurance and risk retention group coverage
Surety bond
Letter of credit
Private trust fund
Stand-by trust fund

Delivery Prohibition/Non-Compliance Enforcement

If a District Department of the Environment (DDOE) inspector determines that a UST or UST system is out of compliance with UST regulations, he or she may initiate non-compliance enforcement procedures. You can learn more about the DDOE's delivery prohibition process here.

The first step in non-compliance enforcement is the issuance of a Notice of Violation or Threatened Violation, which will:

Clearly identify the violation or threatened violation by citing the specific regulation(s);
May require the owner/operator to take corrective measures which the DDOE considers reasonable and necessary; and
Specify a reasonable time frame for completion of any necessary corrective measures.

If the owner/operator objects to a Notice of Violation or Threatened Violation, he or she must file a written statement detailing those objections and the basis for those objections within 15 calendar days of receipt of the Notice.

If the owner/operator fails to respond to the Notice of Violation or Threatened Violation, the DDOE may issue a Proposed Compliance Order or Proposed Cease and Desist Order, which will include any scheduled hearing dates and any penalties to be assessed for failure to comply with the Order. The DDOE may also act to suspend, revoke, or deny the owner/operator a license or certification. The DDOE will also post a list of non-compliant facilities on its website.

Temporary & Permanent Closure

Temporary Closure

Within ninety (90) days after the date that an UST system is temporarily closed, the owner or operator shall do the following:

Remove all regulated substances from the UST system and keep the UST system empty for the balance of the temporary closure period. The UST system shall be deemed to be empty when all substances have been removed using commonly employed practices so that either of the following is achieved:
- No more than two and one-half centimeters (2.5 cm) of residue remains in the UST system; or
- No more than three-tenths of one percent (0.3%) by weight of the total capacity of the UST system remains in the system
Ensure that all vent lines are open and functioning;
Cap and secure all other lines, pumps, manways, and ancillary equipment; and
Within seven (7) days after completing the activities above, the owner or operator shall submit to the Director a completed Contractor Certification form:
- Signed by the independent third-party service provider who performed the activities stated above; or
- Signed by an independent third-party service provider who has inspected and verified that the owner or operator performed the activities stated above.

For Temporary and Permanent Closure Forms and Instructions please visit the Department of Energy and Environments website.

Recordkeeping

The owner or operator of each UST system shall maintain records, in demonstrating compliance with all applicable requirements:

All written performance claims pertaining to any release detection system that is in use, including the manner in which those claims have been justified or tested by the equipment manufacturer or installer, shall be maintained for at least ten (10) years after the date of installation. Owners or operators shall retain any written performance claims that were in their possession on January 1, 1996 or thereafter and that are currently in their possession in accordance with the times set forth in this section.
The results of any sampling, testing, or monitoring of an UST system shall be maintained for at least three (3) years
The results of tank tightness testing conducted shall be retained until the next test of the UST system is conducted.
Written documentation of all calibration, maintenance, and repair of release detection equipment permanently located at the UST system facility shall be maintained for at least three (3) years after the servicing work is completed.
All schedules of required calibration and maintenance provided by the release detection equipment manufacturer shall be retained for at least ten (10) years from the date of installation of the release detection system. Owners or operators shall maintain all calibration and maintenance schedules that were in their possession on January 1, 1996 or thereafter and are currently in their possession.