What Is The History Of The Federal Underground Storage Tank Program?
Until the mid-1980s most underground storage tanks (USTs) were made of bare steel, which is likely to corrode over time and allow UST contents to leak into the environment. The greatest potential hazard from a leaking UST is that its contents (petroleum or other hazardous substances) can seep into the soil and contaminate groundwater, the source of drinking water for nearly half of all Americans. To address a nationwide problem of leaking USTs, Congress passed a series of laws to protect human health and the environment.
