Owners and operators of underground storage tanks (USTs) are required to perform two actions to ensure that accidental spills and overflows do not occur during refilling:

• Ensure that the amount of product being delivered will fit into the available empty space before the transfer is made.
• Ensure that the transfer is monitored constantly to prevent overfilling or spilling. The delivery person should never leave the tanker unattended while fuel is being transferred. You should include an additional person to monitor.

Good management suggests that you physically measure the level of fuel already in the tank before refilling. Never rely solely on automated devices to gauge the available capacity of your tank.

Other smart practices include measuring twice, double-checking your calculations, and having someone else check them as well.

Also, make sure you order that right amount of product for delivery. You should only order the quantity of fuel that will fit into 90 percent of the UST. So, if you have a 10,000 gallon tank with 2,000 gallons left, you would order at most 7,000 gallons.

Place signs near your fill pipes to alert your delivery person as to what type of overfill device is present on each tank and what will occur if the overfill device is triggered.

INFO: Contact Paul Miller, UST operations and maintenance, at 703-603-7165.