The truth is leaking out about underground storage tanks
A tipsheet by Hannah Northey, graduate assistant, Knight Center for Environmental Journalism
Download a printable version of this tipsheetLeaks of petroleum and other toxic substances from underground storage tanks are the leading threat to drinking water in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency. They pose an additional threat as an explosive hazard.
And they’re in every community, as close as your neighborhood gas station.
How big of a problem are they in your community or within important local watersheds? Reporters with basic spreadsheet skills can find out because the federal government requires each state to keep track of them.
Find that data set and you can answer important questions such as:
- How many tanks have leaked?
- Where are they? Are any near schools, water wells, rivers and lakes?
- Which company owns the most leaking underground storage tanks?
- How does your state rate in terms of open and closed underground tanks?
- How many tanks are open? How many are closed?
Note: An “open LUST site” means a location where a release has occurred from an underground storage tank system, and where corrective actions have not been completed to meet the appropriate land use criteria. The site must have more than one confirmed release. A “closed LUST site” is a location where a release has occurred from an underground storage tank system, and where corrective actions have been completed to meet the appropriate land use criteria.
And that kind of analysis may lead you to ask community leaders:
- Is anyone cleaning them up?
- How are costs affecting removal and clean up efforts. Funding for such cleanups has dried up in some states.
- Is there confusion over who owns the tanks?
- Are there any sicknesses attributed to the leaks?
- Have communities had to install expensive new water plants because tanks have contaminated former sources?
Reporters able to use GIS software may be able to pinpoint precise locations as often these data sets report the latitude and longitude of the tanks.
Thousands of underground storage tanks (USTs) and their pipes are leaking hazardous chemicals across the nation, and many more are expected to leak in the future, according to the EPA. Gas stations, factories, government agencies, schools and other entities use USTs to hold toxic material such as gasoline and oil. As the walls of the tanks corrode, USTs may leak toxins into drinking water supplies, homes and businesses
Tanks may contain benzene, toluene and heavy metals that can cause cancer, harm developing children and the human reproductive and nervous systems. MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether) and other contaminants of concern can pollute soil and ground water, leading to fires, explosions and long-term health effects for nearby residents.
MTBE was mandated to be used in some states to improve air quality. It makes engines burn more cleanly. But the substance can quickly contaminate groundwater, making cleanups a nightmare.
Some state data sets indicate whether MTBE is present at leaking tank sites. The percentage of tanks in your community with this problem could be a story in itself.
In 1988, the EPA established and enforced regulatory requirements applicable to USTs. By December 22, 1988, all USTs that had been in the ground more than 10 years had to have the same features to protect them from corrosion and leakage as those installed since 1988.
To date, the EPA requires states to report active tanks, closed tanks, confirmed releases, cleanups initiated, cleanups completed, cleanup backlog and the number of emergency responses. States are also required to report the amount of cooperation they receive from tank site operators.
Here are some national statistics.
The EPA reports that only 268,000 UST leak sites out of 418,000 have been cleaned up. These sites continue to threaten contamination of the groundwater and soil.
