The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the distribution of $197 million appropriated under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to assess and clean up underground storage tank (UST) petroleum leaks. EPA estimates that these funds will create or retain significant numbers of jobs and contribute to at least 1,600 cleanups around the nation.
The greatest potential hazard from a leaking UST is that the petroleum or other hazardous substances seep into the soil and contaminate groundwater.
Funds will be used for overseeing the assessment and cleanup of leaks from USTs or directly paying for assessment and cleanup of leaks from federally regulated tanks where the responsible party is unknown, unwilling, unable, or the cleanup is an emergency response.
States and territories will get $190.7 million of the total funding in the form of cooperative agreements to address shovel-ready sites within their jurisdictions. EPA will use $6.3 million of the total funding to assess and clean up shovel-ready sites in Indian country.
EPA regional UST programs will enter into cooperative agreements with states and territories in spring 2009. These cooperative agreements will include more detailed descriptions of state spending plans.
Access www.epa.gov/oust/eparecovery for information on the UST funding and implementation of the Recovery Act.