Mississippi Administrative Code
Title 11 - Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Part 5 - Underground Storage Tank Regulations
Chapter 2 - Mississippi Commission on Environmental Quality Underground Storage Tanks Regulations Technical Standards and Corrective Action Requirements for Owners and Operators of Underground Storage Tanks (UST) (Adopted March 22, 1989; Amended August 25, 2011, Last Amended August 23, 2018)
Appendix 11-5-2-280.4 - GUIDELINES FOR THE PERMANENT CLOSURE OF PETROLEUM UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK SYSTEMS
Section 11-5-2-280.4-1 - GENERAL
Section 11-5-2-280.4-1-1.1 - Introduction
The purpose of this document is to provide guidance that explains what the policies of the Underground Storage Tank (UST) Branch are regarding the permanent closure of petroleum UST systems. If you are permanently closing a UST system that has contained a regulated substance other than petroleum, you must contact the UST Branch in order to determine what sampling requirements must be met.
Any tank that was in use on or after December 22,1988, must be permanently closed if taken out of use for more than a 12-month period unless the tank meets the corrosion protection requirements. If a tank was taken out of use prior to December 22, 1988, and was closed in accordance with acceptable industry standards at that time, it is not required to be permanently closed in accordance with the present UST rules and regulations. Generally, the acceptable industry practice prior to December 22, 1988, was to simply empty the UST of product and in some instances, fill the tank with water. However, if a release is discovered at a tank that was closed prior to December 22, 1988, the release must be reported to the UST Branch and remediated just as if the release had occurred today.
The UST regulations require that when a UST is permanently closed, the site must be sampled for the presence of a release where contamination is most likely to be present. Therefore, the sampling requirements in this guide are only the minimum necessary and are not intended to substitute for the specific conditions that may apply to an individual site. Additional sampling may be justified whenever obvious areas of contamination are found.
No closure report will be accepted as complete without the minimum sampling data that is described herein. However, an allowance will be made where certain circumstances prohibit the collection of the minimum sampling points necessary such as when a tank is to be closed in place but one end of the tank is underneath a building. If it is necessary to deviate from the minimum sampling procedure, the tank owner must submit to the UST Branch an alternative sampling plan thirty (30) days prior to the closure to gain approval.
A Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) certified contractor must supervise the permanent closure of any UST system that was in use on or after December 22, 1988. The certified contractor must ensure that all UST regulations and industry codes/practices (see Appendix F) relating to the closure are followed. To obtain a current listing of MDEQ certified contractors, contact the UST Branch at(601) 961-5171.
The state Fire Marshall's office and/or local fire department may need to be contacted prior to performing UST closure. You may also be required to obtain city or local demolition permits.
All underground utilities must be identified and clearly marked prior to any excavation or drilling. Contact Mississippi One-Call System, Inc. at 1-601-362-4374 in order to have all underground utilities marked.
Certain terms used in this document are defined in Appendix H for your reference.
