When petroleum products, such as gasoline and diesel, leak into the ground, they can cause a variety of problems. If petroleum gets into groundwater, that water can become unusable for drinking or stock watering. Just one gallon of a petroleum product can pollute one million gallons of water. Even groundwater not used to supply drinking water needs is of concern because petroleum products can be carried by the groundwater and may impact subsurface utilities or basements. To help prevent future contamination and effectively deal with already contaminated sites, Congress established standards for underground storage tanks in 1987. In South Dakota, this federal program is administered by the department. The department has included aboveground storage tanks in its regulations due to the fact they have a potential to leak as well.
Below is a list of resources, guides and applications for storage tanks.
| Cleanup | Compliance | SPCC |
|---|---|---|
| FAQs | Important Weblinks | Database |
|---|---|---|
The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources has developed a comprehensive guidance document on how to evaluate risk to public and private wells from a petroleum release site. The guidance document also clarifies the Tier 2 risk based assessment and Tier 3 requirements at the aquifer sites including the wellhead protection areas.
The Tier 3 modeling can be done at release sites where Tier 2 risk based assessment has been done and identified the presence of public or private wells. For details check out the guidance document.
The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Handbook for Investigation and Corrective Action Requirements for Discharges from Storage Tanks, Piping Systems and other Releases. The Handbook should be used when performing site assessments, remediation activities, etc. at petroleum release sites.