Petroleum Remediation Program (PRP)
Program updates
GRO/DRO policy update
Updated Gasoline Range Organics/Diesel Range Organics (GRO/DRO) standards used for soil screening and cleanup are effective March 7, 2012. For additional information regarding use of the new standards, please see the announcement.
This fact sheet on best practices provides a framework for making good decisions about the off-site reuse of minimally impacted soils that are not a threat to human health or the environment and will use an updated GRO/DRO standard in its criteria: 
Best Management Practices for the Offsite Reuse of Unregulated Fill (c-rem1-01)
Please note that the new GRO/DRO policy has no effect on the reporting requirements of petroleum releases to the Minnesota State Duty Officer (1-800-422-0798); refer to this guidance document: 2-01 Reporting of Petroleum Releases (c-prp2-01)
Electronic submittal policy
Effective February 1, 2012, the Petroleum Remediation Program is requiring submittals be sent in both paper and electronic formats. Below are frequently asked questions regarding electronic submittals.
- Can I send multiple attachments when submitting an electronic report?
- All reports should be submitted as a single electronic document. This includes report text, signature page, tables, figures and appendices.
- Is a scanned signature in the electronic submittal required?
- If there is a signature page in a report, a scanned signature must be included in the electronic document.
- Who do I submit the electronic report to?
- Please email the report to the site project manager.
- Is there a limit to a file size for a report?
- Technically no, but the MPCA’s email server can only receive up to 25 mb file sizes. If the file cannot be emailed due to size, a CD is acceptable.
- Can I submit the electronic report before the paper report?
- Electronic reports should be submitted at the same time as the paper report.
If you have problems meeting this requirement, please talk to your site project manager. The Petroleum Remediation Program looks forward to accepting reports in electronic format only at a future date, and will share that information as it is available.
Purpose
The purpose of the Petroleum Remediation Program (PRP) is to protect human health and the environment by evaluating, minimizing, or correcting petroleum contamination impacts to soil and water caused by leaking storage tank systems.
Customers include responsible parties and volunteers for petroleum-contaminated properties, current or past property owners, current or past storage tank owners or operators, consultants, contractors, attorneys, local, state and federal government, and members of the general public affected by tank release sites.
Mission
The PRP mission is to investigate petroleum releases from petroleum tanks, and to evaluate and remove risks to human health and the environment resulting from those releases. The risks targeted are those posed by petroleum contamination that has:
- Impacted ground water that has or may affect human health;
- Led or may lead to dangerous conditions due to petroleum vapors;
- Affected or may affect surface water quality.
The PRP objective is to ensure clean drinking water and air supplies, and safety from explosive vapors. The program does this by eliminating pathways linking contaminant sources to receptors. A response is required if there are verifiably detectable impacts of petroleum contaminants in drinking water, petroleum vapors in living spaces, or petroleum vapors causing explosive potential in confined spaces. Free product recovery to the extent practicable is required.
In general, the PRP implements a risk-based approach to corrective action at petroleum release sites. Where pathways linking contaminant sources to receptors exist, risk removal efforts might include: replacement of the water supply wells or providing municipal water; long-term point-of-use treatment of contaminated ground water; or active remediation of petroleum contaminated soil and ground water. Water supply replacement is frequently chosen because it provides the surest means of breaking the pathway linking contaminant sources to receptors. Where risks to receptors are low and contamination plumes are stable, contamination is left in place to degrade naturally over time.
Priorities
- Oversee the prompt investigation, cleanup, and closure of petroleum tank release sites.
- Ensure that these investigations, cleanups, and closures occur as quickly as possible without compromising our mandate to protect human health and the environment.
- Coordinate with the responsible parties and the Department of Commerce to ensure prompt and proper reimbursement of eligible expenses incurred during investigation and cleanup of petroleum releases.
Search leaking storage tank sites
You can now search the MPCA's Minnesota Leaking Aboveground/Underground Storage Tank Sites database to locate any of the 18,000+ leaking tank sites that have been reported to the MPCA:
Information about specific underground storage tank sites
2011 PRP Consultant’s Day
The last PRP Consultant's Day was held on February 8, 2011. Below are the agenda, the presentations, and the attendee list for the event. A list of latest PRP updates is included with the agenda.
- Agenda (p-tr2-61)
- PowerPoint presentations (p-tr2-62)
- Attendee's (p-tr2-63)
- Q and A (p-tr2-64)
More information
- Guidance for UST and AST. PRP has developed a series of guidance documents outlining program requirements and providing guidance on conducting proper inve
- stigations and cleanups. There is no charge for these documents.
- Field work notification
- Petroleum Remediation Program maps. The MPCA Petroleum Remediation Program web browser allows you to view PRP sites in relation to Wellhead Protection Areas, Drinking Water Supply Management Areas and Source Water Assessments.
- Petroleum Brownfields Program
- You as a Responsible Party in the PRP (c-prp1-04)
- Minn. Stat. 115C – Petroleum Tank Release Cleanups
- Petrofund — Minnesota Department of Commerce
- Tank Compliance and Assistance Program
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Multi-site contractors - list of state contracts (e-admin9-27) - Greener Practices for Business, Site Development and Site Cleanups: A Toolkit - If you are considering more efficient cleanup remedies, reduced threat of future releases or site development, then this toolkit may be interest to you.
- Who to call
