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Petroleum Remediation Program (PRP)

Field Work Notification is now required at all existing (open or closed) leak sites.

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2008 Consultant’s Day Presentations

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. A searchable database of the 15,000+ tank release sites in Minnesota reported to the MPCA is available below.

Program 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.

Program 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 15,000+ leaking tank sites that have been reported to the MPCA:

• Minnesota Leaking Aboveground/Underground Storage Tank Sites Search

Presentations

Listed below are presentations from the Petroleum Remediation Program Consultant’s Day, September 25, 2008.

• Attendance List 1
• Attendance List 2

• Vapor Intrusion, Tom Higgins
• Petroleum Brownfields Overview, Mark Koplitz
• Public Works Projects Policy, Laurie Kania
• Biofuels Releases, Adam Sekely
• QA/QC and Fieldwork Audits, Bill Scruton/Andy Eddy
• Receptor Notification Legislation, Chris McLain
• Reporting Forms, Adam Sekely
• Corrective Action Design Remediation Systems, Paul Stock
• Tanks Compliance Issues, Bob Dullinger
• Site Reopen Process, Kate Funk and Sarah Larsen

More Information

• Consultant Guidance For UST/AST Release Investigation and Cleanup. PRP has developed a series of guidance documents outlining program requirements and providing guidance on conducting proper investigations and cleanups. There is no charge for these documents.
• Petroleum Remediation Programs Staff and Contact List
• Petroleum Brownfield Program (PBP)
• You as a Responsible Party in the PRP
• Underground Storage Tank Systems
• Toolkit for Pollution Prevention and Sustainable Activities at Remediation Sites - if you are considering more efficient cleanup remedies, reduced threat of future releases, or site development, then this toolkit may be interest to you.
• Petrofund — Minnesota Department of Commerce
• Multi Site Contractors — Complete List of State Contracts