The MPCA regulates both underground and aboveground commercial storage tanks above a certain size that hold petroleum or hazardous liquids. Tanks must be built and installed to meet a set of technical standards and comply with state rules and permits. The agency assists tank owners and others in meeting requirements, performs inspections, and determines appropriate enforcement actions when it finds violations.
Many industries store petroleum or hazardous liquids in tanks, including service stations, trucking companies, bulk petroleum dealers, pipeline terminals, refineries, utility companies, airports, bus companies, school districts, highway departments, chemical companies, ethanol plants, mines, and pulp and paper mills.
Tank notifications and modifications
Owners of underground storage tanks (USTs) with a capacity of 110 gallons or more and aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) of 500 gallons or more that contain petroleum or hazardous substances used commercially, must notify the MPCA of the existence of the tanks. Tank owners must also notify the MPCA within 30 days of any product change or status change (tank closure, removal, new owner, etc.) at a registered tank facility.
- Facilities with storage capacity less than 1 million gallons
- Major facilities with storage capacity of 1 million gallons or more
- Tank notification requirements (116.48)
Tanks not subject to notification include:
- farm and residential fuel tanks of less than 1,100 gallons and not used commercially
- heating oil tanks smaller than 1,100 gallons
- flow-through process tanks
- septic tanks
- agricultural chemical tanks
Underground tank notifications
Tank owners or installation contractors must notify the MPCA at least ten days in advance of certain UST activities:
- installation or replacement of regulated USTs, piping, and new dispensers
- permanent tank closure
- change to storage of a nonregulated substance
- new inspection of internal UST lining
If the installation or closure date changes by more than 48 hours, the owner or contractor must re-notify the MPCA of the new date.
Leaks and spills
Reporting
Call the Minnesota Duty Officer at 800-422-0798 or 651-649-5451 to report a leak or spill of more than five gallons of petroleum, or any amount of a hazardous substance, from any tank or piping. Tank owners must immediately report spills at their facilities. Learn more:
- Minnesota Duty Officer (MN Dept. of Public Safety)
- Incident response
Clean up
All leaks and spills from USTs and ASTs and associated piping must be cleaned up to protect the environment and public health. The MPCA oversees cleanup actions by companies when petroleum leaks from their aboveground tanks of more than one million gallons capacity.
Delivery prohibition
When a red tag has been applied to a tank's fill cap or fill point, the tank has been designated ineligible. Deliveries to such tanks are prohibited until the MPCA authorizes removal of the red tag.
Environmental audits
Since 1995, almost 700 tank sites in Minnesota have gone through the MPCA’s environmental audit. The program shows tank owners how to inspect their site, find and disclose violations, and correct them within a specified period of time, without receiving a penalty, if certain requirements are met.
Resources
- Underground Storage Tanks (U.S. EPA)
- State Fire Code (Minnesota Dept of Public Safety)
- Ag Chemicals & Fertilizers (Minn. Dept. of Agriculture)
Storage tank compliance and enforcement staff
The MPCA provides technical assistance to help storage tanks owners meet environmental requirements. Contact the compliance staff for your area for assistance.
Name | Phone | Counties served | |
---|---|---|---|
Josh Salwey | 218-846-8102 | josh.salwey@state.mn.us | Becker, Clay, Clearwater, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, Traverse, Wadena, Wilkin |
Daniel Ellenbecker | 507-476-4288 | daniel.ellenbecker@state.mn.us | Big Stone, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Pope, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Yellow Medicine |
Cole Czech | 651-757-2193 | cole.czech@state.mn.us | Dakota, Scott |
Jake Mueller | 651-757-2862 | jacob.mueller@state.mn.us | Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Wright |
Jeff Brandon | 218-302-6610 | jeffery.brandon@state.mn.us | Aitkin, Beltrami, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Pine, St. Louis |
Jeff Weite | 218-316-3878 | jeff.weite@state.mn.us | Benton, Cass, Crow Wing, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd |
Jenalee Quigley | 651-757-2238 | jenalee.quigley@state.mn.us | Ramsey, Washington |
Abdulmalik Ahmed | 651-757-2851 | abdulmalik.ahmed@state.mn.us | Hennepin |
Tanner Beck | 507-344-5251 | tanner.beck@state.mn.us | Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Faribault, Le Sueur, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Nicollet, Rice, Sibley, Waseca, Watonwan |
Isaac Johnson | 507-206-2606 | isaac.johnson@state.mn.us | Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Steele, Wabasha, Winona |
Ben Palmquist | 651-757-2637 | benjamin.palmquist@state.mn.us | Hennepin |