The Tank Compliance and Assistance Program provides information and assistance to tank owners and others regarding technical standards required of all regulated underground storage tank (UST) and aboveground storage tank (AST) systems. The program also evaluates compliance of tank facilities with state statutes, rules, and permits through inspection and investigations, and determines appropriate enforcement actions when violations are discovered.
This program regulates a variety of industries. Some of the most common regulated facilities with hazardous liquid storage include service stations, trucking companies, bulk petroleum dealers, pipeline terminals, refineries, utility companies, airports, bus companies, school districts, highway departments, and industries such as sugar beet, ethanol, pulp and paper, mining, and chemicals.
Tank notification
Owners of USTs with a capacity of 110 gallons or more and ASTs with a capacity of 500 gallons or more, which contain petroleum or hazardous substances used commercially, must notify the MPCA of the existence of these tanks.
Tanks not subject to notification include farm and residential motor fuel tanks with a capacity of less than 1,100 gallons not used commercially; heating oil tanks less than 1,100 gallons; flow-through process tanks; septic tanks and agricultural chemical tanks.
Tank owners must also notify the MPCA within 30 days after any product change or status change (tank closure, removal, new owner, etc.) at a registered tank facility.
Notification requirements can be met by completing either the UST Notification form or AST Notification form, as applicable, and submitting the signed form to the MPCA. The notification requirements are found in state law (Minn. Stat. 116.48).
UST Notification form (t-u5-04a)- UST Change in status form (t-u5-04b)
Aboveground Storage Tanks Program: Notification of Installation or Change in Status Form (revised 2/17)
Tank notification requirements (116.48)
Ten-day Advance Notice. The tank owner or the installation contractor must provide advance notice to the MPCA of certain activities related to underground storage tanks: Installation or replacement of regulated USTs, piping, and *NEW* dispensers; permanent UST closure; change to storage of a nonregulated substance; and *NEW* inspection of an 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.
Search for tank sites
Use the link below to find leaking and registered tank sites in Minnesota — locations, details of tank installation and construction, and installed safety measures.
Tank information and requirements
For specific information about UST and AST requirements, visit:
Annual summary of compliance inspections and release information
Publications
The Tanks program has many useful forms, fact sheets, and guidance documents providing technical and compliance assistance to tank owners and others.
Reporting leaks and spills
Tank owners are required to immediately report a leak or spill of more than five gallons of petroleum, or any amount of a hazardous substance, from any tank or piping.
- To report a leak or spill, call the Minnesota Duty Officer at 800-422-0798 or 651-649-5451. The duty officer is available 24 hours/day, seven days per week.
- Minnesota Duty Officer
Cleanup of leaks and spills
All leaks and spills from USTs and ASTs and associated piping must be cleaned up to protect the environment and public health. Petroleum-related cleanup at facilities with less than one million gallons capacity is managed by the Petroleum Remediation Program. The Brownfields program provides technical assistance and liability assurances necessary to expedite and facilitate the development, transfer, investigation and/or cleanup of property. The Large AST Cleanup Program oversees cleanup actions conducted by companies with petroleum contamination at AST facilities with more than one million gallons capacity.
The Petrofund, administered by the Department of Commerce, provides reimbursement for cleanups at UST and AST sites with petroleum-related contamination with less than one million gallons capacity. Both commercial and residential tank sites are eligible. Petrofund reimbursements are funded by a two-cent per gallon fee paid by bulk petroleum distributors.
Delivery prohibition
The application of a red tag to the fill cap or fill point identifies an ineligible underground or aboveground storage tank. Deliveries to these tanks are prohibited until the removal of the red tag is authorized by the Commissioner of the MPCA, or the red tag is removed by an Agency certified installer who has provided documentation to the Commissioner that the violations for which the system was red-tagged have been corrected.
Environmental audits
Since 1995, almost 700 tank sites have gone through the MPCA’s Environmental Audit Program. This program allows tank owners to inspect their site, find and disclose violations, and correct them within a specified period of time, without receiving an enforcement action, provided that certain program requirements are met. For a facility to receive a Green Star Award, an audit must be conducted that examines the facility's compliance with all applicable environmental requirements.
- MPCA Environmental Audit Program - Fact Sheet (ea-p1-01)
- Environmental Audit Program
Underground Storage Tank System Audit Checklist
Who to call
To reach any of the following areas of interest from Greater Minnesota, call 800-657-3864 and ask for the either the name of the person or the topic.
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Topic |
Contact |
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Tank notification and the tank database |
Ben Palmquist, 651-757-2637 |
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UST contractor certification |
Jeff Brandon, 218-302-6610 |
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AST Major Facilities |
Chris Bashor, 651-757-2215 |
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Tank requirements |
Brainerd office:
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Detroit Lakes office:
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Duluth office:
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Marshall office:
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Rochester office:
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Twin City Metro Area office:
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