Reimbursement

Important Updates and Information

Effective April 9, 2026, payments for corrective actions or third-party claims will be issued by direct deposit to the provider of the corrective action services or third party.  The Division will no longer issue checks for these payments.

Updated Underground Storage Tanks (UST) Rules – Effective April 9, 2026

1. All fund eligible releases that occur on or after April 9, 2026, will be entitled to reimbursement from the fund with a maximum deductible of $5,000. Operational compliance will no longer impact deductible amounts.
2. The $5,000 deductible may be decreased up to 100%, so that there is no deductible, if certain criteria have been met.
3. For fund eligible releases that occur on or after April 9, 2026, costs for site checks required in accordance with Rule 0400-18-01-.05(3)(b) will be covered in full at the reasonable rate schedule and are not subject to the deductible.
4. Payments for corrective actions or third-party claims will be made by direct deposit to the provider of the corrective action services or third party.  The Division will no longer be issuing checks for these payments.
5. Incomplete reimbursement payment applications will be denied payment from the fund if not resolved within the timeframe established by the Division.
6. The annual tank fee suspension is extended to June 30, 2031.

Preparing Applications for Submittal

• All documents should be reviewed prior to submitting documents to the Division.
• Account numbers, credit card numbers, and social security numbers must be redacted before submitting them to the Division.
• All applications received are tracked by the facility ID number, invoice number, and application number.
• Each application must include the facility ID number and invoice number in both the email subject line and the file name of all the attached files.
• Spaces should be excluded from the invoice number.
  • Incorrect Example: 1234 appeal
  • Correct Example: 1234appeal
• Fiscal years cannot be combined on the same application.
  • The Division's fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30 each year.  Example: July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
• Application Access files must be sent as a zipped file.  This ensures Microsoft Outlook won't block the file when sending.
• Contractor numbers are provided by the Division and consist of letters and numbers.
  • The "C" is the only letter; the remaining characters are numbers.
• All personnel claimed in an application must be named in the "Employee List." 
  • The name listed in the application must match the name exactly on the submitted employee list.
• The Reimbursement Guidance Document and associated Task Cost Sheets will provide guidance on what tasks and items can be claimed.
• Pursuant to Rule 0400-18-01-.09(15)(g), a CAC on a list of contractors banned from usage on federally funded projects cannot work as a subcontractor to an approved corrective action contractor.  The exclusion list is searchable on SAM.gov, which also provides a quick start guide for searching assistance.

Submitting an Application

Applications must be submitted to ust.reimbursment@tn.gov.

Post Submission Process

After an application has been submitted, a receipt of acknowledgment will be sent for each application.  The application will go through the following steps while being processed by the Division.

Pre-Audit

Pre-Audit process ensures all the required documents are present with the application.  These documents include, but are not limited to, certification affidavits, invoice summary information, invoices for work performed and supporting documents, service contracts, and any additional documents requested by the Division.  Requirements for what constitutes a complete application can be found under the current Tennessee UST Rules.

The first application received may require that either the Corrective Action Contractor (CAC) or the Responsible Party (RP) be set up as a vendor in Supplier Maintenance (SM).  This may require additional time and documentation to complete.  In addition to becoming a vendor, the CAC or RP will need to set up direct deposit to receive payment.  Direct deposit can be set up by completing the Supplier Maintenance SDDA Access form and emailing the completed copy to fa.suppliersupport@tn.gov.

Auditing

Division Data Specialist will review the invoice summary information, invoices, and back up documentation.  This information will be compared with the Reimbursement Guidance Document (RGD) to determine if the tasks are reimbursable.  If an item or cost is not listed in the RGD, it must be pre-approved by the Division in writing.

Failure to obtain Division approval and/or furnish back up documentation may result in denial of the requested cost or item.

CAS Specialist Certification Certificates and CAS Specialist Re-Certification Certificates must be submitted with each application when a CAS Specialist is claimed.

Approval

Once the Division has audited the application and associated paperwork, the reimbursement section will approve the appropriate task and send it to Fiscal for payment.

Payment

Any corrections or revisions that are required by the Division may delay payment.  Payments are held until required corrections are rectified.  Corrections and revisions should be submitted as quickly as possible to the Data Specialist who made the request.

All reimbursement payments are dispersed via direct deposit either to the CAC or the RP.

Appeals

If a Corrective Action Contractor (CAC) or Responsible Party (RP) wishes to dispute any denied cost, an appeal must be submitted to the Division.  Appeals must be submitted to ust.reimbursment@tn.gov.  Appeals should include the following documents when submitted:

1. An appeal for the denied cost on official letterhead,
2. Summary of the appeal,
3. The first page of the original application approved summary page, that shows the denied cost total,
4. Invoices and/or back up documentation for the denied cost,
5. The original applications Certification Affidavits (if applicable), and
6. Access Application File.

The appealed amount must be claimed under the same task as it was claimed in the original application. The only exception to this requirement would be if the cost was claimed under the incorrect task in the original application.  Instances such as these should be claimed under the correct task number with a detailed comment that states that cost was originally claimed under an incorrect task number.

Reimbursement Documents

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Reimbursement Staff Contacts