Important Changes

Fund Eligibility and Reimbursement
    Additional information is available regarding fund eligibility and scaled deductibles.  The information can be viewed here.  A specific email has been created to answer questions regarding fund eligibility.  Th email is: ust.fund@tn.gov

Fees and Notification:
The Division now offers documents translated in nine languages.  Documents can be found here.

• Arabic
• Chinese (Mandarin)
• Gujarati
• Hindi
• Korean
• Kurdish (Sorani)
• Oromo
• Spanish
• Vietnamese

Revised Enforcement Policy:

The revised Enforcement Policy was finalized on August 03, 2023, after being presented to the Underground Storage Tank and Solid Waste Disposal Control Board and the posting period expired on the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s (TDEC) policy on policies draft policy webpage.  The document is primarily designed for the implemented by the Divisions’ enforcement team who evaluate the consequences of owners and operators continued regulatory non-compliance with the Division rules under the Tennessee Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Act.  The policy outlines specific steps for staff to follow covering everything from the initial enforcement referral by field staff to the enforcement team, the review process, rule violations that require operator retraining, the matrix used to calculate penalties, and much more.  The most significant change associated with the revised policy is to update the document per the rule that went into effect in Tennessee on October 13, 2021, initially promulgated by the U.S. E.P.A in 2015.  Tennessee’s regulatory programs are required to be at least as stringent as federal rules to be deemed a state approved program.  An additional revision includes operator retraining that can now be initially required by field staff, instead of the enforcement team, due to certain violations discovered during an operational compliance inspection.  The revised policy helps Division staff equally apply the requirements of the Tennessee Petroleum Underground Storage Tank rules, increases awareness, knowledge, and transparency of our procedures and processes for all our stakeholders.  The revised policy can be view on the Department of Environment and Conservations webpage.

Complaint Response Policy:

The revised complaint response policy was finalized for February 22, 2022, after being presented to the Underground Storage Tank and Solid Waste Disposal Control Board and the posting period expired on the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s (TDEC) policy on policies draft policy webpage.  This document is designed to provide guidance to Division staff, ensure staff are responsive to citizen environmental complaints, makes certain the Division is properly implementing the Division’s rules under the Tennessee Petroleum Underground Storage Tanks Act (ACT) when addressing citizen environmental complaints, and so that internal decisions remain consistent and transparent.  The policy includes everything from response timelines, database entry, standards of proper documentation, how to make referrals to other agencies, etc.  Valid environmental complaints that fall under the UST Division’s jurisdiction include petroleum UST’s regulated under the ACT.  Valid environmental complaints that fall outside of the UST Division’s jurisdiction are timely referred to other TDEC regulatory Divisions, other agencies, or municipalities as appropriate.  This new policy can be viewed on the Department of Environment and Conservations webpage.