Rutgers and the NJDEP Team Up to Train Over 2,000 on
Proper Underground Storage Tank (UST) Operations

By Casey Sky Noon
NJAES Office of Continuing Professional Education (OCPE)|
Rutgers University

It sounds like science fiction, but according to the real-world New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), there are over 4,200 sites storing billions of gallons of flammable gasoline in giant tanks buried underground, right here within the borders of the Garden State.

This number includes hospitals and schools that use oil for heat, mechanic shops and factories that utilize waste oil tanks, and thousands of gas stations, each storing between ten and twenty thousand gallons of gasoline.

Out of sight and out of mind, it is easy to forget the potential dangers posed by the fuel we use daily. In addition to being highly flammable, liquid leaks and vapor emissions cause:

• Groundwater contamination
• Environmental pollution
• Unsafe air quality

Standard refined gasoline contains about 150 different chemicals, many of which are toxic. If released into the environment, it can kill small species of animals and cause severe damage to the local ecosystem. In humans, it can cause cancer, respiratory distress, and other serious health problems.

To protect NJ from the health, safety, and environmental threats of petroleum pollution, the state updated its regulations to match federal standards. “The changes are primarily equipment updates, additional testing, and better forms of leak detection so that operators can more reliably find smaller leaks faster,” said NJDEP Inspector Jenna DiNuzzo.

The modification that has and continues to cause the most stir requires every tank system to have a trained and certified Class A/B Operator assigned to it. The purpose of this regulation is to ensure that those who own USTs understand how to operate and maintain those systems properly. “A lot of owners have no idea what is going on at their properties, so now they are being taught what their equipment does, how it works, and what to do if certain things happen,” explained Jenna.

With the passing of the new regulations, there came a pressing need for a training program that would give current UST operators the opportunity to earn their Class A/B certification and comply with the updated requirements. While the NJDEP developed the course curriculum and supplied subject matter experts to teach the training, they needed a partner to handle the logistics of scheduling classes and processing registrations.

To fulfill this huge educational undertaking, the NJDEP teamed up with Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education to provide focused training on preventing, quickly detecting, and correcting leaking USTs. Together, they hosted over 40 classes in half a dozen locations throughout the state. In just over one calendar year, over 2,200 operators attended the one-day training program, which is now available as an online course.

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