Mercury is a global contaminant that is naturally occurring. A law passed in 1988 requires all USTs to be registered with the state. Currently, there are approximately 25,000 tanks registered and there are probably one-third that many that are not registered. When a tank is closed, the proper paperwork must be submitted to the state and soil samples are collected from the subsurface beneath the tanks to determine if there was any leakage. When the paperwork is received the database is amended to reflect the closure and the soil samples are analyzed at a lab.
Further action is taken is the results of the soil samples show contamination.
The program is being funded from the federal Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. DHH has contracted DEQ to develop and implement the Source Water Assessment Program because of prior experience in the development and implementation of the Wellhead Protection Program. We plan to post the information quarterly as systems are completed. It can be a function of how much information is being posted by DEQ at each time interval. The Consumer Confidence Reports will be sent to consumers each year beginning in 1999 and any systems completed in that time frame will be included in the report.