While he has installed five of the fuel tank systems in the past year, Williams admits many producers are hesitant to make the investment. We try to get them to go with some type of containment because long-term we think they will need it. Upgrading petroleum storage is largely a voluntary effort by farmers. EPA regulations dating back to 1972 require secondary containment on all above-ground tanks larger than 660 gallons, or where fuel storage exceeds 1,320 gallons. However, these rules predate 1984 amendments, which don't mention these requirements.
Few states enforce the regulations.
Underground tanks larger than 1,100 gallons face more regulations. In 1988, the EPA estimated one fourth of the 1.8 million buried fuel tanks were leaking. Since then, most have been removed or replaced with noncorrosive tanks. However, risks abound even with above-ground tanks. In recent years, some form of the program has been adopted in nearly every state.