Underground Storage Tank Reform and Compliance Act of 2003

Bill: 108-hr-3231
Sponsor: Rep. Capps, Lois [D-CA-23]
Introduced: 2003-10-02 in the House
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Appropriations
Authorization
Business records
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Directories
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic government information
Employee training
Energy
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental law enforcement
Federal aid to water pollution control
Federal installations
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Fines (Penalties)
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Government liability
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Government trust funds
Governmental investigations
Groundwater
Hazardous wastes
Injunctions
Internet
Labor and Employment
Law
Liability for environmental damages
Licenses
Local laws
Oxygenates
Petroleum industry
Petroleum storage
Potable water
Presidential powers
Public records
Recidivists
Reformulated gasoline
Refuse and refuse disposal
Science, Technology, Communications
Standards
State laws
Underground storage
Water Resources Development
Web sites

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-02
text: Underground Storage Tank Reform and Compliance Act of 2003 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to distribute to States at least 80 percent of the funds authorized to be appropriated under this Act from the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund to pay the reasonable costs incurred under cooperative agreements of: (1) certain corrective actions; (2) directly related administrative expenses; or (3) enforcement of State or local requirements regulating underground storage tanks (USTs). 
Requires the Administrator or a State with an approved program to require compliance inspections of USTs at least once every two years.
Directs the Administrator to publish operator training guidelines and States to develop and implement a training strategy consistent with stated requirements. 
Authorizes the use of funds made available for the petroleum response program to carry out corrective actions with respect to oxygenated fuel additive releases. 
Subjects all USTs or tank systems under Federal jurisdiction to the same substantive and procedural requirements as apply to USTs generally. Waives sovereign immunity. 
Allows trust funds to be used for enforcing UST regulations. 
 
Requires compliance reports by any Federal or State agency responsible for USTs. 
 Prohibits the delivery of regulated substances (motor fuels) to non-compliant tanks. Provides temporary relief for certain tanks in remote locations. 
Mandates that new or replacement USTs be secondarily contained and the space between the primary and secondary containment be monitored for leaks. 
Imposes criminal penalties, requiring that fines be doubled for subsequent convictions. 
Requires the publication via the Web of any confirmed releases or out-of-compliance USTs. 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials.
action_date: 2003-10-02
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
action_date: 2003-10-02
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-10-02
text: Introduced in House