California Environmental Reporting System (CERS)
Should a permanently closed UST be included in future submittals?
Question: 1. Should a permanently closed UST be included in future submittals?
Answer: No. Use the process below to discard closed/removed tanks from future submittals.
When an underground storage tank (UST) is permanently closed by removal or closure in place, a CERS UST submittal is necessary to report the closure. This submittal must include the correct Type of Action, either permanent closure in place or removal, and must include the Date of Closure/Removal. The owner or operator must provide the proposal to close to the CUPA at least 30 days before the closure. Closure must be completed within a reasonable time frame determined by the CUPA, but not to exceed 365 days from the approval date. Refer to California Code of Regulations, Title 23, Division 3, Chapter 16, (Title 23) section 2681(a). Within 30 days of the UST closure, the owner or operator must update all applicable data elements in CERS or local reporting portal (Title 23, section 2681(n). Once this submittal has been accepted by the CUPA it is no longer necessary to continue to include the closed UST in future UST submittals.
Process:
Important notes:
- Records of temporarily closed or permanently closed USTs must be maintained onsite or at a readily accessible location for no less than 36 months (Title 23, section 2613(c).
On the next UST submittal after the closure submittal has been accepted by the CUPA, use the discard feature to remove the closed tank(s) from all future UST submittals. CERS will retain the closure data permanently even though the subsequent UST submittals will no longer reference the closed tank(s).
In this screenshot you can see this facility has been reporting two tanks. Selecting the ‘Discard’ button for Tank ID # 1 will remove this tank from future submittals.
After selecting the ‘Discard’ button CERS provides a warning sign that requires your confirmation that you do indeed wish to discard this tank and its’ related data from future UST submittals. Selecting the ‘Discard’ button on this screen confirms and completes the process.
After discarding CERS returns to the Underground Storage Tanks screen where you can see that tank ID # 1 is no longer included in the submittal process. Continue the process to complete the UST submittal for the remaining active or temporarily closed tanks.
