Fun Fact: A Single EPA Estimate in 1984 Reshaped an Entire Industry

Fun fact: In 1984, the EPA estimated that nearly 25% of underground storage tanks (USTs) in the U.S. were leaking—or at serious risk of it. Most were made of bare steel, buried without corrosion protection or containment.

This led to one of the most sweeping federal infrastructure reforms in modern environmental history, reshaping how fuel is stored, regulated, and maintained.

What Happened Next? A Timeline of Rapid Reform

1984

Congress added Subtitle I to the Solid Waste Disposal Act, launching the nation’s first federal UST program. It gave the EPA authority to regulate petroleum and hazardous substance tanks.

1985

The EPA formed the Office of Underground Storage Tanks. With more than 2.1 million tanks nationwide, EPA turned to states, territories, and tribal partners to implement the program on the ground.

1986

Congress created the Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Trust Fund via the Superfund Amendments. Paid for by a 0.1 cent-per-gallon gas tax, it funded emergency cleanups when tank owners couldn’t and required financial responsibility for damages.

1988

The EPA published its first UST technical regulations, requiring tank owners to prevent leaks, detect them early, and respond quickly. The agency also created standards for approving state-run programs.

Why It Still Matters

This four-year window set the groundwork for modern environmental compliance. The UST and LUST programs created permanent funding, guidance, and oversight mechanisms to prevent the kind of invisible environmental damage that had gone unchecked for decades.

For E.O. Habhegger, this era added another layer to our services: compliance support. We continued supplying trusted equipment, but also began guiding customers through regulatory changes, partnering with innovators, and helping operators build systems that met evolving federal standards.