(02) 9575 7755Metech Consulting can assist owners and operators of Underground Petroleum Storage Systems (UPSS) to meet the requirements of NSW EPA’s Protection of the Environment Operations (Underground Petroleum Storage Systems) Regulation 2008.
Underground Petroleum Storage Systems (UPSS) have the potential to leak, leading to expensive clean-up and damage to the environment. Persistent leaks can have a major impact on neighbouring properties and impose significant costs on the owner of the UPSS and the broader community.
In 2008, the NSW EPA introduced the Protection of the Environment Operations (Underground Petroleum Storage Systems) Regulation, which requires owners and operators of underground fuel storage systems to regularly check for leaks in the fuel tanks and pipes used to store and handle petroleum products. The Regulation also outlines minimum standard requirements for routine environmental management for these storage systems.
Under the Regulation, it is against the law to allow or ignore contamination resulting from a leaking or faulty UPSS.
The owner or operator of all UPSS are required to have the in place:
- A system for detecting and monitoring leaks
- Groundwater monitoring wells
- A groundwater monitoring program
- An Environment Protection Plan (EPP)
- Systems for record keeping, reporting of leaks and notifying the local council when a UPSS is decommissioned
UPSS can also represent a considerable financial liability to a land owner or potential purchaser of a property and should be taken into account as part of a thorough due diligence assessment.
Metech Consulting specialise is assisting corporations minimise their risk of causing or being liable for contamination, by working with our clients to develop effective assessment and management strategies. We pride ourselves in providing functional, cost-effective management strategies that add value to our clients’ projects and operations. We embed leading edge innovation and risk-based principals to gain real benefits from a practical and strategic approach to risk management.
For the assessment and management of UPSS, we provide services to:
- Service station operators / managers
- Mechanical repair workshops
- Car dealerships
- Emergency service providers, including police, fire brigade and ambulance services
- Freight companies
- Industrial corporations
Our Underground Petroleum Storage System (UPSS) services include:
- Contamination investigations and development of remediation strategies
- Due diligence contamination assessments, including liability calculation and hazard ranking
- Validating and reporting on the decommissioning and/or removal of a UPSS
- Interpretation of the Regulation and definition of UPSS owner/operator obligations under the Regulations
- Preparation of Environmental Protection Plans associated with UPSS
- Assessment of NSW EPA defined ‘environmentally sensitive areas’
- Installation and monitoring / sampling of groundwater wells
- Development of groundwater monitoring programs
- Assistance in applying for an exemption from sections of the Regulations
