Underground Storages

An Underground Storage Tank (UST), is a tank and any underground piping connected to the tank that has at least 10 percent of its combined volume underground.

NoDoC estimates the cost of the underground storage system for petroleum products. In this case NoDoC divides the underground storage tanks into four different types:

1. Steel/aluminum tank, made by manufacturers in most states and conforming to standards set by the Steel Tank Institute.
2. Composite overwrapped, a metal tank (aluminum/steel) with filament windings like glass fiber/aramid or carbon fiber or a plastic compound around the metal cylinder for corrosion protection and to form an interstitial space.
3. Tanks made from composite material, fiberglass/aramid or carbon fiber with a metal liner (aluminum or steel). See metal matrix composite.
4. Composite tanks such as carbon fiber with a polymer liner (thermoplastic). See rotational molding and fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP).

Certain terms have specific meanings under the NoDoC model as listed below:
Catholic protection system	Method of preventing or reducing corrosion of a metal surface by making the metal a cathode (i.e. the positive charge) by using either an impressed direct current or attached sacrificial anodes
Commission	To bring a storage system or groundwater monitoring well into use for the first time following its installation, modification or repair
Decommission	To permanently abandon the use of a system or render it permanently unusable
Duly qualified person	A person who has competencies and experience (in relation to a specific activity) that are recognised as appropriate for that activity by the relevant industry
Environment Protection Plan (EPP)	A document referred to Regulation to enable management of activities in an environmentally responsible manner
Equipment integrity test (EIT)	A test conducted to evaluate whether a storage system is providing containment as originally designed, in accordance with the manufacturer’s specification. The EIT must be able to detect a leak of 0.38 litres per hour from tank or pipe work, with a probability of detection at least 95% of the time and a false detection of 5% or less.
Groundwater monitoring well	A well that has been purposely installed as part of a groundwater monitoring system around a UPSS site. Must be located in an appropriate place to detect any leaked petroleum that may have migrated into the groundwater.
Incident management procedure	a documented response procedure to manage a leak or spill of petroleum from a system; also known as leak or spill response procedure.
Installation	The original installation of a system on the premises on which it is situated, including any work in the vicinity of the premises necessary for the installation and any alteration made before the system was first used
Leak	Any loss of petroleum from a storage system because the storage system is not providing full and continuous containment
Loss detection	leak from tanks or pipework
Loss monitoring procedure	One or more procedures for undertaking inventory control (reconciliation) of the petroleum in a system to identify a discrepancy in the volume of petrol (either loss or gain) and the means to record and trigger the need for any further action.
	The method of loss monitoring must be able to detect a leak of at least 0.76 litres per hour, with a probability of detection of at least 95% of the time and a false detection of 5% or less.
Mandatory pollution protection equipment	The minimum equipment and infrastructure requirements for a storage system, necessary to ensure effective containment of any petroleum in the storage system (should a leak or spill occur). non-corrodible secondary containment tanks and associated pipework overfill protection devices are the equiment considered in this section.
Modification	The upgrade, replacement, extension, removal or other alteration of a system, not including any alteration made before the system is first used
Modified storage system	A storage system modified since 1 June 2020
Petroleum	Any fuel that consists predominantly of a mixture of hydrocarbons derived from crude oil, with or without additives (such as ethanol), that is used, or could be used, as a fuel and includes liquids such as petrol, diesel, gasoline, motor spirit, two-stroke, aviation fuel, heating oil, kerosene and used (waste) oil.
Piping	Pipework that is integral to the transfer and routine containment of petroleum. Vent piping and vapour recovery piping are classified as piping.
Remediate	removing, dispensing, destroying, mitigating or containing the contamination of any land, or
	eliminating or reducing any hazard arising from the contamination of the land, including by preventing the entry of persons or animals on the land.
Secondary containment	Equipment and infrastructure such as double-walled tanks and double-walled piping (an interstitial space), which are designed to contain a leak and/or prevent it from escaping beyond the containment area.
Spill	Any loss of containment of petroleum from a storage system during physical management, such as:
	transfer, delivery or removal
	maintenance or testing
	repair or closure.
Storage system	One or more tanks completely or partially buried in the ground that contain, or are intended to contain, petroleum (including used oil), and includes any structure through which petroleum routinely passes from one part of a storage system to another part of the system (i.e. from the tanks to the dispensers), but does not include dispensers.
Sump	In relation to a storage system, a structure used for the purpose of collecting spilled or excess oil, water and other liquids in the system
Tank	A container or vessel intended for the storage of petroleum within a storage system that is buried below the ground surface to such an extent that the base of the tank (in the ground) is not visible
Use	To allow petroleum to remain in the system
Underground petroleum storage system	One or more tanks that are completely or partially buried in the ground which contain, or are intended to contain, petroleum (including waste oil), and encompasses any piping to, from or associated with, the tanks to the inlet port of any dispensers, but does not include vent or vapour recovery piping.
Used (waste) oil	Oil that has been used for lubricating or other purposes and has become unsuitable for its purpose due to the presence of impurities or loss of the original properties (and it is not intended for combustion)