Tim Terwilliger

Petroleum Cleanup in the United States: a Historical Review and Evaluation of State Programs Tim Terwilliger

Since the invention of the first fuel-powered vehicle in the early 1900s, the use of gasoline has increased steadily, prompting the need for production, distribution and storage of fuel. The use of steel underground storage tanks (USTs) to store gasoline until the 1980s resulted in the unintended release of millions of gallons of gasoline to soil and groundwater. Cleanup of leaking UST (LUST) sites has been a priority for the United States of America (USA) for more than 20 years due to the large number of sites, the potential harmful health affects associated with gasoline components and the fact that individual owners may not have the ability to pay for cleanup of these sites. Petroleum cleanup programs tend to be managed at the State level; however, there are wide variations among State programs in terms of information access, risk perception and funding availability. While each of the Federal and State UST programs has evolved to meet specific requirements, there has not been a comprehensive comparison of the individual State programs. This book provides a summary of State programs and an evaluation of cleanup program efficiencies. Enjoy!