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Brownfields Properties with Underground Storage Tanks - FAQs

Brownfields Properties with Underground Storage Tanks

Q	Are abandoned commercial properties with underground storage tanks considered brownfields?
A	Yes. For decades, businesses have used underground tanks to store fuel, chemicals, and other liquids. In fact, the most common brownfield sites are closed gas stations. Underground storage tanks threaten human health and the environment because they often leak, contaminating soil and groundwater. At some of these properties the storage tanks are still buried beneath the ground.
Q	Why are sites with underground storage tanks different from any other brownfield site?
A	First, underground storage tank owners and operators are subject to their own set of environmental regulations (35 Illinois Administrative Code 731, 732, and 734). Second, petroleum tank owners and operators may be eligible for payment of their cleanup costs from the Illinois Underground Storage Tank (UST) Fund. Because most brownfields with underground storage tanks are old filling stations, these sites are often smaller and the environmental contamination, if any, is usually limited to petroleum.
Q	Why are there so many brownfield sites with underground storage tanks?
A	In many cases, the owners have closed their businesses and do not have the money necessary to remove the tanks and clean up their property. While some owners are eligible to be paid for part of the cleanup costs from the Illinois UST Fund, they may not have access to the capital needed up front to pay for a cleanup. And, prospective purchasers of these sites are concerned about potentially high cleanup costs and complex government requirements.

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