ITCA: Tribal UST Inspector Certification Program

PROJECT STAFF: Carl T. Jeffries, UST Program Coordinator
Elaine Wilson, Environmental Quality Programs Director

PROJECT PERIOD: October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2008

FUNDING SOURCES: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, Underground Storage Tank Program

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the American Indian Underground Storage Tanks (AIUST) Project is to create a reserve of Tribal Underground Storage Tank (UST) Certified Inspectors to provide tribal governments with the technical expertise to develop strong effective UST management programs. The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (ITCA) has developed a UST program to allow tribes to confront petroleum contamination issues, certify tribal representatives as UST inspectors, develop tribal UST laws and regulations and enact tribal cleanup standards.
The program is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is administered by the Region IX office in San Francisco. The AIUST Program’s development, oversight, and guidance are the task of the AIUST Technical Advisory Sub-committee. The technical assistance manuals, informational materials on the subject of hazards of leaking USTs, and other educational materials will be presented in a format that Tribal members can relate to and feel that they are indeed a part of the process of addressing these issues. In order to provide appropriate informational materials on the subject of the hazards of leaking USTs, the education materials will present the information in a format that tribal members can relate to and feel that they are indeed a part of the process of addressing this issue.

OBJECTIVES:

UST Inspector Certification Program for American Indians: The primary goal of AIUST is to provide instruction and certification to tribal personnel to conduct leak detection compliance inspections, oversee the installation and removal of underground storage tanks (USTs) according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines, and conduct operations and maintenance inspections of UST facilities on tribal lands.
UST Owner/Operator Onsite Compliance Training Program: The on-site compliance training targets persons that operate and/or oversee the daily activities at gasoline stations. The training consists of the UST compliance issues of leak detection, overfill & spill prevention, corrosion prevention, and financial responsibility.
Travel Reimbursement for UST Training Courses: Reimbursement consists of one travel reimbursement per training, per Tribe. These reimbursements are at the discretion of the AIUST program administrator and will be reimbursed at the government per diem rate. US EPA Region 9 area Tribes are eligible for travel reimbursement.
Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Training Program: The AIUST program will provide LUST related training for Tribal Environmental Program staff. The LUST Modules I, II, & III will provide tribal representatives with technical knowledge to conduct LUST oversight of possible petroleum release at tribal UST facilities.
Advanced UST Inspector Training Courses: The AIUST program will provide advanced UST related training for the Tribal Inspectors. Training components will be determined at the AIUST Working Group Meeting.

ITCA CATALOG OF UST/LUST RELATED TRAINING:

Module I - UST Decommissioning and Removal Training and Examination
Module II - UST Installation and Retrofitting Training and Examination
Module III - UST Operations and Maintenance Training and Examination
UST Owner/Operator Onsite Training
Module I – LUST Site Assessment Training
Module II – LUST Geology & Hydrology Training
Module III – LUST Remediation Training
At the request of a Tribe, the AIUST program staff may provide UST Technical Assistance to the Tribes in Arizona, and if necessary, in the EPA Region IX service area. Assistance on-site is dependent upon available resources.

CONTACT INFORMATON:
If you would like to be added to the mailing list, or require any additional information on the Tribal UST Inspector Certification Program, please contact Carl T. Jeffries, UST Program Coordinator or Elaine Wilson, Environmental Quality Programs Director. Either person can be reached at (602) 258-4822

AIUST SCHEDULE:

AIUST Technical Advisory Sub-committee Meeting: January 17-18, 2007, U.S. EPA Region X, Park Place Building, Seattle, Washington.
UST Module III - Operations and Maintenance Training & Examination: February 5-9, 2007, Suquamish, Clear Water Casino Resort, Conference Room, 15347 Suquamish Way NE, Suquamish, Washington.
LUST Module III - Remediation Training & Examination: April 23-27, 2007 [TBA].
UST Module I and UST Removal Training & Examination: October 15-19, 2007, [TBA]

LINK ADDRESS:

http://www.epa.gov/oust/

www.itecmembers.org

www.ntec.org