In 1988, the USEPA enacted the Underground Storage Tank (UST) regulations to protect the nation’s groundwater supply from being contaminated by petroleum storage tanks. This contamination can infiltrate our drinking water wells and cause various health effects from cancer to liver problems. Also, the cost of cleanup from these gasoline leaks can reach up into the millions of dollars not to mention the possible lawsuits and fines. In 1996, the Cherokee Nation was awarded a UST grant to address UST problems on tribal lands. Since then, CNEP has been involved with tank upgrades of existing tanks to meet EPA requirements and the removal of old tanks that could pose a danger to the surrounding environment. CNEP personnel have performed educational outreach to station owners and have consulted UST owners on compliance issues. Currently, the CNEP has been recognized as one of the leaders in tribal UST compliance and continues to work with the EPA to develop new and innovative ways to make UST compliance issues easier to resolve.
