Note: A person required to obtain a Decommissioning Assessment Report must engage a professional who is certified under the CEnvP(Site Contamination) scheme to manage the works and actions required and to prepare the report. The directory of certified practitioners is located at:
https://www.cenvp.org/directory/ (ensure that the certification type for the consultant states “Site Contamination Specialist Certification").
Further information is available on the
Engaging a Contaminated Site Assessment Consultant web page.
An abandoned storage system is a storage system that was in use before 31 March 2010 and has not been in use since that date.
The
Environmental Management and Pollution Control (Underground Petroleum Storage Systems) Regulations 2020 (UPSS Regulations) do not require that abandoned storage systems are decommissioned within a certain timeframe. The intent of the regulations relating to the decommissioning of abandoned storage systems is that:
abandoned storage systems will be decommissioned when the infrastructure owner determines that they want to decommission the storage system (for example during redevelopment of a site, as part of a sale agreement etc); and
any contamination caused by leaks from the abandoned UPSS are addressed during redevelopment/sale of property etc.
Until an abandoned UPSS has been permanently decommissioned, in accordance with regulation 37 of the UPSS Regulations, or it was decommissioned in accordance with the Environmental Management and Pollution Control (Underground Petroleum Storage Systems) Regulations 2010, it is still considered to be an abandoned UPSS, regardless of whether it has been filled with water or another substance.
Examples:
If an abandoned UPSS was 'decommissioned' by filling with water, prior to the commencement of the UPSS Regulations in 2010, it is still an abandoned storage system, and this is not considered permanent decommissioning (as it wasn't undertaken in accordance with the UPSS Regulations). If a person decides to remove (or decommission in situ if necessary) the abandoned UPSS this must be done in accordance with regulation 37.
If an abandoned UPSS was grout filled in-situ, prior to the commencement of the UPSS Regulations in 2010, and the UPSS is removed, an assessment must be conducted to determine whether petroleum has contaminated soil and groundwater in the vicinity of the storage system in accordance with regulation 37.
If an abandoned UPSS was grout filled in-situ, prior to the commencement of the UPSS Regulations in 2010, the UPSS is not going to be removed, and the site is being redeveloped, the Planning Authority may require an assessment of contamination in the vicinity of the UPSS.
If an abandoned UPSS was decommissioned in-situ, by grout filling, in 2021, in accordance with regulation 37, it is considered to have been permanently decommissioned. If a person decides to remove this grout filled UPSS, they do not have any further obligations under the UPSS Regulations.
Please note that WorkSafe Tasmania also has requirements in relation to the decommissioning of underground petroleum storage systems.
Summary of Requirements
If an abandoned storage system is to be decommissioned, Regulation 37 of the UPSS Regulations requires that an infrastructure owner must ensure that decommissioning is completed within 6 months of decommissioning commencing.
To complete decommissioning:
The storage system must be removed and disposed of in accordance with Australian Standard AS 4976 - The removal and disposal of underground petroleum storage tanks (AS 4976) or where the storage system or a component of the storage system cannot be removed safely without serious risk to the safety of people or adjoining infrastructure, the tank/component can be decommissioned in-situ, in accordance with AS 4976, without being removed. Note - all other tanks/components which can be removed must be removed.
The removal or in-situ decommissioning should be done by an appropriately experienced person due to the explosive risk posed by petroleum vapours. To select a tank removalist you may wish to contact your fuel supplier or WorkSafe Tasmania.
An assessment must be conducted to determine whether petroleum has contaminated soil and groundwater in the vicinity of the storage system (i.e. has the system leaked into the environment and what level of contamination is present) and whether this contamination is likely to cause harm to the environment (including human health).
The works and actions associated with the assessment must be managed by a professional who is certified under the CEnvP (Site Contamination) scheme.
The assessment must be conducted in accordance with the EPA Guideline UPSS2 - Underground Petroleum Storage Systems: Decommissioning Assessment - Sampling and Risk Assessment Requirements
UPSS2 Decommissioning Assessment - Sampling and Risk Assessment Requirements
(474Kb)
A Decommissioning Assessment Report detailing the assessment must be obtained by the infrastructure owner.
- The decommissioning report must be written in accordance with the EPA Guideline UPSS1 - Underground Petroleum Storage Systems: Decommissioning Assessment Report Requirements
UPSS1 Decommissioning Report Requirements
(381Kb)
The report must be prepared by a professional who is certified under the CEnvP(Site Contamination) scheme.
The Decommissioned UPSS Form must be completed and submitted to the Director.
Decommissioned UPSS Form (DOCX 155Kb) OR Decommissioned UPSS Form (PDF 300Kb)
Note: If using the PDF version, download the file, open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader and complete using the Fill and Sign tool. Acrobat Reader can be downloaded from the Adobe website.
Disposal of Soil and Liquid
Please note that:
Information relating to controlled waste is available on the Controlled Waste page.