Iowa UST Training

Iowa UST Facility Class A B C Operator Training

State Requirements
Section 1524 of the Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 required that the state of Iowa declare amendments to the state underground storage tank rules to require each underground storage tank facility have Class A, Class B, and Class C operators.  Class A or Class B operator candidates will need to pass a written exam in order to be certified. The exam assures that underground storage tank system operators possess the necessary knowledge regarding the proper operation of underground storage tank systems. A test is not required for the Class C operator, but those persons must be properly trained.

Course Description
The UST Class A/B & C Operator Training and Certification Courses are self-paced, video-enhanced courses that meet the requirements for environmental compliance of state and federal regulations for an UST Facility Class A/B or C Operator. Depending on your state’s regulations, this material may require additional site-specific training.

There is a 60-question exam at the end of the course. Students are required to pass the evaluation answering a minimum of 75% of the questions correctly. Upon completion of the course, a Class A/B or C UST Operator Certificate can be downloaded.

Course Completion Certificate
The Certificate of Course Completion can be downloaded and printed for documentation purposes. In order to obtain the Certificate, you must log into your student account and click the “Certificates” link found adjacent to your course. The certificate contains a section for the Class C Operator to sign and date, attesting that you have taken the course and passed the examination. The certificate also contains a section for the Class A or B Operator to certify that on-site training has been completed, as required by your state.

The certificate also includes a section to document the facility name, address and facility number for which you have been trained. The certificate must be completed for the certificate to be valid.

Course Outline
The following topics are covered in this course:

• Introduction to a generic UST facility including the major fuel system components and emergency equipment
• The roles and responsibilities of the Class A, B and C Operators
• Site-specific emergency procedures development
• Emergency contact procedures
• Safety awareness for employees and customers
• Overfill prevention
• Monitoring of the UST facility
• Fire safety and introduction to fire extinguishers
• Alarm panel recognition and response procedures
• Fuel spill containment and cleanup

UST Facility Operator Types

• Class A Operator:  This is the person who has primary responsibility to operate and maintain the underground storage tank system.  For a typical gas station, it is the owner of the station or his designee. For large corporations, this is the manager or designee responsible for tank operations.  The class A operator can also be designated as a Class B operator as long as he/she has passed the Class B operator exam.
• Class B Operator:  This designation is for the individual or individuals who implement day-to-day aspects of operating, maintaining, and record keeping for underground storage tank systems at one or more facilities. For a typical gas station, it is the owner or the person/company contracted by the owner to maintain the tanks.  For large corporations, it is the employee, or person/company contracted by the corporation to maintain the tanks. A broad knowledge base is required for a Class A operator, but the Class B operator must have in-depth knowledge of tank system operation and maintenance.
• Class C Operator:  This is an individual who is responsible for responding to alarms or other indications of emergencies caused by spills, releases, or overfills associated with an underground storage tank system.  For a typical gas station, this is the cashier.  Though an exam is not required, this person must be trained in responding to releases, alarms, and emergency conditions.  Training can be performed by the Class A operators, Class B operators, or third-party vendors.  Class C operator training is required to be documented.

State Contacts

Iowa was granted state program approval (SPA) in 1995.

UST/LUST Program

Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Environmental Services Division
Land Quality Bureau
Underground Storage Tank Section
Wallace State Office Building
502 East 9th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319-0034

Phone: 515-281-8169
Fax: 515-281-8895

UST Program: http://www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/RegulatoryLand/UndergroundStorageTanks.aspx

LUST Program: http://www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/RegulatoryLand/UndergroundStorageTanks/LeakingUndergroundTanks.aspx

Fund Program*

Iowa Underground Storage Tank Financial Responsibility Program
2700 Westown Parkway
Suite 320
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Phone: 515-267-9101
Phone: 515-225-9263
Fax: 515-225-9361

Fund Program: http://www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/RegulatoryLand/UndergroundStorageTanks/USTFundBoard.aspx

*This fund does not provide federally-required coverage to finance all UST cleanups and does not fulfill the federal financial responsibility requirement.

Federal Resources

EPA Booklet – Musts for USTS
http://www.epa.gov/oust/fedlaws/regs2015-musts.pdf

This booklet describes the 2015 revised federal UST regulation. Many states and territories (referred to as states in this booklet) have state program approval from EPA. In these states, the state’s UST regulation is used in lieu of the federal UST regulation. To find a list of states with state program approval, see http://www.epa.gov/oust/states/spamap.htm.