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Trained tank operators, then, should improve overall operational compliance, right? Has UST operator training made
things better? Are there fewer leaking tanks? Fewer violations?
Fewer ignored alarms? Less polluted aquifers? More savvy operators? Happier inspectors writing few citations? How do we
gauge success and the rule’s effort on tens of thousands of A/B
operators and several million C operators nationwide?
STATES ARE DIFFERENT
Training rules differ by state. Some states provide free
training; others require operators to pay training vendors. Some
states allow online training; others forbid it. Regulators devel-
oped some states’ training material; in other states, trainers devel-
oped it. Some states have strict approval processes; other states
say just go for it. Some states require training and examination;
others require exams only — and some don’t allow examination.
Some states allow only one option; other states allow many.
The methods, means and motivators were and remain
disjointed. Conducting a national study on UST training
effectiveness amid the tangle is dif;cult.
By Ben Thomas
