Newsletters and Information
Public Water Supply and Wastewater Newsletter
Asbestos & Radon Newsletter
Innovative/Alternative Septic Systems
Winter 2016 Newsletter
Spring 2016 Newsletter
Summer 2016 Newsletter
New Underground Storage Tank Regulations – 310 CMR 80.00
USTs, formerly regulated by the State Fire Marshal under 527 CMR 9.00, are now regulated by the MassDEP under 310 CMR 80.00. Here are some key new regulations:
- All singled-walled, non-residential USTs must be removed by August 2017
- Assessment of soils is required within 24 hours of all tank removals
- Temporary closure of tanks extended to 5 years
- DEP must be notified 30 days after initial product into tank
- New UST system must be inspected prior to backfilling
- Third Party Inspections are no longer required prior to opening new station but must be conducted every 3 years
- Tanks with STPs must have sumps by 2019, sumps must be tested at installation and after repair, sumps require inspected regularly
- Piping installed between 1989 and mid-1999 that do not have continuous monitoring must implement such with annual inspection, perform quarterly inspection and annual testing, or an ATG system with SIR
- Spill buckets must be tightness tested upon installation, by 2017 and every 5 yrs
- ER sign posted at least 10′ away from UST system
- Inventory reconciliation “abnormal loss” now 1% plus 130 gallons
- Inventory reconciliation no longer required for double-walled tank with interstitial monitoring
- Any ATG alarm must be investigated with report log generated
- Compliance certification must be performed 16-18 months from TPI due date
Refer to 310 CMR 80.00 directly for additional information.
Barnstable County Septic Loan
Financial help with a 5% interest rate betterment loan is now available through the Barnstable County Community Septic Management Loan Program. Loans, repayable over 20 years, cover all costs directly associated with the septic system upgrade. To download an application for the loan program, click here http://www.barnstablecountysepticloan.org. And did you know that you may be able claim a credit (“Title 5 credit”) against personal income tax imposed for certain expenditures associated with the repair or replacement of a failed cesspool or septic system. Click here for more information TIR 97-12 Personal Income Tax Credit.
BEA’s Emergency Response Unit
BEA’s mobile unit comes fully equipped to address emergency response/releases of oil and/or hazardous materials (OHM) within 2 hours on the Cape.
Residential Underground Storage Tank (RUST) 0% Loan Program
Barnstable County Department of Health & Environment offers 0% financing repayable for up to 10 years to assist residential homeowners in the removal of their underground storage tank and to repair or replace fuel lines. What a great deal! Avoid costly cleanup costs and YANK that TANK!Contact Amy Wallace at BCDHE by calling 508-375-6908 or at [email protected] for more information.
Insurance Legislation for Residential Fuel Oil Releases
Where an average fuel oil cleanup can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and a cleanup with groundwater impact considerably more, a release can result in catastrophic personal financial loss. In order to provide some relief to homeowners, legislation has been adopted wherein all homeowner’s insurers in MA must now offer cleanup coverage to homeowners upon inquiry, provided their heating system has been upgraded and certified.
In October 2017, BEA joined other LSPs, homeowners and environmental attorneys in testifying before the Joint Committee on Financial Services in support of S.534: An Act relative to the remediation of home heating oil releases. This act would REQUIRE that coverage for oil spills be provided to all homeowners.
As a reminder, personal experience has shown that this $100,000/$300,000 coverage can be purchased for less than $100 per year. Contact your insurance agent today to request a quote! For more information on this legislation please refer to New Insurance Legislation for Residential Fuel Oil Releases. For additional information on the upgrades required to receive such coverages please refer to Homeowner Oil Heating System Upgrade – Insurance Law. You may also contact our office directly with any questions or concerns regarding your fuel oil heating system.
Click here to listen to Kara Risk talk about the very real need for this insurance or tune in to Ocean 104.7.
We Support Local Business
We Support Local Business is an organization bringing Cape Cod businesses together. WESLB introduces local businesses to one another urging them to do business with each other, and in so doing supporting our local community. We Support Local Business and we hope you will too. Visit We Support Local Business for more information.