LUST Closure

When an Underground Storage Tank (UST) leaks while it’s in the ground or upon removal, it’s known as a Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST). In this case, the Office of the State Fire Marshall declares the LUST Incident to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). An IEPA case manager then takes over and monitors the situation. The IEPA keeps track of all open incidents.

What is LUST Closure?

Closure of a LUST Incident entails demonstrating to the IEPA that the site is not contaminated above harmful levels, using separate guidelines for commercial and residential properties.

How Gabriel makes TACO work for you

When it comes to site closure, Gabriel takes one of two approaches. We can either quickly—though usually more expensively—remove all the contaminated soil from the site. Or, we conduct the site closure according to TACO guidelines. TACO, Tiered Approach to Corrective Action, objectives allow site-specific flexibility, including the site’s intended use, type of contamination, and how far the contamination has spread. TACO rules give the site owner more control while still protecting human health.

Using TACO rules, Gabriel:

• Conducts a site investigation using soil borings and groundwater monitoring
• Determines how much and what kind of contamination is on the site, as well as where it is
• Can close out a site with a Site Investigation Completion Report if the site is clean
• Applies corrective action if the site isn’t clean, including partial or complete soil removal, or bioremediation