Hazardous Substance Removal (HAZ) · Lesson 4 of 6

UST Removal: Counting the Closure Soil Samples

"UST Removal: Counting the Closure Soil Samples" is lesson 4 of 6 in the Hazardous Substance Removal (HAZ) Learning Hub. It opens with "Closure Needs Sampling, and a Certified Contractor" and works through 5 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. Closure Needs Sampling, and a Certified Contractor
  2. Where the Soil Samples Go
  3. When, Who Approves, and Who Analyzes
  4. The Paperwork Clock
  5. If Contamination Shows Up

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 6 steps.

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "UST Removal: Counting the Closure Soil Samples" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "When, Who Approves, and Who Analyzes".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "The Paperwork Clock".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "If Contamination Shows Up".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
UST Removal: Counting the Closure Soil SamplesPLAN VIEW: SAMPLES BENEATH THE SYSTEM20,000-gal tank, 2 compartmentsbulkheadmidpoint (> 12,000 gal)80 ft rigid piping, 2 elbows30 ft20 ft30 ft2 dispensersTank: 4Piping: 4Elbows: 2Dispensers: 2Each dot = one soil sample, at least 2 ft into native soilSOIL SAMPLE COUNTTank ends2Midpoint (> 12,000 gal)1Internal bulkhead1Piping: 80 ft / 20 ft4Piping elbows2Dispensers2TOTAL SOIL SAMPLES12+ 1 groundwater sample if waterenters the excavation12 soil samples, each at least 2 ft into native soilCollected right after tank and piping come out; locations approved by the UPALab reports, site map and disposal papers due to the UPA within 30 daysClosure Letter due within 60 days of receipt; keep results 36 months23 CCR §2681(g)-(l)CC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: Closure Needs Sampling, and a Certified Contractor

California Code of Regulations Title 23 §2681(g) requires the owner or operator of an underground storage tank system being permanently closed to perform soil sample analysis and, if water is present in the excavation, groundwater analysis. B&P Code §7058.7(e)(1) says a contractor may not install or remove an underground storage tank unless the contractor passed the HAZ certification exam, and §7058.7(e)(2) lets an uncertified contractor bid only if a certified contractor performs the work. So the sampling plan is part of the removal job the HAZ contractor is expected to understand. Soil and groundwater are analyzed as required by the Cleanup Oversight Agency for all hazardous substances previously stored in the tank (§2681(g)(1)).

Step 2: Where the Soil Samples Go

§2681(g)(1) says soil samples must be collected a minimum of two feet into native soil, immediately beneath: (A) each end of the tank; (B) the midpoint of each tank with a capacity greater than 12,000 gallons; (C) each internal bulkhead of compartmented tanks; (D) all hazardous substance piping at 20 linear-foot intervals, with additional samples collected at each change in direction for rigid piping; and (E) each dispenser. Memorize the 12,000-gallon threshold: a 12,000-gallon tank does not get the midpoint sample, a 12,001-gallon tank does.

The remaining 3 steps, the worked example and the quiz are in the course. This is a preview. The full lesson, with the step-by-step explanations, a worked example and a quick-check quiz, is inside the classroom.

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