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STATE OF CALIFORNIA-CALIFORNIA ENVIRCINVEWTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Ph I t WU-S N Gwemar h STATE WATER RESOURCES TROL BOARD PAUL R-SONCERSON BUR.DING – �f 4os P STREET P.O.BOX 100 SACRAMENTO,CALIFORNIA 95812-C 100 — �� a +• � (916) 657-0941 (916) 657-0932 (FAX) All Regional Water Board Chairpersons DEC - 8 1995 I Al Regional Water Board Executive Officers All LOP Agency Directors LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY (LLNL) REPORT ON LEAKING ` UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK (UST) CLEANUP In October 1995, the LLNL presented to the State Water Resources Control Board. (SWRCB) its final report, Recommendations to Improve the CIeanup Process for California's_Leaking Underground Fuel Tanks—The—The LLNL team found-that the.impacts.to the environment from leaking USTs were not.as. I severe as the once thought. The report also presents a convincing- argument that passive � bioremediation should be considered as the primary remediation tool in most cases.once the fuel leak source has been removed. 4 The t t NL =pQ has also been presented to the SWRCB's SB 1764 Advisory Committee which will, in turn, provide recommendations to the SWRCB by the end of January 1996. The SWRCB may � choose to implement recommendations from the LLNL report and the SB 1764 Advisory Committee ' i through revisions to SWRCB Resolution 92-49 in early 1996. In the interim and in Iight of the findings and recommendations in the LLNL repot, we believe cleanup oversight agencies should,proceed aggressively to close low risk soil only cases_ For cases affecting low risk groundwater (for instance, shallow groundwater with maximum depth to water less than 50 feet and no drinking water wells screened in the shallow groundwater zone within 250 feet of the leak) we recommend that active remediation be replaced with monitoring to determine if the fuel ` leaf: plume is stable. Obviously good jud,ment is required in all of these decisions, However, that judgment should now include knowledgeprovided by the LLNL report. What I propose to you is not in any way inconsistent with existing policies or regulations. However, IL does represent a major departure from how we have viewed the threat from leaking USTs. This guidance is consistent with the results of a discussion of this subject among the State Board Chair and i Regional Board Chairs on Decernt er 5, 1995. If yo'u have nay questions'on'this-•rnatter-please call Mr. James Giannopoulos, our manager of the underground storage tank program, at (916) 227-4320. ; Sincerely, Waft Pettit Executive Director cc: All Regional Water Board/LOP UST Program Managers TOTAL P.02 i