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Ms. Linda Turkatte LTR*003/TXTKEH March 25 , 1993 Page: 3 who owns such a tank immediately before the discontinuation of its use. (4) The term "operator" means any person in control of, or having responsibility for, the daily operation of the underground storage tank. (42 U.S.C.A. sections 6991 (3) and (4) ) . Union Oil Company first leased the property from Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ekholm on November 1 , 1957. At that time the service station was constructed in accordance with specification requirements of Union Oil. The station was rebuilt in the 1960' x, again to Union oil specifications. The lease was continuously renewed until May 28 , 1981 , when Union Oil chose to end its lessee relationship with the Ekholms. At that time the Union Oil service station general manager chose to leave employment of Union Oil and to operate/own the real property interest in the service station individually from 1981 through 1988 . This general manager was Robert 0. Schulz , who will be discussed herein. During Union Oil Company' s operation of the service station, four gasoline USTs and possibly one waste oil tank had been operated by Union Oil. From at least 1966 to 1981 property taxes and assessments owed to San Joaquin County and the South San Joaquin Irrigation District on the real property owned by Mr. and Mrs. Ekholm for the service station were forwarded to Union Oil which annually reimbursed the Ekholms. (If you require documentation of this fact, we will provide copies) . As the lessee of property upon which a service station was built to its business' s specifications, Union Oil operated the underground storage tanks which it used for storage and dispensing of RCRA regulated substances (petroleum) from 1957 until 1981 . Moreover, because the service station was leased by Union Oil directly from the Ekholms , as a lessee, Union Oil had daily control over the property. Union Oil determined how much product to deliver, how the product was managed, how the tanks were operated, what hours the station (and thus tanks) would operate and so forth. Thus, Union Oil had control of and responsibility for the daily operation of the USTs and thus pursuant to Federal statutory law must be properly defined as an "operator. " The Federal courts have chosen to interpret RCRA broadly when determining owners and operators to be responsible for