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The information contained on this Web site is provided only as a general information guide and should not be construed as technical or legal advice. The information contained here does not replace, interpret, or modify equipment manufacturers' protocols; the language of the actual insurance policy; or the laws, rules and codes or requirements of local, state and federal governments.

The following is PSTF's summary of the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality's Petroleum Release Response Requirements found in the Idaho Water Quality Standards and Wastewater Treatment Requirements, IDAPA 58.01.02.851 and 852. Contact your regional IDEQ office for additional guidance.

Responding to Petroleum Releases

Short-term action:

• Identify and mitigate fire, explosion, and vapor hazards. Some situations may require you to immediately notify your local fire department.
• Report the release to IDEQ within 24 hours.
• Take immediate action to prevent any further release of petroleum into the environment
• Handle contaminated materials, including soil and water, in a responsible manner. This may require safely storing contaminated materials until proper disposal or treatment can be accomplished. Avoid contaminating previously uncontaminated areas.
• Begin removing free product floating on groundwater or in excavations as soon as possible.

Reporting Requirements

Owners and operators of petroleum storage tank (PST) systems must report to IDEQ within 24 hours if any of the following conditions occur:

Underground Releases:

• A discovery by owners, operators, or others of a petroleum release at the PST site or surrounding area. Discovery can include the presence of free product or dissolved product in nearby surface or groundwater or vapors in soils, basements, sewer, or utility lines.
• Unusual operating conditions including erratic behavior of product dispensing equipment, sudden loss of product from the PST system. However, no reporting is required if the PST system equipment is found to be defective but not leaking and is repaired or replaced immediately.
• Monitoring results from a release detection method indicating a release may have occurred. However, no reporting is required if the monitoring device is found to be defective and is immediately repaired, recalibrated, or replaced, and additional monitoring does not confirm a release or, in the case of inventory control, a second consecutive month of data does not confirm a release.

Above Ground Spills and Overfills

• Above Ground spills and/or overfills of petroleum exceeding 25 gallons or causes a sheen on nearby surface water must be reported to IDEQ within 24 hours. If less than 25 gallons and no sheen is visible on nearby surface water, IDEQ need only be notified if cleanup cannot be completed within 24 hours.
• To report a petroleum release during regular business hours, contact the appropriate regional IDEQ office.

Reporting Releases When IDEQ Offices Are Closed

Releases discovered on weekends, holidays, or after normal business hours, should be reported the next business day unless an imminent threat to human health or the environment exists as a result of the release. Petroleum product releases that occur after normal business hours or on holidays or weekends and do pose an imminent threat to human health or the environment may be reported to the State Communications Center at 800-632-8000.