The most recent issue of LUSTLine (#96) — the publication of record for the underground storage tanks (UST) community — shares resources and success stories with operators and other industry personnel. The new issue is now available as individual articles and in a PDF format on the NEIWPCC website.
Issue #96 begins with a piece by State Assistant Administrator Steve Beukema of the Michigan Department of the Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. He describes Michigan’s open leaking underground storage tank backlog, which peaked at more than 8,000 open releases in 1995. Through various solutions such as technical updates and program and policy changes, Beukema reveals how the state was able to make progress on the backlog, with 559 closures reported in 2025 alone.
Carolyn Hoskinson, director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST), shares her enthusiasm about returning to the UST program, where she has previously worked for more than a decade. She recalls the successes of the national tanks program over the last 10 years, following the updated UST regulations passed in 2015.
Another piece follows-up a previous article about natural source-zone depletion (NSZD). Author Julio Zimbron offers additional explanations to provide practitioners with an improved understanding of NSZD rate measurement uncertainty, so they can better interpret and use the data.
Tom Schruben, a physical scientist at U.S. EPA OUST, shares that a new standard guide on how to move petroleum UST release sites to closure has been released. The guide offers a framework, based on the latest science and best practices, and uses a protective approach that focuses on addressing exposure to human and ecological receptors.
Additionally, NEIWPCC’s UST/LUST Program Coordinator James Plummer updates the community on recent UST events and resources, such as the 28th National Tanks Conference and a new self-paced training for Class A and B tribal operators.
LUSTLine is published twice a year. To subscribe, email jplummer@neiwpcc.org with a message asking to receive email alerts for when the next issue is released.