Leaking underground storage tanks

Owners are responsible for cleanups

Under MTCA, property owners are responsible for cleaning up any contamination that starts on their property — even if they did not own the property when the contamination happened. Contaminated Property Considerations: Real Estate Transactions has more information on property transactions and environmental responsibility. It also gives best practices when buying and selling a contaminated property.

Owners may clean up contamination independently without Ecology's help or oversight. However, please be aware that you must still report all remedial actions to Ecology within 90 days of completing the work, so Ecology can confirm that the cleanup meets state standards.

What is the next step?

1. Find your property in our database. Use our What’s In My Neighborhood map or Cleanup and Tank Search. You can search by the CSID on your postcard, or by address. 

2. Review existing documents. Check the documents listed for your site. Older records might not be online. If you think we should have more documents than you see on the cleanup site webpage, please submit a public records request. Public records requests are free unless you need copies of the documents.

3. Contact Ecology. We’ll talk to you about your options and explain the cleanup process. This is a free consultation. Please call the coordinator for the region where your property is.

   Region	Counties	Leaking UST coordinator
   Northwest	Island, King, Kitsap, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Whatcom	David Unruh VCP-nwro@ecy.wa.gov 206-459-6287
   Southwest	Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Skamania, Thurston, Wahkiakum	Tim Mullin Tim.Mullin@ecy.wa.gov 360-999-9589
   Central	Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman	Chelsea Wisotzkey Chelsea.Wisotzkey@ecy.wa.gov 509-571-4708
   Eastern	Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, Yakima	Nick Acklam Nick.Acklam@ecy.wa.gov 509-818-7457

4. Submit missing cleanup documents. Send us any reports or documents related to cleanup at your property that you have not submitted yet. This will ensure our records are up to date. Documents might include:

   • UST Closure Report

   • UST Site Assessment

   • Groundwater Monitoring Report

   • Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)

   • Remedial Investigation (RI)

   • Interim Cleanup Action Report

   Note: These documents are made when you buy or sell property, or when you permanently close underground storage tanks.

Until contamination is cleaned up, your property will remain on the public Contaminated Sites List. This will make it harder to get financing or sell the property. Ecology will continue to follow up with you. If there is no sign that your cleanup is moving forward, we may name you a Potentially Liable Person (PLP). This could lead to legal action requiring you to complete the cleanup, or Ecology may conduct the cleanup and charge you for the cost.

Get technical help

Washington State provides two fee-based options for help with cleanup projects.

• The Pollution Liability Insurance Agency (PLIA) Technical Assistance Program (TAP) helps owners of petroleum underground storage tank systems  with simple cleanups. PLIA also offers a Financial Assurance Program and Loan and Grant Program. If you are enrolled in either program, please contact PLIA for cleanup help. PLIA does not provide technical help for cleanups where the petroleum is mixed with other contaminants, or if the contamination affects surface water.

• Ecology’s Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP) helps people whose cleanup projects are not eligible for PLIA’s program. That includes sites where petroleum is mixed with other contaminants, or where contamination affects surface water and sediment. 

In both these programs, you work with a project manager who provides guidance, reviews cleanup reports, and issues formal opinions on site status. If you successfully clean up through one of these programs, you will get a “No Further Action” letter, and we will remove the site from the Contaminated Sites List. 

What to expect with cleanup 

Cleanups treat, isolate, or remove contamination. What the cleanup looks like depends on the contamination and the site. Cleanups range from straightforward to complex. Washington’s environmental cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA), defines the cleanup process.

Before actually cleaning up, you need to know what the contamination is and where it is. The first step is usually hiring an environmental consultant. The consultant will study your property and plan a cleanup that meets legal requirements.

Petroleum contamination naturally degrades over time. Sometimes the contamination will degrade to a safe level. In most cases, more work will be necessary to comply with state law. Collecting soil and groundwater samples at your property will give you a baseline for the work that needs to be done. 

Our leaking underground storage tank work

There are over 2,500 sites with contamination from leaking underground storage tanks in Washington — one of the highest totals nationwide. Cleaning these properties up is a priority for Ecology. We have dedicated staff focused on reducing the backlog of LUST cleanups, including reaching out to property owners who have not recently reported progress.

Ecology also regulates underground storage tanks, to help prevent future leaks and spills.