Compliance, Inspections | South Carolina Department of Environmental Services

Inspections are normally conducted on a 12 month basis. The inspector will call the tank owner 7 to 10 days prior to schedule the inspection.

One part of the inspection process will be records review. The following is a list of the minimum records that will be needed for the review (dependent upon equipment in place, methods in use, and manufacturer specifications):

New Registration Certificate posted in a visible location
Most recent twelve months of passing tank release detection records:
- Automatic Tank Gauge (ATG)
- Statistical Inventory Reconciliation (SIR)
- Interstitial Monitoring (IM)
- Groundwater Monitoring (GM)
- Vapor Monitoring (VM)
- Manual Tank Gauging (MTG)
Most recent twelve months of passing line release detection records:
- Electronic Line Leak Detector (ELD)
- Interstitial Monitoring/Sump Sensors (IM,SS)
- Statistical Inventory Reconciliation (SIR)
Most recent testing records:
Cathodic protection records:
- Two most recent system tests (due every three years)
- Most recent 6 months of rectifier box inspections (pdf)
Most recent twelve months of complete Class A/B operator log
List of all trained Class C operators
Any maintenance and/or repair information
New fuel supplier name and address

In addition, inspectors are now requesting records for the following requirements that must begin on or before May 26, 2020:

Release detection operability testing/checks (Annual)
Periodic testing of spill buckets (Every 3 years)
Periodic testing of containment sumps for facilities that are doing interstitial monitoring of piping (Every 3 years)
Periodic testing/check of overfill prevention equipment (Every 3 years)
Release detection records for emergency generator UST systems that were permitted prior to May 23, 2008.
Records for walkthrough inspections
- Every 30 days
  - Spill prevention equipment
  - Release detection equipment
- Annual
  - Containment sumps
  - Hand-held release detection equipment
Records of supplemental training for A/B operators trained prior to May 26, 2017

The second part of the inspection process is a complete walk-through of the associated tank system equipment. It is the tank owner's responsibility to make sure there is someone present to assist the inspector in accessing all equipment and that all keys to locked equipment are available. The following items will be inspected:

Spill buckets & Fill ports
Vapor recovery ports (if present)
Submersible turbine pumps and corresponding equipment (if present)
ATG ports (if present)
Underneath all dispensers
Rectifier box (if present)
Cathodic protection wiring throughout parking lot (if present)

Even though the Division does not directly regulate them, inspectors will gather information about the following items:

Aboveground storage tanks (if present)
Closest water supply well (both public and private)

Once the information gathering is complete, the inspector will issue one of the following:

An In Compliance Letter, or
A Notice of Alleged Violation

If an In Compliance Letter is issued, it means that everything is in compliance with the regulations and no follow-up is needed.

If a Notice of Alleged Violation (NOAV) is issued, it means that follow-up in some form may be required. The NOAV will instruct the tank owner on what must be done to become in compliance again. It will also give a due date. Once the due date has been reached, if the facility is still not in compliance, the Division will begin the delivery prohibition process.

Another requirement to gain compliance after an NOAV is issued, is for the A/B operator to complete retraining. This is required per the Operator Training requirements (Part 280.35). If the Class A/B operator is present at the time of the inspection, the inspector may perform retraining at that time. Otherwise, the NOAV will instruct the tank owner to have the A/B operator contact the Division prior to the due date to complete retraining.