The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality regulates nearly all Underground Storage Tanks (UST) in Oregon. USTs that are exempt include farm and residential USTs less than 1,100 gallons in size, and any UST less than 110 gallons in size. Heating Oil Tanks (HOT) are covered separately under DEQ’s HOT Program. USTs that have not been in use since before 1974 and are completely empty, and USTs that were properly decommissioned between January 1, 1974 and May 1, 1988, are not required to be registered with the UST Program. However, a release from an exempt or unregulated UST is still reportable to DEQ.

All non-exempt USTs must be registered with DEQ’s UST Program. UST questions typically arise when historic USTs are discovered, often when property ownership changes. If a UST owner wishes to decommission a UST or perform a site assessment near the UST, a DEQ-licensed UST Decommissioning Service Provider/Supervisor team must be hired. Sprecher Group personnel carry DEQ’s UST Decommissioning Supervisor license.