The Environmental Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has released a guide to help service-station operators and staff protect the environment and public safety.
The Underground Petroleum Storage System (UPSS) Flipchart includes safety check lists, emergency contacts, technical and maintenance information, procedures for dealing with spills and leaks, and easy-to-read guidance regarding legal requirements. It also includes a section on what to do with waste tyres, old car batteries, used sump oil and other items or material that can often simply be thrown in the bin.
“It’s amazing how many types of businesses use UPSSs: think of airports, hospitals, marinas, transport companies, car dealerships, golf courses, ski fields and fuel depots,” EPA Executive Director of Practice and Assurance Chris Webb said. “The downloadable Flipchart is easily accessible for all of them.”
The UPSS Flipchart is based on a design in use across NSW and follows a successful cooperative project in which EPA provided the operators of 1,400 petrol stations with a voluntary self-assessment checklist to determine their level of compliance with Victorian legislation and guidelines.
“It was a great start to the project,” Mr Webb said. “There was substantial support from the industry, EPA received responses from 90 per cent of the operating service stations in Victoria, and more than 200 sites committed to make improvements to their management of underground fuel tanks.
“Their cooperation helped achieve a lot more than could have been done with conventional inspections, and it’s clear that many of them saw their involvement as a way of safeguarding their business and land as a valuable asset by protecting it from leaks and contamination.
“The UPSS Flipchart gives them a simple but effective tool for maintaining their improved protection of the local environment and public safety.”
The chart has been distributed to 1,400 service stations across Victoria and is available for download from the EPA website.
