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How do New Jersey’s storage tank rules impact your business?

On Behalf of | Jul 20, 2023 | Environmental Law |

Many small businesses in New Jersey, including gas stations, restaurants and farms, utilize storage tanks to hold chemicals, ingredients and other important substances.

It is crucial for businesses that use storage tanks to follow any laws regulating how companies operate and maintain them. Ignoring storage tank regulations can lead to non-compliance issues and cause problems for your business.

Adhering to storage tank regulations

Various federal, state and local laws can impact how business store components. Furthermore, rules can vary for different chemicals and types of tanks. It is also crucial to research industry-specific regulations that could apply to your business. It can be complicated for small business owners to determine how these rules intersect and what standards they should follow when installing and operating a storage tank.

If you own a regulated storage tank, you must register it with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and provide information about its location, contents and capacity. It is important to adhere to environmental standards to protect soil and groundwater from pollution. You and your employees might need training to safely use and maintain the storage tank. You might also need to record information regarding installations and maintenance of your tank and undergo compliance assessments.

Consequences for non-compliance issues

The penalties for failing to follow storage tank regulations may include substantial fines and possible litigation. You could have to engage in expensive efforts to remediate your issues. Furthermore, not complying with guidelines could harm your reputation with the public. Lastly, storage tank regulations exist to protect operators, the people and the environment from harm. Breaking the rules might contribute to pollution and directly hurt yourself and others.

Storage tank regulations can require businesses to acquire permits and follow guidelines regarding the use, installation and maintenance of tanks.

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