NOTICE:
The Agency of Natural Resources has revised the 2017 AST Rules; the new rules are scheduled to become effective on August 1, 2024. View the revised AST Rules.
Please note that we are in the process of editing the website to ensure that it is consistent with the revised Rules, which contain a number of significant changes, including:
- New design and installation requirements for new AST systems;
- Additional installation requirements for all (existing and new) AST systems, including a requirement for all fill and vent pipes to be made of metallic materials (PVC material prohibited);
- Additional requirements for existing AST systems to be implemented by July 1, 2030, including additional corrosion protection, tank leg length requirements, protection from outdoor hazards, and additional protection for tanks installed in flood prone areas;
- Clarification of Red Tag applicability to new AST systems lacking compliance with the AST Rules;
- Introduction of a new “Yellow Tag” provision to allow for a more balanced and flexible approach to designating existing AST systems as noncompliant and managing fuel delivery prohibitions to such tanks; and
- The required AST inspection interval is being extended from every 3 years to every 4 years.
- New definitions, reorganization of requirements, and technical corrections and clarifications.
The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources began regulating ASTs in 2011, with a goal of reducing the number of releases from ASTs into the environment. Most ASTs in Vermont are home heating tanks. Reducing the number of releases reduces the threat and impact of petroleum products on human health and the environment. It also helps limit liability for the cleanup of uninsured releases to the Petroleum Cleanup Fund.
The current AST Rules came into effect on August 15, 2017. The revised AST Rules will become effective on August 1, 2024. These rules will supersede the 2017 Rules. View the revised AST Rules.
- For information on regulatory requirements for installing and inspecting ASTs, reporting non-compliant tanks, and to access inspection checklists, refer to the ASTs for Heating webpage.
- For eligibility and application requirements for financial assistance, refer to the Residential AST Removal/Replacement Program webpage.
- For requirements for registering ASTs at bulk storage tank facilities and information on the federal spill prevention, control, and countermeasure (SPCC) program, refer to the ASTs at Bulk Storage Tank Facilities webpage.
Note: to report a storage tank release, refer to the Spills Management webpage.
More Information
- Video on ASTs by Vermont Fuel Dealers Association (VFDA)
- ASTs in Flood-Prone Areas brochure
- Guidance on Winter Inspections and Hand-Filling Red-Tagged ASTs (2019)