This agreement provides assistance to the illinois state fire marshal office in developing, implementing and maintaining an effective underground storage tank (UST) program

The Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 awarded $1,486,512 to the Illinois State Fire Marshal Office on October 1, 2025, under the Underground Storage Tank (UST) Prevention, Detection, and Compliance Program (CFDA 66.804) to develop, implement, and maintain an effective UST program across Illinois.

The recipient will conduct inspections of all underground storage tanks pursuant to the federally mandated three-year inspection cycle, administer regulations for secondary containment and monitoring of new and replaced UST systems, administer regulations prohibiting fuel delivery to non-compliant facilities, provide training for UST owners and operators, and maintain a data management system to support Energy Policy Act of 2005 compliance and federal UST regulations effective September 2015. These activities improve environmental protection by preventing petroleum and hazardous substance releases and encourage proper operation and maintenance of underground storage tanks.

The award funds active inspections, enforcement, and compliance assistance programs to increase the percentage of UST facilities in technical compliance and reduce confirmed releases at UST facilities by five percent compared to prior-year targets. The period of performance runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. Work is performed in Illinois. The Illinois State Fire Marshal Office is a division of the State of Illinois operating through the Office of the Governor. No sub-recipients are included in this assistance agreement.

The objectives of this program include: (1) encouraging owners and operators to properly operate and maintain their underground storage tanks; (2) ensuring owners and operators monitor underground storage tanks in accordance with the regulations; and (3) developing the state program to operate in lieu of the federal program. These objectives protect the environment by preventing petroleum and hazardous substance releases. The funds will be used to improve compliance through active inspections, enforcement, and compliance assistance programs. This funding is also to be used for release detection and prevention activities to comply with the energy policy act of 2005. Activities:this work plan will provide for the funding of activities conducted by the illinois state marshal office in the continued administration of the UST program. The funds will be used to meet US EPA expectations in the following areas:- inspect all usts pursuant to the federally mandated three-year inspection cycle;- administer regulations providing for the secondary containment and monitoring of new and replaced UST system;- administer regulations providing for the prohibition of delivery of fuel to non-compliant facilities;- administer regulations providing for the training of UST owners and operators; and- maintain a data management system to support the initiatives of the energy policy act of 2005 and the latest federal UST regulations effective september of 2015.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:the expected outcome is to increase percentage of UST facilities that are in technical compliance rate compliance, reduce the number of confirmed releases at UST facilities to five percent (5%) fewer than the prior year's targets, and land preservation due to improved installation and operation of underground storage tanks, which will result in fewer releases of petroleum and other hazardous materials into the environment.