§280.52. Release investigation and confirmation steps. — Inbound Citations

(A) Fair consideration, in the case of a holder maintaining indicia of ownership primarily to protect a senior security interest in the UST or UST system or facility or property on which the UST or UST system is located, is the value of the security interest as defined in this section. The value of the security interest includes all debt and costs incurred by the security interest holder, and is calculated as an amount equal to or in excess of the sum of the outstanding principal (or comparable amount in the case of a lease that constitutes a security interest) owed to the holder immediately preceding the acquisition of full title (or possession in the case of a lease financing transaction) pursuant to foreclosure, plus any unpaid interest, rent, or penalties (whether arising before or after foreclosure). The value of the security interest also includes all reasonable and necessary costs, fees, or other charges incurred by the holder incident to work out, foreclosure, retention, preserving, protecting, and preparing, prior to sale, the UST or UST system or facility or property on which the UST or UST system is located, re-lease, pursuant to a lease financing transaction (whether by a new lease financing transaction or substitution of the lessee), of an UST or UST system or facility or property on which the UST or UST system is located, or other disposition. The value of the security interest also includes environmental investigation costs (which could include a site assessment, inspection, and/or audit of the UST or UST system or facility or property on which the UST or UST system is located), and corrective action costs incurred under §§ 280.51 through 280.67 or any other costs incurred as a result of reasonable efforts to comply with any other applicable federal, state or local law or regulation; less any amounts received by the holder in connection with any partial disposition of the property and any amounts paid by the borrower (if not already applied to the borrower's obligations) subsequent to the acquisition of full title (or possession in the case of a lease financing transaction) pursuant to foreclosure. In the case of a holder maintaining indicia of ownership primarily to protect a junior security interest, fair consideration is the value of all outstanding higher priority security interests plus the value of the security interest held by the junior holder, each calculated as set forth in this paragraph (c).

Ownership of an UST or UST system or facility or property on which an UST or UST system is located. A holder is not an “owner” of a petroleum UST or UST system or facility or property on which a petroleum UST or UST system is located for purposes of compliance with the UST technical standards as defined in § 280.200(a), the UST corrective action requirements under §§ 280.51 through 280.67, and the UST financial responsibility requirements under §§ 280.90 through 280.111, provided the person:

(a) A holder, prior to foreclosure, as defined in § 280.210(c), is not an “operator” of a petroleum UST or UST system for purposes of compliance with the UST technical standards as defined in § 280.200(a), the UST corrective action requirements under §§ 280.51 through 280.67, and the UST financial responsibility requirements under §§ 280.90 through 280.111, provided that, after December 6, 1995, the holder is not in control of or does not have responsibility for the daily operation of the UST or UST system.

Owners and operators of UST systems must report to the implementing agency within 24 hours, or another reasonable period specified by the implementing agency, and follow the procedures in § 280.52 for any of the following conditions:

When required by the implementing agency, owners and operators of UST systems must follow the procedures in § 280.52 to determine if the UST system is the source of off-site impacts. These impacts include the discovery of regulated substances (such as the presence of free product or vapors in soils, basements, sewer and utility lines, and nearby surface and drinking waters) that has been observed by the implementing agency or brought to its attention by another party.

Upon confirmation of a release in accordance with § 280.52 or after a release from the UST system is identified in any other manner, owners and operators must perform the following initial response actions within 24 hours of a release or within another reasonable period of time determined by the implementing agency:

(5) Measure for the presence of a release where contamination is most likely to be present at the UST site, unless the presence and source of the release have been confirmed in accordance with the site check required by § 280.52(b) or the closure site assessment of § 280.72(a). In selecting sample types, sample locations, and measurement methods, the owner and operator must consider the nature of the stored substance, the type of backfill, depth to groundwater and other factors as appropriate for identifying the presence and source of the release; and