Solutions for Underground Storage Tank Systems

3495 Daisy Lane, Clinton, WA 98236-9005
Phone: 360-321-4776	Fax: 360-321-4996
Email Ben Thomas













Email Ben Thomas

Success

Clients
Training
Web Applications
Manuals
Publications
Accomplishments

Clients

Felt, Martin, Frazier, Jacobs & Rapkoch

National Institute for Storage Tank Management

Training

Leak Detection Clinic: Missing the Big One: Practical Advice for Detecting UST Leaks WPMA Conference, Blaine, WA, June 23, 2006
Chicago AST/UST Inspector Training. May 16-18, 2006, Chicago, IL
Automatic Tank Gauge Systems, ITEC, April 18, Tulsa OK; and May 9, Albuquerque, NM
Two-Day UST Inspector Training, April 20-21, Portland, OR
Advanced UST Inspector Training for Automatic Tank Gauges, 18th Annual EPA UST/LUST Conference, March 19, 2006, Memphis, TN
UST Operator and Inspector Training, Feb. 28-March 1, 2006, Albuquerque, NM
Everything You Need to Know About Automatic Tank Gauge Systems, February 2, 2006, Seattle, WA
UST Operator Training, Indian Health Services, January 24-25, 2006, Albuquerque, NM
The 2005 Energy Act and UST Performance Studies, King County Bar Environmental Group, December 18, 2005, Seattle, WA
2nd Annual Conference on Underground Storage Tanks, National Institute for Storage Tank Management, Nov. 9-10, 2005, Orlando, FL
Montana DEQ Installer/Inspector 8-Hour Refresher, Oct. 5-6, 2005, Helena, MT
Northwest Environmental Training Center, Two-Day UST Inspector Training, Sept. 28-29, 2005, Seattle, WA
Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. Advanced Inspector Course for Automatic Tank Gauges, August 15-16, 2005, Kings Beach, California
ABS Government Institutes, Webinar: What Now? What Next? The Present and Future Status of UST Regulations, July 25, 2005, On-line seminar
US Postal Service Inspector Training, June 8, 2005, Everett, Washington
Idaho UST Operators, May 3, 2005, Boise, Idaho
New Jersey DEP, UST Inspector Course, October 4-7, Princeton, New Jersey
Oregon UST Operator training, 40+ classes June 2003 - present, statewide Oregon locations.
Joint Regional Environmental Training Center, Underground Storage Tanks for Alaska Managers and Operators, December 9-11, 2002, Fort Richardson, Alaska
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Underground and Aboveground Storage Tank Inspection, Dec 3-5, 2002, Madison, Wisconsin
Georgia Institute of Technology, Compliance Inspections of Underground Storage Tanks, February 12-14, 2002, Atlanta, Georgia

Web-Based Applications

Manuals

Maine's Plain Talk on Motor Fuel Tanks and Plain Talk on Heating Oil Tanks: Operators Guides to Maine's Underground Storage Tank Rules, July 2003
Oregon Operator Training: How to successfully manage your underground petroleum tank system.
EPA "O&M Manual". Chaired the workgroup which created the US EPA Operation and maintenance manual.
Alaska "O&M" Manual. Created one of the nation's first comprehensive government operation and maintenance manuals for UST operators.
Alaska Inspector Handbook. Created on of the most comprehensive state UST inspector handbooks in the Unites States, used by Alaska's third party inspectors.

Publications

Clicking for Oil: The Tale of the Fuel Storage Tank Inspector. 2004. Karen Pryor's Clickertraining.com.
Mandatory Training for UST Operators: Observations from the Oregon Front Line, LUSTLine Bulletin #47, June 2004.
I Don't Train, I Enforce! Compliance or Enforcement? LUST Line Bulletin #46, March 2004.
The Exploding Cell Phone at Gas Stations: Fact or Fiction? LUST Line Bulletin # 45, October 2003.
Tomorrow's Tanks, Steel Tank Institute, Tank Talk April 2003.
Building a Better Internet Presence, LUST Line # 43, March 2003.
Report on the Effectiveness of the Alaska Third Party Inspection Program for UST Systems: Innovations, Incentives and a New Enforcement Paradigm, January 2002.
The Missing Link to Overfill Prevention, LUST Line Bulletin 39, November 2001.
Dispensing Wisdom, LUST Line Bulletin #38, June 2001.
Setting Our Sights on Operational Compliance, LUST Line Bulletin 37, March 2001.
Alaska's Third-Party Inspection Program, LUST Line Bulletin 37, March 2001.
Results of Inspection Program: An Innovative Way to Increase Cathodic Protection Compliance, February 2001, NACE Northern Area Western Conference.
Alaska Tank Explosion Linked to Polyester Coverall, LUST Line Bulletin 36, November 2000.

Accomplishments

As a former regulator, Ben Thomas has operated for years "outside the box" of conventional thinking and has achieved measurable results. He has a proven history of successful projects and innovations. Here are some examples:

UST web page. Developed one of the nation's first state UST web pages to provide substantive content to the regulated community.

Third Party Inspections. Developed and ran the highly successful third party inspection program in Alaska, increasing operational compliance statewide from 15% to 99% in 2000-01 with almost no enforcement action.

Financial Responsibility. Helped Alaska achieve voluntary proof of financial responsibility (insurance) by almost 80% in less than one year without any enforcement action.
UST Operator Certification. While chairing the UST Advisory Group for the International Code Council, introduced and helped develop the idea of a nationally available UST operator exam.


	Praise
"You showed great understanding of the issues and much creativity throughout the project. You also worked with us in helping us clarify our purposes for the project, and took it in good humor through many more iterations than we'd specified." --Jim Hynson, State of Maine DEP "I view the departments relationship with you as a partnership rather than as a "contractor". As such, your broad-based tank knowledge and occasional concerns are highly valued. Great to work with you." --Redge Meierhenry, State of Montana DEQ "The course was productive. I really appreciate the “combination” of classroom (with lots of pictures!!) and on-hands training..." --Sydney Randell, US Postal Service