What Are UST Records, and How Are They Different From LUST Records?

An Underground Storage Tank, or UST, is any tank (and its connected piping) with at least 10 percent of its volume buried underground, most commonly used to store petroleum products at fueling stations, but also found at a wide range of commercial and industrial properties. A UST record simply means a tank is, or was, registered at a property. It is not, by itself, evidence of a release.

• UST versus LUST: the distinction that matters
• A UST record documents that a tank exists or existed. A LUST record, a Leaking Underground Storage Tank, documents that a confirmed release actually occurred from a tank system. Every LUST case starts with a UST, but the overwhelming majority of registered USTs never become LUST cases. Treating a plain UST record the same way you'd treat a LUST record overstates the risk considerably.

• What to look for in a UST record
• Tank status: in service, removed, or closed in place
• Tank age and material, since older steel tanks have historically carried higher failure rates than modern double-walled systems
• Whether removal or closure was properly documented and permitted
• Any associated inspection or compliance history

• Why proper closure documentation matters
• A UST that was professionally removed or closed in place, with documentation, is a very different situation from one with an undocumented or informal closure. Missing closure paperwork doesn't prove a problem exists, but it does mean the tank's condition at removal was never formally verified, which is itself worth noting in a report.

• The practical takeaway
• A UST record on a property, current or historical, is a reason to look closer, not a reason for alarm. Geoscope's database screening distinguishes UST and LUST records clearly and maps their location relative to the subject property, so a registered tank and a confirmed release are never presented as the same finding.