The U.S. General Accounting Office has identified several critical shortcomings in the otherwise largely successful storage tank regulation program. This legislation would seek to fix those shortcomings by mandating increased inspections, more training for tank operators, and more money for program administration and cleanup of contaminated sites.

The bill would require the inspection of all tanks every two years, while increasing federal emphasis on training tank operators. The legislation emphasizes compliance of tanks owned by federal, state and local governments, and provides $200 million for cleanup of sites contaminated by MTBE.