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State-Lead Cleanup RFP

June 24 Update: Submission deadline has extended to Monday, July 7, 2025. Refer to eVA for more details on the RFP.  

The Tanks Program has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the State-Lead Cleanup Program. (Investigation and Remediation of Petroleum/Oil Contamination, RFP-95169).

The RFP's purpose is to establish multiple term contracts with qualified companies to investigate and remediate petroleum contamination from sources where the responsible party is unknown, unwilling, or unable to take appropriate action.

Contractors may perform a range of activities including:

  • Release investigation
  • Emergency response and abatement
  • Site characterization
  • Corrective action

More information on the RFP, including volume of work, service requirements, and submission instructions, is available on eVA. Submissions close July 7, 2025 at 2 p.m. EDT.

DEQ will hold a mandatory pre-proposal conference virtually, and at DEQ's Piedmont Regional Office. Vendors must attend the pre-proposal conference to be eligible to submit a proposal.

For more information on the RFP or the pre-proposal conference, please email rebecca.m.taylor@deq.virginia.gov. 

2025 Usual and Customary Rates

The Department of Environmental Quality is seeking information to aid in the development of the next update to the Usual and Customary Rate (UCR) Schedule used to claim reimbursement from the Virginia Petroleum Storage Tank Fund (VPSTF). The UCR schedule provides maximum reasonable reimbursement amounts for materials and tasks associated with the cleanup of a petroleum release.  

The Usual and Customary Rates (UCRs) represent the maximum amount DEQ will reimburse for a material or task, unless competitive bidding is used. DEQ publishes the UCR Schedule to establish the reasonable costs for materials and tasks associated with Fund-eligible corrective actions. DEQ will also review the existing UCR schedule to address changes in technology, set new UCRs, and eliminate unnecessary UCRs. 

Previous UCR Schedules are available for review on Town Hall:

VPSTF Reimbursement Guidance Manual, Volume VII - Usual and Customary Rates (August 2019)

VPSTF Reimbursement Guidance Manual - Volume VII, 2nd Edition (October 2022)

Information Requested

DEQ requests information on typical costs invoiced to clients in the following business sectors. Costs must be documented between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024. 

  • Environmental remediation services
  • General construction industry
  • Commercial environmental laboratories
  • Environmental supply and rental companies
  • Construction supply and rental companies
  • Environmental and geotechnical drilling firms
  • Geological and geophysical surveying firms
  • Licensed water well drilling firms
  • Waste management companies 
  • Spill response contractors
  • HAZMAT emergency response contractors

Please submit information to tank@deq.virginia.gov 

November 2024 Activity Authorization Form & Cost Worksheet

On December 19, the Internal Revenue Service issued the standard mileage rate for 2025 of 70 cents per mile for business transportation. The following 2022 UCR Schedule forms have been updated to allow claimants to claim the I2025 mileage rate.

2024 UST Public Record Report

Virginia has released its public record of USTs for the most recent reporting period (October 2023 - September 2024). 

2024 UST Public Record Report 

Virginia's UST Public Record Report includes the number of facilities with regulated USTs, the number of UST facilities inspected during the reporting period, and the percent of facilities in compliance at time of inspection. The public record report also includes the number of confirmed releases, and the source and cause of releases, if known.

UST Compliance Guides in Hindi and Spanish 

EPA has released Hindi and Spanish versions of the publication, "Musts for USTs". "Musts for USTs" summarizes federal UST requirements for installation, reporting, spill and overfill prevention, corrosion protection, release detection, walkthrough inspections, compatibility, operator training, repairs, financial responsibility, release response, and closure, an in-depth summary of the regulatory requirements for Underground Storage Tanks.

Procedimientos de Cumplimiento de los Tanques Subterráneos de Almacenaje

La EPA redactó este folleto para dueños y operadores de Tanques subterráneos de almacenaje (UST, por sus siglas en inglés). En este folleto se describe la regulación federal sobre tanques subterráneos, también conocidos como tanques soterrados, modificada en el año 2015.

UST के लिए अनिवार्य

EPA ने यह पुस्तिका भूमिगत भंडारण टैंक (UST) के मालिकों और प्रचालकों के लिए लिखी है।
यह पुस्तिका 2015 के संशोधित संघीय UST विनियम का वर्णन करती है। कई राज्यों और प्रदेशों को (इस पुस्तिका में राज्यों के रूप में संदर्भित) EPA से राज्य कार्यक्रम अनुमोदन प्राप्त हैं। राज्य कार्यक्रम अनुमोदन प्राप्त राज्यों की सूची देखने के लिए, www.epa.gov/ust/state-underground-storage-tank-ust-programs लिंक पर क्लिक करें।

There are more than 28,000 active petroleum storage tanks in the Virginia. The greatest potential threat from a leaking tank is contamination of groundwater, the source of drinking water for many Virginians. DEQ’s Petroleum Storage Tank Program works to prevent, monitor and clean-up petroleum releases from storage tanks.


Compliance
DEQ’s storage tank compliance program ensures that regulated petroleum storage tanks are installed and operating properly by performing field inspections at each regulated facility. Agency staff work hand-in-hand with tank owners and operators. 

Cleanup
The tank cleanup program administers over 1,000 petroleum cleanups a year by working with tank owners and operators to address leaks from petroleum storage tanks. More than 40,000 petroleum-contaminated sites in Virginia have been cleaned up since the 1980s. Through DEQ’s petroleum tank cleanup program, many contaminated properties have been restored and put back into productive use. 

Reimbursement
DEQ administers the Virginia Petroleum Storage Tank Fund, which is available to tank owners and operators to reimburse certain costs for clean-up of releases. Tank owners responsible for cleaning up a release can file reimbursement claims for these costs over the life of a cleanup.  DEQ sets reasonable rates for eligible activities and assists responsible parties and their consultants with the reimbursement process.  

Heating Oil
Many homeowners and businesses in Virginia use heating oil tanks for heat. Although DEQ does not inspect or regulate the operation of most heating oil tanks, the agency does require the tank owner to report leaks promptly and clean them up. Staff in each of DEQ’s six regional offices are available to help navigate the cleanup and reimbursement process.

Transportation
Petroleum transportation (for example, pipelines, tank vessels or tanker trucks) is generally regulated by the federal government. However, DEQ requires the cleanup of releases of petroleum transported throughout the Commonwealth. DEQ also requires pipeline owners to maintain a plan to quickly respond and clean up any leaks that occur along the pipeline.