Well Told Grants

Federal grant programs / Environmental Protection Agency

Underground Storage Tank (UST) Prevention, Detection, and Compliance Program (66.804)

Also known as UST Prevention, Detection and Compliance Program

Underground Storage Tank (UST) Prevention, Detection, and Compliance Program (Assistance Listing 66.804) is run by the Environmental Protection Agency. It awarded $133 million in 232 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $572,892 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.

The typical award was $433,069. Half of the 232 awards fell between $223,694 and $769,012, and they ranged from $17,119 to $7.5 million.

Key findings

What the program funds

To assist states, territories, tribes, or intertribal consortia (leaking underground storage tank prevention only for tribes or intertribal consortia) that meet the requirements at 40 CFR 35.504 to develop and implement underground storage tank (UST) programs and for leak prevention, compliance, and other activities authorized by the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005, Public Law 105-276, and EPA's annual appropriations acts. Funding Priorities - Fiscal Year 2025: Assistance agreements to states under Section 2007 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act will support core program UST activities, implement their leak prevention and detection programs, as well as the 2005 Energy Policy Act (EPAct) leak prevention activities. High priority tasks include providing financial assistance to states for the following: 1) approving specific technologies to detect leaks from tank systems; 2) ensuring that tank owners and operators are complying with notification and other requirements; 3) ensuring equipment compatibility; 4) conducting UST inspections; 5) implementing operator training; 6) prohibiting delivery for non-complying facilities; 7) seeking state program approval to operate the UST program in lieu of the federal program; and 8) requiring secondary containment. Leaking underground storage tank (LUST) prevention assistance agreements to states, tribes, or intertribal consortia for activities authorized by EPAct will support states with inspections and other release prevention and compliance assurance activities for federally regulated UST systems, as well as for enforcement activities related to release prevention. For tribes, the LUST prevention assistance agreements will assist with all aspects of the tribal programs, e.g., inspection capacity. High priority tasks include providing financial assistance to tribes for: 1) inspecting UST facilities to complete the three-year inspection requirement; 2) developing inspection capacity for tribes; 3) enforcement activities related to release prevention; 4) development of leak prevention regulations and other program infrastructure; 5) helping tribes develop the capacity to administer UST programs, such as providing funding to support training for tribal staff and educating owners and operators in Indian country about UST requirements. These activities are geared toward bringing all UST systems into compliance with release detection and release prevention requirements and minimizing future releases. Priority will be given to providing funds to enable the states to meet their responsibilities under Title XV, Subtitle B of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. States that have entered into assistance agreements with EPA must have the authority to inspect and take other compliance and related enforcement actions to prevent releases from USTs.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Prevention, detection, and compliance assistance agreements are only available to states and territories and to Federally-recognized tribes and intertribal consortia that must meet the requirements, as described in the Federal Register Notice, Vol. 67, No. 213, pp. 67181-67183, "Update to EPA Policy on Certain Grants to Intertribal Consortia." These assistance agreements may also be used for EPA to help states, who request it, to obtain SEE enrollees through a SEE assistance agreement to work on the state's USTs and to support direct UST implementation programs.

What the money can and cannot pay for

LUST prevention assistance agreements are Continuing Environmental Program Grants. States and tribes may use financial assistance under this program for eligible and allowable costs incurred under assistance agreements for leak prevention, detection, and compliance. More information may be found in Program Guidance for Prevention Assistance Agreements Awarded Under the Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Trust Fund Program (EPA-510-K-25-001, March2025), which may be found at https://www.epa.gov/ust/state-grant-policy-and-guidance. Assistance agreements are available to support recipients' eligible and allowable direct costs incurred under an approved work plan plus allowable indirect costs, in accordance with established EPA policies and regulations. Unlike State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG) funding under Section 2007(f) of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA), the LUST prevention funding under Section 9011 and other applicable provisions of Subtitle I of the SWDA is not eligible for inclusion in Performance Partnership Grants under 40 CFR 35.133. EPA may award combined STAG funded UST prevention, detection, and compliance assistance agreements authorized by Section 2007(f) with LUST prevention assistance agreements authorized by Subtitle I if the combined agreement is not included in a Performance Partnership Grant. This program makes Federal awards on a discretionary basis.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. The UST prevention, detection, and compliance Solid Waste Disposal Act 2007(f) assistance agreement (STAG) program has no statutory formula or matching requirement. However, there is a 25 percent matching requirement (cost share) for States under 40 CFR 35.335. State matches (cost shares) may include in-kind contributions. Under 40 CFR 35.332, EPA regions allocate funds to states based on their programmatic needs and applicable EPA guidance. Factors include the number of active federally-regulated petroleum USTs. LUST prevention funding is awarded under Section 9011 and other applicable provisions of Subtitle I of the Solid Waste Disposal Act subject to an allocation process developed by the Agency. The Agency distributes funds based on the number of federally-regulated petroleum USTs in a state and other indicators of state needs. States will provide a 25 percent match (cost share) for assistance agreements awarded under Section 9011 and other applicable provisions of Subtitle I. If EPA awards a state a combined UST prevention, detection, and compliance (STAG) and LUST prevention assistance agreement, the 25 percent cost share will apply to total project costs for the combined assistance agreement.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines

Award range and average, in the agency's words

The State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) and LUST prevention financial assistance is based on states' needs. FY 2024 STAG funding for states and territories: The range was $23,000 - $266,984, and the average was $98,333. There is no STAG distribution for Tribes. FY 2024 Prevention funding for states and territories: The range was $86,143 - $1,228,238 and the average was $418,288. FY 2024 Prevention funding for Tribes: The range was $6,085 to $175,000 and the average as $62,755 with an average of 17 cooperative grants awarded. Assistance agreements are negotiated with states and territories on a Region-by-Region basis. In practice, they are typically 1-2 years in length.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2016: UST prevention, detection, and compliance assistance agreements' funded projects include functions necessary for the development and/or implementation of a State or Indian underground storage tank (UST) program. Those functions included the development and/or implementation of enforcement and inspection programs, outreach, and training related to the underground storage tanks program. Specific examples of funded projects in FY 2016 are state inspections, enforcement, development of regulations, other program infrastructure, and to support direct tribal UST implementation programs.Fiscal Year2017: No content availableFiscal Year2025: For examples of the types of projects funded under this assistance listing, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/ust/leaking-underground-storage-tank-trust-fund

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Funding history and past recipients

From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Underground Storage Tank (UST) Prevention, Detection, and Compliance Program (66.804) awarded $133 million across 232 grant awards, an average of $572,892 per award.

Top states: California ($8.1 million), Texas ($6.6 million), Georgia ($4.1 million), New York ($4.0 million), Ohio ($3.8 million), North Carolina ($3.7 million), Pennsylvania ($3.6 million), Florida ($3.5 million), Indiana ($3.4 million), Oklahoma ($3.3 million).

Who usually wins

State and local governments received 97% of the money, tribes 3.0%.

Recipient typeAwardsAmountShare
State and local governments195$129 million97%
Tribal governments and organizations37$4.0 million3.0%

By state

52 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Grants by recipient's state, fiscal 2021 to 2025
StateAwardsAmount
California3$8.1 million
Texas5$6.6 million
Georgia4$4.1 million
New York6$4.0 million
Ohio3$3.8 million
North Carolina4$3.7 million
Pennsylvania3$3.6 million
Florida4$3.5 million
Indiana4$3.4 million
Oklahoma9$3.3 million
Alabama3$3.2 million
Virginia3$3.2 million
Tennessee3$3.1 million
Illinois3$3.0 million
Michigan3$2.9 million
New Jersey2$2.7 million
Colorado3$2.6 million
New Mexico10$2.6 million
Louisiana5$2.6 million
Minnesota3$2.5 million
South Carolina4$2.5 million
Montana9$2.5 million
Washington6$2.5 million
Arizona3$2.4 million
Wisconsin3$2.4 million
Arkansas5$2.3 million
Kentucky3$2.3 million
Mississippi3$2.3 million
Missouri3$2.2 million
Massachusetts5$2.2 million
Kansas3$2.1 million
Utah5$2.1 million
South Dakota11$2.0 million
Iowa4$2.0 million
Nevada2$1.9 million
Idaho11$1.9 million
Oregon9$1.9 million
Nebraska5$1.8 million
West Virginia3$1.8 million
Connecticut5$1.7 million
Maine5$1.7 million
Hawaii2$1.7 million
Maryland2$1.6 million
North Dakota8$1.6 million
Puerto Rico2$1.6 million
New Hampshire5$1.5 million
Wyoming3$1.5 million
District of Columbia3$1.4 million
Rhode Island5$1.3 million
Vermont5$1.3 million
Delaware2$1.3 million
Alaska4$1.1 million
U.S. Virgin Islands1$204,572

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.