UST's are regulated in the United States to prevent release of petroleum and contamination of groundwater, soil and air. The 1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) required the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop regulations for the underground storage of motor fuels to minimize and prevent environmental damage, by mandating owners and operators of UST systems to verify, maintain, and clean up sites damaged by petroleum contamination.[3]