Section 12-13-13. Notification by owner of underground storage tank

   (a) Unless such notification has been previously provided to the division or to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with the federal act, any person who owns an underground storage tank shall notify the division, on forms provided by the division, within a reasonable number of days which the director shall specify, indicating the age, size, type, location, and uses of such tanks, identifying the regulated substances stored, and providing any other information which may be deemed relevant under such conditions as the director may prescribe.

(b) Unless such notification has been previously provided to the division or to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with the federal act, any person who owns an underground storage tank taken out of service after January 1, 1974, shall notify the division in writing, on forms provided by the division, within a reasonable number of days which the director shall specify, indicating the date the tank was taken out of operation, the age of the tank at the date taken out of operation, the size, type, and location of the tank, and the type and quantity of substances left stored in such tank on the date taken out of operation and shall provide any other information which may be deemed relevant under such conditions as the director may prescribe.

(c) Any owner who brings into use an underground storage tank after July 1, 1988, shall notify the division, on forms provided by the division, within 30 days of the existence of such tank, specifying the age, size, type, location, and uses of such tank.

(d) Beginning 30 days after the board issues new tank performance standard rules and regulations pursuant to Code Section 12-13-5, any person who sells a tank intended to be used as an underground storage tank shall notify the purchaser of such tank of the owner's notification requirements pursuant to this Code section.

(e) (1) The owner or operator of an underground storage tank in use or capable of being used shall provide to the division an annual underground storage tank notification for all underground storage tanks for which an initial notification has previously been given or should have been given pursuant to this Code section. Such notification shall be provided on forms as prescribed by the division and shall be submitted in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the board. It shall be a violation of this Code section for an owner or operator of an underground storage tank to fail to file an annual notification for an underground storage tank in accordance with such rules and regulations. The division shall issue confirmation of notification to the owner or operator for each facility with regulated underground storage tanks for which annual underground storage tank notifications have been submitted.

   (2) Beginning 180 days after rules and regulations are promulgated by the board establishing the requirements for annual tank notification and confirmation of notification as provided in paragraph (1) of this subsection, it shall be a violation of this Code section for any person to place or cause to be placed regulated substances in an underground storage tank for which the tank owner or operator has failed to provide the annual tank notification to the division as required in this subsection.

Code 1981, § 12-13-13, enacted by Ga. L. 1988, p. 2072, § 1; Ga. L. 1989, p. 14, § 12; Ga. L. 1994, p. 804, § 8.