(1) The owner or operator of an underground storage tank system shall have all active underground storage tank systems at an individual facility inspected by a licensed compliance inspector, certified under this chapter, at least every three years for compliance with the operation and maintenance requirements of Title 75, chapter 11, part 5, MCA, and the rules adopted thereunder. Inspections must be completed at least 90 days before the expiration date of the operating permit issued pursuant to ARM 17.56.308.

(a) The inspection must include examination, assessment and documentation of compliance with all tank operation and maintenance requirements under 75-11-509 , MCA, and rules adopted thereunder. The aforementioned "operation and maintenance requirements" are those requirements in ARM Title 17, chapter 56, subchapters 2, 3, and 4 that address the following categories:

(i) release prevention and detection;

(ii) spill and overfill prevention;

(iii) corrosion protection; and

(iv) testing, monitoring, and recordkeeping related to (1)(a)(i) through (iii).

(b) Underground storage tank systems that, under ARM 17.56.102(3) are exempt from ARM Title 17, chapter 56, subchapters 2, 3, and 4, are exempt from compliance inspection requirements. Owners or operators of these underground storage tank systems may obtain an operating permit and tag by making a written request to the department and providing evidence, satisfactory to the department, that the subject UST systems qualify for this exemption.

(2) For an underground storage tank system that is installed before November 1, 2001, an initial inspection must occur no later than January 1, 2002.

(3) For an underground storage tank system that is installed or returned to active status pursuant to ARM 17.56.701 after November 1, 2001, an initial inspection must be completed at least 90 days, but no more than 120 days, after the date the conditional operating permit is issued or reissued pursuant to ARM 17.56.310. If the facility has other underground storage tank systems installed prior to November 1, 2001, all subsequent inspections of an underground storage tank system installed on or after November 1, 2001, must be conducted on the same schedule as the underground storage tank systems in existence prior to that date.

(4) Upon completion of the inspection, the inspector shall provide the owner or operator with a copy of the inspection report.

(5) No later than 15 days after any inspection conducted pursuant to this rule, the owner or operator, or the compliance inspector, shall provide to the department the results of the compliance inspection on a form approved by the department. The form must be signed by the licensed compliance inspector and the underground storage tank system owner or operator.

(6) All underground storage tank systems at an individual facility, except as provided in (2), must be inspected at one time.

(7) The owner or operator shall correct all violations noted in a compliance inspection report either within 90 days of receipt of the inspection report by the owner or operator, or at least 14 days prior to the expiration of the facility's operating permit, whichever occurs first. For violations that have moderate or minor gravity, as defined in ARM 17.4.303, the department may establish another time period in which the violations must be corrected.

(8) The owner or operator shall submit to the department a follow-up inspection report either within 30 days after completion of the corrective actions required under (7), or at least 14 days before the expiration of the facility's operating permit, whichever occurs first.