What is a leaking underground storage tank (LUST) site?
A LUST site is a property where a state confirmed a release from an underground storage tank. Each one gets a case number and a status: open while cleanup continues, closed once the state is satisfied.
In more detail
More than half a million tank releases have been confirmed in the US since the late 1980s, and tens of thousands are still open. States track them, often under names like LUST, LPST or petroleum release cases.
Petroleum plumes usually move with groundwater and break down over time, but they can reach neighboring properties and send vapor into buildings.
What it means when you buy
An open case on the property is a cleanup you may inherit. An open case next door, uphill in groundwater terms, can affect your property too. A closed case may still carry controls.
How the pre-screen handles it
The pre-screen lists tank release cases on and around the site with distance, direction and status, and flags open ones nearby as higher risk.
Pre-screen a property before you spend on a Phase I
A desk review of one address: past uses from historical photos and maps, federal and state environmental records, and flood risk, ready usually within the hour. $100 for one report, or $100/month for 3.