New or replacement underground storage tanks and piping installed after __________ are required to have secondary containment.

• A. 2005
• B. 2010
• C. 2015
• D. 2020

Answer: (B)

Secondary containment is an extra barrier around underground storage tanks and their piping to capture leaks and prevent releases to soil or groundwater. Regulations require this protection for new or replacement installations, with a cutoff date after which all such systems must have secondary containment. In this context, that cutoff is 2010, so any new or replacement underground storage tanks and piping installed after 2010 must include secondary containment. This reflects a regulatory move to tougher safety standards and reduces environmental risk by ensuring leaks are contained and detectable. Tanks achieve this through double-walled construction with an interstitial space monitored for leaks, and piping can likewise be double-walled with containment monitoring. The other dates don’t fit the specified rule for this scenario.