Austin, Texas-based Tanknology Inc., an underground storage tank (UST) environmental compliance services company, has introduced an online training and management system for Class C operators. The new system enables fueling facility operators to train all of their Class C operators, in accordance with new regulatory requirements and keep track of them all with administrative tools. The computer based-system can be accessed either via the Internet, or licensed by companies to operate on their internal Intranet.

Per federal regulation, all states must implement specific training and certification programs for Class A, B and C operators. The computer-based training include essentials such as spill, leak, fire response. Tanknology also offers training and compliance programs for Class A and B operators, in addition to on-site training for Class C operators.

Currently, the Tanknology course is an accepted training method in Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington DC and Wisconsin.

Tanknology has partnered in this program with Petroleum Training Solutions, Inc., (PTS), the petroleum industry leader in training and certification programs for Class A, B and C Operators.

Allen Porter, the President and CEO of Tanknology noted that there is a lot of interest in Class C operator training programs across the industry. “This is a very topical issue right now,” Porter said. “States are rolling out their specific requirements and in many cases they vary from state-to-state. For large operators, spanning multiple states, this is a real challenge to manage. That’s where we can help them, as our compliance management programs already address unique requirements down to the state and local level, so we track the regulations, obtain necessary certifications and structure an operator training process that suits the customer’s specific needs. We are working with many of our customers on all three classifications of operators – Class A, B and C, so this computer-based option for front-line Class C operators provides a convenient and cost-effective addition to our services.”

Porter added that the administrative management tools of the new Tanknology program are an enormous advantage to customers will multiple facilities. “Many of our customers have from hundreds to thousands of facilities, across several states, each with potentially unique training requirements. Each of those facilities will ultimately need to have a trained Class C operator onsite during all working hours. That’s a lot to keep track of, so our system is specifically designed to help such operators manage that information.” Customers can run reports on who has been trained and who hasn’t, add and delete personnel as staffing changes; print copies of course completion certificates, and much more.

The Tanknology course is an Internet-based program, allowing access at any time from a computer with access to the web. It can also be licensed to companies to run on their internal Intranet system, for situations where Internet access is not available to front-line personnel.

More information about the Tanknology course, a demo of the system and an up-to-date database of state regulatory approvals can be found at www.tanknology.com/ClassC. Visitors to the site can also sign up, complete a training course and become certified within a matter of minutes.

“We are very excited about this addition to our comprehensive array of UST compliance management services,” Porter said. “We can be of tremendous value to operators in this area of their compliance programs, providing a first-rate training program, in-depth regulatory knowledge and unmatched backend management tools.”

Based in Austin, Texas, Tanknology (www.tanknology.com) operates across America and around the world, providing UST environmental compliance testing and related services at more than 50,000 sites per year, for more than 3,000 customers. Internationally, Tanknology licensees span 30 countries, providing services to the largest petroleum retailers in the world.