Introduction

Underground storage tanks are used to store petroleum products, chemicals, and other hazardous materials underground. Madison has over 50 underwater storage tanks, with 5 being effective or being used. The Madison Environmental Commission  is dedicated to environmental protection. It  studies pollution sites and informs the public regarding environmental matters such as conservation and preservation of flora and fauna. The Morris Township Environmental Commission also informs the local government and the public on environmental issues, laws, programs and steps that should be taken to preserve and protect the local environment. Every year the Environmental Commission reports the measures that have been taken during that year in improving the township’s environment. 

Data

The data points are used to represent underground storage tanks through the use of four different classifications. Effective, expired, pending, and terminated USTs. The USTs in Madison, NJ currently only include effective and terminated sites. Terminated sites are those in which the USTs have been emptied and are no longer in use, while effective sites represent those that are still in use.

The map above shows the underground storage tanks in Madison, New Jersey. The legend for the map can be accessed by choosing the top button in the right-hand corner.

Results

In Madison, there are currently a total of 66 underground storage tanks, 61 are terminated USTs and 5 are effective. The effective sites only make up about 8% of all USTs. 48% of these sites are found towards the center of the town and there are 4 USTs that are on the border of Madison and other municipalities. Of the 5 effective sites, 2 of these are shared with other municipalities. 

Conclusion

Underground storage tanks pose a threat to the environment due to the bare steel they are made of which cordes. The leaked contests such as petroleum or harmful chemicals can contaminate soil and groundwater.  To regulate the tanks, the Congress passed several laws and requirements since 1984. To prevent the events of a leak happening, state and local regulatory authorities regulate these types of tanks.  Morris Township asks the residents who own these underground storage tanks to check and test them periodically.

About the Data

Underground storage tanks (2023) from NJDEP GIS was created to map UST facilities, which represent sites of underground storage tanks. The NJDEP (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection) is a government agency of the U.S. that works to manage the state’s natural resources and address issues related to pollution. The data layer was designed to assist NJDEP efforts in managing these sites and was created using desktop GIS and web-based applications (NJ-GeoWeb). The data was last updated September 20, 2023 and can be accessed online here.