Official State of Rhode Island website

State of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

RI UST Financial Responsibility Fund

UST Fund Submission Deadline and Disbursement Dates

Applications for claims must be submitted and received by the end of the business day on the deadline date, posted below:

Deadline for Disbursement #100: January 9th, 2026. 

*Deadline dates are subject to change

Disbursement #98 checks have been mailed as of August 29th, 2025.

Important Things to Note

  • First-time applicants are encouraged to submit a Compliance Application and Deductible Determination Application as soon as a release has been identified.
  • All invoices for cleanup costs must be submitted within 24 months of being incurred. Otherwise, the reimbursement request will be denied. RIDEM has 90 days following the quarterly deadline to approve, deny, or modify requests for reimbursement. 

Questions? Email: DEM.USTFund@dem.ri.gov 

  1. Apply to the Fund: First-Time Applicants

    A Compliance Application and Deductible Determination Application may be submitted to RIDEM upon the discovery of a release from a UST with a $150.00 application fee.

    The Compliance Application (Form 1) provides the necessary information to determine whether the UST or UST system has been operated in compliance with the UST regulations. 

    The Deductible Determination Application (Form 1a) provides information on location risk, and compliance history of the UST or UST System. 

    *First-time applicants are encouraged to submit a Compliance Application and Deductible Determination Application as soon as a release has been identified. 

    Please fill out and submit the two forms (Form 1. Compliance Application & Form 1a. Deductible Determination Application) below along with the required $150.00 application fee. Applicants are encouraged to submit a first-time application as soon as a release has been identified. 

    Completed forms should be emailed to: dem.ustfund@dem.ri.gov 

    First-Time Application Forms:

    • The Compliance Application (Form 1) review includes an examination of at least three years of compliance data prior to the release. As a result of the submission, UST owners may be required to resolve any non-compliance issues through the RIDEM enforcement processes, including correction of any deficiencies, entering legal agreements, and/or paying fines. The reimbursement process may continue once all compliance issues are resolved.
    • The Deductible Determination Application (Form 1a) provides information on location risk, and compliance history of the UST or UST System. The Department will determine whether the claimant is eligible for UST Fund Deductible Relief based on these forms and existing information from the UST Management Program to validate the information given by the claimant. 

  2. Initial Request for Reimbursement

    A Request for Reimbursement and the Invoice Submission Form must be submitted after UST compliance has been established, by the deadline date posted at the top of this page. 

    These two forms must be submitted together to dem.ustfund@dem.ri.gov and are accepted quarterly. Deadlines are posted at the top of the page. 

    A Request for Reimbursement form must include at least $20,000.00 of costs related to the investigation and/or remediation of the release. Additionally, All invoices for cleanup costs must be submitted within 24 months of being incurred. 

    Please fill out and submit the two forms (Form 2: Request for Reimbursement & Invoice Submission Form) below. Applicants are encouraged to submit a first-time application as soon as a release has been identified and $20,000 of costs related to the investigation and/or remediation of the release have been incurred. 

    Completed forms should be emailed to: dem.ustfund@dem.ri.gov 

    Initial Request for Reimbursement Forms:

    • DEM will notify the applicant if a site was found to be "in-compliance" and eligible to enroll in the Fund.
    • A review of these applications addresses whether the release is eligible under the Rhode Island UST Financial Responsibility Act and the U.S. EPA Financial Responsibility regulations.
    • This process can take up to six months for an initial reimbursement. RIDEM has 90 days following the quarterly deadline to approve, deny, or modify requests for reimbursement. If the Department determines that additional information or backup documentation is required, the claimant will not receive reimbursement for that quarterly submittal and must submit the required information or backup by the following quarterly deadline.

  3. Returning Applicants

    For all supplemental claims or resubmittals, a Request for Reimbursement and Invoice Submission Form must be submitted after UST compliance has been established, by the deadline date posted at the top of this page. 

    These two forms must be submitted together to dem.ustfund@dem.ri.gov and are accepted quarterly. Deadlines are posted at the top of the page. 

    Please fill out and submit the two forms (Form 2: Request for Reimbursement & Invoice Submission Form) below. Applicants are encouraged to submit a first-time application as soon as a release has been identified and $20,000 of costs related to the investigation and/or remediation of the release have been incurred. 

    Completed forms should be emailed to: DEM.USTFund@dem.ri.gov 

    Supplemental Claims and Resubmission Forms

    Submission Information

    Supplemental Applications
    • Form 2 - Request for Reimbursement & the Invoice Submission Form are to be submitted following any initial reimbursement for the release.
    • These applications must include at least $5,000.00 in costs related to the investigation and/or remediation of the release.
    • Supplemental applications of $5,000.00 or more may be submitted before each of the established deadlines until the closure of the release is obtained through RIDEM.
    Resubmittals
    • Costs marked as "No Backup" on a returned claim review, may be resubmitted in the following disbursement period. “No Backup” costs may be resubmitted only once and must be submitted before the deadline immediately following the “No Backup” determination, regardless of the amount of supplemental costs.
    • Form 2 - Request for Reimbursement and the Invoice Submission Form includes the option to include resubmittals for costs that require more backup information. Resubmittals should include credible backup documentation detailing the charge so the Committee can properly determine its eligibility.
    • Resubmittal costs do not count toward the $5,000.00 minimum for supplemental applications. 

    The review process results in a determination of the eligible, ineligible, and “No Backup” portions of the submittal which are reviewed on a quarterly schedule to finalize approval for reimbursement.

Useful Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

An owner/operator may apply to the Fund as soon as a release has been identified. 

Form 1. Compliance Application, Form 1a. Deductible Determination Application, and a $150 application fee (to the RI General Treasury) must be submitted to the Fund at dem.ustfund@dem.ri.gov, 

Private parties, the state, and cities and towns are potentially eligible for reimbursement costs that have been incurred as a result of a leaking underground storage tank.

 

See our "Ineligible Expense List" in the Additional Resources section for further details on eligible costs. 

To receive funds, one must be in compliance with the Department of Environmental Management's rules and regulations. A claimant must have incurred costs as a result of taking corrective actions, paying third-party claims, or otherwise incurring eligible costs as a result of a release of petroleum subject to the motor and special fuels tax. Additionally, the claimant must exhibit that they spent the $20,000 deductible on eligible costs and expenses.

The process can take up to six months for an initial reimbursement; however, once eligibility is determined and a disbursement is made, a supplemental claim can be submitted every quarter for ongoing costs.

Applications for claims are reviewed quarterly. RIDEM had 90 days to approve, deny, or modify a claim. Checks are typically mailed within 5 to 10 business days of application approval.

An owner/operator may receive up to one million dollars of eligible costs and expenses.

Deductible Relief determination will consider site location and compliance status to possibly reduce the required deductible . Two tiers of criteria will outline if an applicant is eligible for a $5,000 or $10,000 reduction to the otherwise standard $20,000 deductible requirement.  Ineligible applicants will remain subject to the $20,000 deductible. 

This initiative will not be offered retroactively.  Only newly discovered releases for which a first-time UST Fund Compliance Determination Application is being submitted, and the deductible has not yet been met will qualify for this Program.   

UST Statutes

Rhode Island General Law 46-12.9 establishes the Rhode Island Underground Storage Tank Financial Responsibility Act. This is a law passed by the Rhode Island Government to cover the funding sources for the remediation of leaking underground storage tanks in the State of Rhode Island. Statutes may be amended.

UST Regulations

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) established by Congress in 1984, wrote and published regulations that require owners/operators of underground storage tanks to prevent, detect, and clean up releases. In 1996 Rhode Island became one of 31 states in the country approved by the EPA to manage its own underground storage tank management and clean-up program, and has currently completed 864 cleanups. See DEM's UST Regulations here: UST Regulations