9. a. The department shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (52:14B-1 et seq.), requiring the owner or operator of a facility to meet the standards for the construction, installation, and operation of new and existing underground storage tanks, including standards for secondary containment, monitoring systems, release detection systems, corrosion protection, spill prevention, and overfill prevention, and other underground storage tank equipment adopted pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection a. of section 5 of P.L.1986, c.102 (C. 58:10A-25). The deadlines for compliance with the standards shall be identical to those deadlines established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 6991 et seq. for all underground storage tanks, including those underground storage tanks not regulated pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 6991 et seq.

b. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection a. of this section to the contrary, and except as provided in section 2 of P.L.1998, c.59 (C. 58:10A-29.1), the deadline for compliance for underground storage tanks with a capacity of over 2,000 gallons used to store heating oil for onsite consumption in a non-residential building shall be five years after the deadline established pursuant to subsection a. of this section.

L.1986,c.102,s.9; amended 1991, c.1, s.3; 1994, c.14, s.3; 1998, c.59, s.1.