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When Utah lawmakers passed legislation launching a statewide push to swap out old underground storage tanks at risk of contaminating land by leaking gasoline and diesel fuel, they didn't know that one of the riskiest tanks in the state sat about 50 yards from where they met.

The irony is not lost on Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Cottonwood Heights, who sponsored legislation to try to motivate companies and local government entities to upgrade their storage tanks; he says it's a bit of "the pot calling the kettle black."

"One of the worst tanks in the state is in the backyard of the Capitol," Eliason said Thursday. "That tank was Category Red, meaning if it wasn't leaking, it would be soon."

So this week, crews excavated the 20,000-gallon steel tank and hoisted it out of the gaping hole with a towering crane. The tank contained diesel fuel that would power generators to keep the state's data center online and running, potentially for weeks, in the event of a power outage.

The single-walled steel tank was installed in 1985 and is one of the older tanks the state owns, said Doug Hansen, compliance manager for the Department of Environmental Quality's Underground Storage Tank Branch, which is in charge of inspecting and monitoring about 4,000 tanks at 1,350 facilities, from gas stations to state government sites to cities and school districts.

The tank was lined to keep it from rusting out, Hansen said, and it appeared to be in good shape when it was lifted out on Wednesday. Officials won't know for sure if it had leaked until results are back from soil samples around the tank, which could take a few weeks.

The real concern, he said, was that the coating on the lines leading to the tank had worn off, meaning that, while the tank may have been sound, the lines could have failed.

The new tank, which was dropped in on Thursday, is smaller — just 12,000 gallons — but Hansen said it is plenty to meet the needs of the data center. Unlike the old tank, it is made of fiberglass and double-walled. The lines also are not made of metal and are double-walled, as well.

"It just gives us a little more security and a little better protection," Hansen said.

For years the state had subsidized insurance for owners of storage tanks in case there were leaks. But Eliason said it didn't make sense to him, so he sponsored legislation in 2015 to try to encourage owners to upgrade their tanks and get insurance on the private market.

"We shouldn't be taking money from other areas of state government and subsidizing an industry, generally a very profitable industry," he said. With new tanks in place, the companies could get private insurance more cheaply than relying on the state for help.

Now, the state charges a flat fee to petroleum companies when trucks roll out of the refinery. At the end of the year, those that have newer tanks can get a partial refund.

Those with old tanks may not get a refund and may, in fact, have to pay more.

In addition, the state has offered zero-interest loans to companies wanting to replace their aging tanks.

Since then, the situation around the state has been similar to the scene at the Capitol this week, as owners are swapping out their aging tanks, Eliason said. The net result is less risk to the environment from harmful leaks and costly cleanups, and less risk to the state which insures many of those tanks.

gehrke@sltrib.com Twitter: @RobertGehrke