WPMA News / Fall 2026	
 49
State Report
UPDATE
DEQ Announces  
Double-Walled Spill Bucket Integrity Testing
Effective August 1, 2026, an integrity 
test is required for all Double-Walled Spill 
Buckets equipped with a gauge or sensor in 
a dry interstice.
These tests should be scheduled to coin-
cide with your next three-year overfill pre-
vention evaluation, which will help facility 
owners avoid additional expenses associated 
with multiple contractor site visits. For more 
information, call the PST Compliance Section at 801.536.4100. 
UPMRA Co-Sponsors National Conference of 
State Legislatures Event
This year’s NCSL meeting was held 
in Chicago and UPMRA co-sponsored the 
Utah State Night Event.
NCSL has a very active committee  
process, and their Banking, Financial  
Services and Insurance Committee consid-
ered a resolution calling for federal action 
to regulate a host of semi-related technolo-
gies regarding “surveillance pricing,” digital shelf labels, loyalty 
and rewards programs and data collection among other issues.
Utah Legislator, Rep. James Dunnigan, is a co-chair of that  
committee, and Gary Thorup, UPMRA lobbyist, shared a letter 
penned by NACS that expressed concerns that this is policy over-
reach by the organization and is in contrast to the organization’s 
traditional role in protecting federalism, opposing federal govern-
ment intrusion and pushing back on efforts aimed at preemption.
Read 7 big takeaways from the meeting:  
https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/ 
7-things-we-learned-at-the-2026-ncsl-legislative-summit
Gas Prices and Tax Credits  
on Utah House Speaker’s Mind
Last legislative session, Utah leaders 
worked on infrastructure tax credits and 
incentives for gas production, and now 
they are frustrated that the average price of 
gas at the pumps continues to rise above the 
national average.
Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, who was behind a recent law 
that lowered the gas tax at the pump by 6 cents from July 1 until 
the end of this year, doesn’t have any heartburn on local refineries 
exporting about 40% of the gas they produce outside state lines, 
but he takes issue with the potential of incentives like the High 
Cost Infrastructure Tax Credit—the largest credit offered by the 
state to improve refineries’ infrastructure—benefitting other states 
while Utah prices keep going up.
The High Cost Infrastructure Tax Credit, in effect since 2019,  
has reimbursed a total of $53 million to refineries to support  
their infrastructure and help improve air quality by asking  
refineries to produce Tier 3 fuel. Schultz’s concern, he said,  
is that there aren’t any restrictions on the gas sales of those  
refineries, and exports are allowed.
Jake Garfield, deputy director at the Utah Office of Energy  
Development, blames California, stating: “There have been two 
very large refineries closed in California just in the last couple 
months due to political decisions made in California, and  
because of that, California has become particularly exposed 
to international volatility in prices, particularly in the Middle 
East.” Looking for a solution, he said: “We have been meeting 
with numerous partners that are interested in expanding the  
Pioneer pipeline that currently comes from Wyoming to bring 
more refined products into the state.” 
Garfield also cautioned the legislators, stating: “Without the  
high-cost infrastructure tax credit, I think our air would be  
significantly dirtier, and there would be less production of  
those fuels at our refineries.” 
Event Highlights to Come in Winter Magazine
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