Abstract Leaking underground storage tanks (USTs) are one of the major sources of ground water contamination. United States federal regulations for USTs were established in September of 1988. Since that time little or no amendments have been made to these regulations. In order to protect sensitive areas such as aquifer recharge zones for public water supply wells and wetlands, different states have been obligated to apply more stringent standards than the federal UST regulations. This practice however, has led to a non-uniform application of regulations for USTs throughout the country. In this article, United States regulations for USTs are reviewed and its deficits are highlighted. Based on these regulations and the experience of northeastern states of United States, a sequence of leak and spill preventive measures for USTs is proposed. Application of the proposed measures could substantially reduce the possibility of UST failure and would be more protective of the subsurface environment.