What is the difference between aboveground and underground storage tanks?

Aboveground tanks are indeed easier to inspect compared to underground tanks, which is a significant advantage when it comes to monitoring their condition, managing maintenance, and preventing leaks or spills. Inspecting aboveground tanks allows for visual assessments of structural integrity, identifying corrosion, leaks, or other issues that might arise. This visibility is crucial for maintaining safety standards and ensuring environmental protection.

Conversely, underground tanks are more challenging to access and inspect, making it harder to detect problems before they escalate. They are typically buried beneath soil or concrete, which increases the risk of undetected leaks that can lead to contamination of soil and groundwater. This notion highlights why the installation and maintenance of underground storage tanks are regulated tightly, as they present greater risks associated with environmental hazards.

While the other options may contain some elements of truth—such as the prevalence of underground tanks in certain scenarios, relative costs, or varying degrees of risk—they do not encompass the primary concern highlighted by the correct answer, which is the ease of inspection and its importance in ensuring safety and compliance with regulations.