Spcc Plan Template

EPA oil storage regs impact farmers

SPCC program was established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prevent oil spills in the waters of the United States. The program recently expanded to include certain regulatory farms. Some facilities are required to develop SPCC plans that describe oil storage containers, emergency contact and response personnel, procedures and training to prevent, control, and provide adequate measures against- a discharge of oil.The oil spill prevention, control and against-measures (SPCC) was established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prevent oil spills in the waters of the United States. The program recently expanded to include certain regulatory farms.

As a result of these regulations, certain facilities are required to develop plans that describe SPCC oil storage containers, emergency contact and response personnel, procedures and training to prevent, control, and provide of adequate measures against-a discharge of oil.

What are agricultural facilities covered by the SPCC program?The basics: your installation firm is covered by this program if you store more than 1.320 gallons of oil in bulk containers above the ground, including containers (drums, containers, storage tanks (ASTs), reservoirs the nurse, well pumps, hydraulic lifts, etc.). with a storage capacity of 55 gallons or more, and your facility have a "reasonable expectation of a discharge of oil" with water.

Common types of oil covered by SPCC found on farms include diesel fuel, gasoline, lubricating oil, hydraulic oil and mineral oil.

To define what is meant by "reasonable expectation of an oil discharge" of water, think about the geography and the location of your installation firm over the waters nearby. Determine if drainage near your fuel storage facility or rainfall runoff could carry an oil spill from a nearby lake. Exclude man-made features such as dikes or other structures in determining the potential movement oil spills to waterways. If oil flow is reasonable for a body of water, and your fuel storage facility reaches the 1320 gallons, then your property is covered by SPCC.

Federally-Required Oil Spill Plans Due in 78 Days: What ...

The main goal of the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) program is to prevent oil from entering surface waters or nearby shorelines of the United States. The rule applies in all 50 states and is administered and enforced by federal EPA in every state; however, states and localities also may have supplemental oil programs.  Inspectors are looking for sheens on water, the ground, or pavement, oil storage containers without secondary containment or with improperly sized secondary containment, lack of alarm systems to notify personnel of spills, missing records and failure to train personnel.  This rule also is in addition to any oil spill requirements required by your stormwater pollution prevention plan.

Bottom Line

Right now, EPA’s SPCC rule covers your jobsite if (1) your aboveground oil storage containers (in tanks of 55 gallons or greater, including asphalt cement tanks) have a total capacity as the term applies to the SPCC rule, to comply with a recent court decision.

The rule requires all regulated jobsites to have a comprehensive SPCC Plan detailing how the owner/contractor will store oil and both control and clean up any spills that may occur on the jobsite.  Basic requirements call for appropriate secondary containment and/or diversionary structures, security measures, inspections and record keeping and employee training. EPA rules also impose .

Once you have an SPCC Plan in place it is critical to conduct site inspections, personnel training and periodic review and renewal of the Plan. Severe penalties have been assessed against companies who had SPCC Plans in place but failed to conduct proper training and implementation of the Plan. If an inspector determines that site personnel do not know how to respond to a spill, you could face penalties, regardless of whether there has been a spill incident.

AGC has been working with EPA for many years to provide the Agency with practical advice and counsel on how to streamline the oil spill rules to minimize the implementation problems common to construction sites.   EPA has set a November 10, 2011, compliance deadline for regulated construction sites to prepare and implement SPCC Plans that meet all of the current requirements.