| Intent: Driven by the EPA's Federal Water
Pollution Control Act, this ruling is designed to prevent oil discharges.
Background of the SPCC Act: The Act was originally drafted in 1973.
It was revised and strengthened in August of 2002. One significant
change was to state that "users" of oil must comply. The
regulation now reads that " facilities that drill, produce,
gather, store, use, process, refine, transfer, distribute or consume
oil and oil products" must comply. Gasoline and diesel are
considered "oil products" and are regulated by SPCC.
Who must comply? Facilities with total, above-ground, oil storage
capacity (not actual gallons on site) of greater than 1,320 gallons.
Storage capacity includes fixed tanks as well as fuel tanks on operating
equipment. Storage containers that are 55-gallons and greater are
used to calculate total capacity. Facilities with below-ground storage
capacity of greater than 42,000 gallons must also comply.
What are the basics of an SPCC Plan? The SPCC Plan must address
all relevant spill prevention, control and countermeasures necessary
to minimize the potential for oil discharge. One requirement is
to provide appropriate containment and/or diversionary structures,
i.e. dikes, berms or retaining walls, to prevent a discharge. A
means of secondary containment sufficient to contain the capacity
of the largest single compartment or container with sufficient freeboard
to contain precipitation is mandated. Products that seal drains
or divert spills from drains, as well as sorbents, are considered
"control" or "countermeasures".
How do I comply? The document is found in the Federal Register;
Federal Tank Truck Regs, July 17, 2002. You can find it at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPAFR-CONTENTS/2002/July/Day-17/contents.htm
(Scroll down to the paragraph entitled “Water Programs: Oil
pollution prevention and response; non-transportation-related onshore
and offshore facilities”.) |
