v>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
Washington, D.C.
EPA 832-F-99-071
September 1999
Storm Water
Management Fact Sheet
Spill Prevention Planning
DESCRIPTION
Spill prevention is prudent both economically and
environmentally, because spills increase operating
costs and lower productivity. An important tool in
preventing spills is a Spill Prevention Plan. A Spill
Prevention Plan specifies materials handling
procedures and storage requirements and identifies
spill cleanup procedures for areas and processes in
which spills may potentially occur. The plan
standardizes process operating procedures and
employee training in an effort to minimize accidental
pollutant releases that could contaminate storm
water runoff.
Spill prevention should be part of a comprehensive
Best Management Practice program to prevent
runoff contamination. This program should also
include storm water contamination assessment, flow
diversion, record keeping, internal reporting,
employee training, and preventive maintenance.
Typically, most businesses and public agencies that
generate hazardous waste and/or produce,
transport, or store petroleum products are required
by State and federal law to prepare spill control and
cleanup plans. Therefore, a Spill Prevention and
Response Plan may have already been developed as
a result of other environmental regulatory
requirements. Existing plans should be re-evaluated
and revised to address storm water management
issues.
APPLICABILITY
A Spill Prevention Plan is applicable to facilities that
transport, transfer, and/or store hazardous materials,
petroleum products, or fertilizers that can
contaminate storm water runoff. An important part
of an effective Spill Prevention Plan is establishing
a method for quick notification of the appropriate
emergency response teams in the event of a spill. In
some plants, each area or process may have a
separate team leader and/or response team. Figure
1 illustrates a sample spill prevention team roster
that can help in quick identification of Spill
Prevention team leaders and their responsibilities.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
The advantages of an effective Spill Prevention Plan
include reducing storm water contamination and
maintaining the water quality of the receiving water.
Spill Prevention Plans are often good ways of
standardizing procedures and employee training to
decrease the likelihood of spills.
Spill Prevention Planning can be limited by the
following:
• Lack of employee motivation to implement
the plan.
• Lack of commitment from senior
management.
• Key individuals identified in the Spill
Prevention Plan may not be properly trained
in the areas of spill prevention, response,
and cleanup.
KEY PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Before preparing a Spill Prevention Plan, a facility
should do the following:
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Worksheet
POLLUTION PREVENTION TEAM Completed by:
MEMBER ROSTER
Title:.
Date:
Leader:
Responsibilities:
Title:
Office Phone:
Members:
(1)
Responsibilities:
Title:
Office Phone:
(2)
Responsibilities:
Title:
Office Phone:
(3)
Responsibilities:
Title:
Office Phone:
Source: EPA, 1992.
FIGURE 1 SAMPLE SPILL PREVENTION TEAM ROSTER
Conduct a materials inventory throughout
the facility.
Evaluate past spills and leaks.
Identify non-storm water discharges and
non-approved connections to storm water.
Collect and evaluate storm water.
Summarize the findings of this assessment.
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Once these tasks have been accomplished, the
facility should prepare its Spill Prevention Plan. The
plan should include:
• A description of the facility, including the
owner's name and address, the nature of the
facility activity, and the general types of
chemicals used in the facility.
• A site plan showing the locations of
chemical storage areas, storm drains,
tributary drainage areas with drainage
arrows, all surface water bodies on or next
to the site, and any devices to stop spills
from leaving the site (i.e., collection basins).
Spill prevention devices should also have a
description written on the map. Table 1
contains a list of features that should be
indicated on the site map.
• Notification procedures to be used in the
event of a spill. These should include phone
numbers of key personnel and appropriate
regulatory agencies, such as local Pollution
Control Agencies and the local Sewer
Authority.
• Specific instructions regarding cleanup
procedures.
• A single designated person who has overall
responsibility for spill response. Key
personnel should be trained in the use of this
plan, and all employees should have basic
knowledge of spill control procedures.
A summary of the plan should be written and posted
at appropriate points in the building (i.e., meeting
rooms, cafeteria, and areas with a high spill
potential). The summary should identify the spill
cleanup coordinators, location of cleanup kits, and
phone numbers of regulatory agencies to be
contacted in the event of a spill.
Implementing the Spill Prevention Plan should
include the following:
• Spill cleanups should begin immediately.
No emulsifier or dispersant should be used.
• In fueling areas, absorbent should be
packaged in small bags for convenient use
and small drums should be available for
storage. Absorbent materials should not be
washed down the floor drain or into the
storm sewer.
• Emergency spill containment and cleanup
kits should be located at the facility site.
The contents of the kit should be
appropriate to the type and quantities of
chemical or goods stored at the facility.
Some structural methods to consider when
developing a Spill Prevention Plan include:
• Containment diking—Containment dikes
are temporary or permanent earth or
concrete berms or retaining walls that are
designed to hold spills. Diking can be used
at any industrial facility, but is most
common for controlling large spills or
releases from liquid storage and transfer
areas. Diking can provide one of the best
protective measures against the
contamination of storm water because it
surrounds the area of concern and keeps
spilled materials separated from the storm
water outside of the diked area.
• Curbing—Similar to containment diking, a
curb is a barrier that surrounds an area of
concern. Unlike diking, curbing is unable to
contain large spills and is usually
implemented on a small-scale basis.
However, curbing is common at many
facilities and in small areas where liquids are
handled and transferred.
Collection basins—Collection basins are permanent
structures in which large spills or contaminated
storm water is contained and stored before cleanup
or treatment. Collection basins are designed to
receive spills, leaks, etc., and to prevent pollutants
from being released into the environment. Unlike
containment dikes, collection basins can receive and
contain materials from many locations across a
facility.
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TABLE 1 CRITERIA FOR DESIGNING A SITE MAP
DEVELOPING A SITE MAP
Worksheet
Completed by:
Title:
Date:
Instructions: Draw a map of your site including a footprint of all buildings, structures, paved areas, and
parking lots. The information below describes additional elements.
All outfalls and storm water discharges
Drainage areas of each storm water outfall
Structural storm water pollution control measures, such as:
-Flow diversion structures
-Retention/detention ponds
-Vegetative swales
Name of receiving waters (or if through a Municipal Separate Sewer System)
Locations of past spills and leaks
Locations of high-risk, waste-generating areas and activities common sites such as:
-Fueling stations
-Vehicle/equipment washing and maintenance areas
-Area for unloading/loading materials
-Above-ground tanks for liquid storage
-Industrial waste management areas (landfills, waste piles, treatment plants, disposal areas)
-Outside storage areas for raw materials, by-products, and finished products
-Outside manufacturing areas
-Other areas of concern (specify: )
Source: EPA, 1992.
In addition to preventing the release of the
substance to surface waters, any spilled substances
must be cleaned up and disposed to protect plant
personnel from potential health and fire hazards.
Methods of cleanup, recovery, treatment, or
disposal include:
• Physical. Physical methods for the cleanup
of dry chemicals include the use of brooms,
shovels, sweepers, or plows.
Mechanical. Mechanical methods include
the use of vacuum cleaning systems and
pumps.
Chemical. Chemical cleanups of material
can be achieved with the use of sorbents,
gels, and foams. Sorbents are compounds
that immobilize materials by surface
absorption or adsorption in the sorbentbulk.
Gelling agents interact with the spilled
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chemical(s) by concentrating and congealing
to form a rigid or viscous material more
conducive to a mechanical cleanup. Foams
are mixtures of air and aqueous solutions of
proteins and surfactant-based foaming
agents. The primary purpose of foams is to
reduce the vapor concentration above the
spill surface, thereby controlling the rate of
evaporation.
IMPLEMENTATION
Past experience has shown that the biggest obstacle
to an effective Spill Prevention Plan is its
implementation. Qualitatively, implementation of a
well prepared Spill Prevention Plan should
significantly decrease contamination of storm water
runoff.
A facility Spill Prevention Plan should be reviewed
at least annually and following any spills to evaluate
the Spill Prevention Plan's level of success and how
it can be improved. The plan should also be
reviewed when a new material is introduced to any
of the facility's processes.
COSTS
If a facility already has a Spill Control and Cleanup
Plan in place, modification to address storm water
contamination concerns will require minimal cost.
If a facility will be developing a Spill Prevention
Plan for the first time, the initial cost will depend on
the type of material at the facility, the facility size,
and other related parameters. Costs for structural
containment devices will also need to be identified
for each facility.
REFERENCES
1. U.S. EPA, 1992. Storm Water
Management for Industrial Activities:
Developing Pollution Prevention Plans and
Best Management Practices. EPA 832-R-
92-006.
2. Washington State Department of Ecology,
1992. Storm Water Management Manual
for Puget Sound.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Blymeyer Engineers, Inc.
Danielle Ormsty
1829 Clement Avenue
Alameda, CA 94501
EMPE, Inc.
Bill Basham
220 Athens Way
Plaza I, Suite 410
Nashville, TN 37228
Environmental Management and Training, LLC.
Normand Wei
7284 Vista Bonita Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89129
City of Fort Lauderdale
Jeff Hal sey
218 SW 1st Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
State of Illinois
Jorge Patino, Storm Water Engineer
1021 North Grand Avenue East
P.O. Box 19276
Springfield, IL 62702
United States Postal Service
Charles Vidich
6 Griffin Road North
Windsor, CT 06006-7030
The mention of trade names or commercial products
does not constitute endorsement or recommendation
for the use by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency.
For more information contact:
Municipal Technology Branch
U.S. EPA
Mail Code 4204
401 M St., S.W.
MTB
I
Excellence Ih compliance through optfmal technical solutions
MUNICIPAL TECHNOLOGY BRANCH
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