Inited States
               Environmental Protection
               Agency
A Fad lie

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OIL POLLUTION PREVENTION
Oil spills endanger public health, impact drinking
water, devastate natural resources, and disrupt
the economy. In the United States we use vast
quantities of oils to heat our homes, provide fuel
for automobiles, and operate various pieces of
equipment. During storage, transport, or as the result
of energy exploration and production activities, oil
and other oil-based products are sometimes spilled
onto land or into waterways. When this occurs,
human health and environmental quality are put at
risk. Every effort must be made to prevent oil spills
and to clean them up promptly once they occur. The
costs associated with spill prevention are often much
less than the costs associated with spill clean up,
fines, and other civil liabilities. As the old adage
states, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure."
The purpose of the Spill Prevention, Control, and
Countermeasure (SPCC) rule is to help facilities
prevent a discharge of oil into navigable waters
or adjoining shorelines. This rule is part of the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's oil spill
prevention program and was published under the
authority of Section 31 l(j)(l)(C) of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act) in 1974.
The rule may be found at Title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 112.

7.  Who is covered by the SPCC Rule?
A facility is covered by the SPCC rule if it has an
aggregate aboveground oil storage capacity greater
than 1,320 U.S. gallons or a completely buried
storage capacity greater than 42,000 U.S. gallons and
there is a reasonable expectation of an oil discharge
into or upon navigable waters of the U.S. or adjoining
shorelines.
2.  What types of oil are covered?
Oil of any type and in any form is covered, including,
but not limited to: petroleum; fuel oil; sludge; oil
refuse; oil mixed with wastes other than dredged
spoil; fats, oils or greases of animal, fish, or marine
mammal origin; vegetable oils, including oil from
seeds, nuts, fruits, or kernels; and other oils and
greases, including synthetic oils and mineral oils.

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   Oil Drilling
Power Generators
  Oil Refineries
                                                            Oil Production
3. What kinds of facilities are covered?
A facility that stores, processes, refines, uses or consumes oil and is non-transportation-related is
potentially subject to the SPCC rule. Operations that are intended to move oil from one location to another,
i.e. transportation-related, are not included. Here are some examples of covered facilities and operations:

                   •  Onshore and offshore oil well drilling facilities;
                   •  Onshore and offshore oil production facilities (including
                     separators and storage facilities);
                   •  Oil refining or storage facilities;
                   •  Industrial, commercial, agricultural, or public facilities using
                     or storing oil;
                   •  Certain waste treatment facilities;
                   •  Loading racks, transfer hoses, loading arms, and other
                     equipment;
                   •  Vehicles (e.g. tank trucks) and railroad cars used to transport
                     oil exclusively within the confines of a facility; and
                   •  Pipeline systems used to transport oil exclusively within the
                     confines of a facility.

                   What kinds of activities are  typically not
                   covered?
                   Here are some examples of transportation-related activities or
                   equipment typically not covered by the SPCC rule:

                   •  Interstate or inter-facility oil pipeline systems
                   •  Oil transported in vessels (e.g. ships, barges)
                   •  Oil transported between facilities  by rail car or tanker truck
                                                             Oil Storage
                                                          Construction Sites
   Airports
Marinas
Fish Canneries
                                                               Power Transmission
                                                                 and Distribution
Farms and Ranches

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4. How do I calculate oil
storage capacity?
Use the shell capacity of the container (maximum
volume) and not the actual amount of product stored
in the container (operational volume) to determine
whether the SPCC rule applies to you. Count only
containers with storage capacity equal to or greater
than 55 U.S. gallons.
  Simply add up the container oil storage capacities and
  compare your total facility capacity to the SPCC threshold:
   •  A total aboveground oil storage capacity greater than
     1,320 U.S. gallons; or
   •  A completely buried oil storage capacity greater than
     42,000 U.S. gallons.
Examples of oil storage containers at a facility that
do count toward facility storage capacity:

Bulk storage containers; Aboveground storage
tanks (either shop-built or field-erected tanks); certain
completely buried tanks; partially buried tanks; tanks
in vaults; bunkered tanks; and mobile or portable
containers such as drums, totes, non-transportation-
related tank trucks, and mobile refuelers.

Oil-filled equipment; May include electrical or
operating equipment such as hydraulic systems,
lubricating systems (e.g., those for pumps,
compressors and other rotating equipment, including
pumpjack lubrication systems), gear boxes,
machining coolant systems, heat transfer systems,
transformers, circuit breakers, and electrical switches;
or manufacturing equipment such as process vessels,
or other equipment used in the alteration, processing
or refining of crude oil and other non-petroleum oils,
including animal fats and vegetable oils.

5. How do I determine if my facility
could reasonably discharge oil into
or upon navigable  waters or adjoining
shorelines?
You can determine this by considering the geography
and location of your facility relative to nearby
navigable waters (such as streams, creeks and other
waterways). Additionally, you should determine
if ditches, gullies, storm sewers or other drainage
systems may transport an oil spill to nearby streams.
Estimate the volume of oil that could be spilled in an
incident and how that oil might drain or flow from
your facility and the soil  conditions or geographic
features that might affect the flow toward waterways.
Also you may want to consider whether precipitation
runoff could transport oil into navigable waters or
adjoining shorelines. You may not take into account
manmade features, such as dikes, equipment,  or

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other structures that might prevent, contain,
hinder, or restrain the flow of oil. Assume these
manmade features are not present when making
your determination. If you consider the applicable
factors described above and determine a spill can
reasonably flow to a waterway, then you must
comply with the SPCC rule.

6. What do covered facilities have
to do?
A facility that meets the criteria described above
must comply with the SPCC rule by preventing oil
spills and developing  and implementing an SPCC
Plan.
Prevent oil spills: Steps that a facility owner/
operator can take to prevent oil spills include:

•  Using containers suitable for the oil stored. For
   example, use a container designed for flammable
  liquids to store gasoline;
•  Providing overfill prevention for your oil storage
   containers. You could use a high-level alarm or
   audible vent;
•  Providing sized secondary containment for bulk
   storage containers,  such as a dike or a remote
  impoundment. The containment needs to hold
  the full capacity of the container plus possible
  rainfall. The dike may be constructed of earth or
   concrete. A double-walled tank may also suffice;
•  Providing general secondary containment to
   catch the most likely oil spill where you transfer
   oil to and from containers and for mobile
  refuelers and tanker trucks. For example, you
  may use sorbent materials, drip pans or curbing
  for these areas; and
• Periodically inspecting and testing pipes
  and containers. You need to visually inspect
  aboveground pipes and oil containers according
  to industry standards; buried pipes need to be leak
  tested when they are installed or repaired. Include a
  written record of inspections in the Plan.

Prepare and implement an SPCC Plan: The owner or
operator of the facility must develop and implement
an SPCC Plan that describes oil handling operations,
spill prevention practices, discharge or drainage
controls, and the personnel,  equipment and resources
at the facility that are used to prevent oil spills from
reaching navigable waters or adjoining shorelines.
Although each SPCC Plan is unique to the facility,
there are certain elements that must be described in
every Plan including:

• Operating procedures at the facility to prevent oil
  spills;
• Control measures (such as secondary containment)
  installed to prevent oil spills from entering
  navigable waters or adjoining shorelines; and
• Countermeasures to contain, cleanup, and mitigate
  the effects of an oil spill that has impacted
  navigable waters or adjoining shorelines.
    Did you know
    A spill of only one gallon
    of oil can contaminate
    a million gallons of water.

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Every SPCC Plan must be prepared in accordance
with good engineering practices. Every SPCC Plan
must be certified by a Professional Engineer unless
the owner/operator is able to, and chooses to, self-
certify the Plan (see section 7).

No matter who certifies your SPCC Plan, remember
that ultimately the owner or operator is responsible
for complying with the rule. A copy of the rule is
available at www.epa.gov/oilspill. You may also call
or write to the nearest EPA office listed in section 11.
   Important Elements of an SPCC Plan:
   •  Facility diagram and description of the facility
   •  Oil discharge predictions
   •  Appropriate secondary containment or diversionary
      structures
   •  Facility drainage
   •  Site security
   •  Facility inspections
   •  Requirements for bulk storage containers including
      inspections, overfill, and integrity testing requirements
   •  Transfer procedures and equipment (including piping)
   •  Requirements for qualified oil-filled operational equipment
   •  Loading/unloading rack requirements and procedures for
      tank cars and tank trucks
   •  Brittle fracture evaluations for aboveground field
      constructed containers
   •  Personnel training and oil discharge prevention briefings
   •  Recordkeeping requirements
   •  Five-year Plan review
   •  Management approval
   •  Plan certification (by a Professional Engineer (PE) or in
      certain cases by the facility owner/operator)
7. Who can certify the SPCC Plan?
Preparation of the SPCC Plan is the responsibility
of the facility owner or operator, who may also be
eligible to self-certify the SPCC Plan if the facility
meets the following eligibility criteria for a qualified
facility:

1. Total aboveground oil storage capacity of 10,000
  U.S. gallons or less, and
2. In the 3 years prior to the date the SPCC Plan is
  certified, the facility has had no single discharge
  of oil to navigable waters or adjoining shorelines
  exceeding 1,000 U.S. gallons, or no two discharges
  of oil to navigable waters or adjoining shorelines
  each exceeding  42  U.S.  gallons within any
   12-month period.1

If the facility does not meet the above criteria,
the SPCC Plan must be certified by a licensed
Professional Engineer (PE). By certifying the SPCC
Plan, the PE confirms that:

1. He is familiar with the requirements of the rule;
2. He or an agent has visited and examined the
  facility;
3. The SPCC Plan has been prepared in accordance
  with good engineering practices, including
  consideration of applicable industry standards, and
  with the requirements of the rule;
                                                         1 Not including discharges that are the result of natural disasters, acts of
                                                         war, or terrorism. When determining the applicability of this SPCC reporting
                                                         requirement, the gallon amount(s) specified (either 1,000 or 42) refers to the
                                                         amount of oil that actually reaches navigable waters or adjoining shorelines
                                                         not the total amount of oil spilled. EPA considers the entire volume of the
                                                         discharge to be oil for the purposes of these reporting requirements.

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4. Procedures for required inspections and testing
  have been established; and
5. The SPCC Plan is adequate for the facility.
When self-certifying a facility's SPCC Plan, the
owner/operator makes a similar statement. See §112.6
of the rule for other qualified facility SPCC Plan
requirements.

8. How do I ask for an extension of
time  to prepare and Implement an
SPCC Plan?
If you are unable to prepare or amend and fully
implement your SPCC Plan by the compliance date
due to either non-availability of qualified personnel,
or delays in construction or equipment delivery
beyond the control of the owner or operator, then you
may request an extension from your EPA Regional
Administrator (RA). A list of EPA Regional Offices is
available in section 11.
Submit a written request for an extension to your RA.
Your request must include:

•  A full explanation of the cause  for any such delay
  and the specific aspects of the SPCC Plan affected
  by the delay;
•  A full discussion of actions being taken or
  contemplated to minimize or mitigate  such delay;
  and
•  A proposed time schedule for the implementation
  of any corrective actions being  taken or
  contemplated, including interim dates  for
  completion of tests or studies, installation and
  operation of any necessary equipment, or other
  preventive measures.
You may present additional oral or written statements
in support of your extension request. The extension
request does not relieve you of your obligation to
comply with the requirements of the rule. The RA
may request a copy of your SPCC Plan to evaluate the
extension request.
If the RA approves an extension of time for particular
equipment or other specific aspects of the SPCC Plan,
you must still comply with SPCC requirements not
covered by the extension.

9.  Do I need to submit the SPCC Plan
to  EPA?
No, SPCC Plans should be maintained at any facility
normally attended at least four hours per day or at
the  nearest field office if the facility is not so staffed.
Submit your Plan to EPA only when requested.

10. What should I do if I have a spill?
If your facility discharges oil to navigable waters
or adjoining shorelines, you are required to follow
certain federal reporting requirements. Any person in
charge of an onshore or offshore facility must notify
the  National Response Center (NRC) immediately
after he or she has knowledge of the discharge.
Oil  discharges that reach navigable waters must be
reported to the NRC at 1-800-424-8802 or 1-202-
426-2675. The NRC is the federal government's
centralized reporting center, which is staffed 24 hours
per  day by U.S. Coast Guard personnel.
A common misunderstanding is that by reporting
to the NRC you have met state and local reporting
requirements. The report to the NRC only satisfies
your federal reporting requirements under the Clean

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Water Act. Additional state and local reporting
requirements may apply. In most cases it makes
sense to call 911 in the event of an oil spill,
particularly in the case of flammable or combustible
oil spills.
Any owner or operator of a facility regulated by the
SPCC rule must also report the discharge to EPA
when:

• More than 1,000 U.S. gallons of oil is discharged to
  navigable waters or adjoining shorelines in a single
  event; or
• More than 42 U.S. gallons of oil in each of two
  discharges to navigable waters or adjoining
  shorelines occurs within any twelve-month period.
Note: The gallon amount(s) specified (either 1,000 or
42) refers to the amount of oil that actually reaches
navigable waters or adjoining shorelines, not the
total amount of oil spilled. EPA considers the entire
volume of the discharge to be oil for the purposes of
these reporting requirements.
After the NRC has been notified, the owner/operator
must provide the following information to the RA:

• Name and location of the facility
• Owner/operator name
• Maximum storage/handling capacity of the facility
  and normal daily throughput
• Corrective actions and countermeasures taken,
  including descriptions of equipment repairs and
  replacements
• Adequate description of the facility, including
  maps, flow diagrams, and topographical maps, as
  necessary
• Cause of the discharge to navigable waters,
  including a failure analysis
• Failure analysis of the system where the discharge
  occurred
• Additional preventive measures taken or planned to
  take to minimize discharge reoccurrence

The RA may require additional information. You must
also  send a copy of this information to the agency or
agencies in charge of oil pollution control activities
in the state in which the SPCC-regulated facility is
located.

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7 7.  Who should I contact for more information?
•  Visit the Office of Emergency Management's Web site at www.epa.gov/emergencies.
•  See the Government Printing Office website at www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr to access the current CFR.
•  See the SPCC Guidance for Regional Inspectors for more detailed guidance on specific SPCC provisions, at
  http ://www. epa. gov/emergencies/content/spcc/spcc  guidance .htm.
           Call our hotline, the Superfund, TRI,  EPCRA, RMR and Oil Information Center
             (800) 424-9346 or (703) 412-9810  TDD (800) 553-7672 or (703) 412-3323
                (Mon-Thurs 10:00 am to 3:00 pm ET except Federal  Holidays) or see
                     httD://www.eDa.aov/suDerfund/contacts/infocenter/index.htm
        You can also call or write:

        U.S. EPA Headquarters
        Office of Emergency Management
        Ariel Rios Building - Mail Code 5104A
        1200 Pennsylvania Avenue
        Washington, DC 20460
        202-564-8600

        U.S. EPA Region I
        One Congress Street, Suite 1100
        Boston, MA 02114-2023
        617-918-1111
        CT,ME,MA,NH,RI,andVT

        U.S. EPA Region II
        2890 Woodbridge Avenue
        Building 209 (MS211)
        Edison, NJ 08837-3679
        732-321-6654
        NJ, NY, PR, and USVI

        U.S. EPA Region III
        1650 Arch Street (3HS61)
        Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
        800-438-2474
        DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, and WV
U.S. EPA Region IV
61 Forsyth Street
Atlanta, GA 30365-3415
404-562-9900
AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, and TN

U.S. EPA Region V
77 West Jackson Boulevard (SE-5J)
Chicago, IL 60604-3590
312-353-2000
IL, IN, Ml, MN,  OH, and Wl

U.S. EPA Region VI
1445 Ross Avenue (6SF-RO)
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
214-665-6444
AR,LA,NM,OK,andTX

U.S. EPA Region VII
901 North 5th Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
913-551-7050
IA, KS, MO, and NE
U.S. EPA Region VIII
1595 Wynkoop Street (8EPR-ER)
Denver, CO 80202-1129
800-227-8917
CO, MT, MD, SD, UT, and WY

U.S. EPA Region IX
75 Hawthorne Street (SFD-9-4)
San Francisco, CA94105
415-972-3052 or 415-972-3089
AZ, CA, HI, NV, AS, and GU

U.S. EPA Region X
1200 6th Avenue (ECL-116)
Seattle, WA 98101
800-424-4372
AK, ID, OR, and WA

U.S. EPA Alaska Operations Office
222 West 7th Avenue, #19
Anchorage, AK 99513-7588
907-271-5083
       To report an oil or chemical spill, call the National Response Center at (800) 424-8802.

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                            Recycled/Recyclable
                            Printed on paper that contains at least 20% recycled fiber
United States Environmental
Protection Agency
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
EPA 540-K-09-001
June 2010

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