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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
530-F-08-015
November 2008
vwvw.epa.gov/emergencies
Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Rule
Proposed Amendments
Proposed Compliance Date Amendments
On November 26, 2008, EPA proposed to amend the dates by which facilities must prepare or amend Spill
Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans, and implement those Plans (73 FR 72016). Two
additional extension dates are proposed for farms and production facilities that meet the qualified facilities
criteria in §112.3(g). The public has the opportunity to comment on these proposed changes during a 30-day
period following publication of the proposed rule in the Federal Register. Written comments must be received
by December 26, 2008.
What are the proposed compliance dates for all facilities (other than qualified farms or production
facilities)?
A facility (other than a qualified farm or production
facility) starting operation...
Must...
On or before August 16, 2002
Maintain its existing SPCC Plan
Amend and implement the SPCC Plan no later than
November 20, 2009
After August 16, 2002 through November 20, 2009
Prepare and implement the SPCC Plan no later than
November 20, 2009
After November 20, 2009
Prepare and implement a SPCC Plan before
beginning operations
What are the proposed compliance dates for farms that meet the qualified facility criteria?
A farm that meets the qualified facility criteria, starting
operation...
Must...
On or before August 16, 2002
Maintain its existing SPCC Plan
Amend and implement the SPCC Plan no later than
November 20, 2010
After August 16, 2002 through November 20, 2010
Prepare and implement the SPCC Plan no later than
November 20, 2010
After November 20, 2010
Prepare and implement a SPCC Plan before
beginning operations
What are the proposed compliance dates for production facilities that meet the qualified facility
criteria?
A production facility that meets the qualified facility
criteria, starting operation...
Must...
On or before August 16, 2002
Maintain its existing SPCC Plan
Amend and implement the SPCC Plan no later than
November 20, 2013
After August 16, 2002 through November 20, 2013
Prepare and implement the SPCC Plan no later than
November 20, 2013
After November 20, 2013
Prepare and implement a SPCC Plan before
beginning operations
Office of Emergency Management

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SPCC Proposed Compliance Date Extension
November 2008
Why is EPA proposing to extend the
compliance dates?
¦	To provide the owner or operator of a facility
the opportunity to fully understand the
regulatory amendments offered by revisions
to the SPCC rule promulgated in 2006 and
2008.
¦	To allow facilities time to make changes to
their facilities and to their SPCC Plans
necessary to comply with the revised SPCC
requirements.
¦	To ensure adequate time for specific
outreach activities by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and others to the widely
dispersed farming community.
¦	To allow qualified production facilities ample
time to make changes to their facilities and to
their SPCC Plans necessary to comply with
the revised requirements.
What is a "farm" for purposes of the SPCC
rule?
EPA defines a farm as "a facility on a tract of
land devoted to the production of crops or raising
of animals, including fish, which produced and
sold, or normally would have produced and sold,
$1,000 or more of agricultural products during a
year."
What is a "production facility" for purposes
of the SPCC rule?
EPA defines a production facility as "all
structures (including but not limited to wells,
platforms, or storage facilities), piping (including
but not limited to flowlines or intra-facility
gathering lines), or equipment (including but not
limited to workover equipment, separation
equipment, or auxiliary non-transportation-
related equipment) used in the production,
extraction, recovery, lifting, stabilization,
separation or treating of oil (including
condensate), or associated storage or
measurement, and is located in an oil or gas
field, at a facility." This definition governs
whether such structures, piping, or equipment
are subject to a specific section of the rule.
aboveground oil storage capacity of 10,000
gallons or less; and has had no single discharge
as described in §112.1(b) exceeding 1,000 U.S.
gallons or no two discharges as described in
§112.1(b) each exceeding 42 U.S. gallons within
any twelve month period in the three years prior
to the SPCC Plan certification date, or since
becoming subject to Part 112 if the facility has
been in operation for less than three years (other
than discharges as described in §112.1(b) that
are the result of natural disasters, acts of war, or
terrorism).
A production facility may be eligible as a qualified
facility under the oil storage capacity criteria
above, or also if it meets the discharge history
criterion above and has:
(1)	for those facilities that do not have injection
wells, no more than four producing wells per
single tank battery, each of which produce ten
barrels or less of crude oil per well per day; or
(2)	no more than two producing wells per single
tank battery, each of which produce ten barrels
or less of crude oil per well per day and has one
or more injection wells at the facility.
How do I comment on this proposed rule?
Please submit your comments on the proposed
amendments atwww.regulations.gov. Follow the
online instructions to comment on Docket ID No.
EPA-HQ-OPA-2008-0546.
For More Information
Read the proposed SPCC rule amendment
http://www.epa.gov/emergencies
Comment on the proposed SPCC rule amendment
and review docket documents
http://www. regulations.gov
Follow the online instructions to comment on Docket ID
No. EPA-HQ-OPA-2008-0546
Review the Oil Pollution Prevention regulation
(40 CFR part 112)
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/
Call the Superfund, TRI, EPCRA, RMP, and Oil
Information Center
(800) 424-9346 or (703) 412-9810
TDD (800) 553-7672 or (703) 412-3323
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/resources/infocenter
What are the qualified facility eligibility
criteria?
A qualified facility is one that: has an aggregate
Office of Emergency Management

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