Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Rule Amendments - Finalized November 2008
The Oil Pollution Prevention regulation (40 CFR part 112) "SPCC rule" outlines requirements for the Prevention, Preparedness, and Response to oil discharges. The November Amendments incorporate new exemptions, provided options for flexibility, and opportunities for streamlining the plan development process. On Wednesday, January 14, 2009 the EPA extended the compliance date to November 20, 2009.
Highlights include:
- A plan template for certain qualified facilities to complete and self-certify;
- Extends "qualified facility" status to certain smaller oil production facilities;
- Amends the general secondary containment requirement;
- Amends the facility security requirements to allow for tailoring security measures to the facility's specific characteristics and location
Subject facilities include owners or operators of non-transportation related facilities that:
- Drill, produce, store, process refine, transfer, distribute use or consume oil or oil products; and
- Could reasonably be expected to discharge oil to U.S. navigable waters or adjoining shorelines.
AND Meet at least one of the following capacity thresholds:
- Above ground oil storage capacity greater than 1,320 gallons, or
- Completely buried oil storage capacity greater than 42,000 gallons.
Additional information is available on the EPA website. The EPA Fact Sheet is available here - Download SPCCFactsheet_FinalAmendments_Nov08