Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Plan Helps Prevent Oil Spills From Polluting Our Waterways.

In July 2002, EPA amended the Oil Pollution Prevention regulation at Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 112, (40 CFR 112). The regulation incorporated revisions proposed in 1991, 1993, and 1997. Subparts A through C of the Oil Pollution Prevention regulation are often referred to as the "SPCC rule because they describe the requirements for certain facilities what to prepare, amend and implement Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans.

SPCC Plans are a cornerstone of EPA's strategy to prevent oil spills from reaching our nation's waters. Unlike oil spill contingency plans that typically address spill cleanup measures after a spill has occurred, SPCC Plans ensure that facilities put in place containment and other countermeasures that would prevent oil spills that could reach navigable waters. Under EPA's Oil Pollution Prevention regulation, facilities must detail and implement spill prevention and control measures in their SPCC Plans. A spill contingency plan is required as part of the SPCC Plan if a facility is unable to provide secondary containment (e.g., berms surrounding the oil storage tank).

Each SPCC Plan, while unique to the facility it covers, must include certain elements. To ensure that facilities comply with the spill prevention regulations, EPA periodically conducts on-site facility inspections. Facilities are now required to submit certain information after having two or more discharges (over 42 gallons) in any 12-month period or a single discharge of more than 1,000 gallons.

A copy of the entire SPCC Plan must be maintained at the facility if the facility is normally attended for at least four hours per day. Otherwise, it must be kept at the nearest field office. The SPCC Plan must be available to EPA for on-site review and inspection during normal working hours.

Resources

The following SPCC pages are available to provide you with the resources to understand, develop, and implement SPCC Plans.

SPCC Guidance for Regional Inspectors is intended to assist regional inspectors in reviewing a facility's implementation of the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule at 40 CFR part 112. With its publication, EPA seeks to establish a consistent understanding among regional EPA inspectors on how particular provisions of the rule may be applied. The guidance document covers topics such as applicability, environmental equivalence, secondary containment and impracticability determinations, and integrity testing, as well as the role of the inspector in the review of these provisions. The document is also available as a guide to owners and operators of facilities that may be subject to the requirements of the SPCC rule and the general public on how EPA intends the SPCC rule to be implemented.

SPCC Compliance Assistance Guides assists facilities in developing their SPCC Plans, including contact lists, fact sheets, and compliance assistance guides.

SPCC reference material aids facilities in understanding SPCC requirements, including SPCC stakeholder meeting documents, SPCC facility survey results and analysis, EPA Memoranda

Related Information
Revised SPCC Rule