Role of SPCC and SWPPP plan in protecting environment

Oil spills are very harmful to the health of the public as they pollute drinking water, spoil natural resources and cause disruptions in the economy. The United States uses enormous quantities of oil for heating, fuel for vehicles and for the operation of hundreds of thousands of machines. Often, oil is spilled from storage facilities, while being transported, or during the course of exploration or production processes and it ends up soaking into the land or being carried away by rivers and streams.

The prevention of oil spills is a very important task of any oil storage facility and if oil spills do occur, they should be cleaned up as quickly as possible. It often costs less to prevent a spill than to clean one up after the event. The purpose of the SPCC rule is to assist oil storage facilities prevent spilled oil from reaching navigable waterways or the closest shoreline.

Similarly, storm water runoff from industrial sites is a major environmental concern. Storm water discharge is the primary cause of water quality deterioration in arid and semi-arid parts of the US. To restore the water quality in the country the Federal regulations require companies to prepare a detailed Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), and upon its clearance obtain an industrial storm water permit. The SWPPP lists the mechanical and non-mechanical controls that will reduce the negative impact in the event of an offsite storm water runoff. The aim of this plan is to minimize pollutants in the water resources and ensure environment-friendly business practices.

SWPPP Permit Requirements

A SWPPP is essentially a guide to the sources, control, and reduction strategies of runoff. It also provides a pollutants discharge manual, enlisting the appropriate waste discharge methods. In a broader sense, SWPPP should describe the characteristics of the site, listing the pollutant discharge possibilities, and its impact on storm water runoff. Mentioned below are a few points that a SWPPP guideline contains.

• A detailed plan of the different sections of the industry, like the manufacturing unit, storage area, processing area, etc. It should also include a detailed account of the type of work and the processes followed in the industry.

• A map covering an extended area, of 1/4 of a mile, beyond the property walls, which is used to determine a suitable discharge location.

• Runoff coefficient is the fraction of the total rainfall that will appear as runoff. The SWPPP needs this to include an estimate of the total runoff coefficient.

• A list of any significant spills in 3 years prior to the sanction of the storm water permit.

• A direction route of the storm water flow and the possible presence of toxic pollutants in the water flow.

• Any other non-storm water outlets should be reported as well.

Your SWPPP is your guide to preventing stormwater pollution. However, it is just a plan. Implementing your SWPPP, maintaining your BMPs, and then constantly reevaluating and revising your BMPs and your SWPPP are the keys to protecting your local waterways.

Author Bio :

It is not going to solve the problem if the SPCC and SWPPP plan is not followed strictly in the industries. Therefore, periodic reviews are required to keep these plans afloat. The SWPPP and SPCC plan should be included in employee trainings, and should be encouraged among the employees. Without the cooperation of all, it is hard to maintain quality in the practice. Quest Consultants offer professional engineering services for SPCC and SWPPP. At Quest Consultants, we believe in providing best quality services to our clients. For more information about SPCC plan, SPCC regulations, SPCC Plan requirement, SWPPP plans etc., please visit our website.