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 311(j)(1)(C) of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act) in 1974.
Kinds of facilities covered
A facility that stores,
processes, refines, uses or consumes oil and is non-transportation-related is
potentially subject to the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (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.
A facility that meets the
criteria described above must comply with the SPCC rule
by preventing oil spills and developing and implementing a Spill Prevention,
Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan.
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.
Preparation and implementation of a
Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (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 Spill
Prevention, Control and Countermeasure 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.
Author - Bio
SPCC training is required
to properly implement SPCC plan. One should be familiar with SPCC plan content
to carry out SPCC in a well organized manner. Quest Consultants not only
provides SPCC services to its clients but also provides effective SPCC
training. To know more information, visit our http://www.questepa.com/.
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