Deadlines for spill plans coming up this year

June 1, 2005
THE SPILL Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) rules from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now will require facilities in operation

THE SPILL Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) rules from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now will require facilities in operation since August 16, 2002, to maintain and amend their spill plans on or before August 17, 2005. The amended plan must be implemented no later than February 18, 2006.

Joe Brown of the WCM Group briefed members of the National Tank Truck Carriers Tank Cleaning Council on the subject at its meeting March 28-29 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Companies with qualifying facilities must prepare SPCC plans that contain basic information, including company name, facility location, identity and amount of regulated (oil) substances stored at the facility, a description of the nearest potential receiving water body, and procedures for taking corrective actions and/or countermeasures in response to an oil spill.

The plan must contain a prediction of the direction, rate of flow, and total quantity of applicable substances that could be spilled at the facility where experience indicates a reasonable potential for equipment failure or human error.

Truck loading/unloading racks must be equipped with containment and demonstrate security, fenced storage tank areas, and loading and unloading protection.

While the SPCC rules were developed by and are regulated by the EPA, some states have announced their own SPCC programs, Brown pointed out.

He advised companies to not only audit their own facilities to be sure they meet the requirements, but to also audit facilities used for waste disposal.

The SPCC rules also will require facilities that go into operation after August 16, 2002, through February 18, 2006, to prepare a plan on or before February 18, 2006. The plan must be implemented as soon as possible, but not later than February 18, 2006.

If a facility becomes operational after February 18, 2006, it must prepare and implement a plan before operations begin.