Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure

In July 2002, EPA published a new Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule at Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 112, (40 CFR 112) incorporating revisions proposed in 1991, 1993, and 1997. This rule will become effective on August 16, 2002. Content on these SPCC pages may change in the near future to reflect the elements of the new rule. Please check back soon for new information. The new rule can be viewed by downloading 40 CFR 112 from the Laws and Regulations page.

As a cornerstone of EPA's strategy to prevent oil spills from reaching our nation's waters, the Agency requires that certain facilities develop and implement oil spill prevention, control, and countermeasure, or SPCC Plans. 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.

SPCC Compliance Assistance Guides , to assist facilities in developing their SPCC plans, are currently being revised to include the new SPCC rule and will be available in the near future.

SPCC reference material to aid facilities in understanding SPCC requirements is continually being added to the Oil Program Web site. Currently, several SPCC supporting documents are available including EPA MOUs, EPA guidance letters, and other relevant Agency memoranda. Please check back soon for additional reference material.