You’ve Got a Compliance Deadline Coming Up!
Yep, on May 10, 2013, owners or operators of farms must prepare or amend their SPCC plan to comply with the most recent rule amendments.
Farms in operation on or before August 16, 2002, must maintain or amend their existing plan by May 10, 2013. Any farm that started operation after August 16, 2002, but before May 10, 2013, must prepare and use a Plan on or before May 10, 2013.
If your farm was in operation before August 16, 2002, and you do not already have a Plan, you must prepare a Plan now. Do not wait until May 10, 2013!
EPA’s SPCC regulation affects over 630,000 facilities. Is yours one? Download your EHS Essentials Kit—SPCC Plan Compliance now for all the tools you need to be in compliance. Download Now
There Are 3 Criteria for Determining if Your Farm Needs an SPCC Plan
You need an SPCC plan if your farm:
- Stores, transfers, uses, or consumes oil or oil products, such as diesel fuel, gasoline, lube oil, hydraulic oil, adjuvant oil, crop oil, vegetable oil, or animal fat; and
- Stores more than 1,320 gallons (gal) in aboveground containers or more than 42,000 gal in completely buried containers; and
- Could reasonably be expected to discharge oil to waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines, such as interstate waters, or intrastate lakes, rivers, and streams.
EPA defines a farm under SPCC as "a facility on a tract of land devoted to the production of crops or raising of animals, including fish, which produced and sold, or normally would have produced and sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural products during a year.”
You Might Qualify to Self-Certify Your Plan
Many farmers will need to have their SPCC plan certified by a professional engineer (PE). However, you may be eligible to self-certify your amended plan if your farm has a total oil storage capacity between 1,320 gal and 10,000 gal in aboveground containers, and the farm has a good spill history (as described in the SPCC rule). However, if you decide to use certain alternate measures allowed by the federal SPCC rule, you will need a PE.
Don’t risk an EPA fine! Stay in compliance with our EHS Essentials Kit—SPCC Plan Compliance. Download now for instant access to comprehensive checklists, common violations, training materials, forms, and more. Download Now
EPA’s Looking Out for You
With the support of the US Department of Agriculture, EPA created the National Agriculture Center (Ag Center) to be a provider of information about environmental requirements that affect the agricultural community—including SPCC.
The Ag Center aims specifically to provide growers, livestock producers, other agribusinesses, with agricultural information and education.
The Ag Center also supports regional and state regulatory agencies in their effort to provide compliance assistance to local agricultural communities.
See tomorrow’s Advisor for SPCC compliance tips for farmers.