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Q. Does a trucking terminal need an SPCC plan? A. Although the SPCC regulations are geared to non-transportation-related facilities, in the transportation sector, SPCC rules also apply to many terminals and maintenance facilities, depending on their location and the amount of oil stored on site. A trucking terminal is subject to the rule if it […]
Q. In an automobile dealership service department, can the floor (inside of a building) or oil/water separator drains be counted as secondary containment for containers ranging from 55 gallons (gals) to 500 gals?
Q. Is secondary containment necessary for storage containers under 55 gallons (i.e. 5 gallon buckets)?
Q. Does replacing a 1000 gallon UST with an 8000 gallon UST in the same location require a PE-certified revision to the SPCC Plan if nothing else has changed at the site?
Q. Should oil mixed with absorbent (from spill cleanup) be included in a facility’s oil inventory for SPCC purposes? Would it be considered as oil during an inspection?
An oil production company operating in Big Horn County, Wyoming was recently fined for the discharge of approximately 162 barrels of oil into a tributary of a major river. The discharge came from a leak in a pipeline at its pumping facility. The facility is on an onshore oil gathering, pumping, and storage station that […]
There is much confusion surrounding the applicability of SPCC requirements. A question that recently came across the desk of one environmental expert involved oil in flavorings. The person asked if flavorings that contain small amounts of oil (for example, almond and hazelnut oil) count towards an inventory to determine SPCC applicability if they are stored […]
Penalty—$3,650; Cost to Come into Compliance—$30,000 An onshore oil production company in Illinois racked up a rather small penalty of $3,650 for SPCC violations. However, its cost to come into compliance was a substantial $30,000. Their violations can be divided into seven main categories: Problems with the Plan itself: The facility diagram was inadequate. The […]
Standard SPCC plans must describe security procedures for their operation (excluding oil production facilities). The security requirements are meant to prevent oil discharges that result from vandalism or other unauthorized access to oil containers or equipment. Security procedures must include provisions to: Secure and control access to each facility’s handling, processing, or storage areas. Secure […]
The following Table outlines the inspection requirements for tanks and associated piping at onshore nonproduction facilities that store petroleum and nonpetroleum oils—except animal fats and vegetable oils, which have their own set of inspection requirements. Note: The SPCC rule also contains integrity testing provisions for tanks, which are not included in this table. In addition, […]