Tag: SPCC

Keeping Up with SPCC Amendments

The SPCC regulations were last amended October 2011 to extend the date for SPCC compliance for farmers to May 13, 2013, effective immediately. Another recent amendment was the one made in October 2010, which extended the compliance date for certain facilities. The bulk of the recent changes were the November 9, 2009 amendments, which had […]

More SPCC Q&As

In terms of SPCC regulations, are there any broader or stricter views of the definition, for example, of navigable waterway? The definition of “navigable waterways” has not been expressly addressed in the new rule revisions. EPA has always held a very broad definition of what navigable waterways meant. I’ve seen very few facilities that could […]

Popular SPCC Questions Answered

Under the new rules (the amendments passed in 2010), what are the excess volume requirements for secondary containment? Under the new rules, there was a lot of debate about this in past versions of SPCC rules and past SPCC enforcements. Basically, the rule says you must have secondary containment equal to the amount of oil […]

SPCC Training Requirements

In this Environmental Daily Advisor transcript, Advisor editor Kelly Lagana talks with Amanda Czepiel about required training for EPA’s Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC). Amanda Czepiel is legal editor for BLR’s environmental compliance products.

SPCC Q&As: Part 2

Does the calculation of total oil storage volume include all oil contained in drums and totes and all oil contained in storage tanks and all contained in process tanks? In other words, are we adding it all up? Yes. I would say “yes,” again, with a caveat that if you have it in containers less […]

SPCC Q&As: Part I

Will a PE certification be required if active secondary containment measures are utilized instead of permanent measures? In general, the answer is “no,” but there are a couple of caveats. For secondary containment for permanent storage containers, such as bulk storage containers like tanks, you do have to have permanent secondary containment for those kinds […]

Most Misunderstood Regs: The Mercury ‘Beyond-the-Floor’ Standard

Under the CAA’s maximum achievable control technology (MACT) approach to reducing emissions of air toxics, the MACT floor must be at least as stringent as the average emission limitation achieved by the best performing 12 percent of existing sources in the category (for which EPA has emissions information) or the best performing 5 sources for […]

After a Spill: SPCC Notice and Amendment Requirements

What Must be Included in the Spill or Discharge Notice? The name of the facility The owner or operator’s name The location of the facility The maximum storage or handling capacity of the facility and normal daily throughput Any corrective action and countermeasures taken, including a description of equipment repairs and replacements An adequate description […]

FAQs for Amending Your SPCC Plan

Plans must also be amended when there is a change in the facility design, construction, operation, or maintenance that materially affects its potential for a discharge. Here are some frequently asked questions on amending your SPCC plan. As it relates to amendment requirements for SPCC Plans, what is considered a "material change?" A “material change” […]