"SPCC" is an abbreviation for Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure, a regulatory program designed to reduce the number of oil spills to waterways and the environment through preplanning and the use of engineering controls. The U.S. EPA SPCC rules have been in effect since 1974. Ohio received authority to adopt its own SPCC rules on December 14, 1988, under Senate Bill 367, codified in the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) Section 6111.03 ( R ). This section authorizes Ohio EPA to adopt rules to prevent and contain discharges of oil and hazardous substances into the waters of the state.
WHO IS AFFECTED ?
Facilities that gather, store, process, refine, distribute or consume oil and petroleum products which reasonably be construed to discharge oil in harmful quantities into or upon waters of the state of Ohio, potentially are subject to SPCC requirements. A harmful quantity is defined as 25 gallons, or an amount which results in a sheen on a navigable water. Facilities with oil storage are affected by the SPCC rules if:
1) any single above ground oil storage container capacity exceeds 660 gallons, or;
2) the aggregate total above-ground oil storage capacity exceeds 1320 gallons, or; 3) the total underground oil storage capacity exceeds 42,000 gallons.
WHAT IS REQUIRED ?
All existing regulated facilities will be required to prepare a SPCC plan within 180 days of the effective date of Ohio's rule. The plan must be implemented no later than 12 months after the effective date of the rule. New facilities will be required to prepare a SPCC plan within 6 months of the date that oil storage begins, and implement the program within 12 months thereafter.
The SPCC plan must describe and document the spill prevention, control, and response capabilities in place at the facility. Facilities must maintain a record of inspections and any spill history reports for three years. The plan must be maintained at the facility and be open for inspection upon request by the Ohio EPA. It must also be regularly reviewed and updated.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you would like further information of Ohio EPA's SPCC program, a copy of the federal regulation or draft state rules, or to speak with an Ohio EPA representative concerning SPCC requirements, call Pam Harcarik, or Kevin Zumbro, SPCC Coordinators, at (614) 644-3063, or Ralph McGuiness, SPCC Program Supervisor, at (614) 3063, or write to: Ohio EPA DERR-SPCC Program, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, OH 43216-1049.
