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Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Rule

Proposed Amendments to the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Rule

On October 1, 2007, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson signed a proposed rule to amend the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule at 40 CFR part 112. With these proposed changes, EPA intends to provide clarity, tailor requirements, and streamline requirements as appropriate in order to encourage greater compliance with the SPCC regulations. EPA is asking for comments on this proposed rule by within 60 days of publication in the Federal Register.

The Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule includes requirements for oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response to prevent oil discharges to navigable waters and adjoining shorelines. The rule requires specific facilities to prepare, amend, and implement SPCC Plans. 

The SPCC rule is part of the Oil Pollution Prevention regulation, which also includes the Facility Response Plan (FRP) rule.

December 2006 Amendments to the SPCC Rule

In December 2006, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson signed a final rule to amend the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule at 40 CFR part 112. EPA amended the SPCC rule to address a number of issues raised by its 2002 final rule, including those pertaining to facilities with smaller oil storage capacities, qualified oil-filled operational equipment, motive power containers, and mobile refuelers. EPA also removed sections of the rule that are not appropriate for facilities with animal fats and vegetable oils, and extended the compliance dates for farms. 

Compliance Dates

Following the 2002 revisions to the SPCC rule, EPA extended the compliance dates for facilities to update (or for new facilities to prepare) and implement an SPCC Plan that complies with the revised requirements. 

  • In May 2007, EPA extended the SPCC rule compliance dates for owners and operators of facilities to prepare or amend and implement SPCC Plans.   This proposed rule extends the dates by which a facility must prepare or amend and implement its SPCC Plan, until July 1, 2009.   EPA expects to propose further revisions to the SPCC rule in 2007, and the extension would allow EPA the time to promulgate further regulatory revisions before the compliance dates.

SPCC Guidance for Regional Inspectors

EPA has developed an SPCC Guidance Document to assist regional inspectors in implementing the SPCC program and in understanding its applicability.  The document is also available as a guide to owners and operators of facilities that may be subject to the requirements of the SPCC rule and the general public on how EPA intends the SPCC rule to be implemented.

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