Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Rule
Quickfinder
Reminder: Farms now have less than one year to prepare or amend and implement their Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans. The compliance date for farms is May 10, 2013. For more information, please see SPCC for Agriculture.
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.
Recent Updates:
SPCC Bulk Storage Container Inspection Fact Sheet (PDF) (9 pp, 194K, about PDF)
Tier I Qualified Facility SPCC Plan Template and Examples
Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Rule and Milk
SPCC Information:
- November 2009 Amendments to the SPCC Rule
- Compliance Dates
- Proposed Rule to Exempt Certain Milk Containers and Associated Piping and Appurtenances from the SPCC Rule - January 2009
- Revisions to the Regulatory Definition of "Navigable Waters" - November 2008
- December 2006 Amendments to the SPCC Rule
- SPCC Guidance for Regional Inspectors
- For More Information
November 2009 Amendments to the SPCC Rule
On November 5, 2009, the EPA Administrator signed a notice amending certain requirements of the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule in 40 CFR Part 112 in order to address additional areas of regulatory reform that have been raised by the regulated community. The November 2009 amendments revise the December 2008 amendments as a result of EPA's review of comments and consideration of all relevant facts. EPA is either taking no action or providing minor technical corrections on the majority of the December 2008 provisions. However, this action modifies the December 2008 rule by removing the provisions to: exclude farms and oil production facilities from the loading/unloading rack requirements; exempt produced water containers at an oil production facility; and provide alternative qualified facilities eligibility criteria for an oil production facility.
Additionally, because of the uncertainty surrounding the final amendments to the December 5, 2008, rule and the delay of the effective date, EPA will propose to extend the compliance date.
This rule is effective January 14, 2010.
Compliance Dates
Facilities must amend or prepare, and implement SPCC Plans by the compliance date in accordance with revisions to the SPCC rule promulgated since 2002. The compliance date for farms has been extended to May 10, 2013. For more information please see: SPCC Compliance Date Extension for Farms
December 2006 Amendments to the SPCC Rule
In December 2006, the EPA Administrator 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.
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.
For More Information
- Search frequently asked questions or submit your own question
- Policy and Guidance -- guidance documents, memoranda of agreement, interpretive letters, and fact sheets
- Oil Pollution Prevention Regulation -- see subparts A, B, and C of 40 CFR part 112 for SPCC requirements
- Superfund, TRI, EPCRA, RMP & Oil Information Center - answers questions related to the SPCC rule and several other EPA programs