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Oil Spill Prevention (SPCC) Awareness

For oil-handling facility staff: know which oil storage the SPCC rule covers, what your facility's SPCC Plan must contain, and how to keep containment, drainage, inspections and transfers from turning into an oil discharge.

Based on EPA 40 CFR Part 112 (Oil Pollution Prevention), §§ 112.1–112.5, 112.7 and 112.8 · about 9 min read

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What SPCC covers

Oil of any kind, in containers of 55 gallons or more

The SPCC rule (Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure) applies to non-transportation facilities that store, process, transfer, use or consume oil and that, because of their location, could reasonably be expected to discharge harmful quantities of oil into or upon navigable waters or adjoining shorelines.

"Oil" is broad

It means oil of any kind or in any form: petroleum, fuel oil, sludge, synthetic and mineral oils, oil refuse, oil mixed with wastes (other than dredged spoil), and also animal fats and vegetable oils. Hydraulic oil, lube oil and cooking oil all count.

What counts toward the size threshold

Under 55 gallonsA container with a storage capacity of less than 55 gallons of oil is not covered. Storage capacity means the shell capacity of the container, not how much oil happens to be in it.

Small facility exemptionA facility is exempt only if it meets both: aboveground capacity of 1,320 U.S. gallons or less (counting only containers of 55 gallons or more) and completely buried capacity of 42,000 U.S. gallons or less.

For example: twenty-five 55-gallon drums of lube oil add up to 1,375 gallons. That is over 1,320, so the drums alone take a shop past the small-facility exemption (the location test above still applies). Some capacities are left out of the count (for example permanently closed containers); your Plan says how your facility was counted.

Reference: 40 CFR 112.1(b) · 40 CFR 112.2 "Oil" · 40 CFR 112.1(d)(2) · 40 CFR 112.1(d)(2)(i) · 40 CFR 112.1(d)(2)(ii) · 40 CFR 112.1(d)(5) · 40 CFR 112.2 "Storage capacity" · 40 CFR 112.1(d)(2)(ii)(A) · 40 CFR 112.7(a)(3)(i)

Your facility's SPCC Plan

A written Plan, kept where you can use it

The owner or operator must prepare in writing and implement an SPCC Plan. Except for certain qualified facilities that may self-certify, a licensed Professional Engineer must review and certify it.

Where it is kept

A complete copy must be kept at the facility if the facility is normally attended at least four hours per day, or at the nearest field office if it is not.

Two parts you will use most

The facility diagram marks the location and contents of each fixed oil storage container and the area where mobile or portable containers are stored.
The contact list gives phone numbers for the facility response coordinator, the National Response Center, cleanup contractors under agreement, and the Federal, State and local agencies to contact in case of a discharge.

Good practice: know where your copy of the Plan is today, before you need the contact list in a hurry.

Reference: 40 CFR 112.3 · 40 CFR 112.3(d) · 40 CFR 112.3(e)(1) · 40 CFR 112.7(a)(3) · 40 CFR 112.7(a)(3)(vi) · 40 CFR 112.3(g)

Your facility's SPCC Plan

Your training, your annual briefing, and who is accountable

What your employer must train you on, at a minimum

Operation and maintenance of equipment to prevent discharges
Discharge procedure protocols
Applicable pollution control laws, rules and regulations
General facility operations
The contents of your facility's SPCC Plan

At least once a year

Your employer must schedule and conduct discharge prevention briefings at least once a year. They must cover known discharges or failures, malfunctioning components, and recently developed precautionary measures.

One accountable person

Each facility must designate a person accountable for discharge prevention who reports to facility management. Know who that is.

When the Plan must change: the owner or operator must amend the Plan when a change in design, construction, operation or maintenance materially affects the potential for a discharge, for example adding, removing or moving containers, new piping, work that alters containment, or a change of product. If you see one of these changes, tell the accountable person.

Reference: 40 CFR 112.7(f)(1) · 40 CFR 112.7(f)(2) · 40 CFR 112.7(f)(3) · 40 CFR 112.5(a)

Containment and drainage

Secondary containment: sized for the biggest container

Secondary containment is the second barrier that catches oil when the tank, drum or pipe fails. The whole system, walls and floor, must be able to hold oil so it does not escape before cleanup. Dikes, berms or retaining walls must be sufficiently impervious to contain oil.

How big

Bulk storage tanks (onshore, non-production facilities): containment for the entire capacity of the largest single container plus sufficient freeboard for rain.
Drums and other portable containers: position them to prevent a discharge, and provide containment such as a dike or catchment basin for the largest single compartment or container, plus freeboard for rain.
Mobile refuelers and other non-transportation-related tank trucks are excepted from these two sizing rules.

What this means for you: a cracked dike wall, a drain left open, or drums set outside the containment pad all defeat the barrier. Report them.

Reference: 40 CFR 112.7(c) · 40 CFR 112.7(c)(1)(i) · 40 CFR 112.8(c)(2) · 40 CFR 112.8(c)(11)

Containment and drainage

Draining rainwater from a diked area

Rain collects inside dikes. Draining it is the moment oil most easily escapes, so the rule is specific.

Drainage from diked areas is restrained by valves, unless facility systems are designed to control such a discharge.
Drain valves are manual, open-and-closed design. Flapper-type drain valves may not be used.
If you empty a diked area with a pump or ejector, it must be manually activated, and the accumulation must be inspected before starting so no oil is discharged.

Rainwater bypassing the treatment system

Uncontaminated rainwater may go from a dike to a storm drain or open water, bypassing the treatment system, only if all four steps are followed:

The bypass valve is normally kept sealed closed.
The retained rainwater is inspected to make sure it will not cause a discharge.
The valve is opened and resealed after drainage under responsible supervision.
Adequate records of the event are kept.

Reference: 40 CFR 112.8(b)(1) · 40 CFR 112.8(b)(2) · 40 CFR 112.8(c)(3) · 40 CFR 112.8(c)(3)(i) · 40 CFR 112.8(c)(3)(ii) · 40 CFR 112.8(c)(3)(iii) · 40 CFR 112.8(c)(3)(iv)

Inspections and leaks

Walk the tank farm

You are doing a walk-around of a small diked tank area.

Outside of the container: The outside of the container must be inspected frequently for signs of deterioration and discharges. A weeping seam, gasket, rivet or bolt that is losing oil is a visible discharge that must be promptly corrected.
Oil inside the dike: Look for oil accumulated inside the diked area. Accumulations of oil in diked areas must be promptly removed.
Overfill protection: Each container installation needs at least one overfill device, such as a high liquid level alarm with an audible or visual signal at a constantly attended station. Liquid level sensing devices must be regularly tested to make sure they work.
Aboveground valves and piping: Aboveground valves, piping and appurtenances must be regularly inspected, including flange joints, expansion joints, valve glands and bodies, catch pans, pipeline supports, locking of valves, and metal surfaces.
Drain valve: It must be a manual, open-and-closed design valve, not a flapper-type valve. Check that it is closed.
Integrity testing: Each aboveground container must be tested or inspected for integrity on a regular schedule and whenever material repairs are made. Your Plan sets the schedule.

Reference: 40 CFR 112.8(c)(6) · 40 CFR 112.8(c)(10) · 40 CFR 112.8(c)(8) · 40 CFR 112.8(c)(8)(v) · 40 CFR 112.8(d)(4) · 40 CFR 112.8(b)(2) · 40 CFR 112.8(c)(8)(i)

Inspections and leaks

Write it down and sign it

Inspections and tests follow written procedures developed for your facility. The record of each inspection or test is signed by the appropriate supervisor or inspector and kept with the SPCC Plan for three years.

Your part: follow the written checklist, record what you actually found (including problems), and get the record signed. An inspection that is not recorded is hard to prove.

Reference: 40 CFR 112.7(e)

Truck loading and unloading

No drive-aways, no leaking outlets

At a tank car or tank truck loading/unloading rack

An interlocked warning light or physical barrier, warning signs, wheel chocks or a vehicle brake interlock must be provided next to the rack so vehicles cannot depart before the transfer lines are completely disconnected.
Before filling and before departure, closely inspect the lowermost drain and all outlets of the tank car or truck for discharges, and tighten, adjust or replace them if needed so nothing leaks in transit.

Around the facility

When piping is out of service or on standby for an extended time, its terminal connection at the transfer point is capped or blank-flanged and marked as to origin.
All vehicles entering the facility are warned so none endangers aboveground piping or other oil transfer operations.

Good practice: stay at the transfer for its whole length, and do not remove the chocks or barrier until you have personally confirmed every hose is disconnected.

Reference: 40 CFR 112.7(h)(2) · 40 CFR 112.7(h)(3) · 40 CFR 112.8(d)(2) · 40 CFR 112.8(d)(5)

When oil gets out

What to tell responders

Unless your facility has a separate Facility Response Plan, your SPCC Plan must give the person reporting a discharge what they need, and its discharge procedures must be organized so they are readily usable in an emergency. The numbers to call are on the Plan's contact list.

Be ready to give

Where and whenExact address or location and phone number of the facility; date and time of the discharge.

What and how muchType of material; estimates of the total quantity discharged and of the quantity that reached water or shorelines.

Source and causeThe source, the cause, and a description of all affected media (water, soil, and so on).

Effects and actionsDamages or injuries; actions to stop, remove and mitigate it; whether an evacuation may be needed; who else has been contacted.

Why accurate amounts matter: if a facility discharges more than 1,000 U.S. gallons of oil in a single discharge that reaches navigable waters or adjoining shorelines (a discharge as described in § 112.1(b)), or more than 42 U.S. gallons in each of two such discharges within any twelve month period, the owner or operator must submit a report to the EPA Regional Administrator within 60 days. Your estimate feeds that report.

Reference: 40 CFR 112.7(a)(4) · 40 CFR 112.7(a)(5) · 40 CFR 112.7(a)(3)(vi) · 40 CFR 112.4(a) · 40 CFR 112.1(b)

Need proof of training? The full course (25 min) adds practice questions, a job scenario, the final quiz and a certificate your employer can verify.

Take the course

Sources

40 CFR Part 112

Fact-checked against the regulation text on October 09, 2026. This certificate records completion of awareness training based on EPA 40 CFR 112.1 through 112.5, 112.7 and 112.8. It is not an OSHA card or license, and it does not qualify anyone to prepare or certify an SPCC Plan. It does not by itself meet the training requirements of 40 CFR 112.7(f)(1) and (f)(3). The owner or operator of your facility must still train oil-handling personnel, at a minimum, in the operation and maintenance of equipment to prevent discharges; discharge procedure protocols; applicable pollution control laws, rules, and regulations; general facility operations; and the contents of the facility SPCC Plan, and must schedule and conduct discharge prevention briefings for oil-handling personnel at least once a year.

This guide explains the rule in plain words. Always read the regulation itself and your employer's site-specific procedures.