FlowchartforSpillPrevention,ControlandCountermeasure(SPCC)forAbovegroundStorage

TanksUsedforAgriculture(websitereferences#1,2,3,10,12)LincolnCountyCD,01/17/2012

Doesyourfarmuseoiloroilproductssuch

NO
asgas,diesel,motoroil,hydraulicoil,

biodiesel,vegetableoils,oranimalfats?

YES

Isthetotalcapacityofstoragedrumsandabovegroundstorage

NO
tanksonyourfarm*greaterthan1,320USgallons?Include

bulkfueltanksmountedonfueltrucks,trailersorpickups.Do

notincludeanycontainerslessthan55gallons.

YES

Ifanoilorfuelspilloccurredonyourfarm,

YES
NO

coulditbereasonablyexpectedthatthe

spillwoulddischargeintoanynearby
UnderFederalLaw,your
navigablewaters?Worstcaserunoff
farmissubjecttoSPCC.
eventsshouldbeconsidered.(5,11,13)

Doesyourfarm*have
morethan10,000US
YourfarmisnotsubjecttoSPCC
YES
gallonstotalaboveground

storagecapacity?

NO

Isthestoragecapacityofany
YES

individualabovegroundtankatyour
farm*greaterthan5,000U.S.gallons?

NO

TierIIQualifiedFacility
TierIIIFacility
TierIQualifiedFacility

Farmowner/operators
Farmowners/operators
AnSPCCplanmustbe
havetheoptionof
havetheoptionof
preparedandcertified
developingandself
developingandself

byaprofessional
certifyingtheSPCCplan
certifyingtheSPCCplan

engineerforallTierIII
fortheirfarmusing
fortheirfarmusingthe
facilities.
readilyavailableTier1
availableTier2templates
templatefromEPAon
fromtheInternet.
theInternet.

*Ifafarmowner/operatorhasmorethanonefarmlocation,withthefarmlocationsortheownedand/orleasedparcels
havingmultiplefarmidentificationnumbers,thentheowner/operatorwillneedtocalculatethetotalstoragecapacity
ofeachfuelandoilstoragelocationusedtoservicethelocations/parcelscoveredbyeachseparatefarmIDnumber.(1)

SpillPrevention,ControlandCountermeasure(SPCC)
(Formoreinformation,thenumbersinparenthesisrefertowebsitesthatwereusedasreferencesforSPCCandare
includedonthelastpageofthisdocument.Someadditionalwebsitesforreferenceareincludedinthetextbelow.)

SPCCisdefinedbyTitle40(ProtectionoftheEnvironment),Part112(OilPollutionPrevention)intheCodeofFederal
Regulations.(websitereference#9)

Whatistheissueforagriculture?WhydofarmersneedtoaddressSPCC?(websitereferences#2,12)

Underfederallaw,anyfarmthatissubjecttotherequirementsofSPCCasdefinedbytheaccompanyingflowchartmust
developandimplementaspillprevention,controlandcountermeasureplan.IfafarmisrequiredtohaveanSPCCplan
butthefarmowner/operatorfailstodevelopandimplementanSPCCplan,thefarmcouldbefinedifinspectedbyEPA.

WhatisafarmasdefinedbySPCC?(websitereferences#2,12)

Afarmisconsideredtobeafacilityonatractoflanddevotedtheproductionofcropsorraisinganimals,includingfish,
whichproducedandsold,ornormallywouldhaveproducedandsold,$1,000ormoreofagriculturalproductsduringa
year(EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyFederalRegister/Vol.73,No.235,FridayDec.5,2008).

WhatisthedeadlineforafarmtodevelopandimplementanSPCCplan?(websitereferences#1,12)

1.ForfarmsthatbeganoperationsafterAugust16,2002,thedeadlinetodevelopandimplementanSPCCplanhas
beenextendedtoMay10,2013.
2.ForfarmsthathavebeeninoperationonorbeforeAugust16,2002,theyarealreadyexpectedtohaveanSPCCplan
developedandimplementednow.AssumingthattheSPCCplanisalreadyinplace,thesefarmsmustupdatetheir
existingSPCCplansbytheMay10,2013deadline.

CanafarmowneroroperatordevelopandselfcertifytheSPCCplanfortheirfarm?(websitereferences#1,2,3,4)

Yes,ifthestoragefacilitymeetstherequirementsofaTierIoraTierIIQualifiedFacility,asdefinedbythe
accompanyingflowchart,andbythefollowingadditionalrequirements:
1.TierIandTierIIeligiblefacilitiesmustagoodspillhistory,meaningthatinthe3yearperiodpriortothedateofSPCC
plancertification,thefacilitydidNOThave:
a.Asingledischargeofoilorfueltonavigablewatersoradjoiningshorelinesexceeding1,000gallons;or
b.Twodischargesofoilorfueltonavigablewatersoradjoiningshorelineseachexceeding42gallonswithinany
12monthperiod.
Theabovedescribeddischargesdonotapplytodischargescausedbynaturaldisasters,actsofwarorterrorism.
2.IfafarmowneroroperatorofaTierIorTierIIQualifiedFacilitychoosestodeviatefromanyoftheSPCC
requirements,suchasprovidingenvironmentallyequivalentalternativesorusingacontingencyplaninsteadof
secondarycontainment,thenaProfessionalEngineer(PE)mustcertifythatthesealternativemethodsareinaccordance
withgoodengineeringpractices.(websitereference#8)

WherecantemplatesbeobtainedforfarmownersoroperatorstodeveloptheirownSPCCplan?

1.ATierIQualifiedFacilitytemplatealongwithsecondarycontainmentcalculationsareavailablefromEPAonlineat:
www.epa.gov/osweroe1/content/spcc/tier1temp.htmAnexamplecompletedTierIplanisavailablefromEPA
onlineat:http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/docs/oil/spcc/sample_plan.pdf
2.ATierIIplanincludesthecomponentsofaTierIplanalongwiththeadditionalrequirementsfoundinsection
112.6(b)of40CFR,Part112.TherearemultipleexamplesofTierIItemplatesthatcanbefoundbysearchingthe
Internet.OneexampleofTierIIQualifiedFacilitySPCCplanisavailablefromStanislausCountyandtheCaliforniaCUPA
Forumonlineat:http://www.stancounty.com/ER/pdf/apsatier2plantemplate.pdf
3.EnvironmentequivalentalternativesareavailableonlinefromEPAat:
www.epa.gov/oem/docs/oil/spcc/guidance/3_EnvironmentalEquivalence.pdf

WhatcomponentsarerequiredforanSPCCplan?(websitereferences#2,12)

1.Alistofabovegroundstoragetanksonthefarmthatincludesthecontentsandlocationsofeachtank.
2.Abriefdescriptionofproceduresthatwillbeusedtopreventandoilorfuelspills.
3.Abriefdescriptionofthemeasuresthatwillbeusedtopreventoilorfuelfromreachingnearbybodiesofwater.
4.Abriefdescriptionofthemeasuresthatwillbeusedtocontainandcleanupfromanoilorfuelspillthathas
dischargedtowater.
5.Alistofemergencycontactsandfirstresponders.
6.AfacilitydiagramishelpfulbutnotrequiredforTierIplans.AfacilitydiagramisrequiredforTierIIplans.

WhatspillpreventionmeasuresshouldbeincludedandimplementedinanSPCCplan?(websitereferences#2,14))

1.Usestoragetanksthataresuitablefortheoilorfuelstored.
2.Identifycontractorsorotherlocalpersonnelwhocanhelpcleanupanoilorfuelspill.
3.Provideoverfillpreventionsforoilorfuelstoragetanks.
4.Provideeffectiveandadequatesizedsecondarycontainmentforabovegroundbulkstoragetanks,suchasbermsor
dikesconstructedofcompactedearthorconcrete.SecondaryContainmentandImpracticabilityDeterminations
containsseveralsamplecalculationsforthebermsizeneededtoprovidesecondarycontainmentforagivenstorage
tanksizeandforestimatedprecipitation.(websitereference#7)Doublewalledtanksmaybeusedwithoutbermsif
otherrequirementsarefollowed.(websitereference#6)
5.Provideeffectivesecondarycontainmenttoaddressthemostlikelydischargefromthetransferringofoiltoandfrom
bulkstoragecontainersandfrommobilestoragetanks.Examplesincludedrippansandabsorbentmaterials.
6.Periodicallyinspectandteststoragetanksandpipes.(websitereferences#15,16)

Whataretheotherrequirementsforusingdoublewallstoragetankswithoutsecondarycontainmentberms?

EPAmemorandumOSWER9360.838notesthatshopbuiltdoublewalledtankssatisfythesecondarycontainment
requirementsofSPCC.However,theowners/operatorsofdoublewalledtanksmustinspecttheinnerwalland
interstitialspacesofashopbuilt,doublewallabovegroundstoragetankandmustconductthisintegritytestingand
inspectioninaccordancewithindustrystandards.(websitereference#6)Oneindustrystandardcurrentlyavailableis
SP00100,StandardforInspectionofInServiceShopFabricatedAbovegroundTanksforStorageofCombustibleand
FlammableLiquids.(websitereferences#14,15)Inaddition,owners/operatorsofdoublewalledtanksmuststill
providespillpreventionandcontainmentmeasuresfortransferringoilorfueltothedoublewalledtanksfromhighway
vehicles,alongwithanypipingorotherequipmentconnectedtothedoublewalledtanks.

OtherConsiderationsforSPCCPlans

1.Farmowners/operatorshavetheoptiontohireaProfessionalEngineertodevelopaTier1orTierIIplan.
2.Completelyburiedundergroundstoragetankswithgreaterthan42,000U.S.gallonsstoragecapacityarealsosubject
toSPCC,butundergroundstoragetankcapacityisnotconsideredfortheTier1andTierIIQualifiedFacilitycriteria.(3)
3.Itistheratedstoragecapacityofthestoragetankthatisconsidered,andnottheamountofoilorfuelcontained
withinthestoragetankatanyonetime.
4.In2008,thedefinitionofnavigablewatersforSPCCwaschangedbacktotheoriginalandnarrower1973
definitionsastheresultofacourtcasefiledagainstEPA.ForSPCC,navigablewatersnowinclude:a)Allnavigable
watersoftheUnitedStatesasdefinedbeforethepassageofthe1972amendmentstotheCleanWaterAct,and
tributariesofsuchwaters;b)Interstatewaters;c)Intrastatelakes,rivers,andstreamsthatareutilizedbyinterstate
travelersforrecreationorotherpurposes,andd)Intrastatelakes,riversandstreamsfromwhichfishorshellfishare
takenandsoldininterstatecommerce.(websitereferences#5,11)
5.EPAhasgivenfurtherguidanceindeterminingwhetherornotthereisareasonableexpectationofanoilorfuel
dischargereachingwaterforSPCC.Someofthosefactorsinclude:a)Whetherornotadischargehasreachednavigable
watersoradjacentshorelinesinthepast;b)Whetherafacilityisadjacenttonavigablewaters;c)Whetheraunique
geologicalorgeographicfeaturethatwouldfacilitatethetransportofadischargetonavigablewaters;d)Whethera
facilityisnearawatercourseandinterveningnaturaldrainage,and;e)Whetherprecipitationrunoffcouldtransporta
dischargeintonavigablewaters.(websitereferences#11,13)

OtherOnlineReferencesandResources

EPAWebsites

1.SPCCforAgriculture
http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/content/spcc/spcc_ag.htm

2.OilSpillPrevention,Control,andCountermeasure(SPCC)Program:InformationforFarmers
http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/docs/oil/spcc/spccfarms.pdf

3.QualifiedFacilitiesApplicability
http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/docs/oil/spcc/qf_app_guidance.pdf
4.StreamlinedRequirementsforTierIandIIQualifiedFacilities
http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/docs/oil/spcc/qualfac_fs.pdf

5.RevisionstotheRegulatoryDefinitionofNavigableWaters
http://www.epa.gov/oem/docs/oil/spcc/SPCCFactsheet_Navigable_Waters_Nov08.pdf

6.EPAMemorandumOSWER9360.838
http://www.epa.gov/oem/docs/oil/spcc/contain.pdf

7.SecondaryContainmentandImpracticabilityDeterminations
http://www.epa.gov/oem/docs/oil/spcc/guidance/4_SecondaryContainment_Impracticability.pdf

8.EnvironmentalEquivalence
http://www.epa.gov/oem/docs/oil/spcc/guidance/3_EnvironmentalEquivalence.pdf

OtherWebsites

9.ElectronicCodeofFederalRegulations
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/

10.MariposaCounty,CaliforniaAbovegroundPetroleumStorageAct(justforthestateofCalifornia)
http://www.mariposacounty.org/index.aspx?NID=989

11.NavigableWatersDefinitionRevisedforPurposesofEPAsOilSpillProgram
http://newsletters.agc.org/environment/2009/02/03/%E2%80%98navigablewaters%E2%80%99definitionrevisedfor
purposesofepa%E2%80%99soilspillprogram/

12.NDSUWQ1486:OilandFuelSpillPrevention,Control,andCountermeasureProgram2013Extension
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/h2oqual/watgrnd/wq1486.pdf

13.OneResourceEnvironmentalNavigableWaterwebpage
http://farmspcc.com/navigablewater.php

14.PurdueExtensionPPP73AbovegroundStorageTanks(Note:Thisisalargefile,35.7MB,withlotsofphotos)
http://www.ppp.purdue.edu/Pubs/PPP73.pdf

15.SteelTankInstitute/SteelPlateFabricatorsAssociationshopfabricatedtankswebpage
http://www.steeltank.com/Products/ShopFabricatedTanks/tabid/110/Default.aspx

16.SteelTankInstitute/SteelPlateFabricatorsAssociationPublicationsIndexwebpage
https://www.steeltank.com/Publications/PublicationsIndex/tabid/108/Default.aspx