Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC)
Facilities that handle oil must determine if they need to create and implement spill prevention, control, and
countermeasure (SPCC) plans as required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). SPCC plans are required
for facilities that could discharge oil into or upon navigable waters, adjoining shorelines, waters of the
contiguous zone, or that may affect natural resources. One of the main goals of SPCC planning is to create
procedures to help prevent oil spills. If these measures fail, facilities need to be prepared to handle the
spill and keep it from leaving the facility or entering the environment. Under the original SPCC rule, facility
SPCC plans were required to follow the specific sequence of requirements outlined in the SPCC rule. Under the
new rule, facilities became able to create or use an existing alternative format to the SPCC plan as long as it
meets the SPCC requirements. Many facilities, construction companies and municipalities have had success using
easy-to-install passive devices combined with a regular maintenance program to reduce the amount of contaminants
entering waterways from storm drains. If you have any oil-like materials at your facility, you may want to take
a closer look at the SPCC rule.
