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Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Rule


A PowerPoint presentation on the November 2009 Rule Amendments is now available.

Presentation: SPCC Rule Amendments: November 5, 2009, 74 FR 58783 (PPT) (63 pp, 2.4MB)


EPA Announces Final Amendments to the Oil Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (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 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.

Regulation: Oil Pollution Prevention; Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Rule - Final Amendments


SPCC Compliance Date Amendment

On June 19, 2009, EPA published in the Federal Register a SPCC compliance date extension for all facilities until November 10, 2010. Facilities must amend or prepare, and implement SPCC Plans by the compliance date in accordance with revisions to the SPCC rule promulgated since 2002. Farms must also amend or prepare their SPCC Plans, and implement those Plans by the same date.

Regulation: Oil Pollution Prevention; Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Rule - Compliance Date Amendment


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. 

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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