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Oil Spills Prevention and Preparedness Regulations

One of EPA’s top priorities is to prevent, prepare for, and respond to oil spills that occur in and around inland waters of the United States. EPA is the lead federal response agency for oil spills occurring in inland waters. The U.S. Coast Guard is the lead response agency for spills in coastal waters and deepwater ports.

EPA’s oil spill prevention program includes the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) and the Facility Response Plan (FRP) rules. The SPCC rule helps facilities prevent a discharge of oil into navigable waters or adjoining shorelines. The FRP rule requires certain facilities to submit a response plan and prepare to respond to a worst case oil discharge or threat of a discharge.

Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Rule

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  • Regulatory Overview
  • SPCC Applicability
  • Qualified Facility Determination
  • SPCC for Agriculture
  • SPCC for the Upstream Sector
  • Frequent Questions

Facility Response Plans (FRP)

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  • FRP Overview
  • FRP Applicability
  • Key Elements to include in an FRP
  • Frequent Questions
  • 2016 National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) Guidelines
  • Training Reference for Oil Spill Response

Guidance and References

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  • SPCC Guidance for Regional Inspectors
  • SPCC Reference Materials
  • Secondary Containment Calculation Worksheets
  • Tank Inspections
  • Contact and Resource Aid: Tribal Petroleum/Oil Pollution and Contamination Cleanup

Webinars and Training

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  • Webinar on the 2013 Revisions to the SPCC Guidance for Regional Inspectors
  • SPCC Train the Trainer for Agriculture
  • SPCC Train the Trainer for Production
  • Tribal Oil Spill Prevention and Chemical Emergency Preparedness Webinars

National Contingency Plan (NCP)

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  • NCP Overview
  • NCP Subpart J
  • Area Contingency Planning

Report oil or chemical spills at: 800-424-8802.

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What's New

EPA conducted a Quality and Consistency Review of SPCC and FRP Plans. For more information, please view the summary of findings fact sheet and outreach presentation materials. 

Wildfire Guide

EPA developed a wildfire guide as a resource for underground storage tank (UST) and oil aboveground storage tank (AST) owners and operators in the event of a wildfire. For more information, please view Wildfire Guide: Preparation and Recovery for Underground and Aboveground Storage Tank Systems.

Waters of the United States (WOTUS)

For the latest on WOTUS-related actions and outreach, please see: Waters of the United States.

Water Resources Reform and Development Act

EPA published a study to determine the appropriate applicability threshold for farms, based on a significant risk of discharge to water.

Most Requested Documents

  • A Facility Owner/Operator's Guide to Oil Pollution Prevention
  • 40 CFR 112
  • Bulk Storage Container Inspection Fact Sheet
  • SPCC Guidance for Regional Inspectors - Chapter 4: Secondary Containment and Impracticability Determinations
  • Area Contingency Planning Handbook
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on December 2, 2022
United States Environmental Protection Agency

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