Who is covered by the SPCC Rule?

A facility is covered by the SPCC rule if it has an aggregate aboveground oil storage capacity greater than 1,320 U.S. gallons or a completely buried storage capacity greater than 42,000 U.S. gallons and there is a reasonable expectation of an oil discharge into or upon navigable waters of the U.S. or adjoining shorelines.

What types of oil are covered?

Oil of any type and in any form is covered, including, but not limited to: petroleum; fuel oil; sludge; oil refuse; oil mixed with wastes other than dredged spoil; fats, oils or greases of animal, fish, or marine mammal origin; vegetable oils, including oil from seeds, nuts, fruits, or kernels; and other oils and greases, including synthetic oils and mineral oils.

What kinds of facilities are covered?

A facility that stores, processes, refines uses or consumes oil and is potentially subject to the SPCC rule. Here are some examples of covered facilities and operations:

• Industrial, commercial, agricultural, or public facilities using or storing oil;
• Onshore and offshore oil well drilling facilities;
• Onshore and offshore oil production facilities (including separators and storage facilities);
• Oil refining or storage facilities;
• Certain waste treatment facilities;
• Loading racks, transfer hoses, loading arms, and other equipment;
• Vehicles (e.g. tank trucks) and railroad cars used to transport oil exclusively within the confines of a facility.

How do I calculate oil storage capacity?

Use the shell capacity of the container (maximum volume) and not the actual amount of product stored in the container (operational volume) to determine whether the SPCC rule applies to you. Count only containers with storage capacity equal to or greater than 55 U.S. gallons. Simply add up the container oil storage capacities and compare your total facility capacity to the SPCC threshold:

• A total aboveground oil storage capacity greater than 1,320 U.S. gallons; or
• A completely buried oil storage capacity greater than 42,000 U.S. gallons.

Examples of oil storage containers at a facility that do count toward facility storage capacity:

Bulk storage containers: Aboveground storage tanks (either shop-built or field-erected tanks); certain completely buried tanks; partially buried tanks; tanks in vaults; bunkered tanks; and mobile or portable containers such as drums, totes, non-transportation-related tank trucks, and mobile refuelers.

Oil-filled equipment: May include electrical or operating equipment such as hydraulic systems, lubricating systems (e.g., those for pumps, compressors and other rotating equipment, including pump jack lubrication systems), gear boxes, machining coolant systems, heat transfer systems, transformers, circuit breakers, and electrical switches; or manufacturing equipment such as process vessels, or other equipment used in the alteration, processing or refining of crude oil and other non-petroleum oils, including animal fats and vegetable oils.