WASHINGTON, D.C. – In December, the EPA issued final rules for the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures program (SPCC), according to the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA). The rules include a NAFA-supported amendment to streamline the requirements for facilities (qualified facility) with oil storage capacity of 10,000 gallons or less. A qualified facility is eligible for streamlined regulatory requirements: prepare a self-certified SPCC Plan instead of one that is reviewed and certified by a Professional Engineer; streamlined integrity testing requirements; and streamlined security requirements.

A “qualified facility” must meet eligibility criteria: The facility must have 10,000 gallons or less in aggregate aboveground oil storage capacity; and for three years prior to Plan certification, or since becoming subject to the rule, the facility must not have had a single discharge of oil to navigable waters exceeding 1,000 U.S. gallons or two discharges oil to navigable waters each exceeding 42 U.S. gallons within any 12-month period.

The EPA also issued a proposed rule to extend the compliance dates to Jul. 1, 2009, for owners and operators of facilities (with the exception of farms) to amend and implement an existing SPCC plan or in the case of new facilities, time to prepare and implement a new SPCC plan. The SPCC rules apply to a facility with a total aboveground (i.e., not completely buried) oil storage capacity of greater than 1,320 gallons.

Additional information is available at www.epa.gov/oilspill.