SPCC > Overview

Boilers at power plants may be fired by fuel oil or natural gas. However, even when a power plant uses gas fired boilers to generate steam, backup fuel sources are often maintained and in many of those cases, fuel oil may be stored in underground storage tanks. If this is the case, then the power plant needs to consider whether certain Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) planning requirements for preventing the discharge of oil are applicable. Simply put, an SPCC Plan is required for facilities which due to their location, could reasonably be expected to discharge oil to surface water or adjoining shorelines and have:

• Total aboveground storage capacity of 1,320 gallons or more of oil (however, only containers or oil-containing equipment with a capacity equal to or greater than 55 gallons count toward the threshold); or
• A total oil underground storage capacity of 42,000 gallons or more (however, underground storage tanks subject to regulation under RCRA [40 CFR 280 or 281] are not included); or
• Been required by the EPA to prepare and implement an SPCC Plan.

This section of the EVC will address Federal SPCC requirements associated with the storage of oil in underground storage tanks. The expanded content that is provided includes descriptions of what is required to meet the SPCC requirements in 40 CFR 112 (and this includes information regarding aboveground storage tanks). In addition, it is important to note that some states have more stringent oil spill prevention requirements for petroleum product storage.