The Oil Pollution Prevention regulation promulgated under the authority of the Clean Water Act (CWA) established the requirements for the prevention of, preparedness for, and response to oil discharges at specific non-transportation related facilities. The regulation require facilities that use or store oil to develop and implement Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans to prevent oil from reaching navigable waters and adjoining shorelines, as well as to contain discharges of oil. As part of the SPCC plan, facilities must establish procedures, methods, and equipment requirements to prepare and respond to such releases to the environment.
SPPC regulated facilities by definition are non-transportation related, have above ground oil storage capacity of more than 1,320 gallons or 42,000 gallons in below ground storage tanks on site, and could reasonably be expected to discharge oil to navigable waters or adjoining shorelines in quantities that may be harmful. According to the Clean Water Act, oil is defined as oil of any kind or any form, which is, not limited to petroleum, fuel oil, sludge, oil refuse, and oil mixed with wastes other than dredged spoil.