Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures

Title:	Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures
Publication date:	9/14/2021
Effective date:	4/25/2013

BRIEF

Policy Summary

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's (Berkeley Lab's) Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan prevents petroleum and vegetable oil products from being released to storm drains and nearby creeks by:

Providing standards for the use and storage of oil products in drums or aboveground storage tanks (engine generators) that are 55 gallons or larger.
Defining training requirements for employees involved in the maintenance of petroleum storage in drums and tanks.
Defining inspection requirements and schedules for drum storage areas, aboveground storage tanks (ASTs), oil-filled electrical equipment, and rainwater disposal from secondary containment.

Who Should Read This Policy

All Berkeley Lab employees, visitors, affiliates, and subcontractors involved in the storage of oil products, including temporary use of portable ASTs 55 gallons or larger
All employees responsible for ordering fuel and responding to fuel spills

To Read the Full Policy, Go To:

The POLICY tab on this wiki page

To Read the ES&H Program Details, Go To:

ES&H Manual Chapter 56

Contact Information

Tanks, Petroleum Storage Subject Matter Expert
Environmental Services Group
EHS Division

Title:	Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures
Publication date:	9/14/2021
Effective date:	4/25/2013

POLICY

A. Purpose

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan prevents oil products from being released to storm drains and nearby creeks by:

Providing standards for the use and storage of oil products in drums or aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) (engine generators) that are 55 gallons or larger.
Defining training requirements for employees involved in the maintenance of oil storage in drums and tanks.
Defining inspection requirements and schedules for drum storage areas, ASTs, oil-filled electrical equipment, and rainwater disposal from secondary containment.

B. Persons Affected

All Berkeley Lab employees, visitors, affiliates, and subcontractors involved in the storage of oil in tanks or drums 55 gallons or larger, including temporary use of portable aboveground storage tanks 55 gallons or larger
All employees responsible for ordering fuel and responding to fuel spills

C. Exceptions

Oil containers and drums smaller than 55 gallons

D. Policy Statement

Oil product storage requirements are prescribed by federal and state regulations, which are driven by:
1. The Clean Water Act.
2. The Petroleum Pollution Prevention Act (40 CFR 112).
3. The California Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act.
Oil products stored in drums or tanks 55 gallons and greater are governed by these requirements.
The details of the oil storage requirements are described in the Berkeley Lab Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan (main site and the Joint Genome Institute), which is available on the EHS Environmental Services Group website (also see Work Process A, General Requirements).

E. Roles and Responsibilities

Role	Responsibilities
Principal Investigators and Supervisors	Ensure that environmental laws, regulations, and policies are followed. Request assistance from the Environmental Services Group for technical advice on what spill prevention and spill control requirements apply to their operations and what would be an appropriate compliance strategy. Provide training for employees in operational requirements pertaining to spill prevention and spill control, and maintain records of such training (EHS0680, Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures Training). Ensure that activities are performed within acceptable operating standards and that any required records are current (training, AST inspections, rainwater disposal inspections). Notify the EHS Division immediately of any unplanned accidental releases. Prepare budget requests for and manage spill prevention upgrades and corrective actions for division projects.
Employees	Follow applicable environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Be fully aware of the environmental impact of their activities and comply with all requirements that govern those activities. Perform activities within acceptable operating standards and maintain current records whenever required. Take immediate action to stop unplanned releases to the environment and report all instances of unplanned environmental releases to the EHS Division. Complete all required training provided by supervisors and the EHS Division, including annual completion of EHS0680, Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures Training).
Environmental Services Group	Develops Berkeley Lab policies and procedures to ensure that operations are conducted in an environmentally safe manner and in full compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations. Assesses current and planned Berkeley Lab programs and assists in defining spill prevention and spill control compliance upgrades and corrective actions. Provides training, makes presentations, and participates in discussions regarding petroleum storage, spill prevention, and spill control matters with Berkeley Lab employees and regulatory agencies. Manages the recertification of the SPCC Plan every five years and SPCC Plan amendments prepared by a certified professional engineer. Curtails or suspends any operations that pose an immediate danger to members of the public or the environment. Investigates reports of unplanned environmental releases and notifies federal, state, and local authorities in a timely manner, as required. Coordinates and represents Berkeley Lab activities during environmental audits and inspections by regulatory agencies.

F. Definitions/Acronyms

See the ES&H Manual Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures Program for technical terms related to the details of this policy and its implementation.

Term	Definition
AST	Aboveground storage tank
Oil	Oil of any kind or in any form, including, but not limited to, fats, oils, or greases of animal, fish, or marine mammal origin; vegetable oils, including oils from seeds, nuts, fruits, or kernels; and, other oils and greases, including petroleum, fuel oil, sludge, synthetic oils, mineral oils, oil refuse, or oil mixed with wastes
Pollution prevention	Reducing or eliminating waste at the source by modifying production processes, promoting the use of non-toxic or less-toxic substances, implementing conservation techniques, and re-using materials rather than putting them into the waste stream
Spill prevention	The reduction in risk of a petroleum spill from reaching storm drains and creeks by installing secondary containment, monitoring systems, spill kits, and other engineering controls
Secondary containment	Containment designed to hold the contents of the largest single tank or drum plus sufficient freeboard to allow for precipitation (4.78-inch freeboard)

G. Recordkeeping Requirements

Rainwater disposal procedure and records are maintained by the Facilities Division.
Aboveground storage tank inspection programs and records are maintained by the Facilities Division.
EHS0680, Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures Training, records are maintained by the EHS Division.

H. Implementing Documents

Document number	Title	Type
07.09.006.001	Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures Program	Program
07.09.006.002	Work Process A, General Requirements	Process
N/A	Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan (SPCC)	Plan
N/A	Joint Genome Institute Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan (SPCC)	Plan

I. Contact Information