Does your diesel tank need an SPCC plan?
Add one more tank and a site can cross a federal line. The EPA Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure rule decides whether you need a written spill plan.
What the rule covers
The SPCC rule is in 40 CFR part 112. EPA applies it to non-transportation-related facilities that store or use oil, diesel included, and could reasonably be expected to discharge oil into navigable waters or adjoining shorelines.
Under EPA's applicability questions, such a facility is subject to the rule when its total above-ground oil storage capacity is more than 1,320 gallons, or its completely buried storage capacity is more than 42,000 gallons.
What counts toward 1,320 gallons
EPA counts container capacity, not the fuel in the tank today. Containers under 55 gallons are left out, as are permanently closed containers, motive power containers such as a machine's own fuel tank, and wastewater-treatment containers.
A 1,000-gallon diesel tank and a 500-gallon tank on the same site add up to 1,500 gallons of capacity. Lube oil drums and totes are oil containers too, so list every one before you decide you are under the line.
Who can write and certify the plan
EPA lets a qualified facility self-certify its plan instead of using a Professional Engineer. That means 10,000 gallons or less of above-ground oil storage and no oil discharges to water above the limits EPA lists in the three years before the plan is certified.
A Tier I site has no single above-ground container over 5,000 gallons and can use EPA's plan template. A Tier II site has a bigger container and writes a full self-certified plan. EPA notes that some states do not allow self-certification.
Farms, states and the fire code
Farms have different SPCC applicability rules after a 2014 federal law, and EPA keeps a separate SPCC for Agriculture page with farm templates. Read that page before applying the general numbers to a farm.
Tanks can also fall under state environmental rules and the local fire code. Check with your state environmental agency and your fire marshal before a tank goes in, and with EPA for the federal rule.
Where the distributor fits
A distributor fills the tank, and some rent or set tanks. Look for the bulk tanks badge on a profile. The plan, the containment, and the inspections belong to the site owner, not the driver who makes the drop.
Questions
Does a 1,000-gallon diesel tank need an SPCC plan?
On its own, 1,000 gallons is under EPA's 1,320-gallon above-ground threshold. Add every oil container of 55 gallons or more on the site first, then confirm with EPA or your state.
Who can answer an SPCC question for my site?
EPA runs the federal SPCC program and lists its Oil Information Center and regional contacts on its website. Bulk Fueling does not review spill plans or tell you whether you comply.