The Montana Farm Bureau is urging anyone with on-farm fuel storage to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s new regulations under the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures (SPCC) program. The SPCC is a program working to prevent oil spills from reaching the waters and adjoining shorelines of the United States.
“Farmers and ranchers need to be diligent in ensuring they have properly developed a spill plan that complies with the regulations specified in the law,” notes MFBF Vice President of Governmental Relations John Youngberg. “The EPA has posted a self-certify program on their website, and other information is also available. Montana Farm Bureau can certainly help our members should they have questions, but there are some basics to know.”
Youngberg explains if your on-farm fuel storage is less than 1320 gallons, you do not require a spill plan and are exempt from this rule. “However, it’s still a wise idea to make sure your tanks are secure and are located in an area where in the rare case of a spill, the spill can’t flow into a drainage,” he notes.
Part of the rule allows for self-certification. “If you have less than 10,000-gallons of capacity at each facility you are eligible to self certify. There are three types of spill plan you can qualify for; Tier 1, Tier 2 or a Professionally Engineered (PE) plan. If you have more than 10,000 gallons, you must hire an engineer to develop an SPCC plan.”
Farmers and ranchers are not required to file a spill prevention plan with the EPA; however, if they should ever be inspected or experience a spill, they will be required to show proof of their plan to the EPA.
He adds that if you were farming or ranching before Aug. 16, 2002, you are currently out of compliance. There was an extension given to producers who began farming/ranching after Aug. 16, 2002.
For more information go to http://www.epa.gov/oilspill or contact John Youngberg at 406-587-3153 or [email protected].
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