Chapter 56 – Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures Program

DRAFT

Contents

Approved by Jim Buehler
Revised 9/21

56.1 Policy
56.2 Scope
56.3 Applicability
56.4 Exceptions
56.5 Roles and Responsibilities
56.6 Definitions
56.7 Required Work Processes         

• Work Process A. General Requirements

56.8 Source Requirements
56.9 Reference Documents

Note:
🚩🚩    Denotes a new section

🚩    Denotes the beginning of changed text within a section

🛑    Denotes the end of changed text within a section

___________________

56.1 Policy

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

• Providing standards for the use and storage of oils in drums, aboveground storage tanks, and oil-filled electrical equipment 55 gallons or larger
• Defining training requirements for employees involved in the maintenance of oil in drums
• Defining inspection requirements and schedules for drum storage areas, aboveground storage tanks (ASTs), and  secondary containment at outside oil-filled electrical equipment pads

56.2 Scope

All aboveground storage tanks, drums, and oil-filled electrical equipment oil, 55gallons or greater, are subject to federal and state spill prevention and spill control regulations.

56.3 Applicability

All Berkeley Lab employees, visitors, affiliates, and subcontractors involved in the storage of oils, 55 gallons or greater, including temporary use of portable aboveground storage tanks.

56.4 Exceptions

• Tanks and drums smaller than 55 gallons containing oil
• On-board fuel tanks used to power motor vehicles

56.5 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 Laboratory 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

56.6 Definitions

Term	Definition
AST	Aboveground storage tanks
City of Berkeley	A local agency responsible for enforcing applicable state aboveground storage tank regulation
Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC)	The department within the California Environmental Protection Agency that regulates hazardous waste management and remedial actions
Effluent	Any treated or untreated liquid discharge from Berkeley Lab or from a Laboratory facility
Environmental occurrence	Any sudden or sustained deviation from a regulated or planned performance at an operation that has environmental protection and compliance significance
Hazardous wastes	Wastes exhibiting any of the following characteristics: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity. In addition, EPA has listed specific wastes as hazardous that do not necessarily exhibit these characteristics. Note that oil is a hazardous waste per California regulations.
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
State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)	The agency responsible for promulgating the California General Permit for Stormwater Discharge Associated With Industrial Activities. At Berkeley Lab, this permit is administered and enforced by the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board, with assistance from the City of Berkeley.
Secondary containment	Containment designed to hold the contents of the largest single tank or drum plus sufficient freeboard to allow for precipitation (4.78” freeboard)
Underground storage tank (UST)	A stationary device designed to contain an accumulation of hazardous material or waste. A tank is constructed primarily of non-earthen material, and 90 percent of the tank and its associated piping is totally below the surface of the ground.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)	A federal agency responsible for enforcing environmental laws. In California, some of this responsibility is delegated to the City of Berkeley.
Waste minimization	U.S. EPA defines waste minimization as measures that reduce the volume and toxicity of hazardous waste disposed to landfills. California defines waste minimization as measures that reduce, eliminate, or recycle hazardous waste at the point in a process where such waste may be generated.

56.7 Required Work Processes

Work Process A. General Requirements

1. Compliance. Oil storage requirements are prescribed by federal regulations, which are driven by the Clean Water Act; petroleum storage requirements are also prescribed by state regulations, which are driven by the Aboveground Storage Tank Act.
2. Requirements
   1. Oils stored in drums or tanks 55 gallons or greater are governed by these principal requirements:
      1. The oil must be stored in tanks or containers of approved design and construction.
      2. The tanks or drums must have approved secondary containment capable of holding the entire contents of the largest single tank plus sufficient freeboard to allow for precipitation. (Berkeley Lab uses a 25-year, 24-hour storm event of 4.78 inches as sufficient freeboard.)
   2. The Berkeley Lab Facilities Division has a formal rainwater disposal procedure for inspecting and testing accumulated rainwater at outside transformer pads prior to discharge.
   3. The storage facility must be covered by routine maintenance and monthly AST inspection programs.
   4. Users of bulk storage facilities must receive annual training.
   5. The details of the petroleum storage requirements are described in the Berkeley Lab Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures Plan, which is available on the EHS Environmental Services Group Web site.

56.8 Source Requirements

• 40 CFR 112, Oil Pollution Prevention
• California Health and Safety Code 25270-25270.13, Aboveground Petroleum Storage Act

56.9 Reference Documents

Document number	Title	Type
N/A	Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan (SPCC)	Plan

_____________________