Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plans (SPCCs)
Federal spill-prevention planning for facilities that store oil
Facilities that store oil above federal thresholds and could discharge to waters of the United States generally need a spill prevention, control, and countermeasure plan. Colman Engineering prepares SPCC plans for facilities throughout Virginia, documenting storage, containment, and the measures that reduce the chance of a discharge. The plans are built around how your facility actually operates.
Benefits
Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plans (SPCCs)
Prevention built into daily operations
An SPCC plan focuses on stopping discharges before they happen, through containment, inspections, and good practices. We build those into a plan your staff can follow.
Built around federal requirements
We prepare SPCC plans around the federal oil pollution prevention rule, including any professional engineer certification requirements, so your facility can meet its obligations with confidence.
Matched to your storage and site
We document your specific tanks, containment, and drainage rather than using a template. That makes the plan both compliant in spirit and genuinely practical.
From a facility review to a certified-ready plan
We review your oil storage, secondary containment, and the paths a discharge could take toward water. We document prevention measures, inspection routines, and response steps, and we address the professional-engineer certification where your facility requires it. You receive an SPCC plan tailored to your operation, and we can help your team put it into practice. Where an ODCP is also needed, we coordinate the two so they stay consistent.
Use Cases
An SPCC plan generally applies when your oil storage crosses federal thresholds and could reach waterways.
01
Your oil storage exceeds federal thresholds
Your aggregate aboveground or buried oil storage passes the federal quantity thresholds. That typically triggers the SPCC requirement.
02
A discharge could reach navigable waters
Your site could discharge oil to a stream, ditch, or other water body. The SPCC rule is aimed squarely at that risk.
03
Your facility or storage has changed
You've added tanks or reconfigured the site since your last plan. SPCC plans need to reflect current conditions, and we can update yours.
Tips and FAQs
Depending on your storage volumes, an SPCC plan may need certification by a professional engineer, and we can provide that. Plans are meant to be reviewed periodically and updated when your facility changes materially. Because SPCC and Virginia's ODCP requirements often both apply, preparing them together keeps everything consistent and usually saves effort.
Does my facility need an SPCC plan?
If your oil storage exceeds the federal thresholds and a discharge could reach waters of the United States, a plan is generally required. We can help you evaluate whether your facility qualifies.
Does an engineer have to certify the plan?
For many facilities, yes, professional-engineer certification is required, though some smaller facilities may self-certify. We can provide the certification where it applies.
How often does an SPCC plan need review?
Plans should be reviewed periodically and updated when there are material changes to your facility. We can help you keep the plan current with your operations.
Is an SPCC the same as an ODCP?
No. SPCC is a federal prevention-focused requirement and ODCP is a Virginia response-focused requirement. Many facilities need both, and we can prepare them together.
