Opinion by Keith Kennedy

Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Compliance by Keith Kennedy

Although we have discussed the issue of Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plan before, it may be vital to your operation that you comply with the SPCC rule. In speaking with several petroleum jobbers over the past several weeks, we have learned that many of the jobbers will not be delivering fuel to locations if they do not have an SPCC plan in place, beginning on May 1, 2013. You should contact your jobber immediately to determine if you will be able to receive bulk petroleum deliveries after May 1.

If your operation does not have tank capacity greater than 10,000 gallons of petroleum products and capacity greater than 1,320 gallons, you may self-certify a SPCC plan. 

To help you create this plan for your operation, a partner of Wyoming Ag-Business Association, the Asmark Institute, has developed an online tool for you to self-certify. The tool can be found at asmark.org/mySPCC. When you complete the process of self-certification via the Asmark website, you will have created a .pdf file that you should print, file and observe. You may want to print a second copy to provide to your petroleum jobber. The data you enter during self-certification will not be retained by Asmark and will not be reported to EPA. 

Remember that if you have more than 10,000 gallons of storage capacity on your farm or ranch, you will need to contact a Professional Engineer to develop and certify a plan for your operation.

As you complete self-certification on mySPCC, you will also need to have the name, address and phone number of a cleanup contractor in your area, and phone numbers for the State Emergency Response Commission, who can be reached in Wyoming at 307-777-4900, and the Local Emergency Planning Committee, which can be found under County Government in your phone book, as well as phone numbers for local and state law enforcement, fire department and ambulance.

While we have resisted the SPCC regulation as an organization for many years, we want our customers, the farmers and ranchers of Wyoming to remain profitable, prosperous businesses. 

Thank you for your attention; we hope your fuel containment berm receives some much needed precipitation.