[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 40, Volume 19]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 40CFR112.1]

[Page 20-22]
 
                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
 
         CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 112--OIL POLLUTION PREVENTION--Table of Contents
 
Subpart A--Applicability, Definitions, and General Requirements for All 
                    Facilities and All Types of Oils
 
Sec. 112.1  General applicability.

    Source:  67 FR 47140, July 17, 2002, unless otherwise noted.


    (a)(1) This part establishes procedures, methods, equipment, and 
other requirements to prevent the discharge of oil from non-
transportation-related onshore and offshore facilities into or upon the 
navigable waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines, or into 
or upon the waters of the contiguous zone, or in connection with 
activities under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act or the Deepwater 
Port Act of 1974, or that may affect natural resources belonging to, 
appertaining to, or under the exclusive management authority of the 
United States (including resources under the Magnuson Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act).
    (2) As used in this part, words in the singular also include the 
plural and words in the masculine gender also include the feminine and 
vice versa, as the case may require.
    (b) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, this part 
applies to any owner or operator of a non-transportation-related onshore 
or offshore facility engaged in drilling, producing, gathering, storing, 
processing, refining, transferring, distributing, using, or consuming 
oil and oil products, which due to its location, could reasonably be 
expected to discharge oil in quantities that may be harmful, as 
described in part 110 of this chapter, into or upon the navigable waters 
of the United States or adjoining shorelines, or into or upon the waters 
of the contiguous zone, or in connection with activities under the Outer 
Continental Shelf Lands Act or the Deepwater Port Act of 1974, or that 
may affect natural resources belonging to, appertaining to, or under the 
exclusive management authority of the United States (including resources 
under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act) that has oil 
in:
    (1) Any aboveground container;
    (2) Any completely buried tank as defined in Sec. 112.2;
    (3) Any container that is used for standby storage, for seasonal 
storage, or for temporary storage, or not otherwise ``permanently 
closed'' as defined in Sec. 112.2;
    (4) Any ``bunkered tank'' or ``partially buried tank'' as defined in 
Sec. 112.2, or any container in a vault, each of which is considered an 
aboveground storage container for purposes of this part.
    (c) As provided in section 313 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), 
departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the Federal government 
are subject to this part to the same extent as any person.
    (d) Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this section, this part 
does not apply to:

[[Page 21]]

    (1) The owner or operator of any facility, equipment, or operation 
that is not subject to the jurisdiction of the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) under section 311(j)(1)(C) of the CWA, as follows:
    (i) Any onshore or offshore facility, that due to its location, 
could not reasonably be expected to have a discharge as described in 
paragraph (b) of this section. This determination must be based solely 
upon consideration of the geographical and location aspects of the 
facility (such as proximity to navigable waters or adjoining shorelines, 
land contour, drainage, etc.) and must exclude consideration of manmade 
features such as dikes, equipment or other structures, which may serve 
to restrain, hinder, contain, or otherwise prevent a discharge as 
described in paragraph (b) of this section.
    (ii) Any equipment, or operation of a vessel or transportation-
related onshore or offshore facility which is subject to the authority 
and control of the U.S. Department of Transportation, as defined in the 
Memorandum of Understanding between the Secretary of Transportation and 
the Administrator of EPA, dated November 24, 1971 (Appendix A of this 
part).
    (iii) Any equipment, or operation of a vessel or onshore or offshore 
facility which is subject to the authority and control of the U.S. 
Department of Transportation or the U.S. Department of the Interior, as 
defined in the Memorandum of Understanding between the Secretary of 
Transportation, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Administrator of 
EPA, dated November 8, 1993 (Appendix B of this part).
    (2) Any facility which, although otherwise subject to the 
jurisdiction of EPA, meets both of the following requirements:
    (i) The completely buried storage capacity of the facility is 42,000 
gallons or less of oil. For purposes of this exemption, the completely 
buried storage capacity of a facility excludes the capacity of a 
completely buried tank, as defined in Sec. 112.2, and connected 
underground piping, underground ancillary equipment, and containment 
systems, that is currently subject to all of the technical requirements 
of part 280 of this chapter or all of the technical requirements of a 
State program approved under part 281 of this chapter. The completely 
buried storage capacity of a facility also excludes the capacity of a 
container that is ``permanently closed,'' as defined in Sec. 112.2.
    (ii) The aggregate aboveground storage capacity of the facility is 
1,320 gallons or less of oil. For purposes of this exemption, only 
containers of oil with a capacity of 55 gallons or greater are counted. 
The aggregate aboveground storage capacity of a facility excludes the 
capacity of a container that is ``permanently closed,'' as defined in 
Sec. 112.2.
    (3) Any offshore oil drilling, production, or workover facility that 
is subject to the notices and regulations of the Minerals Management 
Service, as specified in the Memorandum of Understanding between the 
Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of the Interior, and the 
Administrator of EPA, dated November 8, 1993 (Appendix B of this part).
    (4) Any completely buried storage tank, as defined in Sec. 112.2, 
and connected underground piping, underground ancillary equipment, and 
containment systems, at any facility, that is subject to all of the 
technical requirements of part 280 of this chapter or a State program 
approved under part 281 of this chapter, except that such a tank must be 
marked on the facility diagram as provided in Sec. 112.7(a)(3), if the 
facility is otherwise subject to this part.
    (5) Any container with a storage capacity of less than 55 gallons of 
oil.
    (6) Any facility or part thereof used exclusively for wastewater 
treatment and not used to satisfy any requirement of this part. The 
production, recovery, or recycling of oil is not wastewater treatment 
for purposes of this paragraph.
    (e) This part establishes requirements for the preparation and 
implementation of Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) 
Plans. SPCC Plans are designed to complement existing laws, regulations, 
rules, standards, policies, and procedures pertaining to safety 
standards, fire prevention, and pollution prevention rules. The purpose 
of an SPCC

[[Page 22]]

Plan is to form a comprehensive Federal/State spill prevention program 
that minimizes the potential for discharges. The SPCC Plan must address 
all relevant spill prevention, control, and countermeasures necessary at 
the specific facility. Compliance with this part does not in any way 
relieve the owner or operator of an onshore or an offshore facility from 
compliance with other Federal, State, or local laws.
    (f) Notwithstanding paragraph (d) of this section, the Regional 
Administrator may require that the owner or operator of any facility 
subject to the jurisdiction of EPA under section 311(j) of the CWA 
prepare and implement an SPCC Plan, or any applicable part, to carry out 
the purposes of the CWA.
    (1) Following a preliminary determination, the Regional 
Administrator must provide a written notice to the owner or operator 
stating the reasons why he must prepare an SPCC Plan, or applicable 
part. The Regional Administrator must send such notice to the owner or 
operator by certified mail or by personal delivery. If the owner or 
operator is a corporation, the Regional Administrator must also mail a 
copy of such notice to the registered agent, if any and if known, of the 
corporation in the State where the facility is located.
    (2) Within 30 days of receipt of such written notice, the owner or 
operator may provide information and data and may consult with the 
Agency about the need to prepare an SPCC Plan, or applicable part.
    (3) Within 30 days following the time under paragraph (b)(2) of this 
section within which the owner or operator may provide information and 
data and consult with the Agency about the need to prepare an SPCC Plan, 
or applicable part, the Regional Administrator must make a final 
determination regarding whether the owner or operator is required to 
prepare and implement an SPCC Plan, or applicable part. The Regional 
Administrator must send the final determination to the owner or operator 
by certified mail or by personal delivery. If the owner or operator is a 
corporation, the Regional Administrator must also mail a copy of the 
final determination to the registered agent, if any and if known, of the 
corporation in the State where the facility is located.
    (4) If the Regional Administrator makes a final determination that 
an SPCC Plan, or applicable part, is necessary, the owner or operator 
must prepare the Plan, or applicable part, within six months of that 
final determination and implement the Plan, or applicable part, as soon 
as possible, but not later than one year after the Regional 
Administrator has made a final determination.
    (5) The owner or operator may appeal a final determination made by 
the Regional Administrator requiring preparation and implementation of 
an SPCC Plan, or applicable part, under this paragraph. The owner or 
operator must make the appeal to the Administrator of EPA within 30 days 
of receipt of the final determination under paragraph (b)(3) of this 
section from the Regional Administrator requiring preparation and/or 
implementation of an SPCC Plan, or applicable part. The owner or 
operator must send a complete copy of the appeal to the Regional 
Administrator at the time he makes the appeal to the Administrator. The 
appeal must contain a clear and concise statement of the issues and 
points of fact in the case. In the appeal, the owner or operator may 
also provide additional information. The additional information may be 
from any person. The Administrator may request additional information 
from the owner or operator. The Administrator must render a decision 
within 60 days of receiving the appeal or additional information 
submitted by the owner or operator and must serve the owner or operator 
with the decision made in the appeal in the manner described in 
paragraph (f)(1) of this section.