Federal
Aboveground Storage Tank Rules

Farms and the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA)

The Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014, was signed into law by the President on June 10, 2014. Section 1049 of the Act changes certain applicability provisions of the SPCC rule for farms, and modifies the criteria under which a farmer may self-certify an SPCC Plan.

• An aggregate aboveground storage capacity less than 2,500 gallons, or

• An aggregate aboveground storage capacity greater than 2,500 gallons and less than 6,000* gallons; and No reportable discharge history.

• An aggregate aboveground storage capacity greater than 6,000* gallons but less than 20,000 gallons;

• No individual tank with a capacity greater than 10,000 gallons; and
• No reportable discharge history.

(*This 6,000-gallon threshold may be adjusted by EPA, following a study to determine the appropriate exemption.)

A farmer must have a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) certify the SPCC Plan if the farm has:

• An individual tank with an aboveground storage capacity greater than 10,000 gallons; OR
• An aggregate aboveground storage capacity greater than or equal to 20,000 gallons; OR
• A reportable discharge history.

Updates - Study Required by the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) and Future Rulemakings

EPA expects to promulgate a rule amending the SPCC requirements associated with the applicability thresholds and other WRRDA amendments.

Oil Storage on U.S. Farms: Risks and Opportunities for Protecting Surface Waters

Example and blank worksheets used to calculate secondary containment capacity are available below to help you to comply with the secondary containment requirements of the SPCC rule. These blank worksheets address four specific scenarios and may not be valid for every facility. Although the SPCC rule does not require you to show the calculations of sized secondary containment in your Plan, you should maintain documentation of secondary containment calculations to demonstrate compliance to an EPA inspector.

*Disclaimer: Please note that these are simplified calculations for qualified facilities that assume: 1) the secondary containment is designed with a flat floor; 2) the wall height is equal for all four walls; and 3) the corners of the secondary containment system are 90 degrees. Additionally, the calculations do not include displacement for support structures or foundations. For Professional Engineer (PE) certified Plans, the PE may need to account for site-specific conditions associated with the secondary containment structure which may require modifications to these sample calculations to ensure good engineering practice.

*Please note: Word versions are fill-in the blank only. PDF forms compute calculations.

Single Vertical Cylindrical Tank Inside a Rectangular or Square Dike or Berm
Example Calculations (based on sample Plan) (PDF)
Blank Worksheet (PDF)
 

Multiple Horizontal Cylindrical Tanks Inside a Rectangular or Square Dike or Berm
Example Calculations (based on sample Plan) (PDF)
Blank Worksheet (PDF)
 
 Construct New Secondary Containment
Example Calculations (PDF)
Blank Worksheet (PDF)

 Contact EPA or visit their web site at,
https://www.epa.gov/oil-spills-prevention-and-preparedness-regulations

American Engineering Testing Inc.,
Contact Person: Robert Temme, P.E

1745 Samco Road
Rapid City
(605) 388-0029

Bargmann Engineering
Contact Person: Jon Bargmann, P.E

1105 24th St S

Watertown
Phone: (605) 882-4454

Dakota Environmental
Contact Person: Brian Friedrichsen, P.E

1122 21st St SW

Huron
(605) 352-5610

Geotek Engineering
Contact Person: Dan Hanson, P.E

909 East 50th Street North

Sioux Falls

(605) 335-5512