Regulatory News
EPA Reform of SPCC Rule Relieves Small Business Burdens
by Kevin Bromberg, Assistant Chief Counsel
The Environmental Protection Advocacy has worked with EPA The SPCC rule affects hundreds
Agency (EPA) has now imple- and the affected trade associations of thousands of small businesses,
mented its 2008 reforms of the to improve the SPCC rule, while including farmers, manufacturers,
Oil Spill Prevention, Control, and still protecting the environment and oil and gas production facilities
Countermeasure (SPCC) rule, con- The SPCC program is designed that store more than 1,320 gallons
cluding an effort that the Office to prevent spills of oil into water- of oil at a given facility
of Advocacy has been involved in ways, and to contain spills after EPA realized that its original rule
since December 2002, when it held they occur Facilities subject to the put an unnecessary burden on firms
the first roundtable on the rule program must develop spill preven- that did not contribute significantly
EPA’s revisions streamline tion plans designed to prevent and to the oil spill problem EPA was
reporting requirements in order minimize such discharges attempting to address The Novem-
to increase overall compliance EPA’s amendments are designed ber 2009 revised rule contains
Advocacy had encouraged EPA to increase overall compliance by many of the changes suggested by
to listen to small businesses and small firms while reducing the the Office of Advocacy in Febru-
include provisions that will benefit regulatory burden on facilities that ary 2006 comments to EPA The
small business in the reformed rule handle small volumes of oil and compliance date has been set for
After re-examining the December hav