OIL POLLUTION PREVENTION, CONTROL AND COUNTERMEASURE PRACTICES AT SMALL PETROLEUM FACILITIES

Abstract

ABSTRACT The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency sponsored a study of small petroleum production and petroleum products distribution facilities (stripper wells and bulk plants) in four regions of the country, with respect to those facilities' ability to comply with EPA's Oil Pollution Prevention Regulation (40 CFR, Part 112). The four regions covered were Texas/Oklahoma, Louisiana, Penn-Grade, and New England. Field surveys were conducted at a total of 125 individual facilities. The facilities were categorized into generic types, both intra-regional and across-the-board. Numerous technical problems were identified involving both the facilities' ability to comply with the regulation and the techniques selected by the owners and operators to achieve compliance. The problems and compliance techniques were evaluated for both appropriateness and cost. The problems were also screened and categorized into types most common to all facilities, by facility type and by geographic area. Engineering solutions have been proposed for these most common problems, with emphasis on the most cost effective solutions. For the several generic types of facilities identified, “Generic SPCC Plans” were developed to serve as examples for facilities of the type covered.