Special Topics in Environmental Management

SPCC Containers Cheat Sheet

Bulk Storage Container
Any container used to store oil. These containers are used for purposes including, but not limited to, the storage of oil prior to use, while being used, or prior to further distribution in commerce. Oil-filled electrical, operating, or manufacturing equipment is not a bulk storage container.


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Mobile Refueler
A "mobile refueler" is defined to include a bulk storage container on board a vehicle or towed that is designed and used solely to store and transport fuel for transfer into or from an aircraft, motor vehicle, locomotive, vessel, ground service equipment, or other oil storage container. This definition includes a nurse tank, which is a mobile/portable container used at farms to store and transport fuel for transfers to or from farm equipment (such as tractors and combines) to other bulk storage containers (such as containers used to provide fuel to wellhead/relift pumps) at the farm.

Motive Power Container
A "motive power container" is defined as any onboard bulk storage container used primarily to power the movement of a motor vehicle or ancillary onboard oil filled operational equipment. It does not include oil drilling rigs, workover equipment, or containers used to store or transfer oil for further distribution.

Breakout Tank
A container used to relieve surges in an oil pipeline system or to receive and store oil transported by a pipeline for reinjection and continued transportation by pipeline.

Completely Buried Tank
Completely below grade and covered with earth, sand, gravel, asphalt, or other material. Containers in vaults, bunkered tanks, or partially buried tanks are considered aboveground storage containers for purposes of this part.

Partially Buried Tank
A storage container that is partially inserted or constructed in the ground, but not entirely below grade, and not completely covered with earth, sand, gravel, asphalt, or other material. A partially buried tank is considered an aboveground storage container for purposes of this part.

Bunkered Tank
A container constructed or placed in the ground by cutting the earth and re-covering the container in a manner that breaks the surrounding natural grade, or that lies above grade, and is covered with earth, sand, gravel, asphalt, or other material. A bunkered tank is considered an aboveground storage container for purposes of this part.

Loading/Unloading Rack
These racks are fixed structures, such as platforms or gangways, necessary for the loading or unloading of a tank truck or tank car, which is located at a regulated facility. These racks include a loading or unloading arm and may include any combination of piping assemblages, valves, pumps, shutoff devices, overfill sensors, or personnel safety devices.


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Oil-Filled Operational Equipment
"Oil-filled operational equipment" is defined to include oil storage containers in which the oil is present solely to enable the operation of the device. It does not include flow-through oil-filled manufacturing equipment. Examples of oil-filled operational equipment are hydraulic systems, lubricating systems, coolants, heat transfer systems, transformers, and circuit breakers.

Produced Water Container
A "produced water container" is a storage container at an oil production facility that is used to store the produced water after initial oil/water separation, and before injection, beneficial reuse, discharge, or transfer for disposal.

See tomorrow’s Advisor for help with secondary containment for SPCC-regulated containers.

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