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The Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) requirements recognize that oil is sometimes stored in bulk and sometimes used operationally. A bulk storage container is any container storing oil at a facility. Bulk oil storage containers may include, but are not limited to tanks, containers, drums, and mobile or portable totes.
Note that the SPCC requirements only cover containers with a capacity of 55 gallons or more; therefore, a bulk storage container would be covered by the requirements if it is a container 55 gallons or more storing oil at a facility.
The shell capacity of the container (maximum volume) must be considered and not the actual amount of product stored in the container (operational volume).
Operational use includes oil-filled electrical equipment and manufacturing equipment. Operational use of oil is not subject to the regulation’s bulk storage requirements. (See 40 CFR 112.8 for bulk storage requirements).