What is oil-filled operational equipment?

Under the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) rule, oil-filled operational equipment is defined at 40 CFR 112.2. It means equipment that includes an oil storage container (or multiple containers and associated piping intrinsic to the operation of the equipment) in which the oil is present solely to support the function of the apparatus or the device. It is not considered a bulk storage container and does not include oil-filled manufacturing equipment (flow-through process).

Examples of oil-filled operational equipment include, but are not limited to:

• Hydraulic systems;
• Lubricating systems (e.g., those for pumps, compressors, and other rotating equipment including pumpjack lubrication systems);
• Gear boxes;
• Machining coolant systems;
• Heat transfer systems;
• Transformers;
• Circuit breakers;
• Electrical switches; and
• Other systems containing oil solely to enable the operation of the device.

When piping is intrinsic to the oil-filled operational equipment in a closed loop system, i.e., inherent to the equipment and used solely to facilitate operation of the device (e.g., for lubrication), then EPA considers the piping to be a component of the oil-filled operational equipment. However, piping not intrinsic to the operational equipment (e.g., flowlines, transfer piping, or piping associated with a process) is not considered to be part of the oil-filled operational equipment.

Under the “qualified” oil-filled operational equipment provisions at 112.7(k), the owner or operator of a facility with oil-filled operational equipment that meets specific qualification criteria may choose to implement the alternate requirements for qualified oil-filled operational equipment in lieu of the general secondary containment required in 112.7(c).