North America's Premier Oil Containment Association | 1,847+ Members | SPCC Compliance, Foam Berms & Containment Technology
Containment is a system, not a product: a primary vessel that should not leak, a secondary barrier that catches it when it does, and a response capability for everything that gets past both.
Most reportable releases are not caused by a missing system. They are caused by one layer being treated as if it were all four.
The tank, drum, pipe or vessel itself. Corrosion control, integrity testing and overfill prevention live here. Every gallon kept inside primary containment is a gallon nobody has to chase.
The dike, berm, liner or vault that catches a primary failure. Sized, not guessed: 110% of the largest vessel plus a design rainfall allowance.
Grading, curbs, valved outfalls and oil-water separators that keep a release inside the property line when the secondary barrier is overtopped.
Trained people, staged sorbents and a plan that names who calls the National Response Center. Equipment nobody has drilled with is decoration.
The right answer changes with how long the oil sits, what drives over it, and whether the area sees weather.
Fixed tanks above 1,320 gallons aggregate need engineered secondary containment with a demonstrated capacity calculation. Options, roughly in order of cost and durability:
| Method | Typical life | Seams | Drive-over | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spray polyurea over concrete | 15-25 yr | None | ✓ | Permanent tank farms, vaults |
| Reinforced geomembrane liner | 10-20 yr | Welded | ✗ | Large earthen basins |
| Concrete dike, uncoated | 20 yr+ | Joints | ✓ | Low-permeability soils, mild climates |
| Prefabricated steel pan | 20 yr+ | Welded | ✗ | Single small tanks |
Temporary and mobile operations are where portable berms earn their keep. The test is whether the wall survives a loaded truck crossing it and whether one person can deploy it alone.
See the foam berm page for the sizing maths.
Mineral-oil-filled equipment carries containment obligations that surprise a lot of utility and renewable-energy operators – including substations serving wind and solar. Design around the oil volume of the largest unit plus firefighting water, and specify a liner that survives a hot oil release.
Every site keeps a response capability sized to the credible worst case, not the average day.
Close the valve, right the drum, shut the pump. Nothing else matters until the flow stops.
Booms and socks downgradient first, then work back toward the source. Chasing the middle of a spill wastes the window.
Drain covers and plugs before absorbent. A release that reaches a storm drain becomes a different kind of problem.
The National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802 for a discharge to navigable waters, plus your state line. Document the time.
Recover, drum, manifest, photograph. The paperwork is what an inspector reviews a year from now.
Enter the largest vessel and the footprint you have. The tool applies the 110% rule and adds a rainfall allowance.
SPCC sizing for a single-tank containment area — 110% of the largest vessel plus rainfall freeboard.
Planning aid only. 40 CFR 112 requires a sized, engineered design; most SPCC plans must be certified by a licensed P.E.
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Send us the site layout and the tank schedule. The OCA technical committee reviews member submissions at no cost and will tell you plainly what is missing.
