About the Oil Containment Association
Our Mission
The Oil Containment Association (OCA) is a 501(c)(6) industry association dedicated to advancing the science, technology, and practice of oil containment for the protection of human health, environmental quality, and regulatory compliance. We serve more than 1,847 member organizations across North America, providing technical resources, regulatory intelligence, training programs, and industry networking.
Who We Are
Founded in 1998 in response to the growing complexity of EPA secondary containment regulations, the OCA has grown from a small technical working group to the premier professional association serving the oil containment industry. Our members include oil and gas producers, pipeline operators, industrial manufacturers, environmental consultants, containment system manufacturers, contractors, utilities, and government agencies.
Our membership is diverse but united by a common purpose: preventing oil spills and ensuring that when spills occur, they are contained rapidly and effectively. The environmental and economic cost of oil spills is enormous—OCA exists to help organizations build the systems, knowledge, and culture necessary to prevent those costs.
What We Do
Technical Standards Development
The OCA Technical Committee, staffed by volunteer engineers and scientists from member organizations, develops and maintains technical standards for containment system performance, materials, inspection, and operations. We currently maintain 14 active technical standards and publish the OCA Journal of Containment Technology quarterly.
Regulatory Affairs
Our regulatory affairs team monitors EPA, OSHA, DOT, and state agency developments affecting our members, provides analysis and guidance on new requirements, and represents the industry in agency rulemaking proceedings. We publish regulatory alerts, compliance guides, and maintain a state-by-state regulatory reference library.
Training & Certification
The OCA Certified Containment Specialist (CCS) program provides comprehensive training in SPCC planning, secondary containment design and inspection, spill response, and regulatory compliance. CCS certification is recognized by EPA regional offices and multiple state environmental agencies as evidence of professional competency.
Member Resources
OCA members access a library of 340+ technical documents, compliance tools, SPCC plan templates, inspection checklists, and case studies. The Member Portal provides personalized regulatory alerts, access to the Compliance Helpline, and the OCA Member Directory for business referrals.
Industry Research
The OCA Research Foundation funds original research on containment materials, environmental fate and transport, inspection technology, and regulatory effectiveness. We have funded more than $3.2 million in research grants since 2005, producing science that directly informs both industry practice and regulatory policy.
Our History
The Oil Containment Association was founded in Houston, Texas in 1998 by a coalition of independent oil producers and environmental engineers who recognized the need for an industry resource focused specifically on secondary containment requirements under the SPCC rule. In its first year, OCA had 68 member organizations and published its first technical bulletin.
Over the following decade, OCA expanded its technical programs, established regional chapters, and launched the CCS certification program. In 2010, we established the OCA Research Foundation to fund external research, and in 2015 we moved our headquarters to its current location. By 2020, membership exceeded 1,000 organizations and we published the first edition of the OCA Journal of Containment Technology.
Today, OCA operates with a full-time professional staff of 12, a volunteer Technical Committee of 34 subject matter experts, a 15-member Board of Directors, and seven regional chapters. We hold more than 30 events annually, publish monthly newsletters and quarterly journals, and respond to thousands of member compliance inquiries each year.
Our Values
- Environmental Protection: We believe that effective oil containment is fundamental to protecting our shared environment, and we are committed to advancing practices that prevent pollution.
- Scientific Integrity: Our technical standards and guidance are based on sound science and engineering, developed through a rigorous, transparent, consensus-based process.
- Practical Solutions: We recognize that compliance must be achievable, and we focus on providing practical, cost-effective solutions that work in real operational environments.
- Member Service: Everything we do is in service of our members’ success in protecting their operations, their communities, and the environment.
- Collaboration: We work constructively with regulators, researchers, and other stakeholders to advance shared goals of spill prevention and environmental protection.
Contact Us
Oil Containment Association
1800 West Loop South, Suite 1100
Houston, TX 77027
Phone: 1-800-610-1080
Email: info@oilcontainment.org
Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time