Category: Association News

The Oil Containment Association (OCA) is pleased to announce the schedule for our Q2 2026 Member Meetings. These quarterly gatherings bring together industry professionals, regulators, and environmental specialists to discuss best practices, regulatory updates, and emerging technologies in oil containment.

Upcoming Meeting Dates

• April 10, 2026 – Houston, TX: Regional member meeting covering Gulf Coast SPCC compliance updates. Hosted at the Marriott Marquis, 1777 Walker St. Registration opens March 1.
• April 24, 2026 – Denver, CO: Rocky Mountain chapter meeting. Focus on fracking site containment innovations and EPA Region 8 updates.
• May 8, 2026 – Pittsburgh, PA: Northeast chapter meeting. Topic: New OSHA 1910.120 guidance for industrial facilities.
• May 22, 2026 – Dallas, TX: Annual spring symposium. Full-day event with keynote speakers, vendor demonstrations, and breakout sessions.
• June 5, 2026 – Los Angeles, CA: Pacific Coast chapter meeting. Focus on California’s updated secondary containment requirements.
• June 19, 2026 – Chicago, IL: Midwest chapter meeting. Topic: Polyurea technology advancements for cold-weather containment.

Virtual Meeting Options

All in-person meetings will be available via live webinar for members who cannot attend in person. Virtual attendance credentials will be emailed to registered members 48 hours before each meeting.

How to Register

Members can register through the OCA Member Portal. Non-members are welcome to attend one meeting as a guest. To register or inquire about membership, contact our events coordinator at events@oilcontainment.org or call 1-800-610-1080.

Meeting Agenda Highlights

Each regional meeting will feature: EPA regulatory update (30 min), best practices panel (45 min), new product/technology showcase (30 min), networking lunch, and open Q&A session. The Dallas Symposium will also feature our annual Environmental Excellence Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding contributions to oil spill prevention.

Mark your calendars: the Oil Containment Association’s Annual Conference and Exhibition will be held September 15-17, 2026 at the Austin Convention Center, Austin, Texas. This year’s theme is Containment Innovation in a Changing Regulatory Landscape.

Conference Overview

The OCA Annual Conference is the premier industry gathering for oil containment professionals in North America. Last year’s conference in Nashville drew 847 attendees from 43 states and 12 countries, with 68 exhibitors showcasing the latest in containment technology, materials, and services.

2026 Keynote Speakers (Announced)

• Administrator Maria Santos, EPA Office of Emergency Management – Opening keynote: “SPCC Enforcement Priorities and the Path Forward”
• Dr. William Fletcher, Texas A&M University – Technical keynote: “Next-Generation Elastomeric Barriers: Where Material Science is Taking Containment”
• Thomas Nguyen, Chief Sustainability Officer, Continental Resources – Industry keynote: “Zero Spill: A Major Producer’s Journey to Environmental Excellence”

Conference Tracks

This year’s conference will feature five concurrent tracks: Regulatory Compliance, Technical Innovation, Operations & Best Practices, Environmental Response, and Emerging Markets. Over 80 technical presentations are planned, covering topics from digital inspection technologies to Arctic containment challenges to renewable energy transformer protection.

Exhibition Hall

The exhibition hall will feature 120 exhibitor booths showcasing containment systems, coating technologies, compliance software, inspection services, and related products. Early exhibitor registration opens April 1st with a 15% discount for OCA member companies.

Registration Information

Early bird registration opens June 1, 2026. OCA member rates: $795 (early bird) / $995 (standard). Non-member rates: $1,295 / $1,595. Group discounts available for 5+ registrations from the same organization. Contact events@oilcontainment.org for group rates and sponsorship opportunities.

The OCA Technical Committee held its Winter 2026 meeting on January 23rd in Denver, Colorado, with 34 committee members present and an additional 28 participating virtually. This summary covers the key topics discussed and action items assigned.

Attendance

The meeting was chaired by Technical Committee Chair Dr. Patricia Wade, P.E. In attendance were representatives from 22 member organizations including major oil producers, independent operators, environmental consultants, and containment equipment manufacturers. EPA Region 8 sent a representative as a non-voting observer.

Agenda Item 1: Polyurea Standard Update

Committee members reviewed the draft update to OCA Standard 2024-P (Polyurea Coating Performance Standards for Oil Containment Applications). After extensive discussion, the committee voted 31-3 to approve the following amendments:

• Minimum Shore A hardness increased from 85 to 90 for vertical application surfaces
• New requirement for manufacturer-documented recoat windows
• Expanded chemical resistance testing requirements to include bio-diesel blends
• Addition of low-temperature flexibility test at -60°F

The updated standard will be published in the Spring 2026 edition of OCA Technical Bulletin.

Agenda Item 2: Foam Core Material Research Results

Dr. David Chen presented the results of a 24-month field study comparing four foam core materials used in portable containment berms. The study evaluated compression recovery, UV degradation resistance, and dimensional stability across 12 test sites in four climate zones.

Key finding: Closed-cell polyisocyanurate foam significantly outperformed open-cell polyurethane in all metrics, with 94% dimensional retention after 24 months versus 71% for open-cell formulations. Full results will be published in the OCA Journal of Containment Technology (Spring 2026 issue).

Agenda Item 3: New Member Training Program

Member Services Director Sarah Williams presented a proposal for an expanded OCA Certified Containment Specialist (CCS) program. The updated curriculum adds two new modules: Advanced SPCC Planning and Digital Inspection Technologies. The program will launch in Q2 2026 with a target enrollment of 200 students in the first cohort.

Next Meeting

The Spring 2026 Technical Committee meeting is scheduled for April 17th in Houston, TX, hosted by member organization Gulf Coast Environmental Solutions. Registration opens March 1st via the OCA Member Portal.