United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Office of Water

Washington, D.C.

EPA 832-F-99-071

September 1999

Storm Water

Management Fact Sheet

Spill Prevention Planning

DESCRIPTION

Spill prevention is prudent both economically and

environmentally, because spills increase operating

costs and lower productivity. An important tool in

preventing spills is a Spill Prevention Plan. A Spill

Prevention Plan specifies materials handling

procedures and storage requirements and identifies

spill cleanup procedures for areas and processes in

which spills may potentially occur. The plan

standardizes process operating procedures and

employee training in an effort to minimize accidental

pollutant releases that could contaminate storm

water runoff. 

Spill prevention should be part of a comprehensive

Best Management Practice program to prevent

runoff contamination. This program should also

include storm water contamination assessment, flow

diversion, record keeping, internal reporting,

employee training, and preventive maintenance.

Typically, most businesses and public agencies that

generate hazardous waste and/or produce,

transport, or store petroleum products are required

by State and federal law to prepare spill control and

cleanup plans. Therefore, a Spill Prevention and

Response Plan may have already been developed as

a result of other environmental regulatory

requirements. Existing plans should be re-evaluated

and revised to address storm water management

issues.

APPLICABILITY

A Spill Prevention Plan is applicable to facilities that

transport, transfer, and/or store hazardous materials,

petroleum products, or fertilizers that can

contaminate storm water runoff. An important part

of an effective Spill Prevention Plan is establishing

a method for quick notification of the appropriate

emergency response teams in the event of a spill. In

some plants, each area or process may have a

separate team leader and/or response team. Figure

1 illustrates a sample spill prevention team roster

that can help in quick identification of Spill

Prevention team leaders and their responsibilities.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

The advantages of an effective Spill Prevention Plan

include reducing storm water contamination and

maintaining the water quality of the receiving water.

Spill Prevention Plans are often good ways of

standardizing procedures and employee training to

decrease the likelihood of spills.

Spill Prevention Planning can be limited by the

following:

C Lack of employee motivation to implement

the plan.

C Lack of commitment from senior

management.

C Key individuals identified in the Spill

Prevention Plan may not be properly trained

in the areas of spill prevention, response,

and cleanup.

KEY PROGRAM COMPONENTS

Before preparing a Spill Prevention Plan, a facility

should do the following:
POLLUTION PREVENTION TEAM

MEMBER ROSTER

Worksheet 

Completed by: ________________________

Title: ________________________________

Date: ________________________________

Leader: __________________________ Title: __________________________________

Office Phone: ___________________________

Responsibilities:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Members:

(1) _________________________ Title: _______________________________

Office Phone: ________________________

Responsibilities:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

(2) _________________________ Title: ______________________________

Office Phone: ________________________

Responsibilities:

________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

(3) _________________________ Title: _______________________________

Office Phone: ________________________

Responsibilities:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Source: EPA, 1992.

FIGURE 1 SAMPLE SPILL PREVENTION TEAM ROSTER

• Conduct a materials inventory throughout

the facility.

C Evaluate past spills and leaks.

C Identify non-storm water discharges and

non-approved connections to storm water.

C Collect and evaluate storm water.

C Summarize the findings of this assessment.
Once these tasks have been accomplished, the

facility should prepare its Spill Prevention Plan. The

plan should include:

• A description of the facility, including the

owner’s name and address, the nature of the

facility activity, and the general types of

chemicals used in the facility.

C A site plan showing the locations of

chemical storage areas, storm drains,

tributary drainage areas with drainage

arrows, all surface water bodies on or next

to the site, and any devices to stop spills

from leaving the site (i.e., collection basins).

Spill prevention devices should also have a

description written on the map. Table 1

contains a list of features that should be

indicated on the site map.

C Notification procedures to be used in the

event of a spill. These should include phone

numbers of key personnel and appropriate

regulatory agencies, such as local Pollution

Control Agencies and the local Sewer

Authority.

C Specific instructions regarding cleanup

procedures.

C A single designated person who has overall

responsibility for spill response. Key

personnel should be trained in the use of this

plan, and all employees should have basic

knowledge of spill control procedures.

A summary of the plan should be written and posted

at appropriate points in the building (i.e., meeting

rooms, cafeteria, and areas with a high spill

potential). The summary should identify the spill

cleanup coordinators, location of cleanup kits, and

phone numbers of regulatory agencies to be

contacted in the event of a spill.

Implementing the Spill Prevention Plan should

include the following:

C Spill cleanups should begin immediately.

No emulsifier or dispersant should be used.

C In fueling areas, absorbent should be

packaged in small bags for convenient use

and small drums should be available for

storage. Absorbent materials should not be

washed down the floor drain or into the

storm sewer.

C Emergency spill containment and cleanup

kits should be located at the facility site.

The contents of the kit should be

appropriate to the type and quantities of

chemical or goods stored at the facility.

Some structural methods to consider when

developing a Spill Prevention Plan include:

C Containment diking--Containment dikes

are temporary or permanent earth or

concrete berms or retaining walls that are

designed to hold spills. Diking can be used

at any industrial facility, but is most

common for controlling large spills or

releases from liquid storage and transfer

areas. Diking can provide one of the best

protective measures against the

contamination of storm water because it

surrounds the area of concern and keeps

spilled materials separated from the storm

water outside of the diked area.

C Curbing--Similar to containment diking, a

curb is a barrier that surrounds an area of

concern. Unlike diking, curbing is unable to

contain large spills and is usually

implemented on a small-scale basis.

However, curbing is common at many

facilities and in small areas where liquids are

handled and transferred.

Collection basins--Collection basins are permanent

structures in which large spills or contaminated

storm water is contained and stored before cleanup

or treatment. Collection basins are designed to

receive spills, leaks, etc., and to prevent pollutants

from being released into the environment. Unlike

containment dikes, collection basins can receive and

contain materials from many locations across a

facility.
TABLE 1 CRITERIA FOR DESIGNING A SITE MAP

Worksheet 

Completed by: _____________________________

DEVELOPING A SITE MAP Title: _____________________________________

Date: _____________________________________

Instructions: Draw a map of your site including a footprint of all buildings, structures, paved areas, and 

parking lots. The information below describes additional elements.

C All outfalls and storm water discharges

C Drainage areas of each storm water outfall

C Structural storm water pollution control measures, such as:

-Flow diversion structures

-Retention/detention ponds

-Vegetative swales

C Name of receiving waters (or if through a Municipal Separate Sewer System)

C Locations of past spills and leaks

C Locations of high-risk, waste-generating areas and activities common sites such as:

-Fueling stations

-Vehicle/equipment washing and maintenance areas

-Area for unloading/loading materials

-Above-ground tanks for liquid storage

-Industrial waste management areas (landfills, waste piles, treatment plants, disposal areas)

-Outside storage areas for raw materials, by-products, and finished products

-Outside manufacturing areas

-Other areas of concern (specify: _____________________________________ )

Source: EPA, 1992.

In addition to preventing the release of the

substance to surface waters, any spilled substances

must be cleaned up and disposed to protect plant

personnel from potential health and fire hazards.

Methods of cleanup, recovery, treatment, or

disposal include:

C Physical. Physical methods for the cleanup

of dry chemicals include the use of brooms,

shovels, sweepers, or plows.

C Mechanical. Mechanical methods include

the use of vacuum cleaning systems and

pumps.

C Chemical. Chemical cleanups of material

can be achieved with the use of sorbents,

gels, and foams. Sorbents are compounds

that immobilize materials by surface

absorption or adsorption in the sorbent bulk.

Gelling agents interact with the spilled
For more information contact:

Municipal Technology Branch

U.S. EPA

Mail Code 4204

401 M St., S.W.

chemical(s) by concentrating and congealing

to form a rigid or viscous material more

conducive to a mechanical cleanup. Foams

are mixtures of air and aqueous solutions of

proteins and surfactant-based foaming

agents. The primary purpose of foams is to

reduce the vapor concentration above the

spill surface, thereby controlling the rate of

evaporation.

IMPLEMENTATION

Past experience has shown that the biggest obstacle

to an effective Spill Prevention Plan is its

implementation. Qualitatively, implementation of a

well prepared Spill Prevention Plan should

significantly decrease contamination of storm water

runoff.

A facility Spill Prevention Plan should be reviewed

at least annually and following any spills to evaluate

the Spill Prevention Plan’s level of success and how

it can be improved. The plan should also be

reviewed when a new material is introduced to any

of the facility’s processes.

COSTS

If a facility already has a Spill Control and Cleanup

Plan in place, modification to address storm water

contamination concerns will require minimal cost.

If a facility will be developing a Spill Prevention

Plan for the first time, the initial cost will depend on

the type of material at the facility, the facility size,

and other related parameters. Costs for structural

containment devices will also need to be identified

for each facility.

REFERENCES

1. U.S. EPA, 1992. Storm Water

Management for Industrial Activities:

Developing Pollution Prevention Plans and

Best Management Practices. EPA 832-R92-006.

2. Washington State Department of Ecology,

1992. Storm Water Management Manual

for Puget Sound.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Blymeyer Engineers, Inc.

Danielle Ormsty

1829 Clement Avenue

Alameda, CA 94501

EMPE, Inc.

Bill Basham

220 Athens Way

Plaza I, Suite 410

Nashville, TN 37228

Environmental Management and Training, LLC.

Normand Wei

7284 Vista Bonita Drive

Las Vegas, NV 89129

City of Fort Lauderdale

Jeff Halsey

218 SW 1st Avenue

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

State of Illinois

Jorge Patino, Storm Water Engineer

1021 North Grand Avenue East

P.O. Box 19276

Springfield, IL 62702

United States Postal Service

Charles Vidich

6 Griffin Road North

Windsor, CT 06006-7030

The mention of trade names or commercial products

does not constitute endorsement or recommendation

for the use by the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency.