United States Department of Agriculture 319-CPS-1

NRCS, NHCP

July 2021

NRCS reviews and periodically updates conservation practice standards. To obtain the current 

version of this standard, contact your Natural Resources Conservation Service State office or 

visit the Field Office Technical Guide online by going to the NRCS website at 

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/ and type FOTG in the search field. 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Natural Resources Conservation Service 

CONSERVATION PRACTICE STANDARD 

ON-FARM SECONDARY CONTAINMENT FACILITY 

CODE 319 

(no)

DEFINITION 

A permanent facility designed to provide secondary containment of oil and oil products used onfarm. 

PURPOSE 

This practice is used to accomplish the following purposes: 

• Reduce the risk of contamination of ground water and surface waters, including downstream

drinking water sources. 

CONDITIONS WHERE PRACTICE APPLIES 

This practice is applicable to onfarm agricultural areas where— 

• An oil and oil product storage facility will be used for agricultural purposes such as dispensing fuel

for farming activities. 

• Spillage of oil and oil products would pose a contamination threat to ground or surface water,

including downstream drinking water sources. 

Onfarm oil or oil products include diesel fuel, gasoline, lube oil, hydraulic oil, adjuvant oil, crop oil,

vegetable oil, or animal fat, as identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Spill

Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulation (40 CFR Part 112, “Oil Pollution

Prevention”). 

This practice does not apply to— 

• The removal of existing oil or oil products storage tanks. 

• Underground storage tanks. 

• Commercial suppliers or multilandowner storage facilities. 

CRITERIA 

General Criteria Applicable to All Purposes 

Laws and regulations 

Plan, design, and construct the secondary containment facility to meet all Federal, State, Tribal, and local

laws and regulations. The owner or operator is responsible for securing all required permits or approvals

and for operating the facility in accordance with such laws and regulations. Notify landowner and/or

contractor of their responsibility to locate all buried utilities in the project area, including drainage tile and

other structural measures. 
EPA SPCC regulation (40 CFR Part 112) provides the criteria for farms that require either a self-certified or

professional engineer prepared and certified SPCC plan. If required by 40 CFR Part 112, an SPCC plan

must be in place to implement this practice. 

General containment 

Use only containment systems constructed, manufactured, or fabricated for the purpose of containing oil,

fuel, or other onfarm oil products. Design dikes, berms, or retaining walls sufficiently impervious to contain

oil until cleanup can occur. 

Prevent runoff water from storms less than or equal to the 25-year, 24-hour storm event from entering the

secondary containment facility. 

Follow State requirements for storage of flammable and combustible liquids or the current edition of the

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 30 or NFPA 30A codes, as appropriate, utilizing whichever is

more restrictive. 

Location 

Locate above the 100-year floodplain elevation. If site restrictions require location within a floodplain,

follow the policy found in the NRCS General Manual (GM) (Title 190), Part 410, Subpart B, Section

410.25, “Flood Plain Management.” 

Locate the secondary containment facility as far as practical from streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands,

sinkholes, and water wells, with a minimum setback distance of 25 feet. Secondary containment facilities

closer than 100 feet to streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands, sinkholes, and water wells need to have an

audible or visual high liquid level alarm to indicate when the tank is nearing capacity or use of other types

of automatic shutoff devices during filling. 

Locate secondary containment facilities a minimum of 25 feet away from traffic flow unless a protective

barrier is provided to prevent damage from vehicles and farm equipment. Acceptable barriers include

reinforced concrete containment walls over 15 inches in height and guard posts installed according to

NFPA 30A, Section 4.3.7, “Physical Protection for All Outside Aboveground Tanks.” 

Sized containment 

Use a double-walled tank, a covered impermeable structural barrier sized to contain 100 percent of the

capacity of the largest storage tank, or an uncovered containment sized to hold 100-percent capacity of

the largest container plus the volume of the 25-year, 24-hour rainfall event. 

Structural design 

Design the secondary containment facility using sound engineering principles in accordance with the

requirements in NRCS National Engineering Manual (NEM) (Title 210), Part 536, “Structural Engineering.”

Address all factors that will influence the performance of the structure, including expected loading, storage

tank sizes, material properties, and construction quality. Base the structural design of the containment

facility, including earthen dikes and roofed structures (if applicable) on the criteria contained in NRCS

Conservation Practice Standard (CPS) Pond (Code 378) and Roofs and Covers (Code 367). 

When the secondary containment facility is within 100 feet of streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands, sinkholes,

or water wells, use a double-walled tank or an impoundment that includes an impervious liner such as a

geomembrane meeting the requirements contained in NRCS CPS Pond Sealing or Lining -

Geomembrane or Geosynthetic Clay Liner (Code 521) or a reinforced concrete hydraulic or environmental

structure according to 210-NEM-536. 

Safety 

Provide the storage facility with appropriately marked signs. Ensure that all fill ports are painted with the

appropriate paint code according to American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 1637. Provide a

spill control kit that is adequate for the type and amount of products being stored and dispensed. Locate

spill kit within 100 feet of the facility. 

-CPS-2

NRCS, NHCP

319

July 2021
Provide adequate ventilation in roofed structures to prevent the buildup of excess fumes. 

CONSIDERATIONS 

Consider providing security measures to limit unauthorized access to the storage tanks and secondary

containment structures such as security lighting, fencing, and locks on fill ports and fuel dispensers. These

types of security measures will be required in some locations. 

Consider roofing, siding, or otherwise covering a secondary containment facility to prevent rain, snow, and

debris from accumulating in the outside barrier of the containment. 

Consider installing a level gauge for tanks. Pipe connections to the tanks should be at the top of the tanks

to prevent a spill from a leaky connection. Locate piping and controls to all valves aboveground and within

the secondary containment structure. 

Consider elevating horizontal tanks to facilitate inspection for leaks. 

Consider that small amounts of oil or oil products can be removed from accumulated rainwater by pouring

the water through an oil absorbing pad. Larger amounts of oil or oil products should be allowed to

separate from the water and then removed to the extent possible. Any small amounts of oil remaining after

separation and removal can be removed as above using an oil absorbing pad. 

Consider installing automatic shutoff nozzles on electrically operated dispensers. 

PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS 

Prepare plans and specifications for the onfarm secondary containment facility that describe the

requirements for applying the practice to achieve its intended purpose. 

As a minimum, provide the following in the plans and specifications: 

• Plan view of system layout 

• The distance and direction to the nearest stream, pond, lake, wetland, sinkhole, or well likely to be

impacted by spillage of oil and oil products 

• Structural and material details of all components including drawings and specifications with

requirements for foundation preparation and treatment 

• Locations, sizes, and type of tanks, pipelines, and appurtenances 

• Safety features, fencing, and signage 

• Location of utilities and notification requirements 

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE 

Prepare an operation and maintenance plan that is specific to the components used on the site. Provide

instructions for operating and maintaining components to ensure proper function. 

For all tanks protected by the secondary containment facility, maintain a list of the storage tank capacities

and the products the tanks contain. 

Inspect storage tanks regularly according to the schedule outlined in the facility SPCC plan. As a

minimum, tanks should be inspected monthly and repairs conducted promptly for— 

• Leaks, 

• Rust or corrosion, 

• Accumulation of trash or weeds, 

• Proper labeling and signage, 

• Condition of ventilation systems, valves, fittings, and hoses, and 

-CPS-3

NRCS, NHCP

319

July 2021
• Collected precipitation in any uncovered containment. 

Remove accumulated rainwater from the secondary containment facility at least monthly. Provide

instructions for testing all accumulated rainwater for contamination before removal from the containment

structure. Typical contamination testing may involve onsite analysis of rainwater including a visual

observation to determine a discoloration or sheen on the water surface or the presence of an odor of oil or

oil products in the water. Separate waste oil or oil products if practical. Dispose of waste oil or oil products

according to local regulations. 

Perform maintenance as needed. Keep records of inspection and repair. 

REFERENCES 

American Petroleum Institute. 2020. API Recommended Practice 1637, Using the API Color-Symbol

System to Identify Equipment, Vehicles, and Transfer Points for Petroleum Fuels and Related Products at

Dispensing and Storage Facilities and Distribution Terminals, Fourth Edition, April 2020. Washington, D.C. 

National Fire Protection Association. 2018. NFPA 30, Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code. Quincy,

MA. 

National Fire Protection Association. 2008. NFPA 30A, Code for Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities and

Repair Garages. Quincy, MA. 

National Fire Protection Association. 2018. NFPA 30 and NFPA 30A: Flammable and Combustible Liquids

Code Handbook. Quincy, MA. 

Underwriters Laboratories. 2019. UL 142, Standard for Steel Aboveground Tanks for Flammable and

Combustible Liquids. Washington, D.C. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2021. “Oil Spills Prevention and Preparedness Regulations.”

Accessed June 11, 2021. https://www.epa.gov/oil-spills-prevention-and-preparedness-regulations

-CPS-4

NRCS, NHCP

319

July 2021