News Releases from Region 09

U.S. EPA requires northern California steel manufacturer USS POSCO Industries to improve oil spill prevention program

Pittsburg, Calif. – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with USS POSCO Industries under the Clean Water Act for violations of federal oil pollution prevention regulations. The metal products manufacturer has corrected the violations and agreed to pay a $31,770 penalty.

“Facilities that store large quantities of oil must take every step to anticipate spills and preempt preventable releases to our waterways,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator John Busterud. “California’s Bay Delta is an important water resource and EPA will continue to ensure spill prevention measures are implemented properly.”

USS POSCO Industries, which manufactures steel in Pittsburg, Calif., violated EPA’s oil pollution prevention regulations by failing to update and recertify its Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan for its Pittsburg facility; failing to perform routine oil tank inspections; failing to have adequate sensors on tanks; and failing to remove accumulations of oil outside tanks and collection trenches.

The goals of the Clean Water Act’s SPCC regulation are to prevent oil from reaching waterways and adjacent shorelines, and to contain and respond to oil spills that do occur. The regulation requires onshore oil storage facilities to develop and implement SPCC plans to ensure procedures and equipment are in place to reduce risk and minimize or prevent water quality impacts.

For more information on SPCC, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/oil-spills-prevention-and-preparedness-regulations

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.

###