Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001

Oil accounts for around 30% of all water pollution incidents. In 1998, there were 4,940 oil incidents, 60% to 90% of which result from poor storage facilities. These regulations impose controls which will cost the average business around £265 to £487 per tank (2,500 to 5,000 litres). Significantly higher costs are typically associated with an oil pollution incident due to clean up, fines, bad publicity and replacement fuel. Controls are likely to lead to equivalent savings of £11,000 to £30,000 per incident.

What stores do the new regulations apply to?

The requirements apply to the storage of oil of any kind such as diesel, heating oil, hydraulic oil and petrol in any container exceeding 200 litres. Exemptions include:

Waste oil: this will be covered under revisions to the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 - in addition to which, sites should be storing waste oil in a secure, contained and labelled manner in order to comply with the duty of care.
Oil in any road tanker
Oil in any container which is situated inside a building or wholly underground

What requirements apply to oil stores?

Containers : Oil must be stored in a container of sufficient strength and integrity to ensure that it is unlikely to burst or leak in normal circumstances. Containers may include drums, IBCs (intermediate bulk containers) and tanks.

Secondary containment : Containers must be within secondary containment i.e. drip trays or bund walls. In the case of tanks, this must be able to hold at least 110% of the container contents (for tanks and IBCs). For drums, drip trays must be able to hold 25% of the contents.

The secondary containment must be impermeable to water and oil and the base and walls must not be penetrated by any valve, pipe or other opening which is used for draining the system.
Any fill pipe or draw off pipe which penetrates the wall must be adequately sealed to prevent oil escape.
Any valve, filter, sight gauge, vent pipe or other equipment must be within the secondary containment system.

Pipes : Any fill pipe, draw off pipe or overflow pipe must be positioned so as to minimise any risk of damage by impact so far as is reasonably practicable and if above ground it must be properly supported. If the pipe is underground, it must have no mechanical joints (except at a place which is accessible for inspection by removing a hatch or cover); be laid in a duct or sleeve which protects it from physical damage; have adequate facilities for detecting any leaks and be fitted with a leakage detection device.

Fill pipes : automatic overfill prevention device required if the filling operation is controlled from a place where it is not reasonably practicable to observe the tank and vent pipe. A screw fitting or other fixed coupling must be used when the tank is being filled with oil.

Pumps : these must be fitted with a non-return valve in the feed line, positioned so as to minimise any risk of damage by impact and protected from unauthorised use.

Discharge points : Any permanent vent pipe, tap or valve through which oil can be discharged from the tank to the open must be located within the secondary containment system; and arranged so as to discharge vertically downwards within the system.