EPA has amended the dates by which facilities and farms must prepare or amend their Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans, and implement such plans, to November 10, 2010. The compliance date extension will provide owners and operators of regulated facilities an opportunity to fully understand the regulatory amendments made to the SPCC rule since July 2002.

Under the compliance date extension final rule, owners and operators of facilities that were in operation on or before August 16, 2002 must maintain their SPCC Plans, make any necessary amendments to the Plans, and fully implement the Plans by November 10, 2010. An owner or operator of a facility that came into operation after August 16, 2002 but before November 10, 2010 must prepare and implement an SPCC Plan on or before November 10, 2010. Owners and operators of onshore or offshore facilities that become operational after November 10, 2010, and could reasonably be expected to have a discharge to waters of the United States, must prepare and implement a Plan before beginning operations.