Oil Transfer Requirements for Class 1 Facilities

Oil transfer requirements refer to the procedures and equipment standards necessary for safe oil transfers.

Requirements include:

	Pre-booming	Oil transfer equipment	Oil transfer operations
	Equivalent compliance	Safe vessel access	Emergency shutdown
	Alternative measures	Communications	Pre-transfer conference
	Advance notice of transfer	Preload or cargo transfer plan	Adverse weather and sea conditions during transfer
	New! Safe and Effective Threshold Values

Note: Oil Transfer Rules Compliance Schedule

Alternative Measures Requirements
Q: What are Alternative Measures?
A: For Rate A transfers: Alternatives Measures are actions which a class 1 facility must take when it is not safe and effective to pre-boom. For Rate B transfers, they are actions to be taken when the facility elects not to pre-boom. The alternative measures to be taken for a Rate A transfer differ from those for a Rate B transfer.

Q: When must Alternative Measures be in place at oil transfer locations?
A: Unless pre-boomed, or operating under an approved “Equivalent Compliance Plan,” Class 1 facilities conducting Rate A or Rate B transfers must have alternative measures in place by February 25, 2007.

Rate A Requirements
Q: What specifically is required to implement the alternative measures during a Rate A transfer?
A: For rate A transfers, a delivering class 1 facility must: Complete and submit Ecology’s Boom Reporting form via email or FAX. This form is available at the following web site: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html Have access to boom four times the length of the largest vessel involved in the transfer or 2000 feet, whichever is less. Have personnel trained in the proper use and maintenance of boom and recovery equipment. Have enough recovery equipment readily available on-site for a seven-barrel spill (i.e. containers, shovels, absorbent materials, storage capacity, etc.). Have the ability to safely track the spill in low visibility conditions. The tracking system must able to be on-scene within thirty minutes of being made aware of a spill. Within one hour of notification of a spill, be able to completely surround the vessel(s) and dock area with containment boom. Within two hours of notification of a spill, have additional boom four times the length of the largest vessel involved in the transfer or 2000 feet ,whichever is less, available for containment, protection and recovery. Within two hours of notification of a spill, have an operable skimming system available on site with fifty barrels recovery and one hundred barrels of storage capacity.
Rate B Requirements
Q: What specifically is required to implement the alternative measures during a Rate B transfer?
A: For Rate B transfers, a delivering class 1 facility must: Have access to boom long enough to surround the vessel(s) and dock area involved in the transfer, providing for maximum containment. Have personnel trained in the proper use and maintenance of boom and recovery equipment. Have recovery equipment available on site for a two-barrel spill (i.e. containers, shovels, absorbent materials, storage capacity, etc.). Within one hour of notification of a spill, be able to deploy 500 feet of boom for containment, protection and recovery. Within two hours of notification of a spill, have an additional 500 feet of boom available on scene for containment, protection and recovery. For additional alternative measures requirements see WAC 173-180-221 and 222.
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Equivalent Compliance Measures
Q: Can a Class 1 facility propose innovative or special measures to be taken in place of the “alternative measures” required?
A: Yes. An “Equivalent Compliance Plan” may be submitted 120 prior to planned use of the proposed equivalent measures. The plan must be reviewed and approved by Ecology before it can be used as a substitute for the alternative measures. To be approved, the Equivalent Compliance Plan should be site-specific and must provide protection that is equivalent or better than the alternative measures.

Q: Can an approved Equivalent Compliance Plan substitute for the pre-booming requirements in the oil transfer rule?
A: No. Rate A transfers at a Class 1 facility must be pre-boomed if it is safe and effective to do so. An approved Equivalent Compliance Plan does not relieve the facility from the rule requirement to pre-boom but can substitute for the appropriate Rate A or Rate B alternative measures.
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