The Water Environment (Oil Storage) (Scotland) Regulations 2006

Type of Oils
The regulations apply to any kind of oil including petrol, diesel, mineral oil, heating oil, lubricating oil, waste oil, vegetable and plant oil.

Who do the regulations effect?

The regulations apply to any kind of container which is being used and which is stored on premises above ground, whether inside or outside a building. These include fixed tanks, intermediate bulk containers, drums (oil drums or similar containers used for storing oil) or mobile bowsers.

The storage of oil on the following premises is included in the regulations:

• industrial businesses: small manufacturing premises such as food processing, textiles, paper and publishing, engineering, bricks and ceramics, metals,
chemicals;

• commercial businesses: such as shops, offices, theatres, hotels, restaurants, pubs, building and construction sites, motor garages, transport depots,
bus stations;

• institutions (residential and non-residential): in the public and private sector, charities and voluntary groups. These include schools, hospitals, churches,
prisons, libraries, public sector buildings, nursing homes, and occupiers of multi-residential dwellings whether, privately or publicly owned, blocks of
flats or other dwellings where oil is supplied from communal storage facilities;

• farms: includes any oil used on the farm but does not include oil intended for use exclusively as a fuel for heating a farm house or other residential premises on a farm, which is stored separately from other oil and has a capacity of less than 2500 litres

Exemptions

The following exemptions to the main requirements of the regulations will apply:

Premises used for the onward distribution of oil to other places i.e. oil distribution depots. This includes sites where operations such as blending and filling are
carried out but does not include fuel installations for transport companies.

When do the regulations come into effect?

New tanks (i.e. facilities commenced after 1 April 2006) will have to comply within 6 months [by 1 October 2006].

Key requirements of the Regulations

Where the container has a storage capacity of 200 litres or more the regulations require provision of secondary containment (a 'bund' or 'drip-tray') to ensure
that any leaking or spilt oil cannot enter the water environment.

• A secondary containment system (bund or drip tray) must be provided to catch any oil leaking from the container or its ancillary pipework and
equipment.

• The container must be situated within a secondary containment system (e.g. bund, drip tray) of sufficient capacity to contain at least 110% of the
maximum contents of the container. Where more than one container is stored, the bund should be capable of storing at least 110% of the largest tank or
25% of the total storage capacity, whichever is the greater (in the case of drums the tray/bund size should be at least 25 % of total storage capacity).

• Oil stored in mobile bowsers also require to be bunded.

• The bund base and walls must be impermeable to water and oil and checked regularly for leaks.

Oil storage containers within buildings

Storage of oil which falls within the regulations and is stored within a building must meet the requirements of the regulations. Whilst SEPA would prefer use of
'traditional' tank secondary containment system, the 110% secondary containment requirements of the regulations may be met within the building itself (e.g. 110% secondary containment may be provided within the building by forming a 'lip' on doorways and calculating the floor area capacity). All other requirements of the regulations must still be met (e.g. additional requirements of the secondary containment system relating to impermeability, no drains etc).