Most fuel spills are small, preventable and caused by rushed fueling. A few habits and a stocked spill kit keep a small mess from becoming a reportable release.
On job sites, fuel releases usually come from overfilled tanks, loose or damaged hoses, fueling from cans on uneven ground, leaking equipment, and tanks left without containment. Weather and darkness add to the odds, and so does a crew that is hurrying to start the day.
Because sites often sit near drainage paths, ditches or open ground, even a modest spill can travel farther than people expect. Prevention is cheaper and faster than cleanup.
Equipment leaks deserve the same attention as fueling spills. A slow drip under a parked machine adds up overnight and goes unnoticed until the ground is stained, so look under machines at the start of each shift.
Hot weather matters too. Fuel expands as it warms, so a tank filled to the brim in the morning can vent or overflow by afternoon.
Make these part of every fueling, whether the fuel comes from a supplier's truck or a site tank.
Poor lighting makes overfills more likely because the person fueling cannot see the fill neck clearly, so use portable lighting at fueling points after dark.
Keep a spill kit where fueling happens, not locked in a distant trailer. A basic kit holds absorbent pads or granules, a containment boom, disposal bags and gloves. Make sure that everyone who fuels knows where it is.
Temporary tanks on a site should sit in secondary containment sized for their capacity. Federal rules for larger fuel storage set containment expectations, and the capacity thresholds are covered in aboveground fuel storage tank rules.
Spill kits need upkeep. Replace used items, check that the kit has not been opened and emptied, and keep it protected from rain.
Place a kit at every fueling location, not only at the main one.
Your priorities are people first, then control of the source, then containment. If there is a fire, an injury, or a significant release, call 911 and get people away. Do not try to handle a fire yourself.
For a spill that is safe to approach, stop the source if you can do so safely, for example by closing a valve or shutting the pump off. Keep ignition sources away. Contain the fuel with absorbent material and booms, and keep it from reaching drains or water. Do not wash fuel into the ground or a drain with water.
Collect used absorbents in sealed containers and dispose of them according to local rules, since contaminated material is generally managed as waste. Notify your supervisor, and write down what happened, how much was released, where, and what you did.
Spills on soil need extra care. Tell your supervisor, because contaminated soil may have to be removed under state and local rules. Do not bury or cover it.
Under the federal Discharge of Oil Regulation, often called the sheen rule, an oil discharge to navigable waters or adjoining shorelines must be reported if it violates applicable water quality standards, causes a sheen or discoloration on the water surface or shoreline, or causes a sludge or emulsion to be deposited beneath the surface or on adjoining shorelines.
Reporting does not depend on the number of gallons spilled. It depends on whether the discharge reaches the point of causing a sheen or one of the other effects. Reports go to the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802. The person in charge of the facility or vessel is responsible for reporting, and anyone who discovers a spill is encouraged to report it.
States and localities often have their own spill reporting rules, which may be stricter or have different triggers. If you are unsure, call the state environmental agency promptly. Better a report that was not needed than a missed one.
If a spill happens during a delivery, tell the delivery operator at once. They have their own procedures and records to follow.
Keep a copy of any report you make and the reference number you are given.
Everyone who fuels should know three things: where the spill kit is, who to call, and how to stop the flow. Cover them during site orientation and repeat them whenever a new crew arrives. A two-minute walk-through at the start of a project costs little.
Keep a log of every spill, including small ones. Patterns in the log show you where the problem is: a worn hose, a poor fueling spot, or a habit that needs correcting. Records also help if a regulator or a property owner asks what happened and what you did.
Fuel transfers are the riskiest moments for spills. When a trained operator handles every fill from a purpose-built truck, the chance of an overfill drops because the operator watches the meter and the nozzle throughout. See job site equipment fueling and the earlier notes on securing site tanks in fuel theft prevention.
Settle the details before the first delivery: where the truck parks, where the spill kit is kept and who meets the driver.
Not every one. Reporting is triggered when a discharge reaches navigable waters or shorelines in a way that causes a sheen or the other listed effects, and state rules may differ. When in doubt, ask the authorities.
The National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
No. Washing fuel into the ground or a drain spreads it. Absorb it, contain it and dispose of the material properly.
Absorbent pads or granules, a containment boom, disposal bags and gloves. Add a drain cover if the site has storm drains nearby.
Tell us what you run and where it sits, and we will come back with a delivery plan.