Irving Oil Company, Alton NH, faces maximum fines of $157,500 for allegedly failing to adequately plan for and guard against oil spills at its bulk storage and distribution facility, according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) information.
On November 28, 2005, the facility had a spill of over 5,000 gallons of No 2 home heating oil, which impacted the groundwater beneath the tank farm. EPA said the company did not have an adequately prepared and implemented Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan in place at its facility as required. EPA found that the company had failed to construct sufficiently impervious secondary containment around its aboveground storage tanks. The facility’s oil storage included six above-ground bulk petroleum storage tanks ranging in size from 10,000 to 20,000 gallons, with an aggregate storage capacity of more than 101,000 gallons.
The facility also stores gasoline on-site and is located within the well radius of the Town of Alton’s drinking water supply. The location means that spills at the bulk plant could lead to contamination of a public drinking water aquifer, EPA said.
Following EPA’s inspection and contacts with the company, Irving Oil has been responsive to EPA’s requests to bring the Alton bulk plant into compliance with the oil pollution prevention regulations, EPA said.