U.S. EPA requires petroleum storage facility to protect Guam’s waterways from oil spills

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2018-07-03

On July 2, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached a settlement with Supreme Group Guam LLC (Supreme) to resolve Clean Water Act violations at its fuel terminal at the Guam International Airport in Tamuning, Guam. Supreme will pay a $150,000 penalty as part of the agreement.

“Protecting Guam’s waters from oil pollution is crucial,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. “This enforcement action will help safeguard water resources, fish and other marine life from possible spills."

EPA inspected the facility in April 2017 and found that Supreme lacked a written Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan that was certified by a professional engineer and included procedures to prevent and respond to oil spills.

In addition, EPA found that Supreme was operating without a facility response plan (FRP), which helps staff plan how they would prevent or respond to an oil spill. FRPs also help local and regional response authorities better understand potential hazards and response capabilities in their area.

Background

Supreme’s operations include the bulk storage and distribution of jet and diesel fuels. The facility includes above-ground oil storage tanks with a maximum capacity of 1,260,000 gallons. Oil spills at the facility may flow to Tumon Bay and Agana Bay, which open to the Philippine Sea.

The goal of EPA’s oil pollution prevention regulations is to keep oil spills from polluting the nation’s waterways and nearby environments.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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