Facility Response Plan (FRP)

Facility Response Plan (FRP) The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has certain rules regarding oil spill cleanup. EPA had published the rules of the Facility Response Plan (FRP) on July 1, 1994. It listed persons who should prepare and submit the FRP and the points that must be included in the plan. Several revisions to the FRP rule were made including the requirements for animal fats and vegetable oils, which was finalized in 2000.

According to the Clean Water Act amended by the Oil Pollution Act, the EPA requires facilities that store and use oil to prepare and submit the Facility Response Plans. Facilities that may cause substantial harm should respond to the Facility Response Plans. All facility owners are also required to maintain a certification form for future EPA inspections.

The Regional EPA Administrator visits facilities to checkout factors like age of tanks, total oil storage capacity, lack of secondary containment, proximity to navigable waters, transfer operations, threat to animals and drinking water, and previous history of oil spills.

EPA expects the FRP to be consistent with the National Contingency Plan and applicable to the Area Contingency Plans. The plans must also identify worst cases of oil discharges to remove them effectively as soon as possible. It helps owners to improve their discharge prevention methods through early identification of risks involved. The facility’s name, location, and owner’s name along with training programs, unannounced drills, and response actions of people on the vessel or facility should be mentioned in the plan. The plan must be also be updated periodically for future references.

In case of oil spills, it is safer to use green cleaning technologies for oil spill cleanup than use harmful chemicals. Facilities can make use of biodegradable products for oil spill cleanup and oil stain removal from rocks and runways. Oil Gone Easy offers eco-friendly products like Oil Gone Easy S-200, which helps in cleaning oil spills without damaging the environment.