Implementation of the Water Environment (Oil Storage)(Scotland) Regulations 2006.

SEPA welcomes the implementation of the Water Environment (Oil Storage)(Scotland) Regulations 2006 which come into force on 1 April 2006.

Every year in Scotland there are over 250 recorded water pollution incidents caused by oil of which approximately 40 are serious.  These account for around 20% of all Scottish pollution incidents.  These incidents can have a significant polluting impact on the environment and also involve significant cost to remediate with clean up costs ranging from £10,000 for a small incident to around £250,000 for a major incident.

These Regulations set design standards for the storage of oil, both in fixed and in mobile containers, and the timescales within which new and existing containers need to comply with the regulations.  All new tanks installed after 1 April 2006 will have to comply with the Regulations by 1 October 2006, existing tanks at significant risk will have to comply by 1 April 2008 while all existing tanks will have to comply by 1 April 2010.

The Regulations will apply to oil tanks supplying premises such as factories, farms, offices, schools, hospitals, sports centres and blocks of flats where fuel oil is supplied from communal storage facilities.  However oil storage tanks serving single houses will be exempt provided their capacity is less than 2500 litres and they are not deemed to be at significant risk of causing pollution.

The opportunity has been taken to rationalise the regulation of oil storage by repealing the oil storage part of the Silage Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil Regulations 2003 which specifically applied to the agricultural sector and bringing oil storage on all premises within these Regulations.

It is expected that the implementation of these regulations will raise the standard of oil storage in both the commercial and industrial sector and reduce the number of oil pollution incidents.

For further information visit NETREGS or Oil Care Campaign and Legislation