Federal regulations can be complex and difficult to interpret. The presentation is geared toward environmental professionals in the private and public sectors that may be responsible for compliance evaluation, development and implementation of Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans required by 40 CFR Part 112. As this is an advance course attendees and the regulated community stakeholders are assumed to have a general understanding of the SPCC rule and EPA Oil Program. The objective of the presentation is to provide attendees with insight on the rule’s more complicated provisions and assist with approving facility compliance. The presentation is based on the record for the regulations including the rule text, rule preambles, inspector guidance and the inspector checklists. Mark W. Howard, the EPA SPCC National Program Manager will provide insight on some of the more common regulatory misconceptions related to the SPCC rule. The presentation will be provided in the form of a “Top Ten List” but Mark W. Howard (the EPA SPCC SME) will present not Mr. Letterman and there may be more than ten entries on the list (yes bonus material). The presentation will include time for Q&A to address other misconceptions identified by the participants. Please attend but more importantly come ready to participate in this opportunity to exchange information with the goal of improving our ability to prevention oil discharges and their potentially damaging impacts to human health and the environment.
Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 10:00 - 10:45
Presenter
Mark Howard, EPA SPCC National Program Manager
Mark Howard is an Environmental Scientist with the Headquarters Office of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Regulation Implementation Division (RID) in Washington D.C. He is the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) National Technical Subject Matter Expert (SME). He also serves as the SPCC Team Leader, national project manager for the Inspector’s Training Program, the Oil Program representative/instructor for the OSC academy, and the lead for the Oil Program Technical Workgroup. He also was the lead technical member of the SPCC rulemaking workgroup and is one of the authors of the SPCC rule (40 CFR part 112).
Mr. Howard served as the OEM lead for reviewing the Keystone Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Agency Hydraulic Fracturing Study. Mr. Howard was consulted by the National Academy of Sciences on their diluted bitumen paper. Mr. Howard is an active voting member of the STI SP001 committee. Mark also is the EPA executive Committee representative for the International Oil Spill Conference. EPA has awarded Mr. Howard with a 2018 National Notable Achievement Award for inspector training, a silver medal and several bronze medals.
Prior to his Federal service he worked ten years as a State oil/Haz-Mat responder and AST inspector with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality. Mr. Howard holds a Master of Science Degree in Biology (Specializing in Environmental Science and Policy) from George Mason University. He holds Virginia Emergency Services certifications as a Hazardous Materials Specialist and Incident Manager. He is most proud of his relationship with his wife Christine and daughter Hope.
