Reporting Requirements

EPA has established requirements to report spills to navigable waters or adjoining shorelines. Specifically, EPA requires owners or operators of facilities that discharge oil in quantities that may be harmful to public health or welfare or the environment to report the spill to the federal government. EPA has determined that discharges of oil in quantities that may be harmful include those that:

• Violate applicable water quality standards;
• Cause a film or "sheen" upon or discoloration of the surface of the water or adjoining shorelines; or
• Cause a sludge or emulsion to be deposited beneath the surface of the water or upon adjoining shorelines.

The requirement for reporting oil spills stems from EPA's Discharge of Oil regulation, which has come to be known as the "sheen rule." Under this regulation, reporting oil spills to the federal government does not depend on the specific amount of oil spilled, but instead relies on the presence of a visible sheen created by the spilled oil. EPA provides several exemptions from the oil spill reporting requirements, including:

• Spills from Properly Functioning Vessel Engines
• Spills Permited for Research and Development Activities
• Spills Permitted under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
• Spills Permitted Under MARPOL