Review of EPA Oil Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Program

The Weld County, Larimer County, and Adams/St. Vrain Farmers Unions will join with Agland Cooperative, Colorado Corn Growers, and Colorado Wheat Growers for a Weld County Spring Fling which will feature an appearance by Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture John Salazar and a public information meeting to let farmers and ranchers know their obligations under the Oil Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) program.

The meeting will be March 29, 2011, in Conference Room A at the Island Grove Recreation Park’s Event Center, in Greeley. The Commissioner will address attendees at 10 a.m. The SPCC program is scheduled for 10:30 to noon.

Speakers will include Melissa Payan, Region 8 EPA Oil Program Coordinator, and Jim Peterson, Region 8 EPA Oil/SPCC Inspector. They will outline the steps farmers and ranchers will need to take to comply with the program. Mark Reinert, from Agland Cooperative, will moderate.

The meeting is open to the public. Operators and owners of farms and ranches who store more than 1,320 U.S. gallons of diesel fuel, gasoline, lube oil, hydraulic oil, or other oils or oil products are urged to attend. For operations that already have a SPCC plan in place, the meeting will provide information necessary to update and maintain existing plans.