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IBC Recycle USA
Blog · December 15, 2023 · 6 min read

Secondary Containment for IBCs: A Practical Primer

Secondary containment for IBCs sits at the intersection of EPA, OSHA, and state environmental rules — and the requirements vary by chemistry, jurisdiction, and storage duration. Here is the practical framework that gets most operations compliant without overspending.

RegulationsPost #22 of 34

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When containment is required

For any storage of regulated hazardous materials under EPA RCRA, secondary containment capable of holding 110% of the largest container's volume (or 10% of total aggregate, whichever is greater) is required for the storage area.

For petroleum oils under EPA SPCC rules, the same 110% rule applies if you are over the 1,320-gallon aggregate threshold.

What counts as compliant containment

  • Engineered concrete sumps and trench drains for permanent installations.
  • Polyethylene spill pallets sized for one or four totes.
  • Bermed concrete with a sealed surface coating.
  • Indoor floor drains plumbed to a holding tank (with strict caveats around blow-out detection).

The cheapest path for small operations

A four-tote polyethylene containment pallet costs roughly $900 and meets 110% containment for four 275-gallon totes. For most small-to-mid operations this is the right call. Larger operations should run a proper engineered system.

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