Locus Introduces the First Cloud-based SPCC Software
SAN FRANCISCO, California, June 27, 2011 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in Web-based water, energy, and environmental software, announced today that it has expanded ePortal, its flagship product, to manage compliance, data and information for the EPA Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule. This introduces the industry’s first enterprise level SPCC software deployed in the Cloud.
The SPCC rule is part of the EPA’s Oil Pollution Prevention regulations, which also includes the Facility Response Plan (FRP) rule. On July 17, 2002, the EPA amended the SPCC regulations (67 FR 47042), which became effective on August 16, 2002. The rule requires specific facilities to prepare, amend, and implement SPCC plans along with a series of inspection and training requirements.
The Locus SPCC software application addresses the requirements for oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response procedures to prevent oil discharge to navigable waters and adjoining shorelines. The SPCC module will help owners or operators of regulated facilities to develop and manage the SPCC process, and to track and report spills if and when they occur, along with their root causes. The software is designed to help facilities comply with the SPCC regulations and other regulatory requirements, and is flexible enough to meet the needs of many regulated industries with a focus on oil and gas. The software leverages Locus ePortal’s tracking and reminder tools to ensure operators meet requirements and complete follow-on tasks in accordance with the requirements of 40 CFR 112.6(a)(3).
“With the new EPA reporting deadline for SPCC of November 10, 2011, approaching rapidly, Locus wanted to offer its current and future customers software to help them meet the deadline and manage the complex reporting requirements the regulation entails. The industry needed a web-based solution for SPCC compliance, and we have delivered one that will ensure that companies can comply with ample time to meet the deadline,” said Dr. Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus.
Locus designed the SPCC module specifically to meet the oil and gas industry’s needs for managing SPCC compliance. Since Locus’ other software products, such as EIM, have been used for more than 10 years at many oil and gas exploration sites and nuclear facilities nationwide, the system upgrade allows rapid deployment; an unmatched level of integration and functionality; and data security, data validation, and scalability.
Key features of the new module include SPCC task tracking; spill root cause analysis; automated follow-on task creation and tracking; and spill reporting using standard or facility-specific formats. Locus’ SPCC module also includes a complete facility inspection checklist to record findings, and ensures that companies can address inspection findings in a timely manner. And because Locus’ SPCC module is based in the Cloud, operators can enter inspection results live during the inspection, streamlining the process for customers with many inspection locations. Once inspection results are entered, customers can review data rollups easily to identify equipment maintenance trends. Plus, all SPCC activities are safely stored in ePortal and archived for long-term compliance documentation. Users can also print or e-mail reports to meet various corporate document retention requirements and georeference spills on Locus’ web-based GIS interface.
