Summary of Montana's
Used Oil Management Standards

There are eight major categories for the Management of  Used Oil within the State of Montana's Standards.

Click on the links below for more information

See the Overview Chart for an overview of these standards.  For information about using Used Oil as a Dust Suppressant, click here.  In addition, you may view and/or print the following lists of available services in either Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word:

GENERATOR

A Generator is any business which produces used oil through commercial or industrial operations, or collects used oil from these operations or from private households.

People who change their own oil (household do-it-yourselfers), and farmers who generate an average of 25 gallons or less of used oil per month are not covered by these regulations

Used oil generators include:

  • Repair Shops
  • Service Stations
  • Fleet Maintenance Shops
  • Military Motor Pools
  • Bus/Taxi Maintenance Shop
  • Delivery Companies

Generator Requirements Are:

  • Storage containers must be in good condition.
  • Storage containers must be marked with the words “USED OIL”.
  • Clean up any used oil spills or leaks to the environment
  • On-site burning in space heaters is permitted.
  • Must use a transporter with an EPA ID number when shipping used oil except when:
    • Self-transporting less than 55 gallons in personal or company vehicle,
    • Self-transportation to aggregation point owned by generator,
    • Transportation under Tolling (Recycling) Arrangement, but must receive recycled lubricant and/or coolant back.

AGGREGATION POINT

An Aggregation Point is any site or facility that accepts, aggregates, and/or stores used oil collected only from other used oil generation sites owned or operated by the owner or operator of the aggregation point, from which used oil is transported to the aggregation point in shipments of no more that 55 gallons.  Aggregation points may accept used oil from household do-it-yourselfers.

Aggregation Point Requirements Are:

  • Aggregation points must comply with the generator standards.

COLLECTION CENTER

A Collection Center  is any site or facility that accepts/aggregates and stores used oil collected from regulated used oil generators who bring used oil to the collection center in shipments of no more that 55-gallons.  Collection Centers may accept used oil from household do-it-yourselfers.

Collection Center Requirements Are:

  • Must comply with the generator standards.
  • Must be registered/licensed/permitted/recognized by state/county/municipal government to manage used oil.

TRANSPORTERS

Transporters are persons who transport used oil, persons who collect used oil from more than one generator and transport the collected used oil, and owners and operators of used oil transfer facilities.

Requirements:

  • Must not mix used oil with hazardous waste.
  • Must comply with other applicable requirements, i.e. burner, generator, processor.
  • Must comply with DOT requirements 49 CFR 173, 178, & 179.
  • Must obtain an EPA ID number.
  • May consolidate for transportation, but not for processing.
  • May not process other that incidental processing.
  • Any release of used oil to the environment must be contained, reported, and cleaned-up.
  • Must determine, through testing or knowledge, whether the total halogen content of used oil being transported exceeds 1,000 ppm.

MARKETER

A Marketer is any person who directs a shipment of off-specification used oil from their facility to a used oil burner, or who first claims that the used oil that is to be burned for energy recovery meets the used oil fuel specifications in §279.11.

Marketer Requirements Are:

  • Must comply with one of the following used oil standards: Generator, Transporter, Transfer Facility, Processor and Re-refiner, or Off-Specification Used Oil Burner.
  • Must obtain an EPA ID number.
  • Must maintain records of all specification and off-specification used oil fuel deliveries.
  • May initiate a shipment of off-specification used oil only to a used oil burner who:
    • has an EPA ID number, and
    • is an industrial furnace of boiler
  • If claiming on-specification, must keep records, for 3 years of:
    • testing data used to make determination,
    • receiving facility
    • quantity of used oil delivered
    • date of shipment or delivery, and
    • a cross reference to the record of used oil analysis or other information used to make the determination that the oil meets specification.
  • If claiming off-specification, must keep records for 3 years, of:
    • each shipments transporter and their EPA ID number,
    • the burner and their EPA ID number,
    • the quantity shipped, and
    • the date of shipment.

OFF-SPECIFICATION BURNER

An Off-Specification Burner is a facility where used oil not meeting the specification requirements in §279.11 is burned from energy recovery in industrial furnaces/boilers and utility boilers, and in certain space heaters defined in §279.61.

Requirements:

  • Must obtain an EPA ID number.
  • Must comply with other applicable requirements, i.e. burner, generator, processor, marketer.
  • All storage containers must be in good condition.
  • All storage containers must be labeled with the words “USED OIL."
  • All storage containers must be secondarily contained.
  • Must determine, through testing or knowledge, whether the total halogen content of used oil being transported exceeds 1,000 ppm.
  • Must track all used oil transactions, and retain the records for 3 years.
  • Any release of used oil to the environment must be stopped, contained, and cleaned up.

TRANSFER FACILITIES

Transfer facilities are transportation related facilities including loading docks, parking areas, storage areas, and other areas where shipments of used oil are held for more than 24 hours but not longer than 35 days during the normal course of transportation.

Transfer Facilities Requirements Are:

Comply with the Processor requirements if used oil stored for more than 35 days

  • Storage containers must be in good condition.
  • Storage containers must have secondary containment.
  • Any release of used oil to the environment must be stopped, contained, and cleaned up.
  • Must obtain an EPA ID number.
  • Must track all used oil transactions, and retain the records for 3 years.
  • Tank residues:
    • If reclaimed as used oil are not classified as a waste;
    • If a waste, must be characterized and properly disposed.

PROCESSORS/RE-REFINERS

Processors/Refiners means any chemical or physical operation designed to produce: fuel oils, lubricants or other used oil derived products, from used oil.

Processors/Re-Refiners Requirements Are:

  • Must obtain an EPA ID number.
  • Must comply with other applicable requirements, i.e. burner, generator, processor.
  • All storage vessels must meet 40 CFR§264 and §265 requirements.
  • All storage containers must be in good condition.
  • All storage containers must be labeled with the words “USED OIL."
  • All storage containers must be secondarily contained.
  • Must minimize fire, explosion or release potential.
  • Equipment must be maintained and integrity tested.
  • An alarm/communication system must be in place.
  • Aisle space must allow unobstructed movement of personnel and emergency equipment.
  • Interact with local officials.
  • Must have written contingency plan to deal with emergencies.
  • Must determine, through testing or knowledge, whether the total halogen content of used oil being transported exceeds 1,000 ppm.
  • Must track all used oil transactions, and retain the records for 3 years.
  • Any release of used oil to the environment must be stopped, contained, and cleaned up.
  • Closure requirements are equivalent to a hazardous waste transport, storage and disposal facility.