Pollution Prevention

Is there a legal requirement to bund oil tanks?

Currently there is no specific legal requirement in Northern Ireland to bund domestic, agricultural, commercial or industrial oil storage tanks. It is, however, sound practice as spilling oil is a legal offence, which may on conviction lead to a fine of up to £20,000 and/ or three months in jail. Also the bill for cleaning up oil spills can be very high; small spills have cost up to £100,000, and for large ones the sky is the limit. An environmental insurer may insist on proper containment before issuing a policy. Legislation on agricultural oil storage in Northern Ireland is expected soon.