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Bureau of Remediation & Waste Management
Hazardous and Oil Spill System Online Report Service

Spill Code Sheet

This document provides greater elaboration on the codes and keywords used throughout the application

Spill Type

General classification of the event.

CODE VALUE DESCRIPTION
H Hazardous Material Incident Primary product involved is a hazardous material, regardless of a release to the environment.
I Non-Oil, Non-Hazardous Incident No hazardous material or oil is involved or identified.
O Oil Incident Primary product involved is an oil product, regardless of a release to the environment.

Spill Cause

The primary cause of the incident or investigation.

CODE VALUE DESCRIPTION
Accident (AC) An unintended event which results in some degree of damage. An event that takes place without one's foresight or expectation.
05 Accident - Physical Breakage The discharge was caused by the breakage of an item that if otherwise intact would not have caused a spill.
11 Accident - Transportation The discharge was caused by a conveyance involved in an accident (includes rail, plane, vehicle, vessel, off-road or recreational vehicle, etc.).
14 Accident - Other A discharge caused by an accident other than a conveyance.
15 Accident - Storm Damage A discharge caused by a single weather event (i.e, an "act of nature", lighting, ice storm, blizzard, tornado, etc.).
17 Accident - Human Error A human error that directly caused a discharge or was the major contributing cause of a discharge.
16 Accident - Poor Workmanship Any discharge caused by the failure of a system to contain a regulated product that was not installed according to any applicable national codes or manufacturer's installation requirements.
Corrosion (CR) Rust, to have been eaten away by degrees. Includes corrosion from inside or outside the unit.
01 Corrosion - Tank The discharge was caused by tank corrosion which, upon investigation, originated on either the inside or the outside surface of the tank. Tank systems for large storage or supply.
03 Corrosion - Piping The cause of the discharge was due to a corrosion-induced failure in piping. Corrosion could be internal as well as external.
04 Corrosion - Other All other corrosion induced leaks. Includes vehicle gas tanks.
Deliberate Discharge (DT) The individual or party in custody of the discharged product made a conscious choice to release the product from its containment and allowed it to enter the environment.
10 Discharge - Bilge The pumping or leaking of a vessel's oil containing bilge into waters of the State of Maine such that a sheen or product is observed.
19 Discharge - Vandalism The discharge caused by the deliberate destruction of property.
20 Discharge - Deliberate/Other The deliberate discharge of a product to the environment (i.e., dumping of product into a storm drain or onto the ground, discarded or abandoned leaking drums).
Mechanical Failure (MP) Failure of a conponent that subsequently caused a discharge.
06 Mechanical Failure - Piping/Hose The cause of the discharge was due to a loss of integrity of piping or hose.
21 Process Failure - Other The discharge was due to a process upset, or an "out of balance" or unstable condition in the system.
07 Mechanical Failure - Valve The cause of the dischargel was due to a loss of valve integrity. This could include a cracked valve, body stress, or a non-maintained valve surface which would not allow the valve to function properly.
23 Mechanical Failure - Other The cause of the discharge was due to the failure of any other component not listed (i.e., pump failure). Please specify in the narrative.
22 Mechanical Failure - Gasket/Seal The cause of the discharge was due to the failure of a gasket and/or seal.
08 Mechanical Failure - Loose Fitting The cause of the discharge was due to a normally installed device that was loose or has become loose through vibration and/or lack of maintenance. A loose pipe fitting or hose coupling would be a loose fitting.
Overfill (OF) The spill was caused due to physically, either intentionally or unintentionally, putting more product into a tank, vessel, aircraft or container, than the tank, vessel, aircraft or container is designed to hold.
09 Overfill The discharge was caused due to physically putting more product into a tank, vessel, aircraft or container then the tank, vessel, aircraft or container is designed to hold.
Other (OT) A discharge caused by any means not already listed. Please specify the cause in the narrative.
00 Other - No Cause No cause is attributable to this report. The inference here is that NO DISCHARGE OCCURRED.
30 Other - Known Cause A discharge caused by any means not already listed. Specify this cause in the narrative.
18 Other - Unknown No cause of discharge is known.

Spill Source

The primary source, or containment unit, of the primary product.

CODE VALUE DESCRIPTION
Air Transportation (A)  
AC Air Transportation - Aircraft A machine or device, capable of atmospheric flight.
Water Transportation (D)  
FI Water Transportation - Fishing Vessel Any vessel designed and constructed to be used primarily in the harvest of marine organisms as a commercial venture.
GV Water Transportation - Government Vessel A vessel owned by a federal, state, county or local government used in the performance of official duties. Includes military vessels and government owned research vessels, as well as vessels owned by foreign governments visiting Maine waters.
OT Water Transportation - Other Any other vessel not described.
FR Water Transportation - Freighter Vessel Any vessel designed and constructed to transport dry freight or liquids in non-bulk and intermodal containers.
TW Water Transportation - Tank Vessel Any vessel designed and constructed to transport bulk liquid cargoes. Includes bulk oil ships when in oil service and tank barges.
PA Water Transportation - Passenger Vessel A vessel used to transport paying customers from one place to another and generally for a specific purpose. Examples would be, non-government owned ferries, cruise ships, charter fishing vessels.
PI Water Transportation - Pleasure Vessel A vessel, usually privately owned, used primarily for recreational purposes which are not a commercial venture.
Land Transportation (E)  
PL Land Transportation - Pipeline A line of pipes constructed to convey petroleum products.
TR Land Transportation - Truck A release from the cargo area, engine compartment, or mechanised equipment directly related to a commercially registered truck (i.e., boom/bucket trucks, dump trucks, etc.).
OR Off-Road Recreational Vehicle A motor vehicle that is capable of being driven over unpaved surfaces (i.e. snowmobile, dirt bike, ATV, dune buggy, etc.). This code is not to be used for passenger vehicles or heavy equipment that can be driven over the road.
RR Land Transportation - Railroad A box car, rail tank car, or other rail cars including locomotives.
UT Land Transportation - Fuel Supply Tank (Saddle) A tank and its associated piping designed to hold and supply fuel for a large truck. This code is not to be used for passenger vehicles.
TT Land Transportation - Tank Truck A release from the cargo area of a commercial tank truck used to transport liquid product from one place to another over the road.
PV Land Transportation - Passenger Vehicle A vehicle used to transport a single individual or small group of individuals from one place to another over the road (i.e., car, minivan, pickup truck, etc.).
Other (O)  
CL Clandestine Laboratory An event involving the produciton of illicit compounds (ie. Drugs for human consumption) through the use of various hazardous materials. The site need not qualify as a true laboratory (ie, methanphetamine lab in housing complex)
NS No Source Found By Responder Responder could not identify a source of the release.
NO No Source There is no source. The implication being NO DISCHARGE OCCURRED.
OS Other Source Any other source not mentioned. Please specify in the narrative.
Equipment (Q)  
HQ Equipment - Heavy Equipment Motorized equipment used for construction, road maintenance, or other activities where heavy equipment is used and its primary purpose does not include over-the-road travel (i.e., crane, cherrypicker, street sweeper, compressor, skidder, forklift, etc.).
SM Equipment - Light Motorized small engine machines for commercial or residential application such as, lawn mower, rototiller, small-size generators, weedwacker, well pump, furnace, skimmers, etc. Also small appliances.
IM Equipment - Industrial Machinery Machinery and other complex devices used in the manufacturing process or used in industrial facilities (i.e., paper mill equipment, industrial generator or boiler, etc.).
Storage Unit (T)  
CY Storage Unit - Cylinder A cylindrical container.
TA Storage Unit - Aboveground Storage Tank Any aboveground container, less than 10% of the capacity of which is beneath the surface of the ground and is used or intended to be used for the storage or supply of oil. Included in this definition are any tanks situated upon or above the surface of a floor and in such a manner that they may be readily inspected.
DR Storage Unit - Drum A barrel-like container.
TX Storage Unit - Box or Other General Use A receptacle for holding or carrying solid or liquid material. Portable and pony tanks are included in this category.
TU Storage Unit - Underground Storage Tank Any container, 10% or more of which is beneath the surface of the ground and that is used, or intended to be used, for the storage, use, treatment, collection, capture or supply of oil. This definition does not include any tanks situated in an underground area if these tanks or containers are situated on or above the surface of a floor and in such a manner that they may be readily inspected.
Utility (U)  
ET Utility - Electrical Transformer Used or associated with the generation and distribution of electricity. Includes transformers, voltage regulators, ballasts and capacitors.

Reporter Type

Type of reporter identifying the spill to DEP.

CODE VALUE DESCRIPTION
1 DEP Personnel Response staff observe a situation or it is brought to a responder's attention by another DEP colleague.
2 Subject/Spiller The entity causing the discharge, and/or in custody of the product at the time the discharge occurred. In instances when an investigation is performed, but no discharge occurred, enter the party whom owns the property in question, if known.
3 Citizen Complaint Any citizen who issues a complaint regarding suspected environmental pollution.
4 Public Official Any public official notifying the department of a probable discharge whom is not considered the subject/spiller.
5 Anonymous Any entity wishing to report a believed discharge anonymously.
6 Contractor/Consultant Contacted by a contractor or consultant (ex.: putting in a water/sewer line; conducting phase I & II site assessment for a property transfer; tank removal; performing maintenance on a system, etc.).
7 Other Involved Party Other significant individual or party involved with the incident (i.e. an employee of a facility where an incident occurs, however, the facility is not considered the "subject/spiller").

Detection / Discovery Method

Method by which the spill was detected.

CODE VALUE DESCRIPTION
A UST Tank Anomaly Product/chemical and brine discrepancies in an underground storage/supply tank. Includes gained water, SIA or other tank system anomalies (i.e., no heat calls, system alarms, etc.). Also includes "visual" system anomalies.
C Monitoring Well Product/chemical detected in water or other aqueous solution.
D Tank and/or Piping Testing Required or routine tank and/or piping testing.
G Water Analysis/Complaint Product/chemical discovered in a water analysis. Includes odors detected from water.
H Odor/Vapor/Mist Product/chemical detected by airborne means (ex.: smelling, instruments, etc.).
I Other Any other method not described. Please specify in the narrative.
J Tank and/or Piping Removal Contamination found during a tank and/or piping removal.
L Visual Product An entity actually observes the discharged product/chemical (i.e., "staining" on the ground or other surface, puddling of product, sheen, etc.).
N AST Tank Anomaly Product/chemical discrepancies of an aboveground storage/supply tank (i.e., no heat calls, system alarms, etc.). Also includes "visual" system anomalies.
O Site Assessment Contamination found during a site assessment. (ex.: assessment for tank removal, property transfer or development, etc.)

Location Type

Type of location that spill report is about.

CODE VALUE DESCRIPTION
Business (A) Any venture engaged in the production of a product or service for the purpose of deriving income.
CM Business - Commercial Business in the service sector including retail stores which sell a product or service to the public. This category includes construction companies and hospitals.
FM Business - Farm Agriculture / Logging / Aquaculture - Agri-business includes farming activities and the growing of crops (i.e., potatoes, blueberries, dairy, etc.). Logging includes forestry related activities such as wood harvesting. Aquaculture includes activities related to fish and seafood "farming".
OB Business - Other Inclusive of all businesses not specified.
ID Business - Industrial Business which produces a product at a manufacturing facility such as a paper mill, shoe factory, eletronics assembly, large scale baking, etc.
Residential (B) Any structure being used for the primary purpose of housing families or individuals, including government, private, or religious owned housing.
MF Residential - Multi Family Building, such as an apartment or duplex, which is designed as the residence for 2 or more families.
SF Residential - Single Family Building at which a single family resides. Mobile homes located in mobile home parks are considered Residential - Single Family.
OR Residential - Other Multi-unit, single occupancy buildings, such as live-in health care facilities and nursing homes, and all other residential arrangements not specified.
Terminal (C) A fixed facility to which oil or product is delivered and subsequently redistributed on either a wholesale or retail basis.
AT Terminal - Air Airports. Includes all privately and government owned and operated facilities.
BP Terminal - Bulk Plant An intermediate storage facility at which products are stored in either above or undergound storage tanks for subsequent redistribution on a wholesale basis.
LI Terminal - Licensed A bulk oil storage and distribution facility having a storage capacity in excess of 500 barrels (21,000 gallons) in either above or underground storage tanks which is engaged in the transfer of oil to or from vessels plying the waters of the state. Facility must be licensed in accordance with Chapter 600.
SS Terminal - Service Station A marketing and distribution facility at which products, usually motor fuels, are stored in either above or underground storage tanks and sold on a retail basis.
OTT Terminal - Other All other storage and distribution facilities including fleet fueling facilities, commercial marine fueling facilities, and railroad fueling facilities. Please specify in the narrative.
MA Terminal - Marina A marketing and distribution facility at which products, usually motor fuels, are stored in either above or underground storage tanks and are sold on a retail basis to water craft.
Transportation System (E) Events directly attributable to products under conveyance. This category captures incidents where the source of the problem is a vehicle loaded with the product reportedly spilled.
AR Transportation - Air Aircraft crashes or discharges from aircraft while in flight.
RD Transportation - Road Discharges from vehicles being driven over-the-road.
OTP Transportation - Other Off-Road Discharges from off-road/recreational vehicles. This code is not to be used for passenger vehicles or heavy equipment.
RR Transportation - Rail Discharges from trains (i.e., box car, rail tank car, or other rail cars, including locomotives).
PL Transportation - Pipeline Discharges from pipelines used to convey petroleum products.
MR Transportation - Marine A discharge from a vessel, or equipment directly related to the vessel, being navigated in any state waters.
Other (F) Any other incident location, not described by one of the other known locations in this table. Other includes religious facilities.
OTM Other - Mystery Discharge of petroleum or chemical products from an unknown source with an unknown responsible party (i.e., sheen on water).
OTN Other - Specified in Report Any other location not described (i.e such as abandoned drums on the roadside). Please specify in the narrative.
OTR Other - Religious Religious institutions, excluding religious schools and residences.
Government (H) An incident at a government facility (local, county, state, tribal or federal), excluding schools and government owned and/or operated air terminals and residences.
FD Government - Federal Federal used facility.
OTG Government - Other Government unspecified.
ML Government - Military Military used facility.
ST Government - State of Maine State of Maine facility.
LC Government - Local minor civil division, county, or municipal (i.e., jails, municipal garages, fire, & public safety buildings).
Utility (I) An incident at any public or privately owned utility.
TC Utility - Telecommunications Telephone or cable facilities.
OTU Utility - Other Includes any utility not listed. Natural gas, waste water treatment plants, and public water supplies, as defined by Health Engineering.
PW Utility - Power Includes electric utility companies, such as Central Maine Power Co.
School (S) Any facility whose primary purpose is learning.
IS School - Private An independent educational institution. Schools of religion are included.
PS School - Public An educational institution for the general public.

Medium Effected

What type of medium was affected by the event.

CODE VALUE DESCRIPTION
A Atmosphere Gaseous mass surrounding the earth (i.e., air).
C Coastal Water All waters of the State within the rise and fall of the tide and to a distance of 12 miles from the coastline of the state, but does not include areas above any fishway or dam when the fishway or dam is the dividing line between tidewater and fresh water.
G Groundwater Water beneath the earth's surface between saturated soil and rock that supplies wells and springs.
I Inland Surface Water All waters within the state that is not coastal waters or groundwater. Sewers are considered inland surface water.
L Land Any surface that is not water or air, regardless of whether it's inside or outside a structure (i.e., soil, tar, concrete, basement floor, dikes, pads, etc.).
N None NO SPILL HAS OCCURED.
S Interior Surface A surface located within an enclosed manmade structure where the spilled product may or may not also contact land or water (i.e., flooring, interior walls, vehicle interior, etc.).
E Engineered Containment A structure, either surrounding or in the immediate vicinity of a storage tank or container, designed to prevent spilled product from impacting land or water. The structure may be indoor or outdoor.

Tank Type Involved

Type of tank system involved.

CODE VALUE DESCRIPTION
A Above Ground Tank(s) Involved  
D Unknown/Unspecified It is unknown, if a tank is involved. Unspecified is used for old reports where this information may not be available.
U Underground Tank(s) Involved  
N None No tank(s) involved.

Product Codes By Catagory and Spill Type

Type of product involved.

CODE VALUE DESCRIPTION
Fuel Oil (FO ) for Spill Type (O) Oil products that burn with an open flame and whose primary use is to produce heat or light.
01 #1 Fuel Oil - Kerosene  
02 #2 Fuel Oil  
03 #3 Fuel Oil  
04 #4 Fuel Oil  
05 #5 Fuel Oil  
06 #6 Fuel Oil  
07 Unspecified Fuel Oil  
Motor Fuel (MF ) for Spill Type (O) Oil products that are designed to explode under controlled circumstances and produce mechanical motion.
24 Aviation Gasoline Fuel for piston powered aircraft.
29 Diesel  
20 Gasoline Unspecified  
25 Jet Fuel Fuel for turbine powered aircraft.
22 Leaded Gasoline  
28 Premium Unleaded  
21 Regular Gasoline  
23 Unleaded Gasoline  
19 Unleaded Plus  
30 Unspecified Motor Fuel  
32 E-10 0-25% ethanol; remainder gasoline
33 E-85 26-90% ethanol; remainder gasoline
33 E-100 91-100% ethanol; remainder gasoline
43 Bio 1-74 1% to 74% Biodiesel
44 Bio 75-99 75% to 99% Biodiesel
Oils Other (OO ) for Spill Type (O) Any other type oil.
41 Asphalt  
61 Crude Oil  
86 Hydraulic Oil  
10 Lube Oil  
88 Oil - Other - Specified in Report Any other type of oil not listed above. Please specify oil type in Products Found table - Additional Description field.
87 Transformer Oil Non PCB - less than 50 ppm.
84 Transmission Oil  
80 Unspecified Oil  
81 Waste Oil/Used Motor Oil  
All Others (AO ) for Spill Type (I) Unknowns or no product involved.
00 None  
12 Unknown Substance  
Non-Hazardous - Non-Oil (NO ) for Spill Type (I) Non-hazardous - Non-Oil substances.
52 Algae Blooms/Plant Pollen Sheens  
50 Animal Fats/Remains  
53 Demolition Debris  
56 Glycerol Biodiesel biproduct
51 Marsh Sheen Organic scale sheen.
55 Non-Chemical Non-Oil Specified in report  
54 Non-Chemical Non-Oil Unspecified  
85 Water Storage  
Hazardous Material (HC ) for Spill Type (H) Materials covered under CERCLA, RCRA hazardous waste, DOT hazardous materials or meeting class specifications of above materials excluding oils. Biohazards are included.
76 Ammonia  
74 Chlorine  
73 Corrosive  
79 Hazardous Chemical - Specified in report Any other type not listed. Please specify type in Products Found table - Additional Description field. (Naturally occurring Arsenic and Radon detected in water/atmosphere care considered a hazardous chemical.)
75 Hazardous Chemical - Unspecified  
77 Hydrochloric Acid  
90 Liquors White, green, etc.. Please specify type in Products Found table - Additional Description field.
78 Medical Waste  
99 Mercury  
71 PCB Oil Greater than 50 ppm.
70 Pesticide General  
100 Sodium Hydroxide  
72 Sulfuric Acid  
69 Waste Oil (as Haz Chem)  
Non-Hazardous Material (NC ) for Spill Type (H) Chemicals which, although may pose a health hazard, are not classified within HOSS as hazardous.
83 Anti-freeze  
92 Non-Hazardous Chemical - Specified in report  
91 Non-Hazardous Chemical - Unspecified  

Recovered Material Type Code

Material types recovered.

CODE VALUE DESCRIPTION
CS Contaminated Soil Soil removed from site which is contaminated by product(s) spilled.
MM Mixed Liquid Media Water, in any of its forms (i.e., snow), and other mixed liquid product(s) recovered from the site.
VP Unspilled Product Product found on site still in its original state and primary containment structure (unspilled) that is recovered and removed from the site.
SP Spilled Product The amount of liquid or solid product released from its primary containment structure that is recovered in its original state during cleanup (i.e., product recovered through the use of skimmers, vacuum trucks, and sometimes pumps).
OM Other Material Other contaminated material recovered from the site, such as sorbents, boom, debris, etc.
NO None Product(s) spilled, however, none was recoverable.

Recovery / Treatment Method

Methods / Treatment used to recover the spilled product.

CODE VALUE DESCRIPTION
A Vacuum Trucks Any vehicle designed and used for recovery of substances by use of negative pressure -- typically liquid product. Contaminated soil recovered through this method should be coded as "excavation".
B Pumps Hand or mechanically operated device for transfering liquids or sludge.
C Sorbents Any material designed for use as a recovery media by either absorption or adsorption (i.e., sorbent pads, boom, sand, kitty litter, etc.).
D Skimmers Device used for recovery of a thin layer of product from water. Can be hand-held, boat mounted, or free floating.
G Excavation Physical removal of effected spill area by mechanical means, including hand-held equipment methods -- typically the removal of soil and other contaminated solids.
H Burning Purposeful thermal degradation of spilled product.
I Treatment in Place Any remediation accomplished without removal of effected material from its original location.
J Other Any cleanup method not defined, however, please specify method in narrative.
K None No revovery or treatment method applied.
L Licensed Treatment Facility Any facility formally licensed for treatment. Can be a neutralization unit, waste water treatment plant or other licensed facility -- typically this code is utilized for hazardous chemical incidents.
F Filter Installation of a device that removes contaminants from water or air.
R Remove Product removed from the location found still in its original container which may or may not have also spilled.

 

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