Environmental Compliance

Spill Reporting – Release of Hazardous and Regulated Materials

Hazardous and regulated material spills released into the environment, as defined below, must be reported to a manager or supervisor to initiate reporting and cleanup activities by properly trained responders. Installation heads must maintain and reference any site-specific spill/emergency response/contingency planning documents. Additionally, it is a Postal Service™ requirement to complete the PS Form 8187, Hazardous and Regulated Substance Release Notification, to internally report the release of these materials.

Common reportable materials used at USPS^® sites that may prompt additional reporting requirements to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state, and/or local regulatory agencies, depending on the quantity released into the environment include the following:

 

Oil
Motor oil	Heating oil	Grease (including cafeteria grease)
Gasoline and diesel fuel	Used oil	Gear oil
Kerosene	Hydraulic fluid	Brake and transmission fluid

 

Chemicals
Sulfuric acid	Propylene glycol	Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
Friable asbestos	Lead	Soaps/detergents
Mercury	CFC-12 (R-12 refrigerant)	Floor wax
Mineral spirits	De-icing products (e.g., calcium chloride, sodium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate)	Water treatment chemicals
Ethylene glycol (antifreeze)	Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF)	Windshield washer fluid

In general, spills to the environment must be reported if they reach:

n Stormwater drains/ponds

n Dry wells/catch basins

n Septic system

n Sanitary sewer

n Surface water

n Soil

n Groundwater

n Waterways

As soon as any known release to the environment has occurred, Postal Service employees must immediately contact the site installation head, manager, or supervisor, who must do the following:

n After taking action to protect human health and safety, refer to site-specific spill/emergency response documents and follow the prescribed requirements.

n Immediately report spills to the site’s USPS Environmental Specialist (blue.usps.gov/sustainability/regional-environmental-compliance-all.htm) and Safety Specialist.

n Complete and submit PS Form 8187, Hazardous and Regulated Substance Release Notification (blue.usps.gov/formmgmt/forms/LiveCycle/psform8187_042016_lc.pdf).

n Work with the site’s USPS Environmental Specialist to make the appropriate federal, state, and local environmental agency notifications. The applicable reporting requirements vary depending on location and the type and quantity of the material released.

For more Information, review the Environmental Compliance Bulletin/Standard Work Instruction for Reporting Releases to the Environment at: blue.usps.gov/sustainability/environmental/_pdf/sop-reportingreleases.pdf.

— Environmental Affairs and
Corporate Sustainability, 10-15-26