NATIONALRESPONSE SYSTEM

OPA 90

World spills by size

Oil Spills Involving More Than 10 Million GallonsG

allo

ns

in m

illion

sR

an

k a

cco

rdin

g t

o t

ota

l vo

lum

e s

pill

ed1 1991 Multiple Sources

Kuwait Persian Gulf Saudi Arabia

240.0

2 1979 Well Ixtoc I Gulf of Mexico 140.0

3 1983 Well Platform #3 Persian Gulf 80.0

4 1992 Well Uzbekistan 80.0

5 1983 Tanker Castillo de Bellver

South Africa Atlantic Ocean

78.5

6 1978 Tanker Amoco Cadiz

France Atlantic Ocean

68.7

7 1988 Tanker Odyssey North Atlantic Ocean 43.1

8 1979 Tanker Atlantic Empress

Trinidad & Tobago Caribbean

42.7

9 1980 Production well D-103 concession well

800 km South of Tripoli Libya

42.0

10 1979 Tanker Atlantic Empress

450 km east of Barbados

41.5

53 1989 Tanker Exxon Valdez

Prince William Sound Alaska

10.8

RESPONSIBILITYAND

AUTHORITY

Impact of OPA-90

• FOSC role amplified & clarified

Must direct all but minor spills

FOSC final authority until final cleanup

• Safety given highest priority

OSHA rules apply

• States given participatory authority

States final authority for cleanup

IMPACT OF OPA 90 (Cont’d)

• Unified Command encouragedFOSC, SOSC, RPIC = CommandIncident Command System required

• Added financial guaranteesCOFRNational Pollution FundState funds

• Increased liability scopePrimary, secondary, & tertiary damages

National Response System

• National Response Team (NRT)

• Regional Response Team (RRT)

• Area Committee

• Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC)

• State On-Scene Coordinator (SOSC)

• Responsible Party (RP)

Nat

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DISCHARGE OR RELEASE INCIDENT

LOCAL RESPONDERS

RESPONSE SUPPORTSPECIAL TEAMSAREA COMMITTEE

NOTIFICATION

NATIONAL RESPONSE

CENTER

MEMBERSHIP

POLICY GUIDANCE

NOTIFICATION

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MEMBERSHIP

STATE GOVERNMENT

RRT

FO

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*FEMA

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MEMBERSHIP

* CHAIRED BY AGENCY PROVIDING THE FOSC WHEN ACTIVATED

STATE RESPONDERS

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

NRT

DOJ

DOL DOE GSADOS

NRC RSPA HHS

USDA DOI DODDOC

PL

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EPA

National Response Team (NRT)

• Membership• 16 federal agencies• EPA Chair; USCG Vice Chair• MMS and OPS prevention role

• Responsibilities• Planning & control oversight

• National Oil & Hazardous Substances Contingency

Plan (NCP=40CFR300)

• Qualified Products List

Regional Response Team (RRT)• Membership

• 16 federal agencies plus state & local agencies• EPA & USCG Co-Chair

• Responsibilities• Pre-spill planning• Regional Contingency Plan (RICP)• Review of Area Contingency Plans (ACP)• Approval of chemical agents & procedures• Preauthorization Plans• Assistance to FOSC during spill response

Area Committee/Federal On Scene Coordinator (FOSC)

• Predesignated by geographic area• FOSC vs. COTP• FOSC vs. MMS

• FOSC Responsibilities• Area Contingency Plan (ACP)• Management of spill response• Establishes Unified Command Post

• Activates specialty teams:• Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC)• Environmental Response Team (ERT)• National Strike Force Teams (NSF)• Public Information Assist Team (PIAT)

Jurisdictional Boundaries- Region VI

EPA

SECTORCORPUS CHRISTI

SECTORNEW

ORLEANS

SECTORHOUS-GALV

MSUMORGAN

CITY

MSUPORT

ARTHUR

SECTOR

HOUSTON-GALV

Jurisdictional Boundaries - Region IV

SECTORMOBILE

SECTORNEW ORLEANS

EPA

SECTORMIAMI

SECTORS.PETE

SECTORJACKSONVILLE

NOLA SECTOR

Morgan City MSU

Port Arthur MSUUSCG

EPA

COTP & FOSC ZONES

State On-Scene Coordinator (SOSC)

• Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator• State representative in Unified Command• Coordinator for state interests

• LDEQ - Lead technical agency / trustee• LDNR - environmental expertise / trustee• LDWF - wildlife expertise / trustee• LDPSC - safety and health• GOHSEP - homeland security & emergency preparedness• OCPR – Coastal interest/trustee

• State Contingency Plan (SCP)

State On-Scene Coordinator (SOSC)TEXAS

• Texas General Land Office (TGLO) – Coastal all

• Railroad Commission of TX (RRCT) - Inland EDP&T

• Texas Commission on Environ. Quality (TCEQ ) – Inland refined

• Other Agencies• TX Parks and Wildlife Department• TX Air Control Board• TX Department of Health• Texas State Offices

Responsible Party (RP)

• Responsible for spill responses operations as approved by FOSC / SOSC

• Liable for damages / injured natural resources• Response Plans (FRP and VRP)• QI Member of Incident Command Triangle

• Prepares Incident Action Plan (IAP)

• Staffs Unified Command in concert with federal and state agencies and representatives

CONTINGENCY PLANS

Contingency Plans

• National Contingency Plan (NCP)

• Regional Integrated Contingency Plan (RICP)

• State Contingency Plan (SCP)

• Area Contingency Plan (ACP)

• Tank Vessel & Facility Response Plans (VRP &

FRP)

National Contingency Plan (NCP)

• Establishes National Response System

• Specifies priorities of response efforts (National policy)

• Unified Command System

Regional Integrated Contingency Plan (RICP)

• Localized NCP to 10 regions• Region VI includes Louisiana

• Provides Federal - State coordination planning

• Criteria for RRT activation• Guidance for ACPs• Preauthorizations

State Contingency Plans (SCP)

• Specifies State requirements

• Identifies State Response Team (SRT)

• Damage assessment of state resources

Area Contingency Plan (ACP)“One Gulf Plan” & GRP

• Localizes RCP to each COTP area(3 in Louisiana & 3 in Texas)

• Adds local party input• Highest level response plan

• Response guidelines in One Gulf Plan• Identifies resources in Geographic Response Plans• Prioritizes countermeasures & areas to be

protected in GRP

• Coordinates with adjoining states(Texas and Mississippi)

Vessel (Tank and Non -Tank) and Facility Response Plans

• Must be consistent with NCP & ACP or RICP

• Sets forth RP organization, key personnel, activation procedures, & response strategies

• Identifies resources to respond to worst case discharge & related emergencies

• Identifies notification organization• Identifies prevention measures