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Change 8
I July 1, 2006
July 2006
This is the ninth release (Change 8) of the Northwest Area Contingency Plan (NWACP). This
plan serves as both the Area Contingency Plan and the Regional Contingency Plan for the
northwest states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, two US Coast Guard Captain of the Port
Zones (Puget Sound and Portland), and the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s)
Inland Zone. Federal, state, tribal, and local government representatives as well as
representatives from commercial, non-profit, and private concerns continue to drive this planning
effort from the ground up. For Washington, this document continues to function as the
Washington Statewide Master Plan for oil spill and hazardous substance release response. For
Oregon, the Oregon Emergency Response System Council approved the NWACP in June 1996
as the State’s oil and hazardous materials emergency response plan. (State of Oregon
Emergency Management Plan, Volume II, Part 3). For Idaho, this plan has been incorporated by
reference into the Idaho Hazardous Materials Incident Command and Response Support Plan,
which is an appendix to the Idaho State Disaster Emergency Plan. All federal, state, tribal, and
local response organizations that are members of Regional Response Team 10 or the Northwest
Area Committee should use this plan for responses to oil and hazardous materials spills, drills,
and exercises.

This plan supersedes the February 2005 release. There are a number of substantive changes
and additions to this version of the plan. In addition, the entire document has been reviewed and
updated, as appropriate, to reflect as up to date information as possible. All chapters with the
exception of 5000, 6000, and portions of 8000 and 9000 contain changes and should be reprinted
to ensure users have the most recent version of the NWACP. The following specific changes
were made:

Preface
Changes were made to the Initial Assessment/Information Check-
Off List to reflect recommendations from the Washington State Oil
Spill Early Action Task Force. These changes will ensure all
signatory agencies are collecting similar information during initial
spill notifications. A new transmittal letter and signature page is also
included.

Chapter 1000 Introduction
Changes were made to reflect the new US Coast Guard
organization. Language was added describing Umbrella Vessel
Contingency Plans.

Chapter 2000 Command
Significant editorial changes were made throughout.

To aid the Unified Command in determining appropriate
membership, additional guidance criteria to consider have been
included in Section 2210. To assist Unified Command with ensuring

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messages to the media are released in a timely manner, a policy
has been established to guide public communications prior to the
establishment of a Joint Information Center (JIC). This new policy is
found in Section 2220.1.

Chapter 3000 Operations
Minor editorial changes throughout.

Chapter 4000 Planning
Sections 4311 (CERCLA) and 4314 (Endangered Species Act) were
revised to more accurately outlined the role these laws play in spill
response. Additional guidance from the National Marine Fisheries
Biological Opinion was also included in 4314. This includes a
description of response activities not covered by the opinion and
those requiring a tiered consultation.

The description of GRPs in Section 4400 has been revised to better
reflect language included in GRPs themselves and to include
RRT/NWAC agreed-upon language on consideration of economic
resources. Links were provided to NOAA Environmental Sensitivity
Indices (ESIs).

Major changes were made to Section 4600, Response
Technologies for Oil Spills, specifically related to the dispersant use
policy. These changes include designation of clear areas of pre-
approved dispersant use, case-by-case areas of dispersant use,
and no dispersant use zones. An authorization checklist was also
developed.

Chapter 5000 Logistics
No changes made.

Chapter 6000 Finance/Administration
No changes made.

Chapter 7000 Hazardous Substances and Weapons of Mass Destruction
Unique Information
Editorial changes made throughout.

Chapter 8000 Marine Firefighting

Annex A USCG organizational changes incorporated. Contact names
and numbers updated.
Annex B USCG organizational changes incorporated. Contact names
and numbers updated.
Annex C No changes made.
Annex D USCG organizational changes incorporated. Contact names
and numbers updated.
Annex E No changes made.
Section 8100 No changes made.
Section 8200 USCG organizational changes incorporated. Contact names
and numbers updated.

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Chapter 9000 Area Planning Documentation
Editorial changes made throughout sections 9000 through
9500.

Section 9610 Joint Information Center Manual
The Outreach and Public Communications Workgroup
produced a revised Joint Information Center (JIC) Manual
which is specific to the Northwest. It relies on the Incident
Command System, but provides additional aids to staff
working within the Joint Information Center.
Section 9620 Washington State Disposal Guidelines
No changes made.
Section 9630 In-Situ Burning Policy Manual
No changes made.
Section 9640 Shoreline Countermeasures Manual
No changes made.
Section 9650 Communications Manual
No changes made.
Section 9660 Health and Safety Manual
No changes made.
Section 9670 SMART Guidelines
No changes made.
Section 9680 Oil Spill Best Management Practices
This section was updated to reflect the new dispersant policy
outlined in Section 4600.
Section 9690 Places of Refuge
Based on recommendations from the Pacific States/British
Columbia Oil Spill Task Force, a Places of Refuge policy was
been developed to provide a decision-making process for
response to requests for places of refuge and to apply existing
procedures for coordinating trans-boundary and trans-jurisdictionaln
decision-making when necessary.
Section 9960 Oregon Chemical Terrorism Plan
Updated to reflect new contact information for the Oregon
DEQ lab, reference to the Strategic National Stockpile, and
additions/changes to roles and responsibilities.

Geographic Response Plans (GRPs) exist for the all the coastal and many of the inland waters of
Washington, Oregon, and Idaho; they are considered part of the NWACP but are distributed and
revised separately. These GRPs may be found by visiting the RRT10/NWAC web site at
http://www.rrt10nwac.com/geo_plans.htm.

The Regional Response Team 10 and the Northwest Area Committee encourage active
participation by all interested parties in the continuing area planning process in the northwest.
Comments, suggestions, and corrections should be directed to the RRT10/NWAC Steering
Committee by completing the comment form on the RRT10/NWAC web site at
http://www.rrt10nwac.com/comments.asp.

The effective date of this plan is July 1, 2006.

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FIRST RESPONDER GUIDELINES!
REMAIN UPWIND, UPHILL OR UPSTREAM OF THE INCIDENT. FROM A SAFE
DISTANCE, assess the situation. Use binoculars, if available, to view the scene.
Attempt to determine if radiological materials or hazardous substances are
present. Observe and note the following:

• Effects on people, animals, and the environment;
• Container types, markings, placards and labels. If available, use the DOT
Emergency Response Guidebook for reference;
• Signs of any released or discharged substances and any unusual or pungent
odors (move farther away or upwind if you detect an odor and are not positive it
is safe);
• Wind direction and prevailing weather;
• Distance and direction of nearby dwellings; and
• Distance and direction of any nearby surface water.

The initial responder shall then make notifications as listed in the preceding
pages.
The initial responder shall not enter an area where the responder may become a
victim, even to rescue another.
Until help arrives, the initial responder should:
• Cordon off the incident area and establish a safe zone. If chemical vapors or
flammable/ explosive materials are involved, evacuate all persons from the
immediate area and remain upwind of the incident area; if sources of radiation
or radioactive materials are suspected to be involved, use the principles of time,
distance and shielding to reduce potential exposure;
• Enter the incident area only if properly trained and equipped with appropriate
protective clothing and equipment;
• Render first aid to victims; be sure to notify medical personnel if radiation
exposure or contamination is suspected;
• Serve as an on-scene communication point;
• Brief the response team leader or incident commander upon arrival.

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Initial Assessment/ Information Check-off List
The following information should be collected for all spills reported to member agencies:

Date and Time of Call:

Caller Name, Address, & Phone Number:

Name of Person Taking the Report:

Vessel/Facility/Spiller Information:

1. Name of Potentially Responsible Party

2. Name of vessel/facility, railcar/truck number or other identifying information

3. Type and size of vessel/facility

4. Total quantity of fuel on board or in tank

5. Nationality (vessel only)

6. Location of Incident (i.e., street address, lat/long, mile post)

7. Date and time of incident (or when discovered)

8. Description of spill (i.e., size, color, smell, etc.)

9. Type of incident (i.e., explosion, collision, tank failure, grounding, etc.)

10. Material released

11. Source of material released

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12. Estimated amount released

13. Total potential quantity that could be released (i.e., total quantity in tank or on board)

14. Environmental media impacted or potentially impacted by spill (i.e., air, water,
ground/soil)

15. Weather/sea conditions

16. Point of contact (i.e., Responsible Party name, phone and address)

17. Vessel/facility agent(s) (i.e., name and phone)

18. Name and contact information of insurance carrier

19. Number and type of injuries or fatalities

20. Description of who is on-scene and what response activities are being done
or have been completed

21. Have evacuations occurred

22. Other Agencies Notified

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First Federal Official On Scene
The first federal official affiliated with a National Response Team (NRT) member agency to
arrive at the scene of a discharge should coordinate activities under the National Contingency
Plan (NCP); and is authorized to initiate, in consultation with the pre-designated Federal On
Scene Coordinator (OSC), any necessary actions normally carried out by the FOSC until the
arrival of the pre-designated FOSC. This official may initiate federal fund-financed actions only
as authorized by the pre-designated FOSC.

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Table of Contents
1000 INTRODUCTION

2000 COMMAND

3000 OPERATIONS

4000 PLANNING

5000 LOGISTICS

6000 FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION

7000 HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES and WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION UNIQUE
INFORMATION

8000 MARINE FIREFIGHTING

9000 AREA PLANNING DOCUMENTATION

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CHAPTER 1000

INTRODUCTION

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Chapter 1000 Table of Contents

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1000 Introduction

Pursuant to the National Contingency Plan (NCP; 40 CFR Part 300), area committees have been
established for each area of the United States that has been designated by the President. The area
committees are comprised of personnel from Federal and state agencies who coordinate response
actions with tribal and local governments and with the private sector. Area committees, under the
coordinated direction of Federal On-Scene Coordinators (FOSC), are responsible for developing Area
Contingency Plans (ACPs). Area committees are also required to work with the response community to
develop procedures to expedite decisions for the use of alternative response measures.

The NCP also establishes the National Response Team (NRT) and 13 Regional Response Teams
(RRTs) who are responsible for national and regional planning and preparedness activities before a
response action and support to the FOSC and State On-Scene Coordinator (SOSC) when activated
during a response. RRT membership consists of designated representatives from key federal response
and support agencies together with affected states.

In the Northwest Area (defined as the coastal and inland zones of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington),
these two groups have joined together to accomplish all planning and preparedness activities and
jointly publish the Northwest Area Contingency Plan (NWACP). The purpose of the NWACP is:

To provide for orderly and effective implementation of response actions to protect the people, natural
resources, and property of the coastal and inland zones of the Northwest area, including the states of
Washington, Oregon, and Idaho from the impacts of a discharge or substantial threat of discharge of oil
or a release or substantial threat of a release of a hazardous substance from inland and marine
sources.
1. To promote the coordination of and describe the strategy for a unified and coordinated federal,
state, tribal, local, potential responsible party, response contractor, response cooperative, and
community response to a discharge or substantial threat of discharge of oil or a release or
substantial threat of a release of a hazardous substance from inland and marine sources.
2. To be consistent with the NCP and to be adopted as the Regional Contingency Plan (RCP) and
Area Contingency Plan for the northwest.
3. To provide guidance to all Facility and Vessel Response Plan reviewers and Plan holders to
ensure consistency with the Area Contingency Plan.
4. To be a guidance manual for responders.

This plan is intended for use as a guideline for response actions to spill incidents and to ensure
consistency in response to spills. Federal and state rules require that a Responsible Party (RP), or
spiller, must be able to manage spills with a pre-designated response management organization that
accommodates a unified command structure in recognition of federal, state, tribal or local jurisdiction.

Many Region 10 Regional Response Team/NW Area Committee (RRT/NWAC) member agencies have
specific responsibilities during and following a weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) incident or other
terrorist act. No one document or plan can serve as a response guide for a WMD/terrorist incident.

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Department of Health and Human Services. DHS issued the Initial National Response Plan (INRP) on
September 30, 2003, and publicly announced the availability of the new National Response Plan (NRP)
on January 6, 2005 (document dated December 2004) which shall provide one unified plan for the
federal government’s response to acts of terrorism, disasters, and other large incidents (Incidents of
National Significance). After an initial 120-day phase-in period, the NRP superseded the Federal
Response Plan, the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP), and the Interagency
Domestic Terrorism Concept of Operations Plan (CONPLAN). The NRP does not, however, replace the
National Contingency Plan.

The NRP establishes a number of new entities with responsibilities for managing and/or coordinating a
response to a nationally significant incident. The Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC) at DHS
Headquarters integrates and provides overall steady state threat monitoring and situational awareness
for domestic incident management on a 24/7 basis. DHS and other federal agencies listed in the NRP
provide representatives at the HSOC. The Interagency Incident Management Group (IIMG) facilitates
national-level domestic incident management and coordination of federal operations and resources for
certain incidents defined in HSPD-5. The Assistant to the President for Homeland Security is
responsible for interagency policy coordination regarding domestic incidents. The Principal Federal
Official (PFO) represents the Secretary of Homeland Security as the senior Federal official on scene.
The PFO ensures overall coordination of Federal domestic incident management activities and
resource allocation on scene, ensuring the seamless integration of Federal incident management
activities in support of State, local, and tribal requirements. Federal entities, including the PFO, will
come together in the Joint Field Office (JFO) to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal
incident coordination activities. Agencies with a large role in a particular response may be asked to
provide a Senior Agency Official to operate within the JFO Coordination Group to ensure the federal
government is speaking with one voice. The figure below is excerpted from the National Response Plan
and shows the relationships among the various organizations.

On March 1, 2004, after close collaboration with state and local government officials and
representatives from a wide range of public safety organizations, DHS issued the National Incident
Management System (NIMS) which provides a consistent nationwide approach for Federal, State, local,
and tribal governments and private sector and non-governmental organizations to work effectively and
efficiently together to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless
of cause, size, or complexity. The NIMS is consistent with the incident management system outlined in
the NWACP.

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Initial response to an act of terrorism from chemical warfare agents or radiological materials may not
likely differ greatly from a response to other hazardous materials incidents. Terrorism response for
biological agents and explosives may differ significantly from typical hazardous materials incidents. It
may be unclear at the initial on-set of a response whether the cause was accidental or an act of
terrorism. Local responders will be first to arrive on scene to assess the situation and possibly take
initial response measures to contain or stop the release. A terrorist incident will always be treated as a
crime scene and preservation of evidence is critical. Coordination is required between law enforcement
who view the incident as a crime scene, and other first responders who view the incident as a
hazardous materials problem or disaster site. Although protection of life remains paramount, the
protection and processing of the crime scene is imperative as perpetrators may be identified and
apprehended.

The responsibilities for response to a WMD incident lie with multiple agencies and the RRT/NWAC
should be prepared to provide resources under the National Response System (NRS) during a
response to a terrorist incident. It is possible that a major public health and environmental incident
could be the result, perhaps even the intent, of this type of incident. The RRT/NWAC may be needed to
address critical short-term issues while a larger response infrastructure is developed under the full
National Response Plan. Parallel response actions by RRT/NWAC member agencies may be on-going
under the NRS prior to and during NRP activation.

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System is the recognized
standard with which management systems must demonstrate compatibility and is the measure by
which regulatory agency plan reviewers, drill evaluators and spill responders will gauge adequacy of

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response actions. While this system allows considerable operational flexibility, it includes a
collaborative planning process that delineates key management position responsibilities, common use
of forms, essential Incident Action Plan elements and response personnel and equipment resource
tracking methods.

The USCG adopted an Oil Spill Field Operations Guide (FOG) ICS-OS-420-1 dated June 2000 which is
consistent with the NIMS. Detailed information regarding all positions within the Unified Command can
be found in this guide. The basic organizational chart, which may be expanded or contracted, based
on the needs of the incident, is as follows. For positions or incident types not addressed by the FOG,
refer to the US Coast Guard Incident Management Handbook 2001 Edition, (COMDTPUB P 3120.17
Apr 2001) which is also consistent with NIMS.

1100 Authority

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA)(33 USC 1321 et seq.) and the Comprehensive
Emergency Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund) address development
of a National Planning and Response System. As part of this system, in conjunction with the National
Contingency Plan (NCP), area contingency plans are to address responses to worst-case discharges of
oil or hazardous substances, and mitigation or prevention of a substantial threat of discharge from a
vessel, offshore facility, or onshore facility. The Area Committee is given the responsibility for working
with the response community to plan for joint response efforts, including spill containment, mechanical
recovery, use of dispersants, in-situ burning, shoreline cleanup, protection of sensitive areas, and
protection, rescue, and rehabilitation of fish and wildlife.

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1110 Federal

Designating areas, appointing area committee members, determining information to be included in, and
review of area contingency plans, has been delegated by Executive Order 12777 of 22 October 1991,
to the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) (through the Secretary of Transportation) for the
coastal zone, and to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the inland
zone. The coastal zone and inland zone are defined in the NCP (40 CFR 300.5). The EPA has
responsibility for response in all areas inland of the coastal zone. The Coast Guard has designated as
Areas, those portions of the Captain of the Port (COTP) zones that are within the coastal zone and for
which area committees will prepare area contingency plans. COTP zones are described in Coast Guard
regulations (33 CFR Part 3). This is the ACP for Coast Guard COTP Zones Puget Sound and Portland,
the States of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and the Environmental Protection Agency's Inland
Region Ten excluding Alaska.

1120 Washington State

The Northwest Area Contingency Plan - The NWACP has been adopted as the state’s Oil and
Hazardous Substance Spill Prevention and Response Plan as required by statute (see Chapter
90.56.060 RCW). This plan applies to the activities of all state and local agencies involved in managing
oil and hazardous substance spills where federal, state and local agencies respond to a spill or
potential spill of oil or hazardous substances.

Ecology is the Lead State Agency - The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) is
designated (see Chapter 90.56.020 RCW) as the State’s lead agency, ―to oversee prevention,
abatement, response, containment, and cleanup efforts with regard to an oil or hazardous substance
spill to waters of the state. The director is the head of the state incident command system in response
to a spill of oil or hazardous substances and shall coordinate the response efforts of all state agencies
and local emergency response personnel.‖ The Ecology incident commander will coordinate with other
state agencies and be the principal state spokesperson in the incident command as an advocate for all
state interests.

If a responsible party fails to respond in a manner deemed reasonably consistent with this policy and
NWACP, the FOSC or Ecology may assume the lead for a portion of or the entire response. Ecology
will closely coordinate with other members of the unified command prior to taking such action.

Cooperation with Other Government Entities - It is the policy of the State of Washington that it will co-
manage spills of oil or hazardous substances in close cooperation with federal, local and tribal officials
as provided in this plan. A coordinated approach is the best means to provide the best protection of the
state’s public health and safety, natural resources, and private property.

1130 Oregon State

This plan satisfies requirements set forth in Oregon Revised Statutes 468B.495-500 and 466.620 and
replaces the Oil and Hazardous Materials Spill Contingency Plan, for the Oregon Coast, Columbia
River and Willamette River to Willamette Falls (Volume II). This plan also satisfies ORS 401, 453.347,
466.620 and 469.611 and is part of the requirements of Title III Section 303 of the Superfund
Amendments and Re-authorization Act of 1986. It also replaces the Oil and Hazardous Materials
Emergency Response Plan (For inland spills and non-coastal waters)[formerly Annex O]. It is intended
to be consistent with all other existing plans. The Oregon State Department of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) is the lead State agency on the Area Committee and provides the lead for oil and hazardous
substance spill prevention efforts, contingency planning, and cleanup oversight for spills affecting state
air, water, or land resources.

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1140 Idaho State

This plan, in conjunction with the Idaho Hazardous Materials Incident Command and Response
Support Plan, functions as an appendix to Annex Z of the Idaho Emergency Plan, Part II, Natural and
Man-made Disasters. This plan may be activated independent of the Idaho Emergency Plan. Its
primary purpose is to provide effective, coordinated emergency response support to local government
by federal, state, and private agencies for incidents involving the release or potential release of oil and
hazardous substances in Idaho. It also provides guidance to state personnel who may encounter an
incident involving oil or hazardous substances and to define the support role of specific state agencies.
This plan can be initiated at the request of local governments when their capabilities have been
exceeded. Authority for implementation of the plan is derived from Executive Order 96-01, the Idaho
Environmental Protection and Health Act (Idaho Code §39-101 et seq), the Hazardous Waste
Management Act (Idaho Title 39 Chapter 44), Radiation and Nuclear Material Act (Protection from
Radioactive Materials) (Idaho Title 39, Chapter 30, Section 3005), Idaho Hazardous Substance
Emergency Response Act (Idaho Title 39, Chapter 71) and the Disaster Preparedness Act (Idaho Title
46, Chapter 10).

1200 Reserved for Future Use

1300 Area Committee Purpose and Objectives

The Area Committee's primary objective is to plan for a safe, appropriate, and timely response to all
reports of oil or hazardous substance spills. The Coast Guard has authority to respond in the Coastal
Zone, the Environmental Protection Agency in the Inland Zone, and Washington, Oregon, and Idaho
respond within their respective state boundaries. Each agency responds to reports of discharges of oil
or releases of hazardous substances to determine their nature and immediate impact on the public
health and the environment. If a responsible party is conducting proper response actions, the
appropriate on-scene coordinator will use best judgment in determining the need for and scope of
agency involvement.

1400 Geographic Boundaries

The geographic boundaries of this plan are the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, which include
COTP zones for Puget Sound and Portland and EPA Inland Region Ten, excluding Alaska. All
waterways that mark the boundary between two states (e.g., the Columbia and Snake Rivers) are the
joint, shared responsibility of both states. Spills affecting, or with the potential to affect, shared water
must be reported to both states and both states will normally participate in the unified response.
The boundaries between the Coast Guard and EPA areas of responsibility are shown in Table 1-1 and
graphically at http://www.rrt10nwac.com/boundary_maps.htm, they can also be downloaded in PDF
form: BoundaryMaps.zip. The boundary for undesignated waters shall be the nearer to the coastal area
of responsibility of 100 yards from the junction with, or the first bridge crossing, any river discharging
into a salt-water body. For spills originating on land, but either impacting or threatening to impact
navigable waters, determination of the appropriate federal agency (EPA or the USCG) for response
shall be made by considering the area of responsibility to which the largest impact may occur.

According to Section 300.140(b) of the NCP, if a discharge or release affects more than one zone,
determination of the FOSC shall be based on the area vulnerable to the greatest threat. If the area
vulnerable to the greatest threat cannot be determined, the Unified Command shall establish an

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Incident Command System that adequately accounts for effective response in both zones. If transition
of FOSC from one agency to another is necessary, the transition shall follow the guidelines outlined in
Section 1410 of this plan.

According to Section 300.135(b) of the NCP, the first federal official affiliated with a National Response
Team member agency to arrive on scene of a discharge or release should coordinate activities under
the NCP and is authorized to initiate, in consultation with the pre-designated FOSC and prior to his/her
arrival on scene, any necessary actions normally carried out by the FOSC. Arrival of the first federal
official on scene does not affect the designation of the appropriate FOSC.

For complete maps of the jurisdictional boundaries please visit the Regional Response Team
Northwest website at http://www.rrt10nwac.com/boundary_maps.htm.

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1410 Transition of OSCs

There are occasions when command responsibilities must transition from one On-Scene Coordinator
(OSC) to another, from one federal or state OSC (FOSC or SOSC) to another, or from a SOSC to a
FOSC. The transition in FOSCs is often necessitated by a determination of where the greatest impact
of a spill is likely to take place. For example, a spill may originate in the inland zone where EPA has
primary responsibility, but the majority of the impact from the spill may occur in the coastal zone where
the USCG has responsibility.

Regardless of the circumstances that necessitate a transition in jurisdictional agency, clear and
effective communication is essential to an efficient and safe response. Every effort must be made to
share all pertinent information. This exchange of information could involve multiple issues and various
amounts of detail, depending on the complexity of the spill. It should include, but is not limited to:
Current Situation
• Status of the source & spill
• Review of the IAP & Site Safety Plan
• Review of Site Communications
• Discuss Resources En-route & On-Scene
Organizational Structure
• Unified Command & RP Representation
•ICS Org Chart Review
• Schedule of Meetings

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Site Visit & Walk Thru
Spill Investigation / Legal Issues
• Cause of Spill
o Investigation & Evidence

Notifications
• What notifications have been made?
o Stakeholders? Tribes?
o Local Issues & Economics?

Wildlife & Environment
• Wildlife Impact Issues
• Endangered Species
o Environmental Sensitive Areas

Public Affairs & Media

It is preferred that both OSC’s are present through one complete operational period and planning cycle.
The transition from one OSC to another should not be considered complete until the on-coming OSC
acknowledges they are comfortable and the transition is documented. Further, when transition between
federal agencies is necessary after the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is opened and a Federal Project
Number (FPN) assigned, it should be documented in a Pollution Report (POLREP). Both agencies
must also submit cost documentation to account for funds expended during their tenure as OSC.

1500 National Response System

1510 National Response Structure

The National Response System (NRS) coordinates all government agencies with responsibility for
human health and environmental protection in a focused response strategy for the immediate and
effective cleanup of an oil or hazardous substance spill. It is a three tiered federal response and
preparedness system that supports the pre-designated FOSC and SOSC in coordinating national,
regional, state, tribal & local government agencies, industry, and the responsible party during a
response.

The three tiers are the National Response Team, Regional Response Team, and the OSC. The
National Response System is described in the NCP (40 CFR 300). The NRS does not remove the
primary responsibility of initiating and completing a proper response by the responsible party. The NRS
is used for all spills, including a Spill of National Significance (SONS). When appropriate, the NRS is
designed to incorporate a unified command and control support mechanism consisting of the FOSC,
the SOSC, and the Responsible Party’s Incident Manager and, when appropriate, tribal and local
representatives.

1520 National Response Team

The NRT consists of 16 federal agencies with responsibilities, interests, and expertise in various
aspects of emergency response to pollution incidents. The EPA serves as chair and the Coast Guard
as vice-chair of the NRT, except when activated for a specific incident, when the lead response agency
representative serves as chair. The NRT is primarily a national planning, policy and coordination body
and does not respond directly to incidents. The NRT provides policy guidance prior to an incident and
assistance as requested by a FOSC via an RRT during an incident. NRT assistance usually takes the
form of technical advice, access to additional resources/equipment, or coordination with other RRTs.

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1530 Regional Response Teams

There are 13 RRTs, one for each of the ten federal regions and Alaska, the Caribbean and the Pacific
Basin. Each RRT has federal and state representation. EPA and the Coast Guard co-chair the RRTs.
RRTs are planning, policy and coordinating bodies, and may be activated during a major incident to
assist the FOSC with resources. The RRT operating in the Northwest Area has agreed to use this Area
Contingency Plan as the Regional Contingency Plan (RCP). They also provide guidance support and
approval for pursuing certain response strategies.

Regional Response Teams (RRTs) may be activated for specific incidents when requested by the
FOSC. If the assistance requested by a FOSC exceeds an RRT’s capability, the RRT may request
assistance from the NRT. During an incident the RRT may either be alerted by telephone or convened.
Activation procedures for RRT10 may be found in Section 9115 of this Plan. The cognizant RRTs will
also be consulted by the FOSC on the approval/disapproval of the use of alternative response
technologies (i.e. in-situ burning, dispersants, bio-remediation, and other chemical counter - measures)
when that decision has not been pre-approved.

1540 Area Response Structure

The Northwest Area Committee member agencies have adopted and will manage spill incidents
according to the following principles:
• Incident Command System - The signatory agencies will use the National Interagency
Management System (NIMS) model Incident Command System (ICS);
• Unified Incident Command - When more than one of the signatory agencies arrive on-scene to
participate in managing a response action, the agencies will utilize a unified command structure to
jointly manage the spill incident. In the Unified Incident Command (UC), whenever possible,
decisions with regard to the response will be made by consensus and documented through a single
Incident Action Plan (IAP). When a consensus cannot be reached, the FOSC has the ultimate
decision-making authority;
• Unified Area Command – For very large single incidents or multiple, simultaneous incidents
involving a large number of resources and/or impacting a large geographic area, a Unified Area
Command may be established. The Unified Area Command has the responsibility to: set overall
incident-related objectives and priorities, allocate critical resources based on those priorities, ensure
the incident/incidents are properly managed, and ensure that incident objectives are met and do not
conflict with each other. The Unified Area Command has overall responsibility for setting response
priorities and objectives, which are then carried out by field Incident Command System/Unified
Command (ICS/UC) organization(s);
• Tribal and Local Government On Scene Coordinators - The unified command may incorporate
additional tribal or local government on scene coordinators into the command structure as
appropriate;
• Responsible Party Command Structure - The person or persons responsible for a spill incident
shall utilize an incident command system, which is capable of rapidly, and readily integrating into
the NIMS based ICS/UC organization utilized by the NWACP signatory agencies; and
• Response Plan Approval - The National Oil and Hazardous Substance Contingency Plan (NCP)
40 CFR 300 requires that vessel and facility response plans be compatible with the applicable Area
Plan. Washington and Oregon State laws have similar provisions in RCW 90.56.210 and OAR 340-
047-0140(9). Therefore, it is the policy of the Area Committee that vessel and facility response
plans be consistent with the NWACP.

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The unified incident command structure allows for a coordinated response, which takes into account
the federal, state, tribal, local and responsible party concerns and interests when implementing the
response strategy. The FOSC has the ultimate authority in a response operation and will exert this
authority only if the other members of the unified incident command are not present or are unable to
reach consensus quickly.

During responses to oil and hazardous substance spills, local agencies may be involved as part of the
UC, and may provide agency representatives who interface with the command structure through the
Liaison Officer or the SOSC. When a UC is used, an Incident Command Post (ICP) and Joint
Information Center (JIC) shall be established. The ICP shall be as near as practicable to the spill site.
All responders (federal, state, tribal, local and private) should be incorporated into the response
organization (Figure 2-1) at the appropriate level.

For incidents of national significance, as defined by the National Response Plan, a number of additional
organizations will be established. The Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC) at DHS
Headquarters integrates and provides overall steady state threat monitoring and situational awareness
for domestic incident management on a 24/7 basis. DHS and other federal agencies listed in the NRP
provide representatives at the HSOC. The Interagency Incident Management Group (IIMG) facilitates
national-level domestic incident management and coordination of federal operations and resources for
certain incidents defined in HSPD-5. The Assistant to the President for Homeland Security is
responsible for interagency policy coordination regarding domestic incidents. The Principal Federal
Official (PFO) represents the Secretary of Homeland Security as the senior Federal official on scene.
The PFO ensures overall coordination of Federal domestic incident management activities and
resource allocation on scene, ensuring the seamless integration of Federal incident management
activities in support of State, local, and tribal requirements. Federal entities, including the PFO, will
come together in the Joint Field Office (JFO) to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal
incident coordination activities. Agencies with a large role in a particular response may be asked to
provide a Senior Agency Official to operate within the JFO Coordination Group to ensure the federal
government is speaking with one voice.

1541 Federal On-Scene Coordinators

USCG Sector Seattle and Sector Portland maintain and manage emergency response teams for
response to discharges of oil and hazardous substances in the coastal zone. These teams vary in size
based on the nature of the incident. In all cases, they are tasked with assessing the discharge to
determine response measures, monitor and supervise pollution countermeasures, deploy pollution
control equipment as available and necessary until a contractor arrives, document all phases of the
response, conduct investigations, and act for the FOSC until their arrival.

The EPA Emergency Response Program consists of emergency response FOSCs located in the
regional office in Seattle and field offices in Boise, Coeur d’Alene, and Portland. Additional FOSCs for
EPA Region 10 are located in Anchorage, Alaska, but they may respond to any location throughout the
region, or throughout the country, as needed. The FOSCs are responsible for determining the source,
cause, and responsible party, as well as initiating source control and enforcement actions as
appropriate. Additional responsibilities include ensuring containment cleanup and disposal are carried
out adequately, notification of all Natural Resources Trustees, and coordination of activities with
federal, state, tribal, and local agencies to monitor their performance. EPA also has access to technical
assistance contractors who can provide technical oversight and other resources at spills and
uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. In some cases, EPA’s technical assistance contractor may arrive
on scene prior to the FOSC. Prior to arrival of the EPA OSC, the EPA contractor will cooperate with on-
site agencies but will take direction through the EPA OSC only. EPA’s contractor has technical
response personnel and equipment located in Seattle and Portland.

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1542 Washington Response System

The Washington State Response system is designed to provide coordinated state agency response, in
cooperation with federal agencies for effective cleanup of oil or hazardous substance spills. In
Washington state:

The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) acts as state Incident Commander for oil or
hazardous substance spills or threatened spills to waters of the state. Ecology provides 24-hour
response to oil and hazardous substance spills when any amount of regulated waste or hazardous
substance is released to the air, land or water, or whenever oil is spilled on land or to state waters. The
agency maintains spill response teams in Olympia, Seattle, Spokane and Yakima that provide round-
the-clock response service to emergencies that pose an immediate threat to human health and the
environment. In July 1997, the state Office of Marine Safety merged with Ecology to form a
comprehensive Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Program within the agency. In addition,
Ecology:
• Confirms emergency notifications;
• Determines the source and cause of an incident;
• Identifies the responsible party for an oil spill or hazardous substance release;
• Assumes responsibility for incident management and cleanup if the responsible party is
unavailable, unresponsive or unidentified;
• Sets state cleanup standards and ensures that source control, containment, cleanup and disposal
are accomplished;
• Assists in monitoring and ensuring the safety of first responders and other personnel;
• Determines the need for and initiates appropriate enforcement actions;
• Coordinates spill response with other state and federal agencies and tribal and local jurisdictions
using the National Incident Management System (NIMS) model of Incident Command System
(ICS);
• Establishes a Joint Information Center (JIC) with involved agencies and the responsible party to
provide current and accurate information to the community;
• Conducts on-site inspections of commercial vessels and oil handling facilities.
• Investigates the cause of commercial vessels and oil handling facility spills;
• Provides maritime expertise, such as advise on salvage operations;
• Leads, activates, and coordinates the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) team which
also includes the state departments of Fish and Wildlife, Health, Natural Resources, and
Community, Trade and Economic Development’s Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation,
and the state Parks and Recreation Commission;
• Participates in the activities of the Washington Wildlife Rescue Coalition; and
• Notifies the appropriate resource trustee agency of injury to fish, shellfish, habitat and other
wildlife.

Under the Washington Response System, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) assumes responsibility
as Incident Commander and acts as the lead state agency responsible for cleanup activities when oil
and hazardous substance spills occur on state highways. WSP also:
• Assists local jurisdictions with law enforcement and evacuations;
• Represents local jurisdictions as designated Incident Commander;
• Coordinates and maintains liaison with other state agencies involved with an incident;
• Assists in receiving and disseminating warning information;
•Provides communications and technical support to the incident;
• Provides radiological monitoring;
• Provides aerial reconnaissance of the impacted area;

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• Coordinates fire resources when an emergency mobilization is authorized for a hazardous
substance incident; and
• Provides 24-hour, statewide communications support.

The Washington Military Department’s Emergency Management Division (EMD) maintains
capabilities to make 24-hour notifications to Ecology, WSP and other appropriate local, tribal, state and
federal agencies. EMD also:
• Activates the state Emergency Operations Center (EOC) when required;
• Coordinates state agency response activities within the state EOC, including procurement of state
resources, as requested;
• Provides public information officer support to JICs or Incident Command Posts; and
• Provides communication links on an ongoing basis.

During oil and hazardous substance spills and releases, the Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife (Fish and Wildlife):
• Coordinates the activities of the Washington Wildlife Rescue Coalition. Rescues and rehabilitates
wildlife injured during oil and hazardous substance spills and releases;
• Assists in identification of fish and wildlife protection needs; and
• Assists in reconnaissance and NRDA efforts.

The state Department of Health is responsible for handling environmental spills and releases involving
radioactive substances and biological agents. They assist in determination of public health impacts to
fish and shellfish harvesting and consumption.

The state Department of Natural Resources assists is the identification of aquatic habitat/state lands
protection needs.

The state Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation assists in the identification of
historic/archaeological resource protection needs.

The state Parks and Recreation Commission assists in response activities involving state parks
lands and property.

Local jurisdictions are usually the first responders to oil and hazardous substance spills and releases.
Under the Washington Response System, local jurisdictions must designate a local Incident Command
agency, usually a fire department, or they may delegate that responsibility to WSP. Under SARA, Title
III, Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) may be involved with planning, training, and
assisting with interagency coordination. They may also activate their local Emergency Operations
Center to support on-scene operations, make notifications and respond to requests for resources and
other assistance.

1543 Oregon State Response System

The Oregon State Response system is designed to provide coordinated state agency response, in
cooperation with federal agencies, for effective clean up of an oil discharge or hazardous substance
release. Specific responsibilities of state agencies for planning and response are outlined in Section
1722.

1544 Idaho State Response System

Local Fire Departments and Departments of Emergency Management are the primary response
authority for all oil spills and hazardous materials releases. It is the state’s intent to SUPPLEMENT local

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response activity, not supplant it. This plan and the Idaho Hazardous Materials Incident Command and
Response Support Plan are to be implemented when local capabilities have been exceeded by the
incident. The Incident Command System, when implemented by local government during initial
response, will allow the state to become part of the response network without disrupting local efforts.

1545 Pacific States/BC Oil Spill Task Force

The Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force was established to provide cooperative and
coordinated oil spill response and prevention efforts. Since its formation in March 1989, it has grown to
include the states of Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and California, and the Province of British
Columbia, Canada. The environmental agencies of the five western states and British Columbia have
agreed to work together to improve coordinated spill response in the following ways:
• Sharing state resources and assist state OSCs during major spills if requested;
• Observing state spill drills and response activities;
• Conducting joint spill drills to better coordinate trans-boundary response efforts;
• Debriefing after major spills or drills to determine changes necessary for improving spill prevention
or response across state and national boundaries;
• Meeting regularly to share information and coordinate state and provincial policies with federal
agencies;
• Coordinating implementation efforts, such as making rules and regulations as consistent as
possible; and
• Collaborating on regional initiatives to address such issues as coastwise vessel traffic, spill data
collection, and places of refuge.

West Coast Mutual Aid

During major and catastrophic spills on the West Coast, it may be necessary to expedite the cross
boundary transfer of additional response capabilities that can only be provided by private contractors.
Many of these contractors have signed commitments with facility and/or vessel operators that, if
released to another spill, would place them out of compliance with their federal or state/provincial
approved spill contingency plan.

Some West Coast states set performance standards (benchmarks) and let the plan holder and
response contractors decide how they will be met. All major contractors have commitments under
several contingency plans. This makes equipment "cascading" more difficult.
The members of the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force are the primary state and
provincial spill prevention and response agencies for Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon,
California and Hawaii. In an effort to expedite and enhance the response to major West Coast spills,
the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force members pre-approved and signed the 1996
mutual aid agreement (see section 9820) which will be activated by the unified command if additional
resources are needed.

1600 Regional Response Team Standing Membership

A list of all RRT members’ agency addresses and contact phone numbers can be found in section
9100. Activation procedures may be found in Section 9115 of this Plan.

1610 RRT Co-Chairs

• U.S. Coast Guard, District 13 and
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10

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1620 Federal On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs)

1621 Inland Area

The Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 provides FOSCs for the inland area and has OSCs
located in the in Seattle, Boise, Portland, and Anchorage available for response.

1622 Coastal Area

The U.S. Coast Guard provides FOSCs for the coastal zone through the Captain of the Port for
Sector Portland and Sector Seattle. Numerous FOSC representatives (FOSCRs) are also
located in those offices.

1630 Federal RRT Representatives

• Department of Agriculture (U.S. Forest Service);
• Department of Commerce (NOAA);
• Department of Defense (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers);
• Department of Energy;
• Department of Justice;
• Department of Labor (OSHA);
• USCG, District 13 (Department of Homeland Security);
• Environmental Protection Agency;
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (Department of Homeland Security);
• Department of Health and Human Services;
• Department of Interior; and
• General Services Administration (GSA).

1640 State Representatives

• State of Idaho, Bureau of Homeland Security;
• State of Oregon, Department of Environmental Quality; and
• State of Washington, Department of Ecology.

1650 Associated Membership

• Department of Commerce, NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator;
• U.S. Navy;
• Food and Drug Administration
• Federal Highway Administration;
• USCG Pacific Strike Team, Sector Portland, and Sector Seattle (Department of Homeland
Security);
• Washington Military Department, Emergency Management Division;
• Washington Department of Health;
• Oregon State Public Health; and
• Oregon Emergency Management.

1700 Response Policy

1710 National Response Policy

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The National Response Policy is to ensure that all applicable laws and regulations are carried out.
Those laws and regulations are intended to ensure effective and immediate removal of a discharge,
mitigation or prevention of a substantial threat of a discharge of oil or release of hazardous substances,
and overall protection of human health and the environment.

1711 High-Seas Policy

Application of the Intervention on the High Seas Act (33 USC 1471 et seq.): Under authority of the
International Convention Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties,
1969, governments party to the present convention may take such measures on the high seas as may
be necessary to prevent, mitigate, or eliminate grave and imminent danger to their coastline or related
interests from oil or hazardous substances pollution or threat of pollution. The pollution or threat of
pollution may result from a maritime casualty or acts related to such a casualty, which may reasonably
be expected to result in major harmful consequences. In the event of a ship collision, stranding, or other
incident on board or external to a ship outside U.S. Territorial waters which creates a potential threat of
pollution by oil or hazardous substances, all available information shall be relayed to the Coast Guard
which will determine whether or not grave and imminent danger to our coastline or related interests
exists. Once that determination is made, the designated FOSC shall take measures to prevent,
mitigate, or eliminate the threat.

1712 Coast Guard Policy

The Coast Guard will respond, consistent with the policy outlined in the Northwest Area Contingency
Plan. The Coast Guard may elect not to dispatch representatives to reported discharges where
representatives of another cognizant government agency are responding. However, if Federal removal
is indicated within the Coastal Zone, the Coast Guard will respond. If the responsible party is
conducting proper removal, the Coast Guard On-Scene Coordinator will use best judgment in
determining the need for the presence of Coast Guard personnel on scene. General Coast Guard
policy for pollution response is provided in Volume VI of the Coast Guard Marine Safety Manual;
Thirteenth Coast Guard District policy is provided in Appendix 38 to Annex C to the CCGD13 Standard
Operating Procedures.

For large responses in the Inland area involving vessels, US Coast Guard may send a representative to
participate in the incident command structure to provide technical assistance and help inform the
Regional Response Team Co-Chair of on site activities in the event an activation of the RRT is
required.

1713 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Policy

By statute, EPA is the FOSC for inland spills of oil or hazardous substances. In most instances, EPA is
not the first responder on scene. EPA works in cooperation with other responders, but has not
delegated their responsibility as FOSC. In all spill situations, it is EPA’s intent to contribute to the
response by working with the local, state, tribal authorities, general public, and Federal agencies to
ensure the information needed to maximize the effectiveness of the response effort is easily accessible.
During a response to a release, the potentially responsible parties (PRP), if known, available, and
willing, are generally given the opportunity to adequately respond. The U.S. EPA works closely with the
PRPs when they are known and willing to take action to ensure that the release reaches an adequate
and rapid conclusion with a minimum impact on the environment. In the event of a spill where the PRP
is not identified, does not respond to contain or clean up the spill, or does an inadequate job

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responding, EPA responsibilities may include taking over the response or assuming a co-lead role in a
unified command with state and local responders.

For large responses in the Coastal area (greater than 10,000 gallons), EPA may send a representative
to participate in the incident command structure (likely as part of the Environmental Unit) to provide
technical assistance and help inform the Regional Response Team Co-Chair of on site activities in the
event an activation of the RRT is required.

1714 Department of Defense and Department of Energy Policies

In the case of the Department of Defense (DOD) or Department of Energy (DOE), when a response to
a release or threat of a release of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant is on, or the sole
source of the release is from any facility or vessel under the jurisdiction, custody, or control of DOD or
DOE, those agencies shall provide FOSCs responsible for taking all response actions. DOD will be the
removal response authority with respect to incidents involving DOD military weapons or munitions or
weapons or munitions under the jurisdiction, custody, or control of DOD. For oil spills on DOD facilities,
the Coast Guard or EPA is the pre-designated FOSC, as appropriate.

1720 State Response Policy

1721 Washington Policy

Washington State law has established the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) as the
pre-designated State OSC (SOSC) for all oil and hazardous substance spills in state waters. As such,
Ecology is also responsible for supporting Federal response actions. In this role, Ecology effectively
represents all State agencies and the interests of the State and its citizens. Ecology will respond to any
significant discharge or threatened discharge. Ecology will provide local geographic and environmental
information; identify and prioritize vulnerable resources in consultation with other resource agencies
through the NRDA team; fund orphan oil spills through the Oil Spill Recovery Act (OSRA); and
coordinate with other State agencies. The State of Washington has devised parallel statutes on water
pollution and marine transportation safety that meet, or in some cases exceed, those standards set
forth in federal legislation. Chapter 90.48 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) has made it
unlawful to cause or permit the discharge by any means, of polluting matter into the waters of
Washington State. Additionally, this Act designates the State of Washington as a participant in the
federal permit program. It is the policy of the state to use the unified command system (UCS) (as
described in Section 2000 of this plan) during response to significant spills or threatened spills.

1722 Oregon Response Policy

This Area Contingency Plan provides a description of Oregon's statewide oil and HAZMAT response
system and outlines the responsibilities of all those who may be involved in an incident. It provides for a
coordinated Oregon state agency response. Oregon has a hazardous material training system that
organizes and coordinates the development and delivery of cost effective, quality hazardous materials
training and education. The program consists of providing basic HAZMAT training and providing
discipline-specific training to identified target groups. The proficiency series consists of specific
qualification levels and is provided to first responders. This program is coordinated through the
Department of Public Safety Standards and Training.

To ensure a reasonable emergency response time to all parts of the state, a system of state funded
regional hazardous materials response teams consisting of highly trained individuals has been

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developed. The teams are equipped and trained by the state and manned for the most part by
individuals from local fire departments and other emergency providers.

The Office of the State Fire Marshall has developed a computerized call-up system. The system
provides data on the location and type of hazardous materials stored around the state. It also provides
technical information on various hazardous materials and guidance on emergency response
procedures. This plan, together with the information system, the training program and the regional
teams is designed to insure that all emergency responders are adequately prepared for HAZMAT
incidents.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is the lead agency for oil or hazardous
material spills, except for spills or releases from chemical weapons at the Umatilla Chemical Depot.
The Oregon Office of Emergency Management is the lead state agency for spills or releases from
chemical weapons at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. The Oregon Department of Human Services is the
lead state agency for all incidents involving hazards to human beings, communicable disease agents,
or radiation emergencies other than transportation accidents. The Oregon Department of Energy
(ODOE) is the lead state agency for radioactive materials transportation incidents. The lead state
agency will provide a state on-scene coordinator (SOSC) to direct state response and to assist the
FOSC. Assistance which may be requested of the State includes guidelines for the disposal of oily
waste, identification and prioritization of vulnerable resources, local geographic and environmental
information, counsel on cleanup and restoration standards, medical/toxicological information through
State health officials and identification of unknown pollutants.

State Assistance:
• Abandoned Chemicals. The Oil and Hazardous Materials Fund may be used by DEQ to contract
for emergency removals of materials presenting public health and environmental risk if the owner,
property owner, or responsible party is unable to act. This assistance may be on a cost
reimbursement basis;
• Drug Lab Chemicals. Requests for use of DEQ's Drug Lab Cleanup Fund must come through a
law enforcement agency; and
• Financial reimbursement is also available through the State Fire Marshall's Office for HAZMAT
Team response within the terms of the response contract.

1723 Idaho Response Policy

Idaho uses a collaborative system in responding to hazardous materials incidents. A single phone call
to the state provides immediate access to virtually any resource needed at a hazardous materials
incident. The state’s Division of Environmental Quality plays a key role in facilitating and fostering the
collaborative efforts and the Bureau of Homeland Security is responsible for ensuring that emergency
response is timely and effective. Local, state, and federal responses are expected to be coordinated
and in support of local efforts.

Unified command is the standard method of operation. The state’s representative to command under
emergency or disaster conditions is designated by the Idaho Adjutant General. It is policy in Idaho that
responders operate only within the scope of their training and the state has set clear training guideline
in the Idaho Hazardous Materials Incident Command Response and Support Plan. The Idaho Division
of Environmental Quality directs long-term site remediation efforts with the cooperation and support of
other state agencies.

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1730 Multinational Policy

The United States and Canada share responsibilities in numerous locations covered by this plan. The
northern boundary of the States of Washington and Idaho is the Canadian border. U.S. and Canadian
OSCs will cooperate fully to respond to pollution incidents that affect or threaten to affect both parties.
Toward this end, the Canada-United States Joint Marine Pollution Contingency plan for spills of oil and
other harmful substances (CANUSPAC) and the Canada-United States Joint Inland Pollution
Contingency Plan (CANUSWEST) provide guidance for a joint response.

If a spill or potential spill may impact or does impact Canadian waters or territory, the FOSC will alert
Thirteenth Coast Guard District’s Marine Safety Division, and/or EPA Region 10 and recommend
activation of CANUSPAC or CANUSWEST and the respective Regional Joint Response Team (RJRT).
The FOSC will then contact the Canadian response organization as necessary to coordinate response.
If a spill in Canadian marine waters threatens to impact U.S. waters, the Canadian response
organization will contact the Thirteenth Coast Guard District’s Marine Safety Division, who will activate
CANUSPAC and notify COTP Puget Sound. In cases involving inland waters, the Canadian response
organization will contact EPA Region Ten. A RJRT co-chair may activate the CANUSWEST if the spill
poses a threat to Canada or spreading has already occurred, or the magnitude of the spill makes a
request for assistance necessary.

Any pollution incident posing a substantial threat to the other country shall be reported immediately by
the Canadian National Environmental Emergencies Center (NEEC) or the U.S. National Response
Center (NRC), depending on the incident location. In addition, the EPA Region Ten duty officer in
Seattle shall notify the Environment Canada duty officer in Vancouver, or vice versa, in the event of an
incident with cross-border impacts.
This Area Contingency Plan is compatible with the CANUSPAC and CANUSWEST Joint Contingency
Plans.

1760 Responsible Party Policy

Responsible Party Conformance with NWACP

The National Contingency Plan requires that response plan holders, ―prepare and submit a plan for
responding, to the maximum extent practicable, to a worst case discharge, and to a substantial threat of
such a discharge, of oil or a hazardous substance. These response plans are required to be consistent
with applicable Area Contingency Plans.‖

The requirement for facility and vessel response plans to be consistent with the Northwest Area
Contingency Plan applies to:
• Vessel and Facility Contingency Plan: content, review and approval;
• The execution and evaluation of spill drills and exercises; and
• The management of spill response actions.

Failure to adequately conform to the NWACP may result in: rejection of a spill contingency/response
plan; non-credit for a drill; or federal and/or state agencies assuming direct control of a spill response
action. However, it is also the policy of the NW Area Committee that the unified command will
encourage the party responsible for a spill incident, to maintain the primary responsibility for managing
the response action so long as they:
• Actively and cooperatively participate in the unified command structure;
• Provide an organization which is compatible with NIMS ICS;
•Provide regular communication and documentation that assures adequate response resources

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are being rapidly mobilized in proportion to the size of the incident as discussed in the following
section; and
• Follow their approved spill contingency/response plan (if applicable) unless otherwise directed, or
a deviation is agreed to, by the unified command.

Requirement for a Full and Rapid Response

During the initial stages of some spill response actions adequate response resources are not rapidly
mobilized to the scene of significant oil spills. The reasons for this are:
• It is often difficult to obtain precise information on the quantity of oil or hazardous material,
which has actually been released and is likely to continue to be released until the source is
controlled
• Notification may be delayed;
• There is a tendency of some responsible parties to be very conservative in estimating the quantity
of oil spilled due to liability considerations;
• Miscommunication can occur as to the actual extent of personnel and equipment which has been
ordered, and as to the time of arrival. Similarly, estimates are sometime overly optimistic;
• Response contractors may experience difficulty in mobilizing in a timely fashion a portion of their
response resources for various reasons; and
• In some cases, state and federal on-scene coordinators are cautious in making sure responsible
parties do not mobilize unnecessary resources, which would needlessly increase the cost of the
response action.

However, adequate response resources must be rapidly mobilized if initial source control, containment
and cleanup efforts are to be successful. Experience in the Northwest has found that it is much more
cost-effective and far less damaging to natural resources to contain an oil spill rather than to remove it
from the water and beaches.

Therefore, it is the policy of the Northwest Area Committee that the response to a spill incident should
be promptly "ramped-up" to provide adequate equipment and trained personnel to effectively respond
to the highest quantity of product that will most likely be released. If it is determined that excessive
response resources are ordered or mustered they may be canceled or demobilized to help control the
cost of the response action to the responsible party and responding agencies.

If a responsible party fails to respond in a manner deemed reasonably consistent with this policy and
NWACP, the FOSC or SOSC may assume the lead for a portion of or the entire spill. The agency
proposing to assume lead for the clean up will closely coordinate with other members of the unified
command prior to taking such action.

Another reason that rapid response and containment is important is that, while the Northwest Area has
one of the best spill response systems in the world, there are certain weaknesses in the response
community’s ability to mount a fully effective response. These weaknesses are:
• Coastal Response -During certain times of the year, it is very difficult to mount an effective
response action for spills in the outer coastal environment. This difficulty is due to the long transit
distance from the major Columbia River and Puget Sound equipment stores to the outer coast.
Once equipment arrives on-scene in the coastal environment, sea state and meteorological
conditions (such as fog, wind and rain) may dramatically limit or terminate effective oil booming and
on-water oil recovery efforts;
• Response in Shallow Marine Embayments - Diversion and containment booming and intertidal
shoreline clean-up is very difficult in many of the Northwest's environmentally sensitive

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shallow marine estuaries such as the Columbia River, Padilla Bay and the Nisqually Delta. Once oil
enters these intertidal areas, extensive environmental damage is likely and recovery technology has
minimal effectiveness. In these environments, conventional shoreline clean-up activities themselves
can cause extensive damage and are therefore seldom used; and
• Response to Catastrophic Oil Spills - Should a catastrophic oil spill occur, it is likely that there
will not be adequate response resources in the Northwest Area to manage and clean-up the spill.
Therefore, the Northwest Area will rely in part on mutual aid from other West Coast and other
jurisdictions to provide much of the necessary response resources. In order to expedite decision-
making on West Coast mutual aid, the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force adopted
a Mutual Aid Plan (see Section 1545).

Umbrella Vessel Contingency Plans

Washington and Oregon require vessel oil spill contingency plans from all tank vessels and cargo and
passenger vessels (300 gross tons and over) to be submitted for review and approval. There are two
options vessel owners and operators have to meet these vessel contingency plan requirements. The
first option is to submit a company-specific vessel oil spill contingency plan to the states. The other
option is to enroll in one of the organizations that operate umbrella vessel contingency plans.

The Washington State Maritime Cooperative (WSMC) and the Maritime Fire and Safety Association
(MFSA) provide contingency plan coverage, primary response contractors, and a spill management
team to enrolled vessels for a per trip fee. These contingency plan services are provided for immediate
response coverage, with the intention to transition to the responsible party within the first 24 hours of
the oil spill response. The WSMC provides this coverage in Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and
the Washington Coast. The MFSA provides coverage for the Columbia River and Willamette Rivers.

Vessels enrolled with WSMC or MFSA are expected to follow the approved umbrella contingency plan
throughout the duration of the spill response. The State and Federal On-Scene Coordinators must
approve any deviation from the vessel contingency plan. All changes in ICS command staff to allow
enrolled party representatives to participate must be approved by the unified command. Where
inadequate staff replacements are available to the enrolled party the regulatory agencies may contract
with qualified local persons to fill organizational posts. Representation by an enrolled vessel owner or
operator's selected ICS staff and qualified individual is not guaranteed after the removal of the
cooperative's pre-approved representatives.

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CHAPTER 2000

COMMAND

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Chapter 2000 Table of Contents

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2000 COMMAND

2100 Command Structure – Unified Command Organization

Policy Statement

It is the policy of the Northwest Area Committee to manage spill incidents according to the following
principles:

Incident Command System - The signatory agencies will use the National Incident Management
System (NIMS) model Incident Command System (ICS)

Unified Command - When a federal or state agency arrives on-scene to participate in managing a
response action, the agencies will utilize a unified command structure to jointly manage the spill
incident. In the unified command, decisions with regard to the response will be made by consensus
and documented through a single Incident Action Plan (IAP) for each operational period.

Tribal or Local Government On-Scene Coordinators - The unified command may incorporate additional
tribal or local government on-scene coordinators into the command structure as appropriate.

Organizational charts for the Unified Command & Command Staff and its subordinate units are shown
in figures 2000-1 and 2000-2. They serve as examples and are not meant to be all-inclusive. The
functions of the Unified Command & Command Staff must be accomplished during an incident;
however, they can be performed by one individual or can be expanded, as needed, into additional
organizational units with appropriate delegation of authority.

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2110 Command and General Staff Planning Cycle Guide

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2200 Command/Staff Elements: Roles and Responsibilities

The Area Committee has adopted the NIMS-based Incident Command System (ICS) as the basic
model for managing a coordinated response. Under the Unified Command Structure, the Federal
government, state, and responsible party will each provide an On-Scene Coordinator (OSC), who will
consult each other and share decision-making authority regarding spill response and clean-up
management issues. Depending on the circumstances of the incident, a local or tribal entity may also
provide an OSC. Together, these OSCs will jointly serve as the Unified Command.

Additional information regarding each of the positions within the Command Staff can be found in the Oil
Spill Field Operations Guide (FOG) ICS-OS-420-1 dated June 2000. For positions or incident types not
addressed by the FOG, refer to the US Coast Guard Incident Management Handbook 2001 Edition,
(COMDTPUB P 3120.17 Apr 2001).

2210 Incident Commander/Unified Command
Incident Commanders for oil discharges and hazardous substance releases will, whenever possible
and practical, be organized under the Unified Command Structure which includes, but not limited to:
• The pre-designated Federal On Scene Coordinator (FOSC);
• The State On Scene Coordinator (SOSC);
• The representative of the Responsible Party (RP); and
• The local and/or tribal On Scene Coordinators, as appropriate.

To be considered for inclusion as a UC member, the following criteria must be considered:
1. The organization must have jurisdictional authority or functional responsibility under a law or
ordinance for the incident; and,
2. The organization must be specifically charged by law or ordinance with commanding,
coordinating or managing a major aspect of the incident response; and,
3. The incident or response operations must have impact on the organization’s Area Of
Responsibility; and,
4. The organization should have the resources to support participation in the response
organization.

Actual Unified Command makeup for a specific incident will be determined on a case-by-case basis
taking into account:
1. The specifics of the incident;
2. Determinations outlined in the four criteria listed above; and
3. Decisions reached during the initial meeting of the Unified Command.

The makeup of the Unified Command may change as incident progresses, in order to account for
changes in the situation.
The Unified Command is responsible for the overall management of the incident. The Unified
Command directs incident activities including the development and implementation of strategic
decisions, approval of the incident action plan, and approves the ordering and releasing of resources. It
is expected that each Unified Command member will have the authority to make decisions and commit
resources on behalf of their organization.

2220 Public Information Officer

The Public Information Officer (PIO) is responsible for developing and releasing information, with
Unified Command’s approval, about the incident to the news media, to incident personnel, and to other
appropriate agencies and organizations in as timely a manner as possible. The PIO will obtain
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information from technical experts to provide to the press and other interested parties. The PIO is also
responsible for controlling direct media access to staff within the Unified Command structure. See
section 9610 for the Joint Information Center Manual.

Keeping the public and other interested parties informed is always a primary incident objective. Staff
members responsible for meeting this objective ensure the community is well informed of the status of
the incident, the decisions made and actions taken by the Unified Command. The ultimate purpose of
public information efforts conducted during an environmental emergency is to ensure the public is well
informed by issuing timely, credible and coordinated releases of accurate information to the news
media, government officials and the public. Information may come from flyover or other video coverage,
phone calls, in-site interviews, web site posting, public meetings, or other methods.

The RRT/Northwest Area Committee recognizes there is a shared responsibility among the Unified
Command representatives to ensure accurate and credible information is made available. It is also the
shared role of the Unified Command representatives to ensure appropriate staffing in all positions
within the Incident Command System. However, given the importance of the Public Information Officer
duties, and to ensure public confidence and trust, it is the policy of the RRT/Northwest Area Committee
for the Public Information Officer position to be filled by a qualified representative of a federal, state,
tribal, or local agency, if available. If no such agency representative is initially available, qualified, or
willing to be the Public Information Officer, a responsible-party representative may, upon the Unified
Command’s concurrence, fill that role. Furthermore, a transition to a responsible party designated
Public Information Officer may occur with the concurrence of the Unified Command. The
RRT/Northwest Area Committee also encourage responsible parties to designate an Assistant Public
Information Officer, who will participate in all the meetings attended by and briefings made by the Public
Information Officer.

2220.1 Pre-JIC - Initial Public Information Officer

When an incident occurs, there is a high demand for information. Public perception is often shaped
by impressions formed in the first few hours of response. It is critical that timely, accurate
information be disseminated to media in a coordinated fashion.

When a state environmental or emergency management agency, the Coast Guard or the EPA first
learns about a spill, the respective public information officers should quickly contact one another to
share information in an effort to release a joint statement to the media. This first release should be
issued within 30 minutes of the initial notification and not longer than two hours after notification is
received. Initial media releases should be approved by the FOSC or his/her designated representative
and the SOSC prior to release.

Until a JIC is established, communication with the media and other key audiences is carried out by a
lead agency’s information office, either remotely or on-site. This Initial Public Information Officer carries
out activities with or without assistance. The time needed to travel to the command post and have basic
JIC operations in place will affect decisions about how and by whom communications are conducted.
For example, issuing the initial news release within a couple hours of notification may require that facts
be provided over the phone or electronically to an agency public information officer operating from the
office or a remote location.

The Initial Public Information Officer is concerned with both communications (who to communicate with,
both media and public) and logistics (how to communicate), if operating from the command post or
remote locations. Initial media releases should be approved by the FOSC and SOSC or their delegates
prior to release. This may entail sending the text by email, fax or by reading the text over the phone.
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In order to build trust with the public and among agencies that are responding to the incident, every
press release should include a ―cooperative response statement.‖ This statement should include, by
name, all the primary participating agencies who are responding to the spill.

The volume of material spilled is an important piece of information that the public and media are
generally interested in during the early hours of an incident. Unless responding agencies have accurate
information regarding the volume spilled that has been approved through the Unified Command for
release, initial press releases should use a range of volumes, the potential spill volume, or emphasize
that the volume is only an estimate which may change as more accurate information is obtained.

2230 Safety Officer

The Safety Officer is responsible for monitoring and assessing hazardous and unsafe situations and
developing measures for assuring personnel safety. Although the Safety Officer may exercise
emergency authority to stop or prevent unsafe acts when immediate action is required, the Safety
Officer will attempt to correct unsafe acts or conditions through the regular line of authority. The Safety
Officer maintains awareness of active and developing situations, ensures the preparation and
implementation of the Site Safety Plan, briefs personnel and includes safety messages in each Incident
Action Plan.

2240 Liaison Officer

Incidents that are multi-jurisdiction, or have several agencies involved, may require the establishment of
the Liaison Officer position on the Command Staff.

Keeping the public and other interested parties informed is a primary incident objective. Staff members
responsible for meeting this objective ensure that elected officials and stakeholders are well informed of
the status of the incident, the decisions made and actions taken by the Unified Command. The ultimate
purpose of public information efforts conducted during an environmental emergency is to ensure the
public is well informed by issuing timely, credible and coordinated releases of accurate information to
the news media, government officials and the public.

The liaison officer has the following responsibilities:
• Serve as the initial point of contact for participating federal, state, and local agencies with a
vested interest in the response;
• Maintain a spill response summary distribution list for public and private entities requesting spill
response status reports;
• Receive and coordinate all calls from public and private entities offering assistance or requesting
information; and
• Identify public and private concerns related to the status and effectiveness of the spill response.

The RRT/Northwest Area Committee recognizes there is a shared responsibility among the Unified
Command representatives to ensure accurate and credible information is made available. It is also the
shared role of the Unified Command representatives to ensure appropriate staffing in all positions
within the Incident Command System. However, given the importance of the Liaison Officer duties, and
to ensure public confidence and trust, it is the policy of the RRT/Northwest Area Committee for the
Liaison Officer position to be filled by a qualified representative of a federal, state, tribal, or local
agency, if available. If no such agency representative is initially available, qualified, or willing to be the
Liaison Officer, a responsible-party representative may, upon the Unified Command’s concurrence, fill
that role. Furthermore, a transition to a responsible party designated Liaison Officer may occur with the
concurrence of the Unified Command. The RRT/Northwest Area Committee also encourage
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responsible parties to designate an Assistant Liaison Officer, who will participate in all the meetings
attended by and briefings made by the Liaison Officer.

2250 Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)

NRDA involves identifying the type and degree of impacts to public biological and cultural resources in
order to assist in restoring those resources. NRDA may involve a range of field surveys and studies
used to develop a monetary damage claim, or may involve immediately developing a restoration plan
with the responsible party. NRDA activities for small spills typically involve simplified assessment
methods and minimal field data collection.

Given that the goals of NRDA are outside the sphere of most emergency spill response actions, NRDA
activities generally do not occur within the structure, processes, and control of the Incident Command
System. However, particularly in the early phases of a spill response, many NRDA activities overlap
with environmental assessment performed for the sake of spill response. Because NRDA is carried out
by natural resource trustee agencies and/or their contractors, personnel limitations may require staff to
perform NRDA and response activities simultaneously. Therefore, NRDA staff should remain
coordinated with the spill response organization, and need to work directly with the Unified Command,
Environmental Unit, Wildlife Rescue/Rehabilitation Branch and the NOAA Scientific Support
Coordinator to resolve any problems or address areas of overlap. While NRDA resource requirements
and costs may fall outside the responsibility of the Logistics and Finance sections, coordination is again
important.

2260 Incident Investigation

Investigators from federal and state agencies will not normally be a part of the Unified Command. While
personnel may report to individuals that are part of the UC, the investigators should be separate so as
not to introduce polarizing forces into the Unified Command system.

2300 Response and Support Agencies

2301 Federal Agencies and Teams

2301.1 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 maintains an emergency response team for incidents
in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The majority of the response assets are located in Seattle,
but limited materials are also located in Portland and Anchorage. Federal On Scene Coordinators are
on call 24/7 and can provide a variety of real-time monitoring, modeling and sampling assistance. EPA
has extensive capabilities for air, water, soil, and product sampling EPA is experienced with industrial
chemicals as well as chemical, biological, and radiological warfare agents.

2301.1.1 EPA Environmental Response Team (ERT)

EPA has three Environmental Response Teams stationed around the country (Edison, NJ, Cincinnati,
OH, and Las Vegas, NV) which provide EPA Regional and Headquarters Offices, U. S. Coast Guard,
other local, State and Federal Agencies and foreign governments with technical assistance in
responding to environmental emergencies such as spills of oil and hazardous substances and in
assessing and cleaning up hazardous waste sites. Mandated as a one of the Special Forces under the
National Contingency Plan (NCP), the ERT functions in an advisory capacity to On-Scene Coordinators
(OSCs) and other Federal, State, and local officials concerned with spills and hazardous waste sites.
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The ERT is also utilized in recommending remedial actions for immediate and long-term activities at oil
spill sites and for designing and implementing plans for monitoring air, water and sensitive habitats. The
ERT is designated in the NCP to supply scientific support coordination (SSC) to the U.S. EPA OSC for
inland oil spills. The ERT maintains an around-the -clock emergency response activation system,
assists the regional and program offices in responding to environmental emergencies and uncontrolled
oil and hazardous waste sites, consults on water and air quality criteria, health and safety protocols,
ecological risk assessment, interpretation and evaluation of analytical data, and engineering and
scientific studies, and develops and implements site-specific safety programs.

The ERT also provides specialized equipment to meet specific site requirements for monitoring,
analytical support, waste treatment, and containment and control, and develops technical manuals,
policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for specialized equipment, computer systems, and
analytical processes. The ERT assists in the development of innovative technologies for use at
environmental emergencies and uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and trains Federal, State and local
government officials and private industry representatives in the latest oil and hazardous substance
response technology.

For more information see: http://www.ert.org/

2301.1.2 EPA Radiological Emergency Response Teams

EPA also has two Radiological Emergency Response Teams (RERT), one based in Las Vegas, NV
and one in Montgomery, AL. The RERT responds to emergencies involving releases of radioactive
materials. Working closely with EPA's Superfund Program as well as federal, state, and local agencies,
the RERT responds to emergencies that can range from accidents at nuclear power plants, to
transportation accidents involving shipments of radioactive materials, to deliberate acts of nuclear
terrorism. For additional information see http://www.epa.gov/radiation/rert/rert.htm.

2301.2 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

The mission of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), as an agency of the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is to serve the public by using the best science, taking
responsive public health actions, and providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures
and disease related to toxic substances. ATSDR is directed by congressional mandate to perform
specific functions concerning the effect on public health of hazardous substances in the environment.
These functions include public health assessments of waste sites, health consultations concerning
specific hazardous substances, health surveillance and registries, response to emergency releases of
hazardous substances, applied research in support of public health assessments, information
development and dissemination, and education and training concerning hazardous substances."
(http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/atsdrhome.html)

2301.3 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Has scientific and technical capability to measure, evaluate, and monitor, either on the ground or by
use of aircraft, situations where natural resources including soil, water, wildlife and vegetation have
been impacted by hazardous substances and other natural or man-made emergencies. The USDA may
be contacted through the U.S. Forest Service emergency staff officers who are the designated
members of the RRT.

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2301.4 U.S. Department of Commerce

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides scientific support for response
and contingency planning in coastal and marine area, including assessments of the hazards that may
be involved, predictions of movement and dispersion of oil and hazardous substances through
trajectory modeling, and information on the sensitivity of coastal environments to oil and hazardous
substances. In addition, NOAA provides expertise on living marine resources and their habitats,
including endangered species, marine mammals, and National Marine Sanctuaries.

2301.5 U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
Has responsibility to take all action necessary with respect to releases where either the release is on, or
the sole source of the release is from, any facility or vessel under DOD jurisdiction, custody, or control.
DOD may also provide, consistent with its operational requirements and upon request of the OSC,
locally deployed Navy oil spill equipment and assistance to other federal agencies.

2301.6 U.S. Navy (USN)

Provides expertise in ship salvage, shipboard damage control and diving. The USN has an array of
specialized equipment and personnel that can be used for collection, containment, and removal of oil
and hazardous substances.

2301.7 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

Provides expertise in specialized equipment and personnel for maintaining navigation channels,
removing navigation obstructions, and maintaining hydroelectric facilities. USACE oversees the
permitting of moorage sites for response vessels.

2301.8 U.S. Department of Energy

Provides expertise in handling of radiological material.

2301.9 U.S. Department of Homeland Security

2301.9.1 U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Federal Emergency Management Agency
(DHS-FEMA)

Provides advice and assistance to the OSC on coordinating civil emergency planning and mitigation
efforts to other federal agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector. FEMA’s Mobile
Emergency Response System (MERS) also provides extensive rapid deployment mobile
communications capabilities for use in oil spill response on a not-to-interfere basis with other emergent
situations. An MOU is being developed with FEMA’s MERS to specify the level and type of support
available in a response. In the event of a major disaster declaration or emergency determination by the
President, FEMA will coordinate all federal disaster or emergency action with the FOSC.

2301.9.2 U.S. Department of Homeland Security - The United States Coast Guard (DHS-USCG)

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a military, multi-mission, maritime service and one of the
nation’s five Armed Services. Its mission is to protect the public, the environment, and U.S. economic
interests in the nation’s ports and waterways, along the coast, on international waters, or in any
maritime region as required to support national security.

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In partnership with other federal agencies, state and local governments, marine industries, and
individual mariners, the USCG preserves safety at sea through a focused program of prevention,
response, and investigation. The United States Coast Guard actively protects sensitive marine habitats,
marine mammals, and endangered marine species, and we enforce laws protecting our waters from the
discharge of oil and other hazardous substances. It conducts a wide range of activities, education and
prevention, enforcement, response and containment, and recovery in support of our primary
environmental protection mission areas: maritime pollution enforcement, offshore lightering zone
enforcement, domestic fisheries enforcement, and foreign vessel inspection. The United States Coast
Guard also provides mission-critical command and control support and usually is the first responding
force to environmental disasters in the coastal maritime area. In addition, the USCG is typically the lead
agency for any ensuing maritime response effort. Under the National Contingency Plan, Coast Guard
Captains of the Port (COTP) are the pre-designated Federal On-Scene Coordinators (FOSC) for oil and
hazardous substance incidents in all coastal and some inland areas and through the USCG district
office is the Regional Response Team Co-Chair for the district area.

2301.9.2.1 U.S. Department of Homeland Security - USCG National Strike Force

The National Strike Force’s (NSF) mission is to provide highly trained, experienced personnel and
specialized equipment to Coast Guard and other federal agencies to facilitate preparedness and
response to oil and hazardous substance pollution incidents in order to protect public health and the
environment. The NSF’s area of responsibility covers all Coast Guard Districts and Federal Response
Regions.

The National Strike Force totals over 200 active duty, civilian, reserve, and auxiliary personnel and
includes the National Strike Force Coordination Center (NSFCC); the Atlantic Strike Team; the Gulf
Strike Team; the Pacific Strike Team; and the Public Information Assist Team (PIAT) located at the
NSFCC.

2301.9.2.2 U.S. Department of Homeland Security – USCG Incident Management Assist Teams
(IMAT)

The Incident Management Assist Teams were developed by the USCG to supply a ready-made, team
of Incident Command System, highly trained individuals to assist the local Incident Commander in
dealing with a major incident. There are 4 of them, two on the east coast and two on the west coast
accessed through the two USCG Areas. They are trained for initial quick response to a regional or
nationally significant event. The team consists of a team of ICS process experts that can quickly set up
and develop the incident from the initial response to the ICS proactive operational planning process.
Each IMAT has a limited amount of equipment that they can bring with them to set up the initial ICS
process at the incident command post.

2301.10 U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Responsible for providing assistance on matters related to the assessment of health hazards at a
response and protection of response workers and public health.

2301.11 U.S. Department of Interior (DOI)

Has jurisdiction over the National Park System, National Wildlife Refuges, fish hatcheries, public lands,
and certain water projects in western states. The Regional Environmental Officer (REO) manages the
department’s response programs for oil and hazardous materials spills and oversees the department’s

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responsibilities as a trustee for natural resources. Trustee responsibilities include devising and carrying
a plan for restoration, rehabilitation, or acquisition of equivalent natural resources and to carry our
damage assessment. The department may become involved in spill response once contacted through
the REOs who are designated members of the RRT. In addition, bureaus and offices have relevant
expertise as follows:

2301.12 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Geology, hydrology (ground and surface waters), and natural hazards.

2301.13 Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Minerals, soils, vegetation, wildlife, habitat, archaeology, wilderness, and hazardous materials.

2301.14 Minerals Management Service (MMS)

Staff facilities for Outer Continental Shelf oversight.

2301.15 Bureau of Mines (BOM)

Analysis and identification of inorganic hazardous substances and technical expertise in metals and
metallurgy relevant to site cleanup.

2301.16 National Park Service (NPS)

Natural and cultural expertise, including wilderness, archaeology, Archaeological Resource Protection
Act (ARPA), wildlife, fisheries, vegetation, air quality. Emergency Management: Incident Command
System expertise.

2301.17 Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)

Operation and maintenance of water projects in the west, engineering, hydrology, and reservoirs.

2301.18 Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
Coordination for activities affecting Indian lands, shellfish harvest areas, and cultural sites. Assistance
in identifying Indian tribal government officials.

2301.19 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)

Anadromous and certain other fishes and wildlife, including endangered and threatened species,
migratory birds, and certain marine mammals; waters and wetlands; containments affecting habitat
resources; and laboratory research facilities. This federal agency is also a member of the Washington
Wildlife Rescue Coalition and represents the Federal government’s interests in fish and wildlife.

2301.20 U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

Can provide expert legal advice on complicated legal questions arising from discharges or releases and
federal agency responses. DOJ represents the federal government, including its agencies, in litigation
relating to discharges.

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2301.21 U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)/Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Provides advice and assistance to the EPA and other NRT/RRT agencies as well as to the OSC
regarding hazards to persons engaged in response activities. Technical assistance may include review
of safety plans and work practices and help with other compliance questions. OSHA may also take any
other action necessary to ensure that employees are properly protected at response activities.
Questions about occupational safety and health at these sites should be referred to OSHA regional
offices.

2301.22 U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

Provides response expertise pertaining to transportation of oil or hazardous substances by all modes of
transportation. DOT’s responsibilities also include:

Reconstructing and repairing interstate highways as a result of accidental, natural, disaster, or other
emergency.

Removing obstructions/encroachments from interstate highway rights of way
Closing interstate highways and restricting travel when there is danger to traffic

2302 State Resources/Agencies

2302.1 Washington Resources/Agencies

2302.1.1 Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW)

Trustee of fish, shellfish, wildlife, and associated habitats; also trustee of wildlife management lands
and public access sites.

2302.1.2 Washington Department of Natural Resources (WDNR)

Trustee of state-owned aquatic lands and associated habitat, including kelp, eelgrass, and other
aquatic plants, as well as sediments.

2302.1.3 Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission

Trustee of state park lands, including public recreation sites and associated natural resources.

2302.1.4 Washington Department of Health

Responsible for public health associated with shellfish beds.

2302.1.5 Washington Department of Ecology

Trustee of state water, air, and sediment quality.

Ecology is the lead state agency for environmental pollution response within the state of Washington.
As such, it has pre-designated On-scene Coordinators for spills occurring in state jurisdiction. In this
role, Ecology effectively represents all state agencies and the interests of the state and its citizens. In
the event of a spill occurring on a state highway, Ecology coordinates with the Washington State Patrol

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(WSP), which assumes responsibility as IC, and acts as the lead agency responsible for clean-up
activities.

The key responsibilities of Ecology include:
• Representing state laws and interests in spills by acting as the state On-scene Coordinator
(SOSC) in the Unified Command System;
• Providing 24-hour emergency response to reported spill incidents;
• Notifying the EMD;
• Notifying the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA);
• Determining the source, cause, and responsible party;
• Assuming responsibilities of responsible party if spiller cannot be located or is unresponsive;
• Ensuring that containment, clean up, and disposal are carried out in a timely and adequate
manner;
• Monitoring the safety of Ecology spill response personnel;
• Initiating enforcement action as appropriate;
• Effectively coordinating spill response efforts with other state, federal, and local agencies;
• Establishing joint information center with federal, state, and local agencies, and the
responsible party;
• Activating and coordinating the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) team;
• Participating in the Washington Wildlife Rescue Coalition;
• Notifying the appropriate resource trustee agency if injury to fish, shellfish, habitat, wildlife or
damage to cultural resources is noted or suspected as a result of a spill; and
• Requesting from the National Guard, local fire crews, and prison facilities personnel and
support equipment for response purposes if necessary via EMD.

Additional responsibilities include:
• Acting as head of the state ICS (a role for the Director or designated representative of
Ecology);
• Maintaining a list of clean-up contractors;
• Approving vessel and facility prevention and contingency plans;
• Developing certification procedures for key oil facility personnel;
• Serving as state lead agency under the National Contingency Plan (NCP);
• Serving as state representative on the Regional Response Team (RRT);
• Coordinating information management with federal agencies and the RP;
• Providing funding as appropriate for spill response activities;
• Coordinating and documenting the recovery of costs incurred by the state during a spill
incident.
• Advising parties on the use of dispersants and in situ burning and coordinating their use with
the Regional Response Team;
• Initiating (where Ecology is sole trust agency) a detailed resource damage assessment;
• Approving primary response contractors;
• Evaluating and developing clean up and disposal options;
• Assisting in notification of state agencies;
• Notifying interested parties;
• Local government;
• Tribes;
• Environmental groups;
• Volunteer organizations;
• State legislators;
• Oregon/British Columbia;
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•Conduct on-site inspection of commercial vessels and oil handling facilities;
• Investigates the cause of commercial vessel and oil handling facility incidents; and
• Provide maritime expertise, such as advice on vessel salvage operations.

Ecology will work with public and private parties whose land and other property may be affected by an
oil or hazardous substance discharge and assume the following responsibilities:

• Identifying the RP (if known) and explain the role of the RP in responding to the incident;
• Identifying any hazards which exist or might exist as a result of the spill;
• Explaining the activities which Ecology can and cannot do in monitoring or responding to the
incident;
• Providing technical assistance, if requested, on issues of clean-up, waste disposal, and other
incident related activities;
• Identifying any necessary permits required for clean-up activities; andCoordinating
development/ maintenance of GRPs for Washington waters.

Ecology is a member of the Coalition and will be responsible for coordinating volunteer management
with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and other agencies. Ecology is responsible for the
development and maintenance of the Washington State Volunteer Management Plan.

2302.1.5.1 Washington State Department of Ecology Inland Responsibilities

Although EPA bears primary responsibility for inland spill incidents that occur within the inland zone of
Washington, for certain spill responses Washington State Department of Ecology may be asked to act
as an on-scene representative to EPA under Federal response authorities. Also, Ecology often
responds to spills under state statutory authorities, making a federal response unnecessary. A draft
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining this arrangement is currently the subject of
discussions between EPA and Ecology.

2302.1.5.2 Washington State Department of Ecology Regions
Ecology is divided into four distinct regions across the state. Each region has predesignated SOSCs,
and it is this SOSC that carries Ecology’s primary responsibility in spill response activities within the
region in which the incident occurs.

2302.1.5.3 Washington State Department of Ecology SOSC Responsibilities

Once alerted to a spill, the SOSC/Ecology may engage in either a monitoring role or a response role,
depending on the circumstances of the spill and on-going response efforts (in the event the spill occurs
upon federal lands, the SOSC will respond and assist in clean-up as time and personnel allow, but only
after federal agencies have exhausted their clean-up responsibility options).

In a monitoring capacity, the SOSC is responsible for ensuring that the spiller properly manages the
initial response and containment effort, clean up, disposal of contaminated debris and restoration of the
environment in a manner that is acceptable to the state, the local jurisdictions, and the public. In
addition, the SOSC/Ecology is responsible for coordinating clean-up efforts and representing other
state agencies on the RRT.

In the event the SOSC/Ecology determines that the spiller’s response is inadequate, or no
spiller/responsible party can be located, it may take over response efforts and assume a clean-up role.
In this role, Ecology effectively assumes the responsibilities of the responsible party including
containment, clean up, disposal of oily waste and debris, and the restoration of the environment. It is a
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responsibility of the regional OSC to become familiar with the capability of local responders, local
emergency plans as they pertain to spills and to help develop workable local plans with the appropriate
local planning agencies.

2302.1.5.4 Washington State Ecology Response Team

The Ecology Response Team consists of Washington State Department of Ecology regional office and
headquarters personnel. This team is responsible for determining the source, cause, and responsible
party, as well as initiating enforcement action as appropriate. Additional responsibilities include
ensuring containment, clean up, and disposal are carried out adequately. The team coordinates its
actions with other federal, state, and local agencies.

2302.1.6 Washington Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation
Responsible for protection of historic and archaeological sites.

2302.1.7 Washington Department of Agriculture (WDOA)

Responsible for:
• Providing Technical Assistance;
• Laboratory testing and sampling for spills involving pesticides; and
• Food product testing (e.g. milk, seaweed, etc.).

2302.1.8 Washington Department of Community Development/Office of Archaeology and
Historic Preservation

Responsible for taking all appropriate and necessary steps to protect the state’s significant
archaeological and cultural resources.

2302.1.9 Washington Department of Health (WDOH)

Has responsibility for beach closures for human health and safety purposes, utilization of contaminated
food organisms, and general health-related matters for the safety of the public. In addition, WDOH is to
render all appropriate laboratory support and services to the SOSC. WDOH is a participant in the
NRDA team.

2302.1.10 Washington Department of Labor and Industries/Washington Industrial Safety and
Health Administration (WISHA/DLI)

Primarily responsible for assuring that employers, including oil spill clean-up contractors, Ecology, and
other state agencies are providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. This responsibility
is carried out through enforcement of rules promulgated under authority granted in RCW 49.17. WISHA
also offers a consulting service to employers to assist in their efforts to comply with the above
referenced regulations. Prior to an emergency, WISHA responsibilities include:
• Conducting inspections of oil storage and transit facilities;
• Evaluating facility emergency response plans;
• Determining whether first responders are properly trained; and
• Assisting in the development of plans and procedures which meet the requirement of WISHA
regulations.

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With respect to oil spills, DLI’s specific responsibilities under WAC 296-62-300 entail the performance
of spill responder employers. DLI will evaluate the following:
• The development of a safety and health program;
• Site characterization;
• Site control;
• Medical surveillance;
• Decontamination procedures;
• Emergency response procedures; and
• Personal protective equipment requirements.

Additional responsibilities may involve:
• Providing information and technical assistance to the OSC and responsible party;
• Conducting inspections of employers involved in spill response efforts by compliance officers;
and
• Stationing a compliance officer in the command post to assist the OSC make decisions relative
to employee safety and worker training issues.

L&I establishes and enforces safety requirements for emergency spill response, including for the use of
volunteers.

2302.1.11 Washington Parks and Recreation Commission (WP&RC)

Has the responsibility for maintaining the biological, cultural, natural, and structural resources of
numerous underwater parks, beach properties, mooring buoys, boat launches, and related recreational
facilities and assorted equipment, which may be damaged by large spills of oil or other hazardous
materials. WP&RC may provide equipment and technical assistance in the spill response effort.
WP&RC will conduct a small spill prevention and education program. WP&RC is an active participant in
the NRDA team.

2302.1.12 Washington Department of Transportation (WDOT)

May provide traffic control, equipment, and personnel for non-hazardous clean-up activities on state
and interstate highways. The WDOT may provide and mobilize equipment necessary in a major spill
incident.

2302.2 Oregon Resources/Agencies

2302.2.1 Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)

The Department of Environmental Quality is the Lead State Agency for oil and hazardous materials
incidents, except for spills or releases from chemical weapons at the Umatilla Chemical Depot.
Coordinates state assistance during oil spills and hazardous material incidents.
• Receives notification via OERS;
• Notifies OERS and local response personnel if first on scene or notified by other than OERS
personnel;
• Provides technical assistance and advises on necessary protective actions;
• Evaluates the environmental implications of a spill. In coordination with Oregon State Public
Health, evaluates possible public health effects;
• Coordinates state support to on scene personnel in cooperation with Oregon Emergency
Management;

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•Identifies priority areas for protection and cleanup in consultation with other state and federal
agencies;
• Coordinates public information with other PIOs in the JIC;
• Liaison with federal agencies, adjacent states, local governments, tribes, environmental
groups, volunteers, private firms (shippers, carriers, etc.), as needed;
• Collects and analyzes water, soil, vegetation or tissue samples;
• Identifies cleanup requirements;
• Works with FOSC and RP to ensure that cleanup/restoration is done to specified standards;
• If necessary, coordinates with Governor to exercise Governor’s authority to protect health,
safety and the environment;
• Identifies potential interim storage sites for oiled debris;
• Identifies potential disposal sites and/or methods and ensures that contaminated materials are
disposed of in appropriate manner;
• Investigates cause of spill and pursues enforcement actions;
• Carries out trustee responsibilities including development and implementation of a plan for
restoration, rehabilitation, replacement or acquisition of equivalent natural resources and to
carry out damage assessment;
• Serves as a state Natural Resource Damage Assessment trustee; and
• Serves on the Regional Response Team.

2302.2.3 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW)

• Notifies OERS and local emergency response personnel if first on scene or notified by other
than OERS personnel;
• Responds to incidents that could degrade land or water to the point that fish or wildlife would
be adversely affected, or their habitat degraded or destroyed;
• Evaluates and documents impact on fish and wildlife and scales payment of damages for
losses of fish, wildlife or habitat;
• Serves as a state Natural Resource Damage Assessment trustee;
• Provides advice, counsel and logistics support, as necessary and if possible;
• Provides state oversight of wildlife rescue effort, including coordinator(s) for wildlife
rehabilitation volunteer management;
• Provides public information regarding wildlife rehabilitation;
• Assists in determining priority areas for protection and cleanup; and
• Liaison with federal agencies, as needed.

2302.2.4 Oregon Department of Forestry (ODOF)

• Notifies OERS and local emergency response personnel if first on scene or upon receiving a
report from a forest operator and
• If requested by the lead state agency, the Department of Forestry is capable of mobilizing a
substantial response organization to provide support to emergency responders (radio systems,
dispatch and command center trailers, public information personnel, kitchens and other support
services).

2302.2.5 Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)

• Notifies OERS and local emergency response personnel if first on scene;
• Closes state highways and reroutes traffic when requested and necessary;
•Provides personnel and barricades to implement a closure and detour;
• Will direct spiller to start immediate cleanup if incident occurs on state highways;
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• Can assist with logistics and equipment, as needed; and
• For transportation incidents involving motor carriers, the ODOT Motor Carrier Transportation
Branch provides investigation after the incident has been stabilized. ODOT regulates the
transport of hazardous materials by motor carrier in Oregon.

For transportation incidents involving rail, the ODOT Rail Section provides investigation after the
incident has been stabilized. ODOT regulates the transport of hazardous materials by rail in Oregon.
ODOT's Board of Maritime Pilots establishes pilotage grounds, licenses maritime pilots, sets pilotage
fees, and conducts hearings. The Board also has the authority to set requirements for certain vessels
carrying oil in pilotage grounds.

2302.2.6 Oregon Parks and Recreation Department

• Notifies OERS and local emergency response personnel if first on scene;
• For an incident affecting a state park, Parks and Recreation personnel assist other agencies in
crowd and/or traffic control and provide equipment and facilities, as possible;
• Assists in determination of site location for command post, access points, etc., as needed;
• Provide information on cultural resources;
• Evaluates and documents impacts to State Park land and scales payment of damages for
losses; and
• Provides advice, counsel, and logistics support as necessary and if possible.
• An archaeologist with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) must be notified when any
spill cleanup will result in ground disturbing activities. The SHPO can be contacted through the
Oregon Emergency Response System at (800) 452-0311.

2302.2.7 Oregon Division of State Lands (DSL)

• Notifies OERS and local emergency response personnel if first on scene;
• Lead state agency for removal and fill activities, including wetlands;
• For an incident affecting DSL lands, provides advice, counsel, and logistics support as
necessary and if possible; and
• Evaluates and documents impacts to and scales payment of damages for losses.

2302.2.8 Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA)

• Direct and/or assist in mitigating the event and/or agricultural threat response
• Evaluate the adverse impact of an accident on agricultural resources: animals, food, crops,
plants, water, soil etc.
• Provide technical information on pesticides and fertilizers
• Provide laboratory analysis capability
• Provide assistance during incidents to prevent or mitigate shellfish contamination
• Prepare information for dissemination to the public, producers, processors and other
concerned groups

2302.2.9 Oregon State Public Health (OSPH)

•Lead State Agency for all radiation emergencies other than transportation accidents and
maintains the State Radiation Emergency Response Field Team;
• Provides coordination and assistance during incidents involving hazardous materials and oil to
protect public health and to prevent drinking water contamination;
• Notifies OERS if first notified or first on scene;
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• Assures that Hazardous Substance training is provided to emergency medical personnel prior
to spill response;
• Evaluates public health implications of incident;
• Recommends measures to protect public health;
• Coordinates emergency medical services within state;
• Collects and analyzes samples, as needed, for drinking water or radiological agents;
• Ensure that cleanup and restoration is done to specified standards for biological or radiological
agents; and
• Coordinates public information with local PIO.

2302.2.10 Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OR-OSHA)

• Provide technical assistance on worker safety and health issues.
• Liaison with federal OSHA when worker safety and health issues are coordinated pursuant to
OSHA regional and national emergency management plans, or under the National Response Plan.
• Assist and coordinate on subjects such as worker protection related to incident-specific health and
safety site plans (HASP), risk (hazard/exposure) assessments, personal protective equipment
(PPE) and respiratory protection programs, responder training, and/or decontamination.
• Assist and coordinate on actions such as personal exposure monitoring and laboratory analysis of
occupational exposure samples; data collection, interpretation and sharing; and reports and
recordkeeping.
• Assist and coordinate on technical information resources to facilitate effective risk management
and risk communication.

2302.2.11 Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE)

Lead state agency for planning, preparedness, and response to nuclear emergencies at fixed
facilities (Hanford nuclear facilities, Columbia Generating Station, Trojan Independent Spent Fuel
Storage Installation, Oregon State University Research Reactor, and Reed College Research
Reactor), radioactive materials transport accidents, and petroleum shortages and disruptions.

• Direct and coordinate state response to radiological emergencies at fixed nuclear facilities and on
state roads and highways.
• Direct and coordinate the allocation of fuel to the state's emergency (police, fire, medical services)
and essential services (utilities, public works, public transit, sanitation, telecommunications, etc.)
sectors during petroleum emergencies.
• Perform technical assessment, determine impacts to Oregon, and recommend protective actions
for the public.
• Direct and coordinate emergency information with federal, state, and local public information
officers to ensure consistent messages are released to the public and news media.
• Develop, maintain, and coordinate the review of plans and procedures.
• Provide training, drills, and exercises to ensure federal, state, local, and industry response
personnel are prepared to provide a coordinated response to nuclear and petroleum emergencies
impacting Oregon.
•Serve as liaison to federal agencies, other western states, utilities, petroleum suppliers, and
private firms (shippers, carriers, etc.)
• Distribute and maintain radiation detection equipment provided to Oregon Health Services and the
state's Hazardous Material Teams.

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2302.2.12 Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFM)

• Notifies OERS if first on scene;
• Arranges for fire service response and urban search and rescue to on scene operations when
the Conflagration Act is initiated through the Governor, allowing him to call in resources from
outlying fire districts;
• Coordinates response of the Regional HAZMAT Teams;
• Through Incident Management Teams provides communications, logistics, resource
management and other support to the local Incident Commander during conflagrations or
declared emergencies, as requested;
• Provides hazardous materials planning and response training assistance to all local and state
government agencies;
• Provides fixed site information on oil and hazardous materials from hazardous substance
survey database;
• Maintains hazardous materials incident reporting system, record incidents for informational
and statistical purposes; and
• Maintains hazardous materials incident communications through the FIRE NET radio system.

2302.2.13 Military Department (National Guard, Army and Air)

When authorized by the Governor, in a major incident provides site security, administers first aid and
care for evacuees, transports specialists, and assists in the recovery, identification and disposition of
the deceased.

2302.2.14 Oregon State University

Can call on a wide variety of expertise on a non-emergency basis.
Operates the Extension Toxicology Network (http://ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet) and the Oregon
Toxicology Information Center which can provide specific information on toxicology.

2302.3 Idaho Resources/Agencies

2302.3.1 Idaho Division of Environmental Quality

During a hazardous materials Incident, the Division will:
• Provide a Communications Moderator, Environmental Coordinator and Environmental
Investigator in support of the Incident Commander. (In the case of radioactive or mixed wastes,
the INEEL Oversight Program staff will staff the Communications Moderator, Environmental
Investigator and Environmental Coordinator functions.);
• Assess and evaluate incident environmental risks;
• Coordinate environmental investigations and monitoring programs with involved agencies;
• Oversee cleanup and disposal of hazardous wastes, substances and materials, and
deleterious materials;
• Develop and update the IDHW/DEQ information (Tab 2) portion of the state response plan;
• Develop and maintain a state-wide comprehensive emergency response roster;
•Maintain a record of all environmental emergency response incidents involving DEQ and its
contractors; and
• Notify and assist Department of Health and Welfare Public Information Officer.

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2302.3.2 Bureau of Homeland Security

In 2004 the State of Idaho stood up a Bureau of Homeland Security which combined the functions of
the previous Bureau of Disaster Services and Bureau of Hazardous Materials. More information may be
found at http://www.bhs.idaho.gov/
• BHSS establishes and maintains a State EOC for coordinating, controlling and directing state
emergency operations in support of local jurisdictions;
• BHS maintains continuity and congruence of this plan with the State Emergency Plan, Part II,
Governor's Executive Order, and the various County Emergency Operations Plans;
• BHS, in support of this plan, assists in coordination of: communications, transportation,
volunteers, logistics, planning, training and exercising;
• BHS coordinates state activities when a state declaration is eminent or declared;
• BHS coordinates the formation of Multi-Agency Damage Assessment Teams in support of this
plan, local government and/or state Declaration as appropriate. (Annex L, Idaho Emergency
Plan, Part II); and
• BHS prepares state declaration and formal request for Federal assistance when appropriate.
(Annex L and M, Idaho Emergency Plan, Part II.)

BHS coordinates requests for DOE-ID emergency radiological assistance pursuant to the MOU
between the State of Idaho and the US Department of Emergency for radiological assistance response
as prescribed under the DOE-ID Radiological Assistance Plan.

2302.3.3 Idaho Transportation Department (ITD)

ITD's intended level of hazardous materials involvement is generally limited to transportation related
spills or releases.

ITD employees attend a 4-hour Hazardous Materials Training Session, provided by the department, to
become familiar with placarding, standard operating procedures, characteristics of chemicals, health
hazards and emergency procedures.

ITD personnel can be utilized for traffic control, to include: signing, barricading, flagging and road
closures.

ITD may aid State and/or Local organizations in evacuation if necessary to protect human life.

Only ITD has authority to close a state numbered or U.S. numbered highway. Call the ITD district office
to request a road closure or to report that a road closure has been accomplished.

ITD can cover and/or contain unknown material not immediately dangerous to life and health until
appropriate disposal measures can be taken. ITD can attempt to contain spills which are not life
threatening, based on materials and equipment availability by:
Damming the material with fine ashes, sand, or earth.
Trenching a hazardous substance to a hole or depression.
Diverting a hazardous substance away from streams or sewers.
Catching hazardous materials in containers.

ITD cannot engage in clean-up activities unless directed by the District Engineer or a higher authority.
ITD may render emergency aid to contain a spill and undertake actions required to prevent injury and
property damage.

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ITD will not remove materials from a site without first knowing the identity of the materials, the proper
disposal method, the identity of the responsible party and then only with an ITD supervisor approval.

2302.3.4 Idaho Department of Fish and Game

Provide auxiliary police assistance to Idaho State Police. Conservation Officers will respond to requests
from District State Police Dispatchers to assist with traffic control, evacuation and other related police
duties in case of hazardous materials spill.
Provide assistance, as requested by the Incident Commander or Communications Moderator, in
monitoring and evaluating possible impacts to fish and wildlife resources from a hazardous materials
incident.

2302.3.5 Idaho Department of Agriculture

The Department of Agriculture conducts various activities which may provide some assistance to
emergency response personnel.
Within the Division of Agricultural Technology, under the Bureau of Education and Compliance, there
are a number of field personnel who investigate pesticide misuse. The investigators are located in
various areas throughout the state and may be of assistance when information is needed relating to the
distribution or use of pesticides or in locating licensed applicators and/or dealers.
The Bureau of Agrichemical Standards maintains a complete file of all registered pesticide labels sold
or used in the state, as well as a file of all licensed applicators and dealers. Additionally, this bureau
maintains a file of all licensed fertilizer dealers and registered fertilizer products sold in Idaho, maintains
a file of labels for registered fertilizers, and has a field force of investigators knowledgeable in fertilizer
distribution within the state.
The Division of Animal Industries has an inspection force knowledgeable in animal health related
matters. Assistance may be valuable in the event of suspected radiation exposure to animals. The
State Veterinarian is the contact for information relating to these activities:
In addition, the State Veterinarian requests notification when domestic animals are involved in any
emergency response call. Assistance may be valuable in the event of suspected radiation exposure to
animals.

2302.3.6 Idaho Division of Health

The Division of Health will be responsible for: 1) contact and communication; 2) emergency medical
response direction; 3) technical assistance; and, 4) laboratory support with regard to hazardous
material incidents that occur in Idaho. The support will be coordinated by the Division Administrator
through the Office of Environmental Health, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, Bureau of
Communicable Diseases, and Bureau of Laboratories.‖

2302.3.7 Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR)

The Department of Water Resources should be notified of any hazardous materials emergency
(radioactive or non-radioactive) which will likely affect any surface water, dams, water wells, and waste
disposal and injection wells.
• The Department may be able to forewarn water users of impending problems;

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• Any stream channel alteration requires the approval of IDWR. This may be necessary during
the clean-up process. An emergency waiver can be given if conditions warrant and it is requested;
• IDWR has administrative authority to enforce safety considerations at water and tailings
impoundments;
• IDWR has administrative authority over operation and abandonment of waste disposal and
injection wells, and monitoring and exploration holes; and
• IDWR has administrative authority over construction, maintenance and abandonment of water
wells including monitoring wells.

2302.3.8 Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Oversight Program (INEEL-
OP)

The Oversight Program (OP) monitors, assesses and responds to normal and abnormal operations of
the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). In addition, the OP
responds to radiological incidents throughout the State. Both the Boise and Idaho Falls offices can
provide a variety of technical and administrative services to support the State.

The INEL-OP employs health physicists and other radiological experts at the Idaho Falls Office. These
staff members will, in the event of a radiological incident:
• Serve as Communications Moderators to provide radiological expertise and support to incident
characterization and classification;
• Provide dose assessment and risk information; and
• Depending upon the circumstances, assist or direct the states radiological environmental
investigation in support of the incident commander.

For radiological incidents, the OP will serve as Communications Moderator. For other incidents that
may involve radiological materials or the INEL, the OP will provide a recommendation of an appropriate
state agency or department to serve as Communications Moderator.

2303 State Emergency Management

2303.1 Washington Emergency Management

2303.1.1 State Emergency Response Commission (SERC)

The SERC was formed in response to the federal ―Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know
Act‖ intended to increase public knowledge of hazardous chemicals in their communities and the
dangers posed when releases occur to the environment.

2303.1.2 Military Department, Emergency Management Division

Responsible for:
• Developing and maintaining a Hazardous Materials Emergency Support Function;
• Developing and maintaining a state Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan;
• Maintaining a 24-hour capability to receive notification of incidents and requests for assistance
and initial notification to local, state, and federal response agencies;
• Activating the state Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as needed to coordinate state
resource identification and acquisition in support of Ecology response;
• Deploying EMD liaison/coordinator to the Ecology Command Post to support Ecology
response activities;
•Providing a Public Information Officer (PIO) to the Joint Information Center (JIC);
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• Providing communications links via CEMNET and other EMD systems on a routine or
emergency basis to Ecology and contractor personnel;
• Maintaining an updated list of NRDA team members as submitted by participating agencies
• Maintaining and updating a notification list of federal, state and local agencies involved in
emergency response;
• Coordinating procurement of state resources for use by the OSC or as requested by local
EMD or other designated local or state response agencies; and
• Coordinating and participating in emergency exercises and drills to the extent possible.

2303.2 Oregon Emergency Management

2303.2.1 Oregon Emergency Response System (OERS) Council

A body of state agencies involved in emergency planning and response which meets on a quarterly
basis to review the roles and responsibilities of state agencies in an all-hazard environment which
includes spill response, system needs and improvements, and communication capabilities.

2303.2.2 State Emergency Response Commission (SERC)

The SERC is composed of government and industry officials appointed by the Governor to implement
the provisions of Title III of the Federal Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of
1986. The group approves Local Emergency Response Plans. The group also designates emergency
planning districts and provides oversight to the Local Emergency Planning Committee. The Oregon
State Fire Marshal is the state lead agency for the SERC.

2303.2.3 Oregon Emergency Response System (OERS)

Responsible for:
• Maintaining 24-hour notification and coordination capability through the Oregon Emergency
Response System (OERS);
• Notifying lead state agencies; other notifications made as needed or upon request;
• Providing and/or coordinating statewide communications systems.

2303.3 Idaho Emergency Management

2303.3.1 Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security (BHS)
The Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security is designated by state law to carry out the functions of a state
emergency response commission as described by the federal Emergency Planning and Community
Right to Know Act (EPCRA). In addition there is formed, within the office of the governor, a broadly
based Emergency Response Commission that advises the governor on all hazards facing Idaho’s
citizens, including hazardous materials.

2304 Law Enforcement Agencies

2304.1 Washington

2304.1.1 Washington State Patrol (WSP)
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Acts as the designated Incident command agency for incidents on interstate and state highways, and
other roads and jurisdictions as delegated. When a spill occurs on a state highway, Ecology joins the
Unified Command and acts as the lead agency for clean-up response. Specifically, the WSP:
• Assist local authorities with local law enforcement operations and evacuations of all persons
and property;
• Coordinates and maintains liaison with the state Department of Corrections, WDW, licensing
Commission, Military, WDNR, Liquor Control Board, WP&RC, and the Utilities and Transportation
Commission for use of their available personnel and equipment, for reinforcement and special
emergency assignments;
• Assists the EMD receive and disseminate of warning information to state and local
government;
• Provides communication resources in support of statewide emergency operational needs;
• Coordinates law enforcement and emergency traffic control throughout the state. Enforces
emergency highway regulations;
• Assumes the role of IC on all state, and inter-state highways, and a variety of political
subdivisions;
• Currently IC in over 400 political subdivisions, including cities, towns, ports, counties, and fire
districts;
• The IC is required to function under federal regulations;
• The IC can offer immunity to liability under the ―Good Samaritan‖ statute (RCW 70.136);
• The WSP is required to provide supervisory assistance to other IC agencies when requested;
• Provides radiological monitoring;
• Provides security at the state Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during disaster operations;
• Provides aircraft for reconnaissance of disaster impacted areas;
• Serves as the lead agency in the state EOC for coordinating disaster law enforcement
activities;
• Provides PIO support to the office of the governor and the EMD during an emergency, and
during recover operations;
• Serves as one of the three members of the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC);
and
• Serves as Chair of the Emergency Response sub-Committee of the State Hazardous Materials
Advisory Committee.

2304.2 Oregon

2304.2.1 Oregon State Police (OSP)

Receives initial OERS notification on weekends, holidays, and after hours; notifies Oregon Emergency
Management Duty Officer. Acts as initial Incident Command Agency until local command agency or
appropriate federal agency is on scene, or if no local agency is available. Provides Law Enforcement
support including traffic control, crowd control and site security. Coordinates mortuary services.

2304.3 Idaho

2304.3.1 Idaho State Police (ISP)
The State Police have the statutory duty pursuant to Idaho Code Section 19-4804 to (a) enforce all of
the penal and regulatory laws of the state; and (b) require the persons using the highways to do so
carefully; and (c) protect the physical portions of the highways and enforce laws promoting highway
safety. Additionally, Idaho Code Section 61-807 charges the State Police (together with the Public

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Utilities Commission and the Idaho Transportation Department) with the enforcement of the Public
Utilities Commission's motor carrier safety regulations.

A member of the Idaho State Police is frequently the first law enforcement officer to arrive at the scene
of a hazardous material incident on the highways of the State of Idaho. Upon notification of any
hazardous material incident, ISP will respond according to its established policy. ISP will provide a
Transportation Enforcement Coordinator.

The Transportation Enforcement Coordinator (TEC), appointed by the Incident Commander, is
responsible for overseeing the investigation of the accident/incident relative to enforcement of
transportation regulations. The TEC must possess the capability and authority to enforce the code of
federal regulations and applicable state laws that govern the transportation of hazardous materials.
Providing support to the Incident Commander, the TEC's primary concerns include protection of the
accident/incident scene, obtaining information and collecting evidence necessary to support civil and/or
criminal proceedings.

The State Police employ five hazardous materials specialists, and 10 Motor Carrier Safety Assistance
Program (MCSAP) officers who are specially trained in motor carrier enforcement including hazardous
chemical and radioactive material response. ISP supervisors with the rank of Sergeant through Major,
are trained in the hazardous materials (HAZMAT) first responder operations level and incident
command. A HAZMAT awareness level course for the first responder is provided to Peace Officers
Standards and Training by the Idaho State Police.

A telephone call to any Idaho State Police District office can initiate the Idaho State Police response.
Verification of a hazardous materials incident will immediately be relayed to ISP Staff Headquarters in
Meridian (884-7200). The appropriate response plans, local and/or state-wide, would be initiated.‖

2305 HAZMAT Response Teams
Federal, state, and private HAZMAT Response Teams provide specialized technical support to the UC.
Contact each team to determine its capability and qualifications.

Under the direction of the UC these teams may verify or help establish the following:
• Spill containment;
• Hazard determination;
• Measurements of concentrations of materials;
• Contamination control;
• Control of exposure for emergency workers and the public;
• On-scene liaison;
• Initial decontamination (if necessary);
• Environmental protection measures; and
• Support to hospital emergency room (if possible and necessary) for contamination control.

See additional HAZMAT information in section 7000

2306 Indian Tribes

Spills may affect tribes by either occurring on or near a reservation, or by threatening treaty reserved
resources (including habitat) or cultural areas. There are 37 federally recognized Indian Tribes in the
Northwest Area.

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2306.1 Washington Tribes (24):

• Chehalis;
• Colville;
• Hoh;
• Jamestown Klallam;
• Kalispel;
• Makah;
• Muckleshoot;
• Nisqually;
• Nooksack;
• Port Gambel – Klallam;
• Puyallup;
• Qulieute;
• Quinault;
• Sauk – Suiatle;
• Shoalwater Bay;
• Skokomish;
• Spokane;
• Squaxin Island;
• Stillaquamish;
• Suquamish;
• Swinomish;
• Tulalip;
• Upper Skagit; and
• Yakima.

2306.2 Oregon Tribes (9):

• Burns Paiute;
• Coos - Lower Umpqua – Siuslaw;
• Coquille Indian Tribe;
• Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians;
• Grand Ronde, Confederated Tribes;
• Klamath;
• Siletz;
• Umatilla; and
• Warm Springs.

2306.3 Idaho Tribes (4):
• Coeur d’Alene;
• Kootenai;
• Nez Perce; and
• Shoshone Bannock.

The reservations vary in size from those that own only the land where the tribal headquarters is located,
to those like the Colville, Warm Springs, Yakima, Makah, and Fort Hall who each own very large
reservations. Each Tribe has governmental responsibilities on their respective reservation. Most
have active police departments and some system of emergency response, usually including trained
volunteer first aid responders working in conjunction with a volunteer fire department.

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In addition to land areas owned outright, many tribes have treaty rights to use of land and waters
outside their reservation lands. Tribal lands but both marine and inland waterways. Treaty rights make
tribes a partner in planning and often an impacted resource owner. Tribes have participated in
developing Geographic Response Plans (GRPs). Tribes are considered sovereign entities when
planning for and responding to oil spill or hazardous substance releases. The Unified Command system
provides for tribal involvement during response activities. The FOSC is legally responsible for tribal
notification, but Department of Interior (DOI) may provide assistance. On-scene coordination is directly
with tribal representatives. If a spill impacts tribal land, tribal governments will have authority over the
use of volunteers.

2307 Local Resources/Agencies

2307.1 Washington

Under state law and the State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, different local
departments have different responsibilities and capabilities which may be utilized in a major oil or
hazardous substance discharge. The following responsibilities are typically shared among local fire, law
enforcement, emergency medical, public works, health departments, etc., for incidents involving oil or
hazardous materials:
• Notification to EMD;
• Initial hazard determination and containment;
• Communications;
• Search and rescue (SAR);
• Liaison with other local officials; and
• Provides evacuation, shelter and mutual aid to other local EMDs.

2307.1.1 Emergency Management Agencies

May be involved with planning, training and assisting with interagency coordination. During incidents,
may activate the community Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to support on-scene operations and
requests for resources and other assistance. May support each other under mutual aid to augment staff
or provide liaison. May be involved with the Local Emergency Planning Committee under Title III of
SARA.

The responsibilities of local government’s EMD include:
• Acting as the coordinator for the various local emergency organizations and as the local liaison
to Washington State EMD when that agency is involved;
• Contacting local landowners. (May also be performed by local Health Department);
• Establishing a Joint Information Center (JIC);
• Coordinating and maintaining liaison with local government units (fire, medical, public works,
sheriff-law enforcement); and
• Providing communications with local government and industry.

Most jurisdictions have identified an Emergency Operations Center from which local operations are
coordinated and supported. The facilities are usually found in the basement of local courthouses or
some other fixed facility and are managed by the local department of emergency management. Field
Command Posts are established by Incident Command Agencies to direct operations from the field.
Local EMD in Washington State has developed a mutual aid system to assist each other, when
needed, in an oil spill or other major emergency. An ―overhead team‖ of local emergency managers
with oil spill, incident command, and response planning and experience has been developed. It may be
activated by contacting any team member or through the state EMD Duty Officer, by any local EMD
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needing assistance. The response is done on a concept of mutual aid with all costs being borne by the
responder and their respective jurisdiction unless specific arrangements are made with the requesting
jurisdiction. Assistance could include, but not be limited to, policy level representation in the unified
command, liaison, emergency public information and/or communications.

The size of the local government, its resources, and available personnel will greatly influence the
existence and scope of local plans. Plans that are developed or updated are to be reviewed by the
regional OSC of Ecology. Local government Emergency Management Directors and staff may assist
each other under mutual aid to augment local responses staff and to provide liaison with other
response agencies.

City or county governments may play a role in volunteer management during oil spills in providing
support to the wildlife rescue effort or in implementing the State’s Emergency Worker Program for other
volunteer tasks.

2307.1.2 Fire Departments

Generally, a primary local response agency, many have designated themselves the ―Incident
Command Agency‖ as per RCW 70.136. As capabilities differ, this may range from fully equipped
teams which do most response actions to just the fire command personnel providing incident
management.

2307.1.3 Site Safety Personnel/Health Departments

May deal with such issues as personnel protection, public health, environmental impacts and
identification of unknown products. Also may assist the Incident Command Agency with information
disposal techniques or identification of disposal contractors.

2307.2 Oregon

2307.3 Idaho

2400 Reserved for Future Use

2500 Reserved for Future Use

2600 Reserved for Future Use

2700 Reserved for Future Use

2800 Reserved for Future Use

2900 Reserved for Future Use

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CHAPTER 3000

OPERATIONS

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Chapter 3000 Table of Contents

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3000 OPERATIONS
3100 Operations Section Organization
The following is an organizational chart of the Operations Section and its subordinate units. It serves as
an example and is not meant to be all-inclusive. The functions of the Operations Section must be
accomplished during an incident; however, they can be performed by one individual or can be
expanded, as needed, into additional organizational units with appropriate delegation of authority.

Information regarding the Operation Section and Staff positions within the command can be found in
the Oil Spill Field Operations Guide (FOG), Incident Command System, 2000 Edition (ICS-OS-420-1
dated June 2000) or the US Coast Guard Incident Management Handbook 2001 Edition, (COMDTPUB
P 3120.17 Apr 2001)

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3110 Operations Section Planning Cycle Guide

OPERATIONAL PLANNING P

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3200 Roles and Responsibilities

The Operations Section is responsible for the direction and coordination of all incident tactical
operations in accordance with the Incident Action Plan (IAP) in support of the Incident
Commander/Unified Command (IC/UC) Objectives. This is done under the management of the
Operations Section Chief.

Refer to the Operation Section Organizational Chart on page 3-3 for the typical roles that may be
manned during an incident. Not all positions must be filled. The Incident Commander may create or
modify positions in the ICS Structure as necessary. This authority may be delegated to the Section
Chief. All functions within the Operations Section Organization not assigned by the Section Chief
remain the responsibility of the Section Chief.

For descriptions of the functions/responsibilities of the Section Chief, Branch Directors, Division/Group
Supervisors, Strike Team/Task Force Leaders, and Staging Area Managers within the Operation
Section Organization with the exception of the Wildlife Branch Director and Deputy Director refer to:
• Oil Spill Field Operations Guide (FOG), Incident Command System, 2000 Edition (ICS-OS-
420-1 dated June 2000);
• US Coast Guard Incident Management Handbook 2001 Edition, (COMDTPUB P 3120.17 Apr
2001); AND
USCG Homeport Website: http://homeport.uscg.mil/mycg/portal/ep/home.do (look in the library tab)

3300 Wildlife Branch

It is the policy of the Northwest Area Committee that representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS) will assume the position of Director and Deputy Director of the Wildlife Branch. State
Fish and Wildlife representatives will assume these positions if a USFWS representative is not
available, or if designated by a USFWS representative. This designation may be made on a case-by-
case basis, or through a pre-existing agreement.

Appointment of other parties, including Responsible Party (RP) representatives, to one or both of these
positions may be made by a USFWS representative or their designee at any time during an incident,
and for such periods as may be deemed appropriate.

3400 Initial Emergency Communication

The primary emergency notification list for this plan is located in the Forward, Page v-vii. This list is
provided for all users as a reference to meet reporting mandates and includes:
• Required Notification Numbers.

3410 Natural Resource Trustee Notification Numbers

Natural Resource Trustee Notification Numbers for this plan are located in Chapter 9000, Section 9100,
RRT Area Committee Membership:
• Federal Representatives: Section 9124 – DOC and DOI;
• State Representatives: Section 9126 – WA, OR, and ID; and
• Tribe Representatives: Section 3500 for contact information.

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3420 Natural Resource Trustee Notification Guidelines

Response agencies shall also ensure that all appropriate notifications are made. The OSC shall
promptly notify Natural Resources Trustees of discharges or releases according to the following
Notification Guidelines under their jurisdiction. The OSCs shall coordinate all response activities with
the Natural Resource Trustees.

Trustees are defined in the National Contingency Plan as Federal, state, or tribal officials who are to act
on behalf of the public to manage and control natural resources. In addition to the operational
notifications described above, trustees must be notified of oil spills and hazardous materials incidents
that may impact or threaten natural resources under their care. Trustees in the northwest area and the
circumstances when they must be notified are described below. When it is unclear if an incident meets
a given trustee’s notification threshold, the trustee should be notified.

3420.1 Federal

3420.1.1 Secretary of Commerce – NOAA

NOAA HAZMAT Division: (206) 526-4911
1. For any spill, or threat of a spill, of oil or petroleum products greater than 1,000 gallons;
2. For any release, or threat of a release, of a hazardous material of any quantity that is or has
potential to impact the aquatic or marine environment;
3. For any spill or release, or threat of a spill or release, that could potentially impact;
o The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary;
o Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve; and
o South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve;
4. Any impact or threat of impact to a site that has been identified as a sensitive site in your
ACP/GRP, or is likely to involve a federally listed endangered species; and
5. Any time you need scientific support regardless of the reason.

3420.1.2 Secretary of Interior - USF&W

Department of the Interior: (503) 231-6157 daytime
(503) 807-3829 cell phone
1. For all oil spills greater than 1000 gallons;
2. For all major potential incidents such as vessel grounding; and
3. For oil spills less than 1000 gallons and all chemical spills rely on the FOSC’s judgment
regarding potential impacts to trust resources.

3420.2 State

3420.2.1 Washington

1. The Washington Emergency Management Division (EMD)
o All spills of oil into Washington State waters must be immediately reported to the Washington
State EMD. Marine casualties, disabled vessels or near-miss incidents should also be reported.
See ―Required Notifications‖ in the Forward in this document Pages v – vii.
2. The Washington State Department of Ecology
o For spills of hazardous substances, the spiller is required to notify the nearest regional office
of Ecology. See ―Required Notifications‖ in the Forward in this document Pages v – vii.

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3420.2.2 Oregon

The Oregon Emergency Response System (OERS)
• All spills of a reportable quantity of oil or hazardous substances in Oregon must be reported by
the spiller to OERS. See ―Required Notifications‖ in the Forward in this document Pages v – vii.
• Reportable Quantities:
o For oil: If spilled into waters of the state, or escape into waters of the state is likely,
any quantity of oil that would produce a visible oily slick, oily solids, or coat aquatic life,
habitat or property with oil, but excluding normal discharges from properly operating
marine engines; if spilled on the surface of the land, any quantity of oil over one barrel
(42 gallons).
o For hazardous substances see OAR 340-142-0050.

3420.2.3 Idaho

Idaho Department of Homeland Security / Idaho Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
• The party responsible for a spill in Idaho State waters is required by Idaho State law to notify
DHS/EMS. See ―Required Notifications‖ in the Forward in this document Pages v – vii.

3420.3 Tribes

Tribes with reservation and/or usual and accustom hunting or fishing grounds within the states of Idaho,
Oregon, and Washington, must be notified by the Federal On Scene Coordinator in the event a spill
may impact or threaten to impact any of their resources. Since boundaries for usual and accustom
hunting and fishing grounds may be complicated, it is recommended that the Department of Interior
and/or the Bureau of Indian Affairs be consulted to ensure proper notifications are made. Tribes must
also be notified if there may be a potential impact from a spill or spill response operations to any tribal
cultural resources. Again, DOI and BIA may assist in identification of tribes for notification. However, it
remains the FOSC’s responsibility to make all proper notifications to tribes.

Contact numbers for each of the tribes are listed in Section 3500 of this Chapter.

3500 Tactical Response Options

The Operations Section in coordination with the Planning Section develops the specific tactics for
response strategy implementation.

3510 Situation Assessment

Note: At any release where the lead agency determines that there is a threat to the public health or
welfare or the environment, the lead agency may take appropriate removal action to abate, prevent,
minimize, stabilize, mitigate, or eliminate the release or threat of release, or the threat resulting from
that release (NCP, Section 300.415(b)(1)). At releases determined to pose a substantial threat to public
health or welfare, the FOSC must direct a response to the incident.

The following checklist is intended to be used as a guideline of considerations to be referred to when
developing tactical response options/strategies. This list is NOT in order of importance and may not
apply to every situation. The checklist does not limit the Operations Section from choosing response
options/strategies that are not listed.

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o Evaluate if special circumstances exist requiring special action
o Health and Safety Issues
o Fire and/or Explosions (see Gasoline Response Policy Section 4650)
o Requirements for Access Limitations (Barricades, Security Fences, etc…)
o Vessel Collision
o Vessel Groundings
o Lightering Operations
o Salvage Operations
o Vessel Traffic Blockages
o Sample collection and analysis for evaluation or source determination
o Implement support infrastructure
o Determine response structure consistent with Unified Command System principles that will
be used, and from there determine level of support needed to fill positions in the structure (see
Unified Command System discussion in Chapter 2000) which include Finance/Admin, Logistics,
Operations, and Planning.
o Implement Geographic Response Plan for location based on real time information and
protection strategy effectiveness (See Planning Chapter 4000, Section 4400;
http://www.rrt10nwac.com/geo_plans.htm.
o Determine and mobilize personnel necessary for initial response efforts
o Mobilize equipment: refer to http://www.wrrl.us/index.html
o Coordinate volunteers (See Chapter 4000)
o Identify initial resources at risk using GRPs or any other source of information available (See
Chapter 4000, Section 4400)
o Natural Resources – Fish, wildlife, habitats and Endangered Species Act (ESA) Issues (See
Chapter 4000, Section 4314)
o Cultural Resources – Initiate contact with a State Historic Preservation Officer (See Chapter
4000, Section 4313, NHPA: http://www.achp.gov/overview.html#top)
o Socio-economic Resources – Water Intakes, Parks, Beaches, Marinas, Commerce, Non
release aquaculture
o Notify and coordinate with Natural Resource Trustees (in State of
Washington this contact should be made through the NRDA Chair).
o Coordinate with Federal and State Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) personnel

3520 Containment and Cleanup

The following is a checklist intended to be used as a guideline of considerations to be referred to when
developing tactical response options/strategies. This list is NOT in order of importance and may not
apply to every situation. The checklist does not limit the Operations Section from choosing response
options/strategies that are not listed.

Refer to ―Characteristic Coastal Habitats: Choosing Spill Response Alternatives‖ Job Aid at
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oilaids/coastal/coastal.html, Chapter 4000 Section 4600, and
Chapter 9000 Section 9640 ―Northwest Area Shoreline Countermeasures Assessment Manual‖ for
detailed information on the listed options/strategies
• Natural Recovery (Which may include setting aside areas for research purposes and
countermeasures effectiveness determination. (Recognize that identifying set-aside sites
involves a complex matrix of scientific, logistical, legal, and public relations issues.)
• Booming and containment (See Gasoline Policy Section 4650)
• Skimming (See Gasoline Policy Section 4650)
• Barriers and Berms
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• Physical herding
•Manual Oil Removal/Cleaning
• Mechanical Oil Removal
• Sorbents
• Vacuuming
• Debris Removal
• Sediment Reworking/ Tilling
• Vegetation Cutting/Removal
• Flooding/Deluge
• Dispersants (Chapter 4000 Section 4620 and
• http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/disp_aid/disp_aid.html)
• In-Situ Burning (Chapter 4000 Section 4630 & Chapter 9000 Section 9630 In-Situ Burn Policy
Manual)
• Decanting (Chapter 4000 Section 4640)
• NMFS Biological Opinion for oil response ( http://seahorse.nmfs.noaa.gov/pls/pcts-
pub/sxn7.biop_results_detail?reg_inclause_in=('NWR')&idin=13535 )

A critical element to containment and cleanup is to monitor the strategies/tactics that have been
implemented for effectiveness and efficiency. It is also important to discuss and develop
criteria/guidance for terminating the cleanup (How clean is clean?).

3530 Monitoring Oil Movement

• Conduct over flights and collect detailed photographic, video and/or infrared information
• Conduct computer modeling and develop possible oil spill trajectories (Contact NOAA
HAZMAT SSC)
• Conduct shore side and on water assessments to monitor proximity of spill to sensitive areas
(Refer to ―Shoreline Assessment‖ Job Aid at
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/shor_aid/shor_aid.html).

3540 Removal and Disposal

NOTE: Ensure adequate disposal of released substances. Moving of hazardous substances off site
must comply with regulations promulgated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA). Under certain circumstances, some of the procedural requirements of the RCRA regulations
can be waived. The specific circumstances are described in the RCRA regulations. (Refer to Chapter
4000 Section 4315 for RCRA Guidance)

o Outline disposal plan, prepared in accordance with the disposal guidelines found in Chapter
4000, Section 4337 and Chapter 9000, Section 9620 (Washington State Only).
o Comply with Federal, state and local disposal laws/regulations
o Obtain necessary permits
o Refer to hyperlink
o Determine the volume of oil or hazardous substance for disposal and possible recovery credit
o Take measures to minimize waste
o Segregate clean from contaminated waste
o Line storage area to contain contaminated waste (
o Identify disposal locations (onsite vs. offsite)
o Secure transportation for product disposal

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3550 Demobilization

o Complete final survey
o Clean/return equipment
o Survey/replace equipment
o Restore damaged areas in consultation with appropriate Natural Resource Trustees and
property owners

3560 Salvage

Before, during and/or after an oil spill, or potential incident, salvage assistance may be required. A
salvage plan may be developed within the response organization for, but not limited to, vessel
stranding, vessel sinkings and rescues (towing). The IC/UC will review and approve or disapprove the
salvage plan based on the resulting risk to human life, port security and the environment

Initial rescue efforts will have priority over pollution response efforts, to the extent that they may
interfere. Subsequent to any rescue efforts, the pollution response efforts and salvage efforts may be
conducted concurrently. The On Scene Coordinator will prioritize actions when interference between
salvage and pollution response efforts cannot be eliminated.

Coast Guard Captains of the Port have jurisdiction over vessel salvage; this does not preclude any
other agencies’ interests with respect to spill prevention or response.

For general guidelines to follow in responding to an incident that requires salvage operations refer to
US Navy Salvage Manual Volume 1 –6
http://www.supsalv.org/00c2_publications.asp?destPage=00c2&pageId=2.6
and Chapter 5000 Section 5614 for Resource Listings.

Contacts for Salvage References and Support:

o Navy Supervisor of Salvage:
o Supervisor of Salvage Operations (703) 607-2758
o After hours and weekends (NAVSEA Duty Officer) (703) 602-7527
o http://www.supsalv.org

SUPSALV can provide the services of naval architects, may provide the services of naval salvage
vessels, and has access to contracts, which will provide the services of commercial salvers and
equipment. SUPSALV developed and has available software for rapid analysis of longitudinal strength
and intact/damaged stability; the software is known as Program of Ship Salvage Engineering (POSSE).

o US Coast Guard Marine Safety Center Salvage Team:
o During business hours (202) 366-6481
o After hours FLAGPLOT at (202) 267-2100

US Coast Guard Marine Safety Center Salvage Team can evaluate vessel stability, hull strength, and
salvage plans, and may be available to go on scene. MSC may be able to provide vessel plans, if the
ship is U.S. flagged.

o US Corps of Engineers:
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NOTE: Be prepared to provide the following information when calling for support: brief description of
services required, location, urgency, point of contact, and telephone number. If the task is urgent and
requires immediate mobilization, that fact should be clearly articulated and include a statement that
funding will be provided by separate correspondence.

3600 Tribal Contact Information

NORTHWEST BIA REGIONAL AGENCY SUPERINTENDENTS AND TRIBAL OFFICIALS 12/02

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NORTHWEST BIA REGIONAL AGENCY SUPERINTENDENTS AND TRIBAL OFFICIALS 12/02

3700 Reserved For Future Use

3800 Reserved For Future Use

3900 Reserved For Future Use

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CHAPTER 4000

PLANNING

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Chapter 4000 Table of Contents

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4000 PLANNING

4100 Planning Section Organization

The following is an organizational chart of the Planning Section and its subordinate units. It serves
as an example and is not meant to be all-inclusive. The functions of the Planning Section must be
accomplished during an incident; however, they can be performed by one individual or can be
expanded, as needed, into additional organizational units with appropriate delegation of authority.

Planning Section organization information regarding the Planning Section and staff positions within
the command can be found in the Oil Spill Field Operations Guide (FOG) ICS-OS-420-1 dated June
2000. For positions or incident types not addressed by the FOG, refer to the US Coast Guard
Incident Management Handbook 2001 Edition, (COMDTPUB P 3120.17 Apr 2001).

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4200 Roles and Responsibilities

The Planning Section is responsible for the collection and evaluation of incident situation
information, preparing situation status reports, displaying situation information, maintaining status of
resources, developing an Incident Action Plan, and preparing required incident related
documentation. This is done under the direction of the Planning Section Chief. All functions not
assigned by the Section Chief remain the responsibility of the Section Chief.

4210 Planning Section Chief Responsibilities

The Planning Section Chief, a member of the General Staff, is responsible for the collection,
evaluation, dissemination and use of information about the development of the incident and status
of resources. Information is needed to 1) understand the current situation, 2) predict probable
course of incident events, and 3) prepare alternative strategies for the incident.

4220 Situation Unit

The Situation Unit is responsible for collecting, maintaining and evaluating information about the
current/possible future status of the spill or release and the spill response operations as well as the
maintenance of the command post displays. This responsibility includes the compilation of
information regarding the type and amount of oil or hazardous substance spilled or released, the
amount of oil or hazardous substance recovered, the oil or hazardous substance’s current location
and anticipated trajectory, and impacts on natural resources. This responsibility includes providing
information to the GIS Specialist(s) for the creation of maps to depict the current and possible future
situation and the preparation of reports for the Planning Section Chief.

4230 Resource Unit

The Resource Unit (RU) is responsible for maintaining the status of all resources (primary and
support) at an incident. RU achieves this through development and maintenance of a master list of
all resources, including check-in, status, current location, etc. This unit is also responsible for
preparing parts of the Incident Action Plan (ICS forms 203, 204 & 207) and compiling the entire plan
in conjunction with other members of the ICS, (e.g., Situation Unit, Operations, Logistics) and
determines the availability of resources.

4240 Documentation Unit

The Documentation Unit is responsible for the maintenance of accurate, up-to-date incident files.
Examples of incident documentation include: Incident Action Plans, incident reports, communication
logs, injury claims, situation status reports, etc. Thorough documentation is critical to post-incident
analysis. Some of these documents may originate in other sections. This unit shall ensure each
section is maintaining and providing appropriate documents. Incident files will be stored for legal,
analytical, and historical purposes. The Documentation Unit also provides duplication and copying
services.

4250 Demobilization Unit

The Demobilization Unit is responsible for developing the Incident Demobilization Plan, and
assisting Sections/Units in ensuring that an orderly, safe, and cost effective demobilization of
personnel and equipment is accomplished from the incident. Duties of the Demobilization Unit
Leader are described in the Oil Spill Field Operations Guide (FOG) ICS-OS-420-1 dated June 2000.

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4260 Environmental Unit

Other than protecting human life and safety, reducing impacts to public, natural and cultural
resources represents the key motive in responding to an oil or hazardous substance spill or release.
The Environmental Unit is the central point within the Planning Section for determining how to best
protect those resources. Specifically, the Environmental Unit is responsible for:
• Identifying all sensitive public natural and cultural resources likely to be affected by the spill
or release, and set priorities for protecting these resources;
• Guiding the implementation of Geographic Response Plans (GRPs);
• Working with Operations Section to establish any additional environmental protection
strategies not identified in GRPs;
• Working with Operations Section to coordinate wildlife rescue/rehabilitation activities;
• Establishing Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Teams (SCAT);
• Using SCAT information to recommend shoreline cleanup recommendations, priorities,
and restrictions;
• Providing guidance regarding ―how clean is clean‖ decisions;
• Providing technical review and recommendations regarding use of alternative
technologies;
• Developing a disposal plan (note: Washington State Disposal Guidelines found in Chapter
9000);
• Providing information to JIC and IC/UC regarding natural resource concerns/impacts;
• Coordinating with NRDA activities; and
• Planning wildlife hazing operations under the guidance and authority of state and federal
fish and wildlife agencies and in coordination with the Air Operations Branch.

The Northwest Area Committee and Region X Regional Response Team recognize that there is a
shared responsibility between the Unified Command representatives. Plus it is broadly recognized
that the critical phase of any response, regardless of size, is the initial hours after the spill or
release. Given the importance of the Environmental Unit's duties, and because the responsibility
and knowledge base for public resources lies with trustee agencies, it is in everyone's best interest
to ensure that early critical response decisions are made by the most knowledgeable individuals
quickly, efficiently and effectively. Therefore, it is the policy of the Northwest Area Committee that
the Environmental Unit be led by a representative of a government natural resource trustee or
environmental agency, if available. If no such agency representative is initially available or willing to
lead the environmental unit, a responsible party representative may fill that role. Furthermore, as
the response action matures, a transition to a responsible party designated Environmental Unit
Leader may occur with the concurrence of the Unified Command. The Northwest Area Committee
also encourages spill response plan holders and responsible parties to designate a Deputy
Environmental Unit Leader, who will participate in all the meetings attended by and briefings made
by the Environmental Unit Leader. These meetings and briefings include, but are not limited to, the
following pre-identified ICS scheduled events:
• Initial ICS 201 Briefing;
• Tactics Meetings;
• Planning Meetings;
• Operations Meetings;
• Unified Command Briefings; and
•Press Conferences
All trustee resource agency staff with environmental information/expertise should initially report to
the Environmental Unit. This includes technical specialists (e.g., Scientific Support Coordinator)
identified elsewhere within the ICS organization. However, it is recognized that the SSC is an
independent advisor to the FOSC.

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4270 Technical Specialists

Technical Specialists are advisors with special skills needed to support the incident. Technical
Specialists may be assigned anywhere in the ICS organization. If necessary, Technical Specialists
may be formed into a separate unit. The Planning Section will maintain a list of available specialists
and will assign them where needed.

4280 Washington State Policy

As the response matures Washington State agrees that the Trustee Environmental Unit Leader will
co-lead the Environmental Unit with an RP. The co-lead situation will continue in time until such
time that the Trustee EU lead and the Unified Command agree to a RP lead only. For moderate to
large incidents, the co-leads will primarily attend meetings together so it is important to designate a
Deputy EU Leader. The Deputy EU leaders’ job is to stay in the EU and ensure that assignments
made by the co-leads are carried out, and complete other duties as assigned by the co-leads.

4300 Compliance Guidance

4310 Statutory Guidance - Federal

4311 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, 1980
(CERCLA)

Enacted by congress in 1980, it is also known as the Hazardous Substance Superfund as defined
by 42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq. Its purpose is to provide for liability, compensation, cleanup, and
emergency response for hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants (as defined by the
statute) released into the environment and the cleanup of inactive hazardous waste disposal sites.
Emergency and time critical actions for pollutants or contaminants may only be taken when these
releases pose an imminent and substantial threat to human health or the environment. The National
Oil and Hazardous Substance Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), 40 CFR 300.415 outlines factors
which shall be considered in determining the appropriateness of an emergency or time-critical
response action. These factors include:
• Actual or potential exposure to nearby human populations, animals, or the food chain from
hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants;
• Actual or potential contamination of drinking water supplies or sensitive ecosystems;
• Hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants in drums, barrels, tanks, or other bulk
storage containers, that may pose a threat of release;
• High levels of hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants in soils largely at or
near the surface, that may pose a threat of release;
• Weather conditions that may cause hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants to
migrate or be released;
• Threat of fire or explosion;
•The availability of other appropriate federal or state response mechanisms to response to
the release; and
• Other situations or factors that may pose threats to public health or welfare of the United
States or the environment.

4312 Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) as amended by Clean Water Act (CWA)
and Oil Pollution Act 1990 (OPA)

As listed in 33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq., the objective of the act is to restore and maintain the chemical,
physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters. The goals of the Act include:

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• The elimination of pollutants discharged into navigable waters;
• Attain water quality, which provides for the protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and
wildlife and provides for recreation in and around those waters;
• Prohibits the discharge of toxic pollutants;
• Provides Federal financial assistance to construct publicly owned waste treatment works;
• Requires States to provide waste treatment management plans;
• Conducts research to develop technology in order to eliminate the discharge of pollutants
into the navigable waters, waters of the contiguous zone, and the oceans; and
• Develop national policy for the control of non-point sources of pollution.

4313 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)

The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665) authorized the National
Register of Historic Places, expanding Federal recognition to historic properties of local and State
significance. The National Park Service in the U.S. Department of the Interior administers both
programs. Regulations for these programs are contained in 36 CFR Part 60, National Register of
Historic Places, and 36 CFR Part 65, National Historic Landmarks Program.

4314 Endangered Species Act (ESA)

During an oil or hazardous substance spill or release, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), 50 CFR
402.02 may limit the activities and actions that can be done during an oil spill response by federal
agencies or agencies that are acting for or under a federal agency. As the spill response occurs, the
agency with trust responsibility for threatened or endangered species which may be impacted must
to be contacted to initiate consultation on the response activities and what measures need to be
taken to minimize any damage.

In 2001, six Federal agencies signed an Interagency Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
(http://www.nrt.org/Production/NRT/NRTWeb.nsf/PagesByLevelCat/Level2ESAMOU?Opendocume
nt) regarding Oil Spill Planning and Response Activities under the Federal Water Pollution Control
Act’s National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan and the Endangered
Species Act (ESA). The agencies participating in the MOA include the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG),
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of the Interior’s Office of
Environmental Policy and Compliance and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s – National Marine Fisheries Service (NFMS),
and National Ocean Service (NOS).

In the MOA, National Marine Fisheries Service and USFWS determined that oil spill response
activities qualify as an emergency action, as defined by regulations implementing the ESA in 50
CFR 402.02 As such, the emergency action continues until the removal operations are completed
and the case is closed in accordance with 40 CFR 300.320(b).

To reduce the burden of processing emergency consultation paperwork for all oil spill clean-up
actions that occur in the Northwest, the USCG and the EPA initiated formal consultation (pursuant
to 50 CFR 402.14(c)) with the Northwest Regional Office of National Marine Fisheries Service on
November 12, 2002. On November 6, 2003, NOAA Fisheries completed and signed the nation’s
first programmatic biological opinion (BO) on oil spill response activities for NOAA ESA listed
species that may be present in the inland waters of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho (salmonids)
and the offshore waters out to 200 nautical miles (salmonids, large whales, Stellar sea lion, and sea
turtles).

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(http://seahorse.nmfs.noaa.gov/pls/pctspub/sxn7.cntsample_pct.download?p_file=F6011/20020195
9_oil_spill_11-06-2003.pdf) While NMFS determined that the proposed action was not likely to
jeopardize the continued existence of listed species or result in the destruction or adverse
modification of critical habitat, the agency included reasonable and prudent measures with non-
discretionary terms and conditions. The terms and conditions (T&C’s) now serve as a ―job aid‖ for
oil spill responders in the Northwest and ensure that effects on listed species and their critical
habitat are minimized during most response methods that are used. This biological opinion covers
response actions for oil spills up to 250,000 gallons in the coastal zone and up to 10,000 gallons in
the inland zone.

Note: For US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) species, incident-specific consultation for
ESA-listed species under their jurisdiction must be imitated in accordance with the MOU.
There is no specific biological opinion for those species at this time.

Essentially, the BO for NMFS-listed species now allows two paths for ESA Section 7 coverage:
• follow the Terms and Conditions of the Biological Opinion (when applicable and
practicable) as outlined in the BO, or
• follow the provisions in the Nation-wide ESA MOU.

If, due to the nature of the spill or the particular area or another circumstance, the BO Terms and
Conditions cannot be met, the federal action agency must contact NMFS to initiate a tiered
consultation for site specific discussions, which would occur after the emergency response phase of
the spill ends. The following are spill response activities that would require tiered consultation:

• Booming within rivers and streams with out-migrating/rearing salmon and steelhead, when
booms leave less than 18 inches of clearance underneath, including tidal cycles/river
stages, within 50 feet of shoreline for more than 24 consecutive hours;

• In-situ burning;

• Use of chemical dispersants when, during monitoring, large (> 5 whales or > 10 Steller sea
lions) feeding aggregations of listed marine mammals are sighted in the area (within 1 mile
of proposed application site) in which chemical dispersants are being considered;

• Berms and barriers within rivers and streams with out-migrating/rearing salmon and
steelhead;

• Oiled debris removal when debris is a structural component of streams or near-shore
habitat;

•Oiled sediment removal, reworking , and removal with replacement;

• Flushing with warm or hot water in areas with migrating or rearing salmon/steelhead and/or
critical habitat; and

• Any activities within 500 feet from a Steller Sea Lion rookeries or major haul-outs when
animals are present or within 500 miles of an rookeries during breeding season (May 1
through August 31).

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The following are conditions or response techniques that fall outside the scope of the Biological
Opinion:

• Coastal spills greater than 250,000 or inland spills greater than 10,000;

• In-situ burning on shorelines;

• Chemical oil stabilization with elasticizes;

• Chemical protection of beaches;

• Chemical cleaning of beaches;

• Nutrient enhancement;

• Microbial additional; and

• Dispersants using agents other than COREEXIT 9500 or COREXIT 9527.

If the spill conditions do not fall within the limits outlined in the biological opinion or response
techniques are to be used that were not considered in the opinion, consultation would follow the
procedures outlined in the National ESA MOU.

For Endangered Species Act Consultation Contacts:
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

o Oregon - (503) 231-6179
o Idaho - (208) 334-1931
o Washington - (360) 534-9330

• NMFS

o Oregon - (503) 230-5425/5428
o Idaho - (208) 378-5734
o Washington - (206) 526-6604

4315 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

Also known as the Solid Waste Disposal Act, it was enacted by congress as 42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.
The Congress declared it to be the national policy of the United States that, whenever feasible, the
generation of hazardous waste is to be reduced or eliminated as expeditiously as possible. Waste
that is nevertheless generated should be treated, stored, or disposed of so as to minimize the
present and future threat to human health and the environment.
4316 National Environmental Policy Act

As defined by 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., the purposes of this act are:
• To declare a national policy which will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony
between man and his environment;
• To Promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and
biosphere and stimulate the health and welfare of man;
• To enrich the understanding of the ecological systems and natural resources important to
the Nation; and
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• To establish a Council on Environmental Quality.

4320 National Responsible Party Policy

Under the FWPCA as amended by OPA90, the responsible party has primary responsibility for
cleanup of a discharge. Per FWPCA Section 311 and OPA 90 Section 4201, an owner or operator
of a tank vessel or facility participating in removal efforts shall act in accordance with the National
Contingency Plan and the applicable response plan. FWPCA Section 311(j)(5)(C) as implemented
by OPA 90 Section 4202 states that these response plans shall:
• Be consistent with the requirements of the National Contingency Plan and Area
Contingency Plans;
• Identify the qualified individual having full authority to implement removal actions, and
require immediate communications between that individual and the appropriate Unified
command official and the persons providing personnel and equipment pursuant to this
clause;
• Identify, and ensure by contract or other means approved by the President, the availability
of private personnel and equipment necessary to remove to the maximum extent practicable
a worst-case discharge (including a discharge resulting from fire or explosion), and to
mitigate or prevent a substantial threat of such a discharge;
• Describe the training, equipment testing, periodic unannounced drills, and response
actions of persons on the vessel or at the facility, to be carried out under the plan to ensure
the safety of the vessel or facility and to mitigate or prevent the discharge, or the substantial
threat of a discharge;
• Be updated periodically; and
• Be resubmitted for approval of each significant change.

Each owner or operator of a tank vessel or facility required by OPA to submit a response plan shall
do so in accordance with applicable regulations. Facility and tank vessel response plan regulations,
including plan requirements for the coastal zone, are located in 33 CFR Parts 154 and 155,
respectively. Facility response plan regulations for the inland zone are located in 40 CFR Part 112.

Each responsible party for a vessel or a facility from which oil is discharged, or which poses a
substantial threat of a discharge, into or upon the navigable waters, adjoining shorelines or the
Exclusive Economic Zone, is liable for the removal costs and damages specified in Subsection (b)
of Section 1002 of OPA. Any removal activity undertaken by a responsible party must be consistent
with the provisions of the NCP, the Regional Contingency Plan (RCP), the Northwest
Area Contingency Plan, and the applicable response plan required by OPA. If directed by the
Unified Command at any time during removal activities, the responsible party must act accordingly.

4330 State and Local Compliance Guidance

4331 Responsible Party

Specific responsibilities of the RP are as follows:
• Assessment of spill or release;
• Establishment of a command post, in concurrence with the other On-Scene Coordinator
(OSC);
• Documentation/identification of type and quantity of oil or hazardous substance spilled or
released;
• Containment of the oil or hazardous substance spilled or released and protection of the
environment, with a particular emphasis on sensitive areas;
• Provision of input relative to clean-up priorities (i.e. waste minimization);

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• Timely and effective clean up;
• Disposal of oil, oily waste, and Hazardous Substances;
• Restoration of damaged environment/natural resources;
• Communication with local, state, and national response agencies and organizations.
• Communication with media;
• Payment for damages;
• Steps to prevent reoccurrence of spills or releases; and
• Wildlife collection and care in conjunction with responsible state, local, and federal
agencies.

The RP has the opportunity to conduct damage assessment when required by the state/federal
agencies and/or when appropriate given the RP’s available resources as determined by the Unified
Command.

4332 Washington

Any person responsible for discharging oil or hazardous substances to the waters of the state must
immediately notify the National Response Center (NRC) and the Washington State Emergency
Management Division (EMD). The responsible party is also encouraged to contact the appropriate
office of the Department of Ecology (see page v.).

Waters of the state include lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, inland waters, underground water, salt
waters, estuaries, sewers, and all other surface waters and watercourses within the jurisdiction of
the state of Washington. For the notification requirements for spills or releases of dangerous waste
or hazardous substances to other than waters of the state, see Chapter 7000 of this plan.

Under the RCW 90.48.335, 90.48.336, and 90.48.142, Washington State has no limit on the liability
of the responsible party for clean up of the spill or damages caused by the spill. In addition, any
party owning oil or having control over oil that enters the waters of the state in violation of RCW
90.48.320 shall be strictly liable, without regard to fault, for the damages to persons or property,
public or private, caused by such entry.

If the responsible party is unknown, fails to respond, or fails to respond in a manner deemed
adequate by the state OSC (SOSC) or the federal OSC (FOSC), the state or federal agency having
jurisdiction may exercise the authority to take over the response and recover expenses from the
spiller (RCW 90.48.335).

4333 Oregon

Under Oregon state law, the responsible party is required to immediately notify the Oregon
Emergency Response System (OERS) and the National Response Center. (See the plan preface
for notification numbers.) The responsible party is also encouraged to notify local response
agencies through the 911 system.

Any person owning or having control over any oil or hazardous material spilled or released or
threatening to spill or release is strictly liable without regard to fault. Any person, who fails to clean
up oil or hazardous materials immediately, when under obligation to do so, is responsible for the
expenses incurred by DEQ in carrying out the cleanup project. Any person who does not make a
good faith effort to carry out a cleanup project is liable to the DEQ for damages not to exceed three
times the amount of expenses incurred by DEQ.

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If a spiller is unknown, fails to respond, or the response is considered inadequate, the DEQ may
exercise the authority to take over the response or contract for the cleanup of the spill or release.
The DEQ may recover the costs of the cleanup (ORS 466.645).

4334 Idaho

Idaho law requires that the responsible party immediately contact the Idaho Bureau of Hazardous
Materials and Emergency Medical Services Center. (See the plan preface for notification numbers.)

The Idaho Hazardous Substance Control Act provides that the responsible party is strictly liable for
emergency response to hazardous materials incidents.

4335 Prevention Laws

4335.1 Washington

4335.1.1 Washington Prevention Requirements

The Department of Ecology (Ecology) has an extensive spill prevention program for vessels and oil
handling facilities. Cargo and passenger vessels 300 gross tons and larger are screened for
potential risk and inspected by Ecology vessel inspectors to determine actual risk and mitigate this
risk through a system of Accepted Industry Standards. Ecology has a Voluntary Best Achievable
Protection (VBAP) Program for companies operating tank vessels that agree to voluntarily meet
Washington’s BAP standards including operational procedures, personnel policies, management
practices, and safety technology. All types of large commercial vessels are required to comply with
Washington’s rules for safe bunkering (refueling). Oil handling facilities are required to comply with
operating and design standards, operations manuals, spill prevention plans, and training and
certification programs. The State pilotage Act requires tug escorts for laden, double-hull oil tankers
over 40,000 deadweight tons.

4335.1.2 Vessel Traffic System in Puget Sound

East of Dungeness Spit, participation in the Puget Sound Vessel Traffic System is mandatory for
the following vessels:
• Vessels of 300 Gross Tons (GT) or more propelled by machinery
• Vessels of 100 GT or more carrying 1 or more passengers for hire
•Commercial vessels of 26 ft or more engaged in towing
• Each dredge or floating plant (33 CFR 161.101)

West of Dungeness Spit, participation in the cooperative Vessel Traffic Management System, as
described in 33CFR161 Subpart B, is mandatory for the following vessels:
• Each vessel of 30 meters or more in length
• Each vessel towing alongside or astern or pushing ahead an object or objects where:
o The combined length of the vessel towing and object being towed (including
towline) exceeds 45 meters;’
o The vessel or object being towed is over 25 meters in length

4335.2 Oregon

In accordance with Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 776.405: No person shall pilot any vessel upon
any of the pilotage grounds established under ORS 776.025 or 776.115 without being a licensed

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pilot under this chapter or a pilot trainee under the on-board supervision of a pilot licensed under
this chapter.

This does not apply to:
• The master of a vessel under fishery, recreation, or coastwise endorsement provided
under 46 U.S.C. Chapter 121;
• A vessel registered with the State Marine Board or a similar licensing agency of another
state; or
• The master of a foreign registered fishing or recreational vessel, exempted by the board, of
not more than 100 feet in length or 250 gross tons international.

4335.2.1 Pilotage in Portland Area

Note: Proposed laws dealing with required escorts for tank vessels transiting the Columbia River
will be addressed in a later release of this plan.

4336 Local Government Requirements

4336.1 Washington

Under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 38.52, local government has the responsibility to
prepare for emergencies including oil spills and hazardous materials releases. Some key
responsibilities and authorities which relate to oil and hazardous substance spill planning and
response are as follows:

Emergency Management is the preparation for and carrying out of all emergency functions, other
than those for which the military is responsible, to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover
from emergencies or disasters, and to aid victims...and to provide support for search
and rescue operations. (RCW 38.52.010 [1])

Each political jurisdiction (county, city and town) is directed to establish a local organization for
emergency management. Each local organization shall have a director appointed by the executive
head of the political subdivision, subject to the direction and control of such executive officer or
officers. (RCW 38.52.070 [1])

Each political subdivision shall have the power to enter into contacts and to incur obligations
necessary to combat disaster. Each political subdivision can exercise the powers herein without
regard to time consuming procedures and formalities prescribed by law (except constitutional
requirements). (RCW 38.52.070 [2])
The director of each local organization...may develop mutual aid agreements... with other public
and private agencies... The State emergency management organization shall publish guidance.
(RCW 38.52.090)

The governor and the executive heads of political subdivisions are directed to utilize the services of
all public agencies, and the officers and personnel of all public agencies are directed to cooperate
with the emergency management organizations of the state upon request notwithstanding any other
provision of law. (RCW 38.52.110 [1])

Upon the declaration of a disaster by the governor, executive heads of political subdivisions and the
director of emergency management of said political subdivisions may command the services and
equipment of as many citizens as necessary... (RCW 38.52.110 [2])

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4337 Disposal Guidelines

It is critical for the OSC in an immediate removal operation or the RPM in a remedial action to
recognize that contaminated soils, dredge spoils, drums, tanks, refuse, water or other associated
materials are to be considered hazardous wastes and must be disposed of as such in accordance
with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as well as local and state regulations
managing the disposal of hazardous wastes. Many of the removal actions employed by the OSC
will in fact create a situation in which the OSC has assumed the responsibility as a generator of
hazardous wastes. These wastes then become subject to the "cradle to the grave" manifesting
procedures currently in effect under the governing RCRA regulations. The OSC must ensure that
the hazardous waste generated from his/her removal actions be transported by an approved
hazardous waste hauler to an approved hazardous waste facility. The OSC should consider the
possibility of employing on-site treatment (e.g. incineration, biological treatments, chemical
treatments, waste stream treatment methods, etc.). Approved and effective on-site treatment will
often eliminate the dilemma affiliated with hauling hazardous waste to a hazardous waste facility -
the dilemma of simply relocating your problem to some other geographic area where it may
eventually develop into somebody else's problem.

Specific disposal information will be added to this section as it is developed. Also, for local disposal
options, consult the GRP for the specific area being considered.

4337.1 Washington

Disposal practices shall be in accordance with state disposal guidelines. Guidelines are available
from Washington State Department of Ecology and can be seen in section 9620.

4337.2 Oregon

The general policy of the Department of Environmental Quality is that, whenever possible,
recovered oil and oily debris be recycled and reused, thereby reducing the amount of oily debris to
be burned on-site or disposed of at a solid waste landfill. Spilled oils and oil contaminated materials
resulting from control, treatment, and clean up shall be handled and disposed of in a manner
approved by the Department.

4337.2.1 Classification and Segregation

The state of Oregon will utilize its access to federal samples taken by the Coast Guard. As
necessary, the state will also utilize sampling capabilities of the DEQ laboratory. All oily waste and
debris is classified as a specified waste in the state of Oregon.
The segregation of oily waste and debris is a key part of the disposal process. Oil recovered from
an aquatic area will typically contain large amounts of water and debris. Excess water needs to be
removed; it increases the amount of material to be transported and can cause problems for disposal
facilities. It is most productive to segregate the waste on site to facilitate transportation and
disposal. An oil/water separator or a vacuum truck should be available on site to complete this
process. Oiled debris needs to be separated out as well. Oil and oily debris should be segregated
into the following categories:
• Reuse/Recycle;
• Incinerate;
• Burn on site; and
• Landfill.

4337.2.2 Reuse/Recycle

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Whenever possible, recovered oil and oily debris should be recycled and reused, thereby reducing
the amount of oily debris to be burned on site or disposed of at a solid waste landfill.

4337.2.3 Incineration

Facilities are available which are capable of burning combustible, oiled debris, subject to any
emission limits or restriction of the Air Containment Discharge Permit and Solid Waste Disposal
Permit, if applicable.

A 60-day letter permit can be obtained immediately from the Air Quality Division of the Department
of Environmental Quality in Portland by the facility to change fuel. In order to obtain this permit, a
written request must be submitted including a statement of anticipated emissions based on the
petroleum product contaminating the debris to be burned. Consecutive permits may be issued, but
an evaluation will be conducted by DEQ prior to combustion.

For a list of facilities capable of incinerating oily debris, consult the appropriate Geographic
Response Plan.

4337.2.4 On-site Burning

Although no specific sites have been identified, the DEQ may authorize a 60-day letter permit for
controlled open burning of combustible, oiled debris on the Oregon Coast and portions of the
Columbia River in accordance with Oregon Administrative Rules, Division 23. The 60-day letter
permit may be obtained from the Air Quality Division of the DEQ in Portland. A written request is
required to obtain the permit, and must include the anticipated emissions based on the petroleum
product contaminating the debris to be burned. Controlled open burning is defined as follows from
most to least preferable:
• Forced air pit incineration;
• Tall stack burning with auxiliary air supply;
•Pile burning with auxiliary air supply; and
• Pile burning.

The DEQ would generally intend to require forced air pit incineration for burning proposed in or near
any population center or sensitive area. Combustion efficiency enhancement through utilization of
an air curtain or fan devices is generally recommended. There are several areas in Oregon
currently regulated by local authorities. They are listed in Division 23 rules for open burning.

4337.2.5 Landfills

There are several landfills which may receive oiled debris, subject to the rules for disposal of spill
cleanup materials, any restriction of the Solid Waste Permits, any franchise restrictions, and the
concurrence of the owner/operator. See Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 340, Division 61 on
solid waste management.

4337.2.6 Interim Storage

Interim storage site selection will be made on a case-by-case basis. Oregon Administrative Rules
Chapter 340, Division 61 on solid waste management addresses the definition of and guidelines for
a "disposal site" which includes temporary storage sites.

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A letter of authorization for six months can be obtained from the DEQ by written application. The
application must contain specific criteria regarding the site; these criteria can be found in Oregon
Administrative Rules Chapter 340, Division 61, page 5.

Recovered oil should be stored in sealable containers such as 55-gallon drums, portable pillow
tanks, empty fuel storage tanks, tank trucks, barges, or any other available container that can be
sealed to prevent spillage. If necessary, a pit can be dug to hold the waste and lined with plastic or
polymeric sheeting to prevent leaching.

Oily debris should be placed in leak-proof containers, such as plastic bags or debris boxes,
provided they are lined with plastic. Debris should be stored on impermeable sheeting to prevent
penetration into the soil should a breach of the container occur.

Temporary storage sites should be located with good access to the cleanup operations and nearby
streets and highways. Good sites are flat areas such as parking lots or undeveloped lots, with a
minimum of slope to reduce potential contamination from leaching oil. Sites should be at least three
meters above mean sea level. A 1- to 1-1/2 meter high earth berm should be constructed around
the perimeter of the site and the site lined with an impermeable liner to the top of the berm.

After oiled debris is in storage, a monitoring program should be set up to ensure that oil is not
escaping outside the berm. Free oil accumulation within the bermed area should be monitored as
well. For specific guidance on hazardous waste determination see 'How to Determine if Your Waste
is Hazardous' at http://www.deq.state.or.us/wmc/hw/factsheets/HowDetermineHazWaste.pdf."

4337.2.7 Transportation

Transportation of oiled debris to its disposal destination is the contractor's responsibility. Certified
haulers should be used. Trucks should be lined with plastic or otherwise made leak-proof in order to
prevent leakage during transport.

4337.3 Idaho

4338 Volunteer Policy

The general policy accepted by the RRT/NWAC, followed by the guidelines for each organization or
state, is that volunteers may be used provided they are sponsored and managed by a recognized
organization, and they must be trained and qualified for the position which they will fill. For safety,
liability, and management reasons, individual volunteers will not be used during oil, hazardous
material or WMD incidents. Volunteer organizations are subject to the following policy:

The volunteer organizations must be structured and self-sustaining, such as the Red Cross or
Salvation Army. This includes a manager or supervisor, and they must meet the state and OSHA
requirements for the area they will be employed and for the position which they will fill. The National
Contingency Plan (40 CFR 300), Appendix E, paragraph 6.0, addresses the use of volunteers and
Occupational Health and Safety Administration pamphlet OSHA 3172 outlines the training required.

Due to the logistical requirements of managing volunteers, the response organization must be large
enough to support volunteer participation. The likely spill/release scenario that volunteer
organizations will be employed is a Maximum Most Probable incident. There may also be an
existing state program to administer assistance. In addition, the assignments provided will generally
be low risk. For example, assistance in the command post, logistics, staging areas and check-in
require relatively little training and are low risk activities. In certain circumstances, volunteers may

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be used for higher risk activities such as wildlife cleaning or pre-cleaning beaches. These activities,
however, require specialized training and in some cases licensing.

In many cases, the Responsible Party (RP) is responsible for the funding of the spill/release
response. In this active role, it is critical that their concerns and limitations on using volunteer
organizations are considered. Often RP’s are hesitant to utilize volunteers due to liability and legal
considerations. However, the advantages and disadvantages will be discussed and decided upon
by the Unified Command, with advice from legal representatives.

4338.1 Training and Organizational Use:

The Liaison Officer (LO) will coordinate volunteer activity. The LO will require a Volunteer
Coordinator to work with the manager or supervisor of the volunteer organizations. The Volunteer
Coordinator is part of the Planning Section and reports to the Resource Unit Leader. Volunteer
organizations must have a roster and list of any training or qualifications held by their volunteers.
This information will be collected and volunteers will be called upon for assistance as needs are
identified. The volunteer organization’s representative will be responsible for their scheduling and
filling of the positions, in cooperation with the Volunteer Coordinator. Once accepted by the unified
command, the volunteer organization will be assigned to a specific branch or unit.

4338.2 Support

The availability and logistics of all required support services must be examined prior to employing
volunteers. Food, safety equipment, supervision, transportation, decontamination, and scheduling
must all be provided. Generally, it is expected that the volunteer organization will provide for, or at a
minimum coordinate, the provision of these services for their volunteers. Support cost,
documentation needs, accountability, and potential enforcement issues must be considered prior to
deployment of volunteers.

4339 Federal Agency Volunteer Management Policy

The three primary federal regulations governing oil spill response, 40 CFR 300 (National
Contingency Plan), 29 CFR 1910.120 (Occupational Safety and Health Standards / Hazardous
Waste Operations and Emergency Response) and 40 CFR 311 (Worker Protection) do not exclude
the use of volunteer organizations. However, all spill response operations must comply with these
regulations. 29 CFR 1910.120 outlines various health and safety requirements for different on-site
activities. In addition, various federal property owners (e.g. Department of Defense and Department
of Energy) may have specific regulations, policies or national security concerns regarding the use of
volunteers. The Coast Guard does require a ―hold harmless‖ clause to be signed by each volunteer.
The legal representatives of these organizations must be consulted prior to employing volunteers.

4340 Washington Volunteer Management Policy

Where appropriate, Washington supports the use of volunteer organizations subject to the policy of
Section 4338.

4340.1 General Policy

State agencies may provide limited training, but have no resources to manage volunteer
organizations.

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Human health and safety is the first priority in decisions regarding use of volunteers. Volunteers will
normally only be used in very low risk activities and only after receiving appropriate safety training.
Volunteers with documented specialized training will be given higher priority for use.

4340.2 Washington Volunteer Wildlife Rescue Operations

Oiled Wildlife response programs throughout the world regularly incorporate the use of volunteers
as a part of their overall rescue strategy. In Washington State, volunteers are used in combination
with paid staff and consultants. RCW 90.56.100 established the Washington Wildlife Rescue
Coalition (Coalition) which is chaired by a representative of the Washington State Department of
Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

The Coalition is responsible for coordinating the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife injured or
endangered by oil spills, and provides for the training and instruction of volunteers for oiled wildlife
rescue. The Volunteer Management Policy for Washington State (Wildlife Rescue) includes the
following:
• The WDFW shall be recognized as the "sponsoring organization" for the purpose of
recruiting, training, and managing volunteers for oiled wildlife rescue;
•Volunteers may be used for a wide variety of tasks, including administration, search and
collection, primary care, transportation and rehabilitation;
• Volunteers will be trained according to OSHA and WISHA regulations;
• WDFW, in consultation with the Wildlife Rescue Coalition, has established procedures for
recruiting, screening, training, and tracking wildlife rescue volunteers;
• Volunteers will be provided personal protective equipment that is appropriate to their
assigned tasks; and
• Volunteers may be reimbursed for meals, lodging, mileage, and other expenses as
approved by the Incident Command System.

4340.3 Washington Volunteer Emergency Worker Program

Washington State's Emergency Worker Program is designed for use during emergencies, disasters,
and related incidents. Local governments, with the Emergency Management Division, Washington
Military Department providing assistance, implement the Emergency Worker Program. While this
program has generally been used for search and rescue missions, local officials may elect to
implement the program for volunteers in oil spills for specific tasks. However, if local emergency
management agencies elect to implement this program for oil spill response, the agency will need
to be integrated into the incident command structure established by the state and federal on-scene
coordinators for the spill. The following are some of the job classes of emergency workers that have
been established in the Emergency Worker Program:
• Administrative assistance such as recruiting, coordinating, and directing oil spill support
activities;
• Communication assistance that is carried out in accordance with approved state or local
emergency operations and communication plans;
• Fire service assistance including fighting fires, rescuing persons, or protecting property.
This job class does not include volunteer fire fighters while operating under Chapter 41.24
RCW;
• Mass Care assistance including the provision of food, clothing, and lodging for persons
who may be temporarily displaced or for oil spill response workers; and
• Public Education assistance involving public education and informational activities
necessary to keep the public informed during an oil spill.

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The above listing is just a summary of the potential activities for volunteers under the Emergency
Worker Program that may be appropriate during an oil spill. Emergency workers will be assigned to
an emergency worker class in accordance with their skills, abilities, licenses, and qualifications.
Emergency workers must register in their jurisdiction of residence or in the jurisdiction where their
volunteer organization is headquartered. Please refer to Chapter 118-04 of the Washington
Administrative Code or contact local emergency management agencies.

4341 Oregon Volunteer Management Policy

Where appropriate, Oregon supports the use of volunteer organizations subject to the policy of
Section 4338.

4341.1 General Policy

State agencies may provide limited training, but have no resources to manage volunteer
organizations.

4342 Idaho Volunteer Management Policy

The State of Idaho has several statutes that allow for use of volunteers and there are limited
immunities. Idaho’s plans and policies would require training consistent with 29 CFR 1910.120.

4400 Geographic Response Plans (GRPs) and Environmental Sensitivity Indices, Maps &
Information

Geographic Response Plans (GRPs) are tactical oil spill response plans that represent the
collective input of tribes, natural resource trustee agencies, spill response organizations, and other
interested stakeholders on the best way to protect critical natural, cultural, and economic resources.
The objective of these plans is to reduce decision-making time during the initial hours of response
to an oil spill so that protection strategies can be implemented immediately. GRPs contain maps
and descriptions of sensitive natural and cultural resources, identify strategies to protect those
resources, and set priorities for various spill scenarios. The Planning Section and/or the
Environmental Unit supplement GRPs with other ―real-time‖ information (e.g., weather, tides, river
stages, trajectories, wildlife surveys) to develop spill-specific changes or additions to protection
priorities.

In the Northwest, Geographic Response Plans have historically identified and described areas of
special environmental importance and provided strategies for protecting these resources. The
National Contingency Plan (40 CFR 300.120(3)(i)) requires Area Committees to describe areas of
special economic or environmental importance. To address areas of economic importance and as
GRPs are updated, the RRT/NWAC is seeking the assistance of the various state economic
development agencies to aid in determining what constitutes an area of special economic
importance. With this assistance, a list of these areas will be incorporated into the GRPs so the
Unified Command can make appropriate decisions regarding use of available spill response
resources.

In general, GRPs include the following types of response strategies:

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• No action – appropriate when weather, sea, or other conditions make other options unsafe
and/or infeasible. Also appropriate when response actions or site access will cause further
environmental damage (e.g., wetlands);
• On-water recovery – mechanical removal of floating oil by sorbent materials, vacuum
trucks, and skimming devices;
• Exclusion Booming – deploying various types of boom to keep oil out of a sensitive area;
• Deflection Booming – deploying various types of boom to divert oil away from a sensitive
area and/or divert oil toward a collection point; and
• Shoreline cleanup – ranging from deploying sorbents for passive cleanup to
bioremediation; see NOAA’s Shoreline Countermeasure Matrix for detailed list of options.

GRPs do not include:
• In-situ Burning – burning oil on the water; usually requires containment by fire-resistant
boom. See Section 4631 for more NWAC policy on in-situ burning use; and
•Dispersants – applying chemical agents, usually by aircraft, to aid in breaking up surface
slicks and dispersing oil within water column. See Section 4621 for more NWAC policy on
dispersant use.

GRPs exist for all the coastal waters of Washington and Oregon State and many of the higher risk
inland waterways. Inland waterways currently covered by GRPs include the Columbia River from
the mouth to the confluence with the Snake River (WA/OR), Lower Snake River (WA), the Spokane
River (WA), the Nisqually River (WA), the Lower Deschutes River (OR), the Clearwater/Lochsa
River (ID), and the Pend Orielle River (ID).

A complete up to date list of GRPs with links to those available in electronic format may be found at:
http://www.rrt10nwac.com/geo_plans.htm

Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps are maps developed by NOAA which compile
information in standard formats for coastal shoreline sensitivities, biological resources, and human-
use resources. ESI maps are useful for identifying sensitive resources before a spill occurs so that
protection priorities can be established and cleanup strategies designed. Using ESIs in spill
response can help reduce environmental consequences of the spill and cleanup efforts.
More information on ESI maps and a description of areas of the RRT/NWAC Area of Responsibility
covered by ESI maps, may be found at:

http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/topic_subtopic_entry.php?RECORD_KEY%28entry_subtopic_
topic%29=entry_id,subtopic_id,topic_id&entry_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=74&subtopic_id(entry_subt
opic_topic)=8&topic_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=1

4500 General Response Priorities

4510 General Hierarchy of Response Priorities

Specific strategies for response to spills in sensitive areas are detailed in the Geographic Response
Plans (GRP). General response priorities are:
• Ensure the safety of citizens and response personnel;
• Control the source of the spill;
• Maximize protection of environmentally sensitive areas;
• Contain and recover spilled product;
• Recover and rehabilitate injured wildlife;
• Manage a coordinated response effort;
• Remove oil from impacted areas;

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• Minimize damage to economically sensitive areas; and
• Keep the public and stakeholders Informed.

4600 Response Technologies for Oil Spills

While mechanical cleanup and recovery is always the initial and primary response tool, other
response technologies are considered by the Region X RRT and Northwest Area Committee to be
integral components of effective spill response that should to be available for use, as appropriate, in
a timely and efficient manner. The use of response technologies such as in- situ burning,
dispersants, and other oil spill cleanup agents should be considered when the environmental
benefit of their use is expected to outweigh adverse effects.
It is imperative that all response technologies are employed as soon as practicable following an oil
spill. However, it is particularly important that materials are strategically stockpiled and decisions
regarding the use of dispersants and in-situ burning be made as quickly as possible to increase
their effectiveness on marine oil spills. Accordingly, the Region X RRT and Northwest Area
Committee have established pre-approval zones, case-by-case approval zones, and no use zones
for the use of dispersants. A policy to define the conditions under which in-situ burning may occur
on a pre-approved or case-by-case basis and conditions under which burning will not be allowed
has also been established. The FOSC, with the assistance of the Unified Command, will determine
if use of these response technologies meet the pre-approval criteria established for the Region X
RRT and Northwest Area Committee area of responsibility.

Our understanding of dispersant and in-situ burning efficacy and toxicity is evolving and the
appropriateness of their application is subject to change based on field and laboratory testing. As
new information becomes available, these policies will be revisited, modified, and enhanced where
appropriate.

The National Contingency Plan (NCP), Section 300.910 (Subpart J) outlines the circumstances
under which chemical agents or other additives may be used to remove or control oil discharges.
Section 300.910(a) allows Regional Response Teams and Area Committees, as part of their
planning process, to address procedures, including preauthorization plans, to be followed in making
decisions on the use of these agents. This gives the EPA representative to the RRT and, as
appropriate, the State representative to the RRT with jurisdiction over navigable waters threatened
by a release or discharge of oil, and the DOC and DOI natural resource trustees the ability to
approve, disapprove, or approve with modifications any preauthorization plans developed by RRTs
and Area Committees. 300.910(b), authorizes the FOSC, with the concurrence of the EPA
representative to the RRT and, as appropriate, the concurrence of the State representative to the
RRT with jurisdiction over navigable waters threatened by a release or discharge of oil and in
consultation with the DOC and DOI natural resource trustees, when practicable, to authorize the
use of dispersing, surface washing, surface collecting, bioremediation, or burning agents on a case-
by-case basis. It is the policy of RRT X to also consult with appropriate tribal governments with off
reservation treaty rights in navigable waters threatened by a release or discharge of oil, when
practicable. Section 300.910(d) further authorizes the FOSC to use any agent listed above without
requesting permission if its use is necessary to prevent or substantially reduce a hazard to human
life.

The Commandant of the USCG has pre-designated the USCG Captains of the Port under his/her
jurisdiction as FOSC for oil spills, and has delegated authority and responsibility for compliance with
Section 311 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act) to them. The
Administrator of EPA has designated EPA On Scene Coordinators as FOSCs for the inland zone
and has delegated authority and responsibility for compliance with Section 311 of the Federal Water

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Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act) to them. Decisions on use of any dispersing, surface
collecting, bioremediation, or burning agent on a Regional boundary will include consultation with
the appropriate RRT members of the bordering Region or with the Joint Coastal Pollution Response
Team (Coastal JRT) at the International border with Canada.

As required by Section 300.905 of the NCP, in order for a FOSC to authorize the use of a
dispersing, surface washing, surface collecting or bioremediation agent, it must be listed on
the NCP Product Schedule. Burning agents are not listed on the NCP Product Schedule.
The U.S. EPA maintains the NCP Product Schedule and it can be found at
http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/ncp. The Product Schedule does not authorize or pre-approve
use of any of the listed products. However, the FOSC may not authorize use of a product
that is not listed on the Product Schedule unless its use, in the judgment of the FOSC, is
necessary to prevent or substantially reduce a hazard to human life.
4610 Dispersant Use Policy
Areas within the Region X RRT and Northwest Area Committee area of responsibility fall into three
different zones with respect to dispersant use: a pre-approval zone, case-by-case approval zones,
or no dispersant use zones (See Section 4610.4 ―Region X RRT Dispersant Use Zones Summary
Table‖).

4610.1 Dispersant Pre-Approval Zone

Within a designated pre-approval zone, the FOSC may authorize the use of dispersants without
further concurrence or consultation with the RRT. The FOSC will determine whether to authorize
the use of dispersants through the information gathering and decision-making process outlined in
the ―FOSC Dispersant Authorization Checklist‖ (Section 4611).

The Dispersant Pre-Approval Zone is as follows:

• Marine waters 3 to 200 nautical miles from the coastline or an island shoreline except
for waters designated as a part of a National Marine Sanctuary and the Makah Tribe
Usual and Accustom marine area or waters within three miles of the border of the
Country of Canada, the State of California, or the Makah Tribe Usual and Accustom
marine area (See Map Figure 4.1).

4610.2 Dispersant Case-by-Case Approval Zones

According to Section 300.910(b) of the National Contingency Plan, in all areas outside the pre-
approved zone, FOSC authorization to use dispersants requires the concurrence of the EPA and
State representatives to the RRT with jurisdiction over the waters threatened by the release or
discharge, and consultation with the DOI and DOC representatives to the RRT. It is the policy of
RRT X to also consult with appropriate tribal governments with off reservation treaty rights in the
navigable waters threatened by a release or discharge of oil, when practicable. Upon activation of
the Region X RRT, the FOSC should forward the completed ―FOSC Dispersant Authorization
Checklist‖ (Section 4611) and all supporting information to the RRT for consideration in their
concurrence and consultation process. Oil trajectory, potential impact areas, and the respective
sensitivities of the resources at risk in those areas should be considered. A decision from the RRT
on dispersant use is expected within 2 hours of activation.

The Dispersant Case-by-Case Approval Zones are as follows:

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• All marine waters that are both within 3 nautical miles from the coastline or an island
shoreline and greater than 10 fathoms (60 feet) in depth.  Waters designated as a part
of a National Marine Sanctuary and waters that are part of the Makah Tribe Usual and
Accustom marine area which are also greater than 10 fathoms (60 feet) in depth.

• Waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and North Puget Sound from Point Wilson to
Admiralty Head and north, and greater than 10 fathoms (60 feet) in depth.

• Marine waters within 3 miles of the borders of the State of California, Makah Tribe
Usual and Accustom marine area, and the country of Canada. In considering the use of
dispersants within 3 miles of border of State of California, the Region X RRT will consult
with the Region IX RRT. In consideration of the use of dispersants within 3 miles of the
Makah Tribe Usual and Accustom marine area, the Region X RRT will consult with the
Makah Tribal government. In considering the use of dispersants within 3 miles of the
International border with Canada, the Region X RRT will consult with the Joint Coastal
Pollution Response Team (Coastal JRT) comprised of representatives of the U.S. and
Canadian governments. (See section 9941 for further information about the Coastal
JRT).

4610.3 No Dispersant Use Zones

There are some areas in the Region X RRT and Northwest Area Committee area of responsibility
where the RRT and Northwest Area Committee have determined it is not appropriate to use
dispersants. In these areas, dispersants may be used only if, in the judgment of the FOSC, they are
required to prevent or substantially reduce a hazard to human life.

The No Dispersant Use Zones are as follows:

• Marine waters that are both less than three nautical miles from the coastline and less
than or equal to 10 fathoms (60 feet) in depth.

• Marine waters south of a line drawn between Point Wilson (48º 08' 41" N, 122º45' 19"
W) and Admiralty Head (48º 09' 20" N, 122 40' 70" W).

• Freshwater environments.

4610.4 Dispersant Use Zones Summary Table

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Figure 4.1 Dispersant Pre-Approval Area

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4610.5 Role of the RRT

The RRT X and member agencies have various roles related to the use of dispersants within
Federal waters in the Region X RRT area of responsibility. The following provides guidance on the
role of RRT X in each designated zone:

a) Dispersant Pre-approval Zone: The U.S. Coast Guard RRT co-chair will be notified by the FOSC
as soon as practicable following a dispersant use decision. The U.S. Coast Guard RRT Co-chair
will then communicate this information in a timely manner to the U.S. EPA Co-chair and to the DOC
and DOI representatives to the RRT. The State with jurisdiction and/or the tribe(s) with off
reservation treaty rights in waters potentially impacted by a discharge of oil will also be appraised
by the Unified Command of the decision. An Incident After-Action Report with relevant information
on the spill incident and the dispersant application will be provided to all interested RRT member
agencies after the emergency response is over. An outline of suggested information to include in an
Incident After-Action Report is provided in Section 4611.2.

b) Case-by-Case Dispersant Approval Zone: For areas in a Case-by-Case Approval Zone, in order
to authorize the use of dispersants the FOSC will immediately request an activation of the Region X
RRT. The purpose of the activation is for the FOSC to outline the basis for the request to authorize

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dispersant use and pursuant to 300.910(b) of the NCP, seek concurrence from the EPA
representative to the RRT and, as appropriate, the RRT representatives from the states with
jurisdiction over the navigable waters threatened by the release or discharge. This activation will
also serve as consultation with the DOC and DOI natural resource trustees. It is the policy of RRT X
to also consult with appropriate tribal governments with off reservation treaty rights in navigable
waters threatened by a release or discharge of oil, when practicable. Oil trajectory, potential impact
areas, and the respective sensitivities of the resources at risk in those areas should be considered.
If concurrence for dispersant use is granted, the U. S. Coast Guard RRT Co-chair will keep the
appropriate members of the RRT apprised of dispersant use activities. An Incident After-Action
Report will be provided to all interested RRT member agencies after the emergency response is
over. An outline of suggested information to include in an Incident After-Action Report is provided in
Section 4611.2.

c) No Approval Zone: It has been determined that some areas within the Region X RRT area of
responsibility are not appropriate for dispersant use. If, however, a FOSC determines that
dispersant use is necessary to substantially reduce a hazard to human life, the FOSC will notify the
RRT Co-Chairs as soon as practicable following a decision to use dispersants and provide an
Incident After-Action Report to all interested RRT member agencies. An outline of suggested
information to include in an Incident After-Action Report is provided in Section 4611.2.

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4611 FOSC Dispersant Authorization Checklist and Suggested Incident After-Action Report
Outline

4611.1 FOSC Dispersant Authorization Checklist

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4611.2 Suggested Incident After-Action Report Outline

Incident Overview
o Description of initial report (date, time, source, etc.)
o Spill source
o Spill location
o Estimated quantity & potential quantity of release
o Environmental conditions

Oil Chemistry, Fate, and Movement
o Oil chemistry
o Expected movement of oil slick
o Expected weathering and behavior of product
o Observations of oil fate and movement

Completed FOSC Dispersant Authorization Checklist and Justification for Dispersant Use
o Potential impact areas and their respective sensitivities to impact
o Potential for use of other recovery methods (e.g., mechanical recovery, in-situ burning)
o Weather and sea state
o Authorization checklist with explanation and justification when all items are not checked
―Y‖

Overview of Dispersant Operations
o Type of product used
o Methods and rates of application
o Area of application
o Chronology of dispersant-related events
o Amounts and times of dispersant applications
o Estimates and observations of efficacy
o Sightings of marine birds and marine mammals
o Extenuating circumstances affecting deployment of any element (spotters, dispersant,
SMART, etc.)
o Results from all SMART monitoring
o Post-application fate of the dispersed plume and surface slick

4612 Special Monitoring Of Applied Response Technologies (SMART) Protocols for
Dispersants

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Special Monitoring of Advanced Response Technologies is a cooperatively designed monitoring
program for in-situ burning and dispersants. SMART relies on small, highly mobile teams that
collect real-time data using portable, rugged, and easy-to-use instruments during dispersant and in-
situ burning operations. Data are channeled to the Unified Command to address critical questions
about effectiveness and effects. Monitoring data can assist the Unified Command with decision-
making for dispersant and in-situ burning operations.

It is the policy of the Northwest Area Committee and RRT X that the SMART protocols will be used,
to the extent possible, for monitoring after the application of dispersants. Additional detail on the
SMART protocols may be found in section 9670. To monitor the efficacy of dispersant application,
SMART recommends three options, or tiers.

Tier I

A trained observer, flying over the oil slick and using photographic job aids or advanced remote
sensing instruments, assesses dispersant efficacy and reports back to the Unified Command. Tier I
monitoring, at a minimum, must be conducted during any dispersant application.

Tier II

Tier II provides real-time data from the treated slick. A sampling team on a boat uses a fluorometer
to continuously monitor for dispersed oil one meter under the dispersant treated slick. The team
records and conveys fluorometer data, with recommendations, to the Unified Command. Water
samples will be taken for later chemical analysis at a laboratory.

Tier III

By expanding the monitoring efforts in several ways, Tier III provides information on the dispersed
oil movement and fate. (1) Two fluorometers are used on the same vessel to monitor at two water
depths; (2) Monitoring is conducted in the center of the treated slick at several water depths, from
one to ten meters; and (3) A portable water laboratory provides data on water temperature, pH,
conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity.

4620 In-Situ Burning

In-situ is the Latin term for ―in place‖. In-situ burning as it relates to oil spills is the controlled burning
of oil on water at the spill site. While the focus of the policy is on open-water areas in the marine
environment, it also applies to in-situ burning in inland areas.

4621 In-Situ Burning Policy

The purpose of the policy is to define the conditions under which burning may occur on a pre-
approved or case-by-case basis and define conditions under which burning will not be allowed. The
complete policy defines the procedure for arriving at the decision to burn or not to burn, describes
the regulatory and statutory framework, and provides background information on logistics,
environmental impacts, health and safety, and monitoring. The policy applies to all marine waters
as well as inland areas covered by the Northwest Area Plan. This section summarizes key sections
of the policy.
It is the policy of the Northwest Area Committee to use, and in certain cases, encourage in-situ
burning, provided that requirements specified herein have been met. A primary consideration in the
decision to burn is the protection and safety of human life. The authority to approve a burn rests

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with the Unified Command, who must determine that an application to burn conforms to these
guidelines. The decision to burn or not burn must be made expeditiously.

Pre-approval areas are defined as those areas which are more than three miles from population. All
other areas will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Monitoring and sampling will be conducted
where there is the potential for people to be exposed to the smoke. As general guidance, people
should not be exposed to small particles (PM-10) in concentrations that exceed 150 micrograms per
cubic meter of air averaged over one hour. The concentrations should never exceed 150
micrograms per cubic meter averaged over 24 hours.

4622 Authorization Procedures

These guidelines provide a common decision-making process to evaluate the appropriateness of
using in-situ burning during a spill response. The process is based on the premise that a rapid
decision is essential if in-situ burning is ever to be used since oil emulsifies (becomes mixed with
water) and is more difficult to ignite as time goes on. Therefore, the fewest number of decision-
makers as possible are involved in deciding whether or not to burn.

Under these guidelines, authorization to use in-situ burning rests with the Unified Command (UC).
The UC consists of federal, state and responsible party on-scene coordinators as well as local and
tribal on-scene coordinators, as appropriate. The UC, as part of the Incident Command System
(ICS), is responsible for overseeing the entire response effort, which includes the decision to use in-
situ burning. The decision process is greatly expedited by the use of the unified command structure,
by the establishment of a single application (see attached checklist and worksheet located after the
decision process flowchart), and mutually agreed upon operational controls. Figure 4.2 summarizes
the In- situ burn decision process.

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Figure 4.2 In-Situ Burn Decision Process

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In-Situ Burning Application

The following checklist and worksheet are provided as a summary of important information to be
considered by the Unified Command in reviewing any request to conduct in-situ burning in response
to an oil spill in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho waters. The flowchart shown in Figure 4.2
summarizes the process for making a burn decision. The decision to burn involves three basic
factors. If the oil has ignited due to collision or another means, allowing continued burning may be
unavoidable or beneficial. Second, the decision to burn must consider whether this tool will offer a
greater level of efficiency in removing oil on water and/or reducing oil impacts to sensitive
resources. Third, the decision must evaluate whether it is practical, feasible, and safe to burn given
the spill and conditions involved.

The application process begins with a simple preliminary feasibility analysis. If that analysis
concludes that in-situ burning may be feasible, the application checklist and window-of-opportunity
worksheet should be completed. The checklist is divided into several sections of information about
the spill, weather, proposed burning plan, and potential impacts. Most checklist questions reference
items on the worksheet. When completed, the checklist and worksheet will identify the window-of-
opportunity when in-situ burning would be allowed based on environmental, public health, and
operational constraints. Note that the checklist must be updated for each new burn scenario
proposed. It is important to note that even if the checklist and worksheet fail to show that in-situ
burning is appropriate at one point in time (i.e., a ―NO‖ answer), changes in environmental or other
factors may make in-situ burning a feasible option at a later time.

Preliminary Feasibility Analysis

1. Is the spilled oil already burning? Yes __ No ___
If yes, skip remaining questions and proceed with the rest of application.

2. Are prevailing and forecasted winds and atmospheric conditions likely to cause heavy smoke
exposure to populated areas? Yes___ No ___
If no, proceed with question 3.

3. Do natural resource managers concur that in-situ burning will cause less overall harm to marine
resources (e.g., heat, burn residue) than the harm to those resources anticipated if in-situ burning
does not occur (e.g., oiling of shorelines, wildlife, kelp, etc)? Yes___ No ___
If yes, proceed with question 4.

4. Are equipment and trained personnel available to conduct in-situ burning operations? Yes___ No
___
If yes, proceed with question 5.

5. Is the oil concentration and type suitable for containment and burning?
Yes___ No___
If yes, proceed with rest of application.

If any answer to the above questions does not result in instructions to proceed with the
application, approval of an in-situ burning application is very unlikely at this point of time
until conditions change.

Application Checklist

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1. Spill Data

Date of incident (month/date/year): _______ Time of incident: ________

Name of incident/responsible party :

Location of incident ____________ Latitude: _____ N Longitude ______ W

Type(s) of oil spilled:

Estimated volume of oil spilled into water: ____________________________

Estimated volume of oil at risk of spilling: ____________________________

Release status: Stopped __ Intermittent __ Continuous __ Outflow Rate:

Forecasted surface area of spill at time of projected burn: ______________

Continuous slick ___ Large patches ___ Ribbons/streamers ____

Will oil concentration be sufficient to burn? Yes ___ No ___
See #1 on worksheet

Anticipated oil trajectory (attach NOAA forecasts if available):

Forecasted oil distance/direction to nearest land at time of projected burn:

Expected areas and times of shoreline oil impact:
See #2 on worksheet

Estimated percentage of natural dispersion and evaporation during:
first 24 hours ____________ second 24 hours ______________

Oil emulsification at this time: Unknown ___ None ___ Light (0-20%) ___
Moderate (21-50%)__ Heavy (over 50%) ___

Will emulsification likely be less than 50% at projected time of burn?
Yes __ No __ Unknown __ See #3 on worksheet

Distance (in miles) and direction to nearest population center (> 100 people per sq. mile):

Name of nearest population center:

Weather/Environmental Conditions at time of projected burn

Temperature: Air = _______ F Water = ________ F

Weather: Clear __ Partly cloudy __ Overcast __ Rain __ Fog __
Snow __ Freezing __

Surface visibility ________ Ceiling level ___________
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Is prevailing and forecasted visibility more than 500 ft. vertically and 0.5 mile
horizontally? Yes ___ No ___ See #4 on worksheet

Surface current: Speed _______ Direction _________

Wind conditions: Speed _______ Direction (from) ___________

Are prevailing and forecasted winds less than 25 knots? Yes ___ No ___
See #5 on worksheet

Tide state: Flood ____ Ebb ____ Slack Water ____

Sea State: Calm ___ Choppy ____ Swell (in feet) ____

Waves: Less than 1 ft __ 1-3 ft __ More than 3 ft __ Direction (from) ____
See #6 on worksheet

Other weather/sea condition information:

Proposed Burning Plan

Location of the proposed burn relative to the spill site:

Location of the proposed burn relative to nearest ignitable slick(s):

Location and direction of the proposed burn relative to nearest land:

Can accidental fires be avoided? Yes ___ No ____ If yes, what actions are planned:

Can ignition/burn occur at a safe distance from other response operations and public, recreational,
and commercial activities? Yes ___ No ___

See #7 on worksheet

Method(s) used to notify residents living within the potential smoke plume trajectory:

See #8 on worksheet

Method(s) used to notify mariners and aircraft pilots:

Method(s) used to avoid impacts to marine life in vicinity of burn:

Type of ignition system proposed for use:

When will ignition system, fire-resistant boom, and deployment equipment/vessels be on-scene and
available for use?

See #9 on worksheet

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How will ignition be carried out:

If a heli-torch ignition system is to be used, is the helicopter qualified for offshore flight and does it
meet FAA certification requirements?
Yes ___ No ____

Method used to collect/concentrate oil, if any:

Amount of fire boom available for use at time of projected burn:
__________ feet See #9 on worksheet

Number of boom-towing vessels and support vessels available:

Proposed location of oil containment relative to spill source:
Proposed burning strategy:
___ Immediate ignition at or near source
___ Ignition away from source after containment and movement to safe location
___ Controlled burning in boom or natural collection site at or near shore
___ Possible need for multiple ignition attempts.

Are floating debris and other safety hazards acceptable? Yes ___ No ___

Are sufficient numbers of trained personnel available on-scene to conduct safe and effective burn?
Yes ___ No ___ See #10 on worksheet

Estimated amount of oil to be burned:

Estimated duration of burn:

Method of collecting burned oil residue:

Estimated amount of burned oil residue to be collected:

Proposed interim storage and disposal of burned oil residue:

Back-up plan for collecting contained oil if burn fails:

Burn Impacts

Is adequate air modeling support available? Yes ___ No ___

Do prevailing conditions and air modeling results indicate that PM-10 standards can be met?
Yes ___ No ___ See #11 on worksheet
c. Will visibility remain safe at sensitive locations (e.g., airports, freeways)?
Yes __ No __
d. Are adequate air support and burn monitoring equipment on-scene and available?
Yes ___ No ___ See #12 on worksheet

e. How will operational impacts to wildlife in vicinity be monitored?

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Name of Application Preparer:

Date/Time Submitted to Planning Section Chief: _____________________

Approval by Planning Chief: _____________________________

Unified Command Decision:

____ Approval to implement burn plan

____ Approval to conduct small pilot burn

____ Burn plan disapproved at this time

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Authorization procedures will differ depending upon whether the spill location is in a pre-approval area
or is decided on a case-by-case basis. Regardless of location, the UC directs actions that will provide
for maximum environmental protection while ensuring human safety.

4622.1 Exposure Limits for Emissions

Since burning will almost always provide for the greatest degree of environmental protection, a key
issue is for the UC to ensure that pollutants from in-situ burning emissions do not have a significant
adverse impact to human health. The primary pollutant of concern is PM-10, the small particulate
matter contained in the smoke plume. It is generally accepted that other pollutants dissipate, reaching
background levels well before PM-10 does. An in-situ smoke plume usually stays well above ground
level, hundreds to thousands of feet, but can reach the ground under certain atmospheric conditions.
An exposure standard for PM-10 has been established for these guidelines. In-situ burning will not be
approved if there is significant risk that the standard would be exceeded where people are located.
Background levels will be taken into consideration when determining risk.

As general guidance, people should not be exposed to concentrations greater than 150 micrograms per
cubic meter averaged over one hour. A meteorologist, responsible for evaluating weather data and
information in the area proposed for an in-situ burn, will incorporate this standard in assessing health
risks. However, some flexibility and professional judgment may be necessary. Therefore, the standard
incorporates a cap for PM-10 exposure not to exceed 150 micrograms per cubic meter averaged over a
24-hour period. The UC should ensure that an approved burn is within this standard. The UC must also
weigh the risk to people of the volatiles that evaporate from unburned oil. In some cases, it may be less
harmful to people to burn the oil rather than let part of it evaporate.

4622.2 Pre-approval

Once the UC determines that the application to burn conforms to the PM-10 standard, then the UC
determines if the spill location is in a ―pre-approval area.‖ Pre-approval areas include any area that is
more than three miles from human population. Human population is defined as 100 people per square
mile. If a potential burn site is in a pre-approval area, then the meteorologist, appropriate air pollution
control authority, local emergency manager and the public are notified. Preparations will be made for
monitoring the burn immediately following notification. (Note: Pre-approval refers to certain locations
where burning is allowed with minimal steps to be taken to conduct the burn. Several prior procedures
must still be undertaken, including application submittal and approval, and notifications.)

4622.3 Case-by-Case

If the UC determines that the application conforms to the guidelines but is not in a pre-approval area,
then approval to burn is considered on a case-by-case basis. The UC notifies the Regional Response
Team (RRT). In cases where the RRT’s expertise is needed, then the RRT will be consulted. At this
stage, the UC consults with the meteorologist to obtain weather data and information on the potential
concentrations of pollutants that may reach a populated area from both burned and unburned oil. The
meteorologist consults with the appropriate air pollution control authority for more information. Data will
also be obtained from a predictive smoke plume model whenever possible. Modeling information will
not be relied upon exclusively but considered as part of the information package. The UC then
evaluates all available information and determines the feasibility and acceptability of in-situ burning
based on these guidelines. If the decision is yes, then the same procedures apply as those for pre-
approval areas. If the decision is no, then the burn will not be conducted. If conditions change, the
application will be re-evaluated.

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4622.4 Not Allowed

If the application to burn is not in conformance with these guidelines, in-situ burning will not be allowed.
Conditions will be monitored in case there is a change which would make in-situ burning appropriate
and feasible. While no geographic areas have been excluded from the consideration to use in-situ
burning, it is very unlikely that it would be approved in a heavily populated area such as inner Puget
Sound or on the Columbia River near Portland because of the increased potential for exposing people
to high levels of particulates. However, even in highly populated areas, burning may still be approved in
unique circumstances, especially when the volatiles from the unburned oil pose a serious threat to
human health.

4622.5 Monitoring

Monitoring should always be incorporated as part of standard in-situ burning operations; however in
some cases, especially in remote areas, it may be difficult or not possible to monitor. Information from
monitoring, sampling, and computer modeling will be continuously evaluated to ensure the burn is
conducted safely and to gather historical data to enhance our knowledge of in-situ burning. Weather
and sea conditions will also be continuously monitored, and, if conditions become unfavorable, the burn
may be extinguished.

4630 Decanting

When oil is spilled on the water, mechanical recovery of the oil is the principal approved method of
responding. However, the mechanical recovery process and associated systems necessarily involve
placing vessels and machinery in a floating oil environment. Incidental returns of oil into the response
area, such as oil that falls back into the recovery area from vessels and machinery that are immersed
and working in the oil, are an inevitable part of the mechanical recovery process. Similarly, separation
or ―decanting‖ of water from recovered oil and return of excess water into the response area can be
vital to the efficient mechanical recovery of spilled oil because it allows maximum use of limited storage
capacity, thereby increasing recovery operations.
This practice is currently recognized as a necessary and routine part of response operations that is
appropriately addressed in Area Contingency Plans. (See National Contingency Plan Revisions, 59
F.R. 47401, Sept. 15, 1994.) In addition, some activities, such as those associated with oil recovery
vessels, small boats and equipment cleaning operations may result in incidental discharges. These
activities may be necessary to facilitate response operations on a continuing basis, and all of these
activities are considered to be ―incidental discharges.‖

4631 Decanting Policy

This policy addresses ―incidental discharges‖ associated with spill response activities. ―Incidental
discharge‖ means the release of oil and/or oily water within the response area in or proximate to the
area in which oil recovery activities are taking place during and attendant to oil spill response activities.
Incidental discharges include, but are not limited to, the decanting of oily water, oil and oily water
returns associated with runoff from vessels and equipment operating in an oiled environment and the
wash down of vessels, facilities and equipment used in the response. ―Incidental discharges‖ as
addressed by this policy, do not require additional permits and do not constitute a prohibited discharge.
See 33 CFR 153.301, 40 CFR 300, RCW 90.56.320(1), WAC 173-201A-110, ORS 468b.305 (2)(b).

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4631.1 Criteria

During spill response operations, mechanical recovery of oil is often restricted by a number of factors,
including the recovery system’s oil/water recovery rate, the type of recovery system employed and the
amount of tank space available on the recovery unit to hold recovered oil/water mixtures. In addition,
the longer oil remains on or in the water, the more it mixes to form an emulsified mousse or highly
mixed oil/water liquid, which sometimes contains as much as 70% water and 30% oil, thus consuming
significantly more storage space. Decanting is the process of draining off recovered water from portable
tanks, internal tanks, collections wells or other storage containers to increase the available storage
capacity of recovered oil. When decanting is conducted properly most of the petroleum can be removed
from the water.

The overriding goal of mechanical recovery is the expeditious recovery of oil from water. In many
cases, the separation of oil and water and discharge of excess water is necessary for skimming
operations to be effective in maximizing the amount of oil recovered and in minimizing overall
environmental damages. Expeditious review and approval, as appropriate, of such requests is
necessary to ensure a rapid and efficient recovery operation. In addition, such incidental discharges
associated with mechanical recovery operations should not be considered prohibited discharges. Such
actions should be considered and in appropriate circumstances pre-authorized by the FOSC and/or
SOSC because the discharged water will be much less harmful to the environment than allowing the oil
to remain in the water and be subject to spreading and weathering.

Therefore, the Area Committee adopts the following policy in order to provide for an expeditious
decanting approval process and provide clear guidance to the Unified Command, response contractors
and other members of the spill response community.

Pre-approval for on water decanting is authorized when pumping recovered oil and water ashore is not
practical during the first 24 hours after initial spill discovery. Decanting authorization is granted for the
oil products listed below.
• All crude oils;
• Vacuum gas oils;
• Atmospheric gas oils;
• Recycle oils not containing distillates;
• Bunker fuels;
• No. 6 fuel oils;
• Cutter stocks; and
• Coker gas oils.

Decanting of the listed oils is pre-approved if the following conditions are met:
1. Pre-Approval is for the first 24 hours after spill discovery. Decanting requests for all the
remaining operational periods will need to be completed and submitted to Unified Command.
The RP must fill out the NWACP decanting request and seek Unified Command approval prior
to any additional decanting approvals from the second operational period on.
2. The Incident Commander must be notified within one hour of decanting being initiated and
must then immediately notify the Unified Command.
3. The RP assures the Unified Command that they are quickly obtaining adequate oil storage
and skimming capacity within the first 24 hours and the responding Primary Response
Contractors (PRCs) are expeditiously getting sufficient storage and skimming capacity on site to
alleviate the need for prolonged decanting
4. The following criteria found in the current Decanting Authorization Form must be complied
with:

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•All decanting should be done in a designated ―Response Area‖ within a collection area,
vessel collection well, recovery belt, weir area, or directly in front of a recovery system
• Vessels employing sweep booms with recovery pumps in the apex of the boom shall
decant forward of the recovery pumps
• Vessels not equipped with an oil/water separator should allow retention time for oil held
in internal or portable tanks before decanting commences
• Containment boom needs to be deployed around the collection area, where feasible, to
prevent loss of decanted oil or entrainment.
• Visual monitoring of the decanting shall be maintained at all times so that discharge of
oil in the decanted water is detected promptly
• Where feasible decant ahead of an operating skimmer recovery system, so decanting
could occur ahead of a skimming system instead of just inside an enclosed boomed
area.
5. Unified Command can revoke the pre-approval at any time if above conditions are not met
6. Shore-side container decanting (i.e., vacuum truck, portable tanks, etc.) is not authorized for
Pre-approval under this policy. Decanting in areas where vacuum trucks, portable tanks, or
other collection systems are used for shore cleanup will be subject to filling out the decanting
form in the NWACP prior to authorization and must comply with the same rules as vessels.

During a response, when decanting has not been pre-approved for lighter oils, which are not listed
above, it will be necessary for response contractors or the responsible party to request from the Unified
Command written authority to decant while recovering oil so that response operations do not cease or
become impaired. The Unified Command will consider each request for decanting of lighter oils on a
case-by-case basis. Prior to approving decanting, the Unified Command should evaluate the potential
effects of weather including the wind and wave conditions, the quantity of oil spilled and the type of oil
as well as available storage. The Unified Command should also take into account that recovery
operations as enhanced by decanting will actually reduce the overall quantity of pollutants in a more
timely and effective manner to facilitate cleanup operations.

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The following criteria should be considered by the FOSC and/or SOSC in determining whether to
approve decanting unless circumstances dictate otherwise:

• All decanting should be done in a designated ―Response Area‖ within a collection area, vessel
collection well, recovery belt, weir area, or directly in front of a recovery system.

• Vessels employing sweep booms with recovery pumps in the apex of the boom should decant
forward of the recovery pump.

• All vessels, motor vehicles and other equipment not equipped with an oil/water separator
should allow retention time for oil held in internal or portable tanks before decanting
commences.

• When deemed necessary by the FOSC and/or SOSC or the response contractor a
containment boom will be deployed around the collection area to minimize loss of decanted oil
or entrainment.

• Visual monitoring of the decanting area shall be maintained so that discharge of oil in the
decanted water is detected promptly.

• Decanting in areas where vacuum trucks, portable tanks or other collection systems are used
for shore cleanup will be subject to the same rules as vessels.

The response contractor or responsible party will seek approval from the FOSC and/or SOSC prior to
decanting by presenting the Unified Command with a brief description of the area for which decanting
approval is sought, the decanting process proposed, the prevailing conditions (wind, weather, etc.) and
protective measures proposed to be implemented. The FOSC and/or SOSC will review such requests
promptly and render a decision as quickly as possible. FOSC authorization is required in all cases and
in addition SOSC authorization is required for decanting activities in state waters.

The FOSC and/or SOSC will review and provide directions and authorization as appropriate to requests
to wash down vessels, facilities and equipment to facilitate response activities.

Other activities related to possible oil discharges associated with an oil spill event such as actions to
save a vessel or protect human life which may include such actions as pumping bilges on a sinking
vessel are not covered by this policy.

4640 Gasoline Response Policy

Gasoline and other flammable liquid spills and releases on water pose many significant response
challenges as well as serious health and safety concerns for responders and communities downstream
and downwind from the release. Gasoline range products are finished gasolines and volatile
hydrocarbon fractions used for blending into finished gasoline, to include gasoline, straight-run naphtha,
alkylate, reformate, benzene, toluene and xylene, and other refined petroleum products with a flash
point below 100 degrees F (37.8 deg. C). When these types of products are spilled into the
environment, it is imperative to take immediate steps to control the source of the release and eliminate
all possible ignition sources, to properly notify regulatory and local response agencies, and to initiate a
preliminary site safety plan prior to any response activities. Booming gasoline and other flammable
liquids and covering them with foam are dangerous practices. In most cases booming and
concentrating gasoline increase the risk of explosion and delay evaporation of the gasoline into the
atmosphere. The risks posed by booming and foaming gasoline and other flammable liquids are

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warranted only under very limited circumstances. In some cases, the use of foam may be appropriate
and necessary in response to an imminent threat to public health and safety. Deflection and protection
booming can be used to move gasoline away from sensitive areas, but must be employed in a safe
manner, within safe atmospheres and prior to arrival of the product. Mechanical recovery of gasoline on
water is not an effective practice; the more prudent response technique is to allow gasoline to
evaporate/dissipate.

Given the inherent danger of booming gasoline on water, as well as the product’s rapid rate of
evaporation and dissipation, the Area Committee adopts the following guidelines for responding to
gasoline releases on water: It is noted that these are only guidelines. Each release must be
evaluated on its particular circumstances. Good work practices and professional judgment
should always prevail:
• Ensure proper notifications to emergency and regulatory response agencies. Involve local fire
jurisdictions immediately.
• Ensure that proper safety precautions are taken to prevent accidental ignition and risk to
responding personnel and the general public. An evacuation may be needed in some cases.
• Ensure proper site hazard analysis and risk assessment are conducted to determine scope of
release and initiate the development of a Site Safety Plan.
• Establish control zones as soon as possible. Track and predict movements of both liquid and
vapors and re-establish control zones as appropriate.
• Eliminate all potential ignition sources.
• Set up air monitoring throughout response.
o NOTE: Air monitoring must be conducted with the greatest of care. Air monitoring
both increases the exposure danger to responders and introduces possible accidental
ignition sources. Certainly nearby population centers should be monitored, as should the
leading edge of the vapor cloud. However, in open water areas it MAY make more sense
to stay away. In any area that is being monitored, the monitoring should be continuous, if
possible. Also, only direct reading, intrinsically safe, continuously monitoring instruments
should be used. Both lower explosive levels (LEL) and benzene exposure should be
monitored.
• Control source of gasoline as quickly as possible.
• Coordinate response efforts with all agencies – work within a Unified Command.
• Identify and prioritize environmental concerns. Conduct exclusion/deflection/protective
booming downstream or down current, outside of hazardous atmospheres, prior to the arrival of
released product.
• Use fire monitors/water fog spray to move product out from under docks and/or from collection
points.
• Allow product to evaporate and dissipate unless there is an imminent threat to public health
and safety.
• Stage firefighting foam and application equipment if appropriate.

4650 Bioremediation

The use of bioremediation in open water is an unproven technology that currently shows little or no
promise of removing significant quantities of oil from the surface of the water prior to shoreline impact
or natural dispersion. Bioremediation by nutrient enhancement or seeding of biodegrading organisms is
therefore not allowed on the surface of open water. This policy can be reviewed by the RRT if there is
new and significant evidence that bioremediation can be a significant factor in oil removal on open
water.

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Bioremediation of Shorelines

Seeding of exotic organisms for pollution response is prohibited in Response Region Ten. This is due
to unproven efficacy of such procedures and the unknown ecological effects resulting from the
implementation of such.

Bioremediation is an effective technique for the encouragement of oil biodegradation on some
contaminated shorelines. Nonetheless, this strategy is unlikely to lead to rapid decontamination of
beaches. Consequently, bioremediation should be used as the primary treatment only when oil
concentrations are low (less than 15 grams of oil for every kilogram of sediment) and conventional
forms of cleanup (heavy equipment use or manual cleaning) are likely to do more damage than good.
Bioremediation should be considered as a polishing technique after gross contamination is removed by
conventional means.

The use of bioremediation for oil spill clean up will be allowed only on a case-by-case basis.

4700 Reserved for Future Use

4800 Reserved for Future Use

4900 Reserved for Future Use

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CHAPTER 5000

LOGISTICS

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5000 LOGISTICS
5100 Logistics Section Organization
The following is an organizational chart of the Logistics Section and its subordinate units. It serves as
an example and is not meant to be all-inclusive. The functions of the Logistics Section must be
accomplished during an incident; however, they can be performed by one individual or can be
expanded, as needed, into additional organizational units with appropriate delegation of authority.
Information regarding the Logistics Section and Staff positions within the command can be found in Oil
Spill Field Operations Guide (FOG) ICS-OS-420-1 dated June 2000. For positions or incident types not
addressed by the FOG, refer to the US Coast Guard Incident Management Handbook 2001 Edition,
(COMDTPUB P 3120.17 Apr 2001).

5110 Logistics Section Planning Cycle Guide

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5200 Roles and Responsibilities

The Logistics Section is responsible for providing services and support to meet all incident or event
needs. This is accomplished under the direction of the Logistics Section Chief. Logistics service and
support to an incident or event are important functions. Early recognition of the need for a separate
logistics function and section can reduce time and money spent on an incident. All Functions not
assigned by the Section Chief remain the responsibility of the Section Chief.

5210 Logistics Section Chief Responsibilities

The Logistics Section Chief, a member of the General Staff, is responsible for providing facilities,
services, and material in support of the incident. The Logistics Section Chief participates in
development and implementation of the Incident Action Plan and activates and supervises Branches
and Units within the Logistics Section.

5220 Service Branch Director

The Service Branch Director, when activated, is under the supervision of the Logistics Section Chief,
and is responsible for the management of all service activities at the incident. The Branch Director
supervises the operations of the Communications, Medical, and Food Units.

5230 Communications Unit Leader
The Communications Unit Leader, under the direction of the Service Branch Director or Logistics
Section Chief is responsible for developing plans for the effective use of incident communications
equipment and facilities; installing and testing of communications equipment; supervision of the incident
Communications Center; distribution of communications equipment to incident personnel; and the
maintenance and repair of communications equipment.

5240 Medical Unit Leader

The Medical Unit Leader, under the direction of the Service Branch Director or Logistics Section Chief,
is primarily responsible for the development of the Medical Emergency Plan, obtaining medical aid and
transportation for injured and ill incident personnel, and preparation of reports and records. The Medical
Unit may also assist Operations in supplying medical care and assistance to civilian casualties at the
incident, but is not intended to provide medical services to the public.

5250 Food Unit Leader

The Food Unit Leader, under the direction of the Service Branch Director or Logistics Section Chief, is
responsible for determining feeding requirements at all incident facilities; menu planning; determining
cooking facilities required; food preparation; serving; providing potable water; and general maintenance
of the food service areas.

5260 Support Branch Director

The Support Branch Director, when activated, is under the direction of the Logistics Section Chief, and
is responsible for development and implementation of logistics plans in support of the Incident Action
Plan, including providing personnel, equipment, facilities, and supplies to support incident operations.
The Support Branch Director supervises the operation of the Supply, Facilities, Ground Support and
Vessel Support Units.

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5270 Supply Unit Leader

The Supply Unit Leader is primarily responsible for ordering personnel, equipment and supplies;
receiving, and storing all supplies for the incident; maintaining an inventory of supplies; and servicing
non-expendable supplies and equipment.

5280 Facilities Unit Leader

The Facilities Unit Leader is primarily responsible for the layout and activation of incident facilities (e.g.
Base, Camp(s) and Incident Command Post). The Facilities Unit provides sleeping and sanitation
facilities for incident personnel and manages base and camp operations. Each facility (base or camp) is
assigned a manager who reports to the Facilities Unit Leader and is responsible for managing the
operation of the facility. The basic functions or activities of the Base and Camp Manager are to provide
security service and general maintenance. The Facility Unit Leader reports to the Support Branch
Director.

5290 Ground Support Unit Leader

The Ground Support Unit Leader is primarily responsible for 1) support out of service resources 2)
coordination of transportation of personnel, supplies, food, and equipment, 3) fueling, service,
maintenance and repair of vehicles and other ground support equipment, and 4) implementing the
Traffic Plan for the incident.

5300 Communications
This is a frequency and communications resource summary taken from the Communications Manual
provided in section 9660 Communications Manual provides further detail on topics such as
communications terminology, equipment setup, types of communications systems, and more.

5400 Area Resources: Infrastructure

5410 Incident Facilities

Designated incident facilities, such as a Command Post (CP), an incident base, or a staging area, may
be established based on the requirements of the incident. The Incident Commander or Unified
Command determines when these facilities are established and where they are located.
The CP is the location from which all incident operations are directed. Only one CP is required per
incident. Government and private entities should be co-located at the CP to make planning and
communications easier. The communications center is usually established at the CP. Incident
bases(s) are used for large oil spills affecting a large geographical area and provide staging areas for
equipment and personnel (i.e., small craft launching area, shoreline cleanup access point).

5411 Pre-designated Command Post Locations in the Puget Sound Area
In the Puget Sound Area, major metropolitan areas which have been pre-designated for command post
locations are:
• Port Angeles
o (Strait of Juan de Fuca GRP & Outer Coast GRP);
• Bellingham
o (North Puget Sound/San Juan Islands GRP);
• Anacortes/Mt. Vernon
o (North Puget Sound/San Juan Islands GRP);
• Everett
o (North Central Puget Sound GRP);

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• Seattle
o (Central Puget Sound GRP);
• Bremerton
o (Central Puget Sound GRP); and
• Tacoma
o (Central Puget Sound GRP).

5412 Pre-designated Command Post Locations in the Portland Area

In the Portland Area, major metropolitan areas which have been pre-designated for command post
locations are:
• Portland
o (Lower Columbia GRP)
• Astoria or Grays Harbor
o (Grays Harbor GRP)
• Yaquina Bay
o (Northern Oregon Coast GRP)
• Coos Bay
o (Southern Oregon Coast GRP)

5413 Pre-designated Command Post Locations in the Inland Area

In the Inland Area, major metropolitan areas which have been pre-designated for command post
locations are:
• Kennewick
o (Mid Columbia River GRP)
• Others T5500
o Area Resources: Response Equipment

5510 Area Resources: Personnel and Services

5612 USCG

5612.1 USCG National Strike Force (NSF)

5612.2 USCG District Response Assist Team (DRAT)

5612.3 Public Information Assist Team (PIAT)

5612.4 USCG Reserve

5612.5 USCG Auxiliary

5612.6 USCG Vessel Traffic Service (VTS)

5612.7 USCG D13 Incident Management Assist Team (IMAT)

5613 NOAA

5613.1 Spill/Discharge Trajectory Modeling

5613.2 Oceanic & Atmospheric Modeling

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5614 US Navy Supervisor of Salvage (SUPSALV)

5615 EPA Environmental Response Team (ERT)

For more information see: http://www.ert.org/

5640 Resource Directory

5641 Oil Response Equipment

(See http://www.uscg.mil/d13/m/

5642 Hazardous Substance Response Equipment

(See http://www.uscg.mil/d13/m/

5643 Salvage Companies/Divers

5644 Air Support-
• Fixed Wing,
• Helicopter,
• Float Planes

5645 Surveillance Capability
• Tracking Buoys
• FLIR
• SLIR

5646 Response Management Teams

5647 Safety Resource
• Industrial Hygienists
• Air monitoring

5700 Reserved for Future Use

5800 Reserved for Future Use

5900 Reserved for Future Use

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CHAPTER 6000

FINANCE/
ADMINISTRATION

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Chapter 6000 Table of Contents

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6000 FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION

6100 Finance/Administration Section Organization

The following is an organizational chart of the Finance/Administrative Section and its subordinate units.
It serves as an example and is not meant to be all-inclusive. The functions of the
Finance/Administrative Section must be accomplished during an incident; however, they can be
performed by one individual or can be expanded, as needed, into additional organizational units with
appropriate delegation of authority.

Information regarding the Finance/Administration Section and Staff positions within the command can
be found in the Oil Spill Field Operations Guide (FOG) ICS-OS-420-1 dated June 2000. For positions
or incident types not addressed by the FOG, refer to the US Coast Guard Incident Management
Handbook 2001 Edition, (COMDTPUB P 3120.17 Apr 2001).

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6110 Finance/Administrative Section Planning Cycle Guide

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6200 Roles and Responsibilities

Finance is usually staffed in large-scale or complex incidents. Since most of the activities of Finance
do not require face-to-face communication, these operations may be located remote from the incident
site. All functions not assigned by the Section Chief remain the responsibility of the Section Chief.

6210 Finance Section Chief Responsibilities

The Finance Section Chief must provide for the documentation of all incident costs, and provide
guidance to the IC on financial issues that may have an impact on incident operations. These
responsibilities include:

• Future payments;
• Future budgeting;
• Payment of personnel costs;
• Cost recovery;
• Timely administration of contracts;
• Meet with assisting and cooperating company/agency representatives, as required;
• Maintain daily contact with company/ agency(s) administrative headquarters on finance
matters;
• Ensure that all personnel time records are transmitted to home company/agency according to
policy; and
• Ensure that all obligation documents initiated at the incident are properly prepared and
completed.

The Finance Section Chief is responsible for all finance functions needed for an incident. This
individual should establish functional Units when needed to maintain an acceptable workload and span
of control. Subordinate Finance functions may be combined when workload permits.

The Finance Section Chief should be assigned before implementation of subordinate units to prevent
an excessive span of control or information overload for the ICS.

6220 Time Unit

The primary function of the Time Unit is the time keeping required for personnel working at an incident.
To do this effectively each agency, the responsible party, and all contractors will need to address this
function. To the degree it is integrated into a similar format and procedure, the entire system will work
more smoothly. To ensure this happens, each agency, responsible party, contractor, etc., should have
some formalized method of checking in and out for all personnel.

The Time Unit Leader is responsibilities include:

• Equipment and personnel time records;
• Establish contact with appropriate company/agency personnel/representatives;
• Establish Time Unit objectives;
• Ensure that daily personnel and equipment time recording documents are prepared in
compliance with time policies;
• Submit cost estimate data forms to Cost Unit, as required;
• Provide for records security; and
• Ensure that all records are current or complete prior to demobilization.

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6230 Procurement Unit

When incident operations require procurement of goods or services from vendors, the Procurement
Unit manages this function.

The Procurement Unit Leader responsibilities include:
• Administer all financial matters pertaining to vendor contracts;
• Coordinate with local jurisdictions on plans and supply sources;
• Prepare and sign contracts and land use agreements, as needed;
• Draft memorandums of understanding;
• Establish contracts with supply vendors, as required;
• Interpret contracts/agreements and resolve claims or disputes within delegated authority;
• Coordinate with Compensation/Claims Unit on procedures for handing claims;
• Finalize all agreements and contracts;
• Coordinate use of imprest funds, as required;
• Complete final processing and send documents for payment; and
• Coordinate cost data in contracts with Cost Unit Leader.

6240 Compensation/Claims Unit

The function of the Compensation/Claims Unit involves record-keeping and financial claims related to
damages created by the spill.

The Compensation/Claims Unit Leader responsibilities include:
• Overall management and direction of all administrative matters pertaining to compensation-
forinjury
and claims-related activity for an incident;
• Establish contact with Safety Officer, Liaison Officer and Company/Agency Representatives;
• Determine the need for Compensation for Injury and Claims Specialists and order personnel,
as
needed;
• If possible, co-locate Compensation-for-Injury work area with the Medical Unit;
• Coordinate with Procurement Unit on procedures for handling claims; and
• Ensure that all Compensation-for-Injury and Claims documents are up to date and routed to
the
proper company/agency.

6250 Cost Unit

The principal functions of the Cost Unit are tracking costs, analyzing cost data, making cost estimates,
contracts, and recommending cost-saving measures.

Note: It is critical that all parties in the Unified Command adopt consistent cost documentation for later
cost recovery from the responsible party or Federal, and/or State funds.

The Cost Unit Leader responsibilities include:
• Collecting all cost data, performing cost-effectiveness analyses, and providing cost estimates
and cost-saving recommendations for the incident;
• Coordinate with company/agency headquarters on cost-reporting procedures;
• Obtain and record all cost data;
• Prepare incident cost summaries;
• Prepare resource-use cost estimates for Planning;
• Make recommendations for cost-savings to Finance/Administration Section Chief;

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• Maintain cumulative incident cost records;
• Ensure that all cost documents are accurately prepared; and
• Complete all records prior to demobilization.

6300 FOSC Access to the Federal Fund

Authority–Federal removal actions are authorized by the FWPCA and CERCLA if the required elements
of jurisdiction exist. In the event of a discharge or release, if the spiller is not acting promptly or is not
known, the FOSC may initiate federal removal under the authority of section 311 (o)(l) of the FWPCA or
section 104(a) of the CERCLA. The responsible party is liable for government removal costs in
accordance with section 311(f) of the FWPCA and section 107 of the CERCLA. Section 300.58 of the
National Contingency Plan outlines the types of funds which may be available to remove certain oil and
hazardous substances discharge.

6310 National Pollution Fund Center (NPFC)

The NPFC manages the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) which funds most federal response to
discharges and threats of discharges that affect the coastal and inland waters of the U.S. NPFC
services include:
• Acting as fiduciary agency for the (OSLTF) and the (CERCLA) Fund and
• Providing 24-hour funding to FOSCs for immediate removal actions at an incident, to monitor
responsible party’s actions, or initiate an assessment of damages to natural resources.
• Issuing a CERCLA Project Number (CPN) as requested by a FOSC.

The NPFC operates within a Case Team concept. There are four case teams: Southeast, Gulf Coast,
West Coast, and Northeast. Each case team includes legal, financial, natural resource damage claims
and OSLTF claims specialists.
(NPFC User Reference Guide, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3)

6320 Accessing the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF)

The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) also known as the Revolving Fund established by section
311 (k) of the FWPCA is administered by the Coast Guard. Title 33 CFR 153 outlines the uses of the
fund. The Coast Guard Marine Safety Manual, Commandant Instruction M16000.11, section 7.B.7
addresses additional topics with regard to the fund.

In the event of an oil spill, the FOSC, states, claimants, and trustees can obtain access to federal
funds.
• The FOSC determines from a preliminary assessment of the oil spill if federal funds are
required. Then the FOSC requests a Federal Project Number (FPN) and spending ceiling from
the Coast Guard District Commander (m). The FOSC can fund USCG resources contracts,
OGAs, state and contractor costs through the FPN. (NPFC User Reference Guide, Chapter 3);
• States can submit claims to NPFC related to removal cost, mitigation, or prevention of a
substantial threat if not funded through the FOSC. States may be given direct access to the fund
(up to $250,000 per incident) with FOSC approval. (NPFC User Reference Guide, Chapter 5);
and
• Claimants (individuals, corporations, and government agencies) submit claims directly to the
NPFC for uncompensated removal costs or damages. (NPFC User Reference Guide, Chapter
7)

OSLTF Access Criteria and Limitations:

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• The discharge must impact or threaten navigable waters of the U.S. including the 200-mile
Exclusive Economic Zone;
• The pollutant must be oil as defined by 33 USC Section 2701(23);
• Removal funding is available from the $50 million Emergency Fund subset of OSLTF;
• Maximum of $500,000,000 per case to remediate natural resource damages; and
• Maximum of $1 billion is available per use to pay for certain costs and damages associated
with
oil spills.

(NPFC User Reference Guide, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3)

6330 Hazardous Substance Response Trust Fund

A Memorandum of Understanding between the USCG and the EPA allows the USCG to access the
Hazardous Substance Response Trust Fund when the USCG undertakes response activities pursuant
to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA),
Executive Order 12316, and the provisions of Subpart E of the NCP. When EPA provides the OSC, the
OSC has the authority to spend up to $200,000 in emergency situations. The EPA Regional
Administrator has authority to approve Trust Fund expenditures not to exceed $6,000,000.
Expenditures exceeding $6,000,000 must be approved by EPA Headquarters. When the USCG
provides the OSC, the USCG OSC has authority to approve Trust Fund expenditures not to exceed
$50,000. USCG OSCs can receive approval for CERCLA Trust Fund expenditures up to $250,000
through the Commander, Thirteenth Coast Guard District. For additional expenditures, approval from
the EPA Office of Emergency and Remedial Response (OERR) is necessary. To access the fund, an
account number must be obtained from EPA Headquarters.

Other Federal agencies have authority to expend Trust Fund money in accordance with Interagency
Agreements (IAG) and Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with EPA. Reimbursement of agency
expenditures will be in accordance with the procedures specified in these IAGs and MOUs. The
CERLCA statute allows state access to Superfund monies only through a Cooperative Agreement
between EPA and the state.

In accordance to 40 CFR 300.415(b)(2), the Trust Funds may be used to undertake immediate removal
actions when the agency providing the OSC determines that such action will prevent or mitigate
immediate and significant risk of harm to human life or health or to the environment from such
situations as:
• Human, animal, or food chain exposure to acutely toxic substances.
• Contamination of a drinking water supply;
• Fire and/or explosion; and
• Similar acute situations.

In the event of a hazardous substance release or imminent threat of a release, the FOSC can obtain
access to federal funds through CERCLA.
• The FOSC determines if federal funds are required and requests a spending ceiling and
CERCLA Project Number (CPN) from the NPFC Case Officer/Regional Manager. The FOSC
can fund USCG resources contracts, OGAs, and contractor costs through the CPN. (NPFC
User Reference Guide, Chapter 3).

CERCLA Access Criteria and Limitations:
• The release or substantial threat of a release of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or
contaminant must impact the environment. ―Environment‖ is defined in CERCLA as waters of
the U.S., other surface waters, ground water, drinking water supply, land surface or subsurface,
or ambient air;

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• Removal funding is limited to no more than $2,000,000 or 12 months duration. EPA may grant
incident specific waivers to this requirement;
• FOSCs may only obligate less than $250,000 for an incident without an approved Action
Memorandum. (See NPFC User Reference Guide, Chapter 3, Section entitled ―EPA Superfund
Removal Procedures-Action memorandum Guidance.‖);
• There is no provision for state access;
• There is no provision for funding pre-assessment phase activities of NRDA;
• Compensation to claimants damaged by hazardous substances is not available; and
• The substance must not be oil as defined by 33 USC Section 2701(23).

(NPFC User Reference Guide, Chapter 3)

6400 Other Access to Funds

6410 State Access to the OSLTF

OPA 90 allows state Governors to request payments of up to $250,000 from the Oil Spill Liability Trust
Fund (the fund) for removal costs required for the immediate removal of a discharge, or the mitigation
or prevention of a substantial threat of a discharge, of oil. Requests are made directly to the FOSC
who will determine eligibility. If a state anticipates the need to access the Fund, they must advise the
NPFC in writing of the specific individual who is designated to make requests. The designation must
include their name, address, telephone number, and title and capacity in which employed.

6411 Eligibility for State Access to the OSLTF

To be eligible for funding, each removal action must be coordinated with the FOSC and meet the
following criteria:
• Must be an incident, occurring after August 18, 1990, which resulted in a discharge, or the
substantial threat of discharge, of oil into or upon the navigable waters or the adjoining
shorelines;
• Must comply with the NCP; and
• Must be an immediate removal action.

Upon receipt, the FOSC will determine whether the request meets the requirements for funding as
established in 33 CFR 133.13. The FOSC will then notify the state and the NPFC Director of his or her
decision.

6412 Required Record Keeping

The state shall maintain records of expenditures of fund moneys including:
• Daily expenditures for each individual worker, giving the individual's name, title or position,
activity performed, time on task, salary or hourly rate, travel costs, per diem, out-of-pocket or
extraordinary expenses, and whether the individual is normally available for oil spill removal;
• Equipment purchased or rented each day, with the daily or hourly rate;
• Miscellaneous materials and expendables purchased each day; and
• Daily contractor or consultant fees, including costs for their personnel and contractor-owned or
rented equipment, as well as that of any subcontractor.

The state shall submit a copy of these records and a summary document, stating the total of all
expenditures made, to the NPFC within 30 days after completion of the removal actions. A copy of
these documents shall also be submitted to the cognizant FOSC.

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6420 Lead Administrative Trustee Access to the Fund

Section 6002 (b) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA90) provides that the OSLTF Emergency Fund is
available ―to initiate the assessment of natural resource damages‖(Initiate/Initiation). For the purpose of
this agreement, Initiate activities have been defined as those Preassessment activities as outlined in 15
CFR 990, Subpart D.

Executive Order 12777 limits funding for Initiation to the Federal Trustees, who are as follows:
• Department of the Interior;
• Department of Commerce;
• Department of Agriculture;
• Department of Defense; and
• Department of Energy.

Executive Order 12777 introduced the Federal Lead Administrative Trustee (FLAT) concept to provide
a focal point for addressing natural resource issues associated with a specific incident. The NPFC will
only accept requests for Initiation from, and normally works directly with, the FLAT. State and Tribal
Trustees must work through a FLAT. Those State and Tribal Trustees acting in the event of a spill may
join with the designated Federal Trustees to name a FLAT.

CRITERIA FOR INITIATION

Threshold. Initiation of a natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) must be in response to an OPA
incident, i.e., a discharge or substantial threat of a discharge of oil into or upon the navigable waters or
the adjoining shorelines or the exclusive economic zone of the United States.

6430 Claims Against Fund

Generally, claims for all costs and damages resulting from an oil pollution incident must be presented
first to the responsible party or its guarantor. The guarantor is typically the responsible party’s insurer.

The categories of uncompensated losses covered by the OSLIT are:
• removal costs;
• real or personal property damages;
• loss of profits or earning capacity;
• loss of subsistence;
• loss of government revenues;
• cost of increased public services; and
• damages to natural resources.

6440 State Access to the CERCLA Fund

Expenditures of Trust Fund money by a State must be in accordance with a contract or cooperative
agreement between EPA and that State.

6441 Cost Recovery

The EPA will make all decisions regarding recovery of expenditures from the Trust Fund. All agencies
expending Trust Funds must submit an itemized account of all funds expended in accordance with
provisions of contracts, Interagency Agreements (IAG), or Cooperative Agreements with EPA. These
agreements must be in place prior to the expenditure of funds.

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6442 Reimbursement Procedures

Reimbursement of agency expenditures will be in accordance with procedures specified in contracts,
Interagency Agreements (IAG), or Cooperative Agreements with EPA.

Local governments may request reimbursement of costs to carry out temporary measures without a
contract or cooperative agreement. All costs for which local governments are seeking reimbursement
must be consistent with the National Contingency Plan and Federal cost principles outlined by the
Office of Management and Budget. Reimbursements are limited to $250,000 per hazardous substance
response. in addition, reimbursement must not supplant local government funds normally provided for
emergency response. States are not eligible for reimbursement and no state may request
reimbursement on its own behalf or on behalf of political subdivisions within the state.

6443 Local and Tribal Government Access to the CERCLA Fund

Local and federally recognized tribal governments may request reimbursement of costs to carry out
temporary measures to protect human health and the environment without a contract or cooperative
agreement. All costs for which local governments are seeking reimbursement must be consistent with
the National Contingency Plan and Federal cost principles outlined by the Office of Management and
Budget. Reimbursements are limited to $25,000 per hazardous substance response. In addition,
reimbursement must not supplant local government funds normally provided for emergency response.
States are not eligible for reimbursement and no state may request reimbursement on its own behalf or
on behalf of political subdivisions within the state.

More information on the Local Government Reimbursement (LGR) program maybe found at:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/er/lgr/

6450 Access to the Washington State Oil Spill Response Account

The Oil Spill Response Account (OSRA) is provided to ―pay for costs associated with the response to
spills of crude oil or petroleum products into the navigable waters of the state.‖ (RCW 90.56.500) A
portion of the OSRA is appropriated by the Legislature each biennium. If the appropriated amount is
expended on a major spill or a series of smaller spills, additional appropriation authority may be sought
from the Office of Financial Management.

6451 Authority to Access to the Washington State Oil Spill Response Account

These procedures are written under the authority of RCW 90.56, the Oil Spill Prevention and Response
Act of 1991. This law established a $25 million oil spill response fund, paid for by a one cent per barrel
tax on the oil industry. The Department of Ecology is charged by Chapter 90.56 RCW to administer the
oil spill response account (OSRA).

6452 Activating the Washington State Oil Spill Response Account

The Oil Spill Response Account may be activated by the director of Ecology or the Program Manager of
the Spills Program. The State On-scene Coordinator (SOSC) is authorized to request the account be
opened. Funds are currently appropriated to this account and are ready to spend subject to proper
approval. When requesting account activation the SOSC or NRDA chair must document what other
funding sources were considered, a description of the spill and expected response activities. To qualify
for funding through the state OSRA, a spill must fit three criteria:
• The spill must be crude oil or a petroleum into navigable waters of the state;
• Cleanup and/or NRDA response costs are likely to exceed $50,000; and
• Funding for the response must not immediately be available from a responsible party or the

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Federal Oil Spill Liability Fund.

6453 Eligible OSRA Costs

Appropriate spill-related costs include: a) Natural resource damage assessments and related activities
(such as investigation to determine volume of oil spilled/recovered and sampling costs to identify the
source of the spill); b) Response, containment, wildlife rescue, cleanup, disposal, and associated costs
(such as field investigation for determining causes and response effectiveness); c) Interagency
coordination and public information (for both spills and significant threats of spills); and d) Appropriate
travel, goods and services, contracts, and equipment.

6500 Federal Fund Documentation and Cost Recovery Procedures

Through Executive Orders the President has delegated certain functions and responsibilities vested to
him by the FWPCA and CERCLA to the EPA and the United States Coast Guard. Under CERCLA the
Hazardous Substance Response Trust Fund has been set up to fund federal responses to hazardous
substances or pollutants or contaminants, as defined by CERCLA that may present an imminent or
substantial threat to public health or the environment. Responses to discharges of petroleum products
are specifically excluded from CERCLA. Section 311 of the Clean Water Act, as amended by the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990, established the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) for response to discharges
of petroleum products (see 11.3 below). Response includes conducting Natural Resource Damage
Assessments and paying claims for removal costs or damages. The EPA and USCG both have access
to both funds through memorandums of understanding established between both agencies. Only costs
incurred during containment, countermeasures, cleanup and disposal (Phase III) during a Federal
Response to an oil pollution incident are recoverable from the Pollution Fund (311 (k)) and must be
certified as Phase III costs by the FOSC. The National Contingency Plan (NCP) contains information
and procedures with regard to both the FWPCA and the CERCLA, and contains sections dealing with
documentation and cost recovery for both acts. Coast Guard Commandant Instruction 16465.1 defines
documentation for enforcement and cost recovery. The instruction is incorporated into this plan by
reference.

6510 Letters

• Notice of Federal Interest for an Oil Pollution Incident (Form CG-5549);
• Notice of Federal Assumption; and
• Letter of Designation of Source.

The OSC is responsible for notifying the NPFC of the source of a discharge, actual or potential. The
NPFC must also be notified if the source is not identified. Notification may be made by letter, Rapidraft,
or message (POLREP or SITREP). The NPFC should be contacted for guidance on procedures, or
with any questions relating to this.
• Administrative/Directive Order (To be distributed under separate cover).

6520 Reports

• FOSC Reports will be submitted as determined necessary by the RRT for a particular incident.
• Pollution Reports (POLREPS) shall be submitted for the coastal zone in accordance with the
requirements outlined in Volume VI, Chapter 7.B.5.b of the Marine Safety Manual. The
POLREP format can be found in Volume VII of the Marine Safety Manual. In the inland zone,
POLREPS shall follow the format outlined in EPA’s Superfund Removal Procedures: Removal
Response Reporting guidance.

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6530 Required Washington State OSRA Documentation

Expenditures for which reimbursement is claimed shall be documented with the understanding that cost
recovery options from the responsible party and/or the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund may be
pursued. Cost documentation should be sufficient to withstand judicial review due to the potential for
litigation with responsible parties. Daily resource reports should be completed as close to the time of
activity as is reasonable, and preferably on the day of the activity. Original resource documentation is
preferred for cost recovery purposes and it should not be retyped, even if it is handwritten. The
following documentation must be submitted with all claims against the account:

An authorization is required for each person for whom cost reimbursement is requested. The
authorization shall include a description of that person's job duties specifically relating to the spill
response or natural resource damage assessment.

A listing of all agency personnel and the total hours worked for which cost reimbursement is requested.

Copies of the time sheets and travel vouchers which support the information requested above.

Copies of invoices for any purchases or expenditures made.

A narrative description of the agency's involvement in the spills, including general geographic locations
of activity and corresponding dates.

A contact person's name and phone number for Ecology's use if questions about billing arise.

Ecology will provide cost documentation forms which may be used to summarize the information listed
above. These three forms are:
• Spill Personnel Authorization;
• Spill Personnel Daily Accounting Sheet; and
• Spill Response Daily Purchases/ Contractors/Agency Form.

The signature authority for each form is not required to compute total costs, but rather must certify the
activities conducted, then the fiscal or payroll officer for each agency may compute the total costs. The
forms are provided for convenience and as a clear method of demonstrating the information required.
An agency may prefer to use another format, but the format must first be reviewed and accepted by the
SOSC and Ecology’s Finance Representative.

6540 Washington State OSRA Approval and Reimbursement Process

6541 State agencies

State agencies are responsible for preparing and submitting daily response or RDA cost estimates to
the SOSC, NRDA chair or Ecology’s Finance Representative in the Unified Command as appropriate.

The SOSC and NRDA chair are responsible for review of source documentation submitted to determine
that the work or services documented were authorized and received.

6542 Contractors

Contractors are responsible for preparing and submitting daily response costs to the Ecology’s Finance
Representative. This manager shall review the documentation daily to determine that the work or
services documented were authorized and received

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6543 Local government agencies, tribes and other groups not part of state government

Local government agencies, tribes and other groups not part of state government requesting
reimbursement of expenses shall be responsible for submitting claims on the correct forms to the
SOSC. The claims shall be subject to review and approval by the SOSC.

After the Ecology’s Finance Representative has approved an agency’s final costs they shall be
submitted to the cost recovery coordinator for final formatting and then to Ecology's Fiscal Office. The
Fiscal Office shall make the appropriate payments the requesting agencies out of OSRA.

6544 OSRA Reimbursement Claims Time Limits

Ecology shall set a time frame for each spill incident during which claims may be submitted.
Reimbursement claims submitted to Ecology past this date may be denied without review.

6545 OSRA Contracts
The SOSC or Ecology's Finance Representative shall award any cleanup/spill response contracts
funded by OSRA. Ecology's NRDA team representative shall award any resource damage contracts
funded by OSRA. The SOSC has signature authority for expenditures that can exceed $10,000 for
emergency contracts. The Section Supervisor, Spill Policy & Planning Section, must approve all
expenditures by the NRDA chair. Central Program’s Manager and budget analyst must approve any
expenditures greater than $10,000.

All contracts need to follow the format of the sample contract shown in (figure to be provided at later
date). It is identified as a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). It is also required that Appendix "A" as
noted in paragraph 1 of the MOA by completed by the SOSC, Ecology's NRDA team representative, or
Ecology Headquarters staff, as appropriate. Appendix "A" must describe the work scope: why it is
needed; what work is to be done or what service is provided; the work location; and the standard pay
rate. The maximum dollar limit for the contract and the completion date shall be included.

Example Appendix "A":

Joe's Oil Skimmers is contracted to remove the petroleum products from Big Pond, Thurston County,
Washington to prevent further contamination of the watershed. "Joe's" shall be reimbursed in
accordance with the rate sheet attached and identified as "Standard Charges for Personnel and
Equipment, Joe's Oil Skimmers"

All work shall be completed by Saturday, October 31, 1993. The maximum allowable charge against
this contract is $2,400.

6546 OSRA Field Contracts

In an emergency situation it may be necessary to let a field contract on the spot. This is allowable. An
emergency/field contract is required to contain the information noted in 302.4.7 above and is subject to
the review detailed in 302.4.7.2 below. The SOSC or State Ecology’s Finance Representative may
request that the cost recovery coordinator complete this work at headquarters.

"Emergency contracts/amendments are to be filed with OFM and LBC within three working days
following the date of execution or commencement of work, whichever occurs first. An emergency
means a set of unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of the agency that either presents a real,
immediate threat to the proper performance of essential functions or may result in material loss or
damage to property, bodily injury, or loss of life if immediate action is not taken. The filing is to include
an attachment which explains:

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• The nature of the emergency;
• The threat to the health or safety of individuals, property, or essential state function if
immediate
action is not taken and an estimate of the potential material loss or damage; and
• How the services of the contractor will alleviate or eliminate the emergency."

State of Washington Policies, Regulations, and Procedures, Part 4, Chapter 3; Effective date: July 1,
1991.

6547 Obtaining Supplies, Equipment or Services with a PPR through OSRA

The SOSC or a spill responder may obtain supplies, equipment, or services for emergency spill
response. Generally, a Preliminary Purchase Request (PPR) must be completed before the delivery of
goods and services. Completing a PPR may be delayed until after the purchase ONLY when specific
purchase authority or a unique situation occurs. Documentation must follow within three days. The
PPR must contain a note explaining why an approved PPR could not be obtained prior to purchase.
Unique situation as defined in Ecology's Policy and Procedure Manual as, "...one in which agency staff
require an item or service within hours to protect public health and the environment, or to respond to
citizen concerns that a situation affects public health or the environment." Once the SOSC or spill
responder determines that a unique situation exists, the merchandise or service shall be obtained with
an invoice from the vendor.

6548 OSRA Contract Review

Any contract over $5,000 needs State Office of Financial Management (OFM) approval. This generally
takes ten working days. Emergency contracts over $5,000 may be let and ten filed with OFM within
three working days following the date of contract execution or the commencement of services,
whichever occurs first. For assistance with OFM filing requirements, call the Department of Ecology
Contract Administrator at (360) 407-7031.

6600 Damage Assessment Procedures

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published a final rule to guide trustees
in assessing damages to natural resources from discharge of oil. The rule provides a blueprint that
enables natural resource trustees to focus on significant environmental injuries, to plan and implement
efficient and effective restoration of the injured natural resources and services, and to encourage public
and responsible party involvement in the restoration process.

Under the rule, the natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) process is divided into three phases:

• Preassessment: The trustees evaluate injury and determine whether they have the authority to
pursue restoration and if it is appropriate to do so;
• Restoration Planning: The trustees evaluate and quantify potential injuries and use that
information to determine the appropriate type and scale of restoration actions; and
• Restoration Implementation: The trustees and/or responsible parties implement restoration,
including monitoring and corrective actions.

This process is designed to rapidly restore injured natural resources and services to the condition that
would have existed had the spill not occurred and to compensate the public for the losses experienced
from the date of the spill until the affected natural resources and services have recovered.

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6610 Washington State Damage Assessment Procedures

Washington’s Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) team is dispatched whenever an oil spill
or other water pollution incident involves damage to the State's natural resources. The assessments
are conducted pursuant to WAC 173-183 which provides for three possible options: (1) actual studies
of resource injuries; (2) estimation of injuries via the state’s Compensation Schedule; or (3) direct
initiation of restoration activities proposed by the RP. Ecology chairs the state RDA Committee which
also includes WDFW, WDNR, WSPR, WOAHP, WDH, and other ad hoc member agencies.

Most RDA payments are deposited into the state Coastal Protection Fund. A steering committee
consisting of representatives of the Department of Ecology, Department of Fish and Wildlife,
Department of Natural Resources, and Department of Parks and Recreation authorizes expenditures
from this fund after consulting impacted local agencies and tribal governments. The moneys are
usually used for restoration projects or studies related to the resource damaged and spent in the area
where the damages occurred.

6700 Reserved for Future Use

6800 Reserved for Future Use

6900 Reserved for Future Use

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CHAPTER 7000

HAZARDOUS
SUBSTANCES
(HAZSUB) (including
weapons of mass
destruction (WMD))
UNIQUE
INFORMATION

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Chapter 7000 Table of Contents

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7000 HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES (HAZSUB) AND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION (WMD)
UNIQUE INFORMATION

7100 Introduction/Purpose

While the basic Incident Command System/Unified Command (ICS/UC) is unchanged whether the
response is to an oil discharge or hazardous substance release, including a Weapons of Mass
Destruction (WMD) incident, there are a number of factors that are unique to hazardous substance
releases. The purpose of this chapter is to provide NWACP users with information specific to response
to hazardous substance releases, including weapons of mass destruction incidents. This chapter will
provide general definitions, a framework for evaluating a hazardous substance response, and contact
names and numbers for teams specifically trained for response to hazardous substance releases.

Many Region 10 Regional Response Team/NW Area Committee (RRT/NWAC) member agencies have
specific responsibilities during and following a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) or other terrorist
act (chemical, biological, or radiological). No one document or plan can serve as a response guide for a
WMD/terrorist incident. However, the NWACP is a good general guide for response to any type of oil
or hazardous substances incident.

In February 2003, the President of the United States issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive
No. 5 (HSPD-5), Management of Domestic Incidents, which directed the Department of Homeland
Security to develop a National Response Plan and a National Incident Management Plan to ensure
coordination at all levels for a response to an incident of national significance. In March 2003, the US
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was officially stood up and a number of federal agencies and
portions of other departments were merged under this new umbrella organization, including RRT-
members the US Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and portions of the
Department of Health and Human Services. DHS issued the Initial National Response Plan (INRP) on
September 30, 2003, and publicly announced the availability of the new National Response Plan (NRP)
on January 6, 2005 (document dated December 2004) which shall provide one unified plan for the
federal government’s response to acts of terrorism, disasters, and other large incidents (Incidents of
National Significance). After an initial 120-day phase-in period, the NRP will supercede the Federal
Response Plan, the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP), and the Interagency
Domestic Terrorism Concept of Operations Plan (CONPLAN). The NRP does not, however, replace
the National Contingency Plan.

The NRP establishes a number of new entities with responsibilities for managing and/or coordinating a
response to a nationally significant incident. The Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC) at
DHS Headquarters integrates and provides overall steady state threat monitoring and situational
awareness for domestic incident management on a 24/7 basis. DHS and other federal agencies listed
in the NRP provide representatives at the HSOC. The Interagency Incident Management Group (IIMG)
facilitates national-level domestic incident management and coordination of federal operations and
resources for certain incidents defined in HSPD-5. The Assistant to the President for Homeland
Security is responsible for interagency policy coordination regarding domestic incidents. The Principal
Federal Official (PFO) represents the Secretary of Homeland Security as the senior Federal official on
scene. The PFO ensures overall coordination of Federal domestic incident management activities and
resource allocation on scene, ensuring the seamless integration of Federal incident management
activities in support of State, local, and tribal requirements. Federal entities, including the PFO, will
come together in the Joint Field Office (JFO) to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal
incident coordination activities. Agencies with a large role in a particular response may be asked to
provide a Senior Agency Official to operate within the JFO Coordination Group to ensure the federal
government is speaking with one voice.

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On March 1, 2004, DHS issued the National Incident Management System (NIMS) which provides a
consistent nationwide approach for Federal, State, local, and tribal governments and private sector and
non-governmental organizations to work effectively and efficiently together to prepare for, prevent,
respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity. The NIMS is
consistent with the incident management system outlined in the NWACP.

Initial response to an act of terrorism from chemical warfare agents or radiological materials may not
likely differ greatly from a response to other hazardous materials incidents. Terrorism response for
biological agents and explosives may differ significantly from typical hazardous materials incidents. It
may be unclear at the initial on-set of a response whether the cause was accidental or an act of
terrorism. Local responders will be first to arrive on scene to assess the situation and possibly take
initial response measures to contain or stop the release. A terrorist incident will always be treated as a
federal crime scene, thus giving the Federal Bureau of Investigation a critical role. Preservation of
evidence is also critical following any kind of terrorist incident. Coordination is required between law
enforcement, who view the incident as a crime scene, and other first responders who view the incident
as a hazardous substances problem or a disaster site. Although protection of life remains paramount,
the protection and processing of the crime scene is imperative so perpetrators can be identified and
apprehended.

The responsibilities for response to a WMD incident lie with multiple agencies and the RRT/NWAC
should be prepared to provide resources under the National Response System (NRS) during a
response to a terrorist incident. It is possible that a major public health and environmental incident
could be the result, perhaps even the intent, of this type of incident. The RRT/NWAC may be needed
to address critical short-term issues while a larger response infrastructure is developed under the NRP.
Parallel response actions by RRT/NWAC member agencies may be on-going under the NRS prior to
and during NRP implementation.

7110 Definitions

Before the process of planning for a hazardous substance incident response can begin, there has to be
a clear understanding of the types of materials that are to be covered under this plan. The
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended by
SARA of 1986, defines hazardous substances as "hazardous wastes" under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as well as hazardous substances regulated under the Clean
Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the Toxic Substances Control Act. In addition, any element, compound,
mixture, solution, or substance may also be specifically designated as a "hazardous substance" under
CERCLA. This definition includes numerous hazardous chemicals as well as chemical warfare agents
and radionuclides. CERCLA hazardous substances, and associated Reportable Quantities are listed in
40 CFR part 302.4. CERCLA also applies to ―pollutants or contaminants‖ that may present an
imminent or substantial danger to public health or welfare. An imminent or substantial danger to public
health or welfare is caused when the pollutant or contaminant will or may reasonably be anticipated to
cause illness, death, or deformation in any organism. Most biological warfare agents have been
determined to be pollutants or contaminants under CERCLA. Additional definitions, acronyms, and
abbreviations may be found in Section 9910.

Petroleum products such as diesel and gasoline are specifically excluded from the CERCLA and are
not considered to be ―hazardous substances‖ under Federal statue. State environmental statutes may,
however, consider these materials hazardous substances. This chapter does not specifically deal with
issues related to response to petroleum products.

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7120 Authorities

Federal authorities for response to hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant, including biological,
chemical, and radiological warfare agent, releases are outlined in the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. § 9604, CERCLA or commonly known as
―Superfund‖) and the National Contingency Plan (40 CFR Part 300, NCP). In the State of Washington,
the response and cleanup authority is found in the Model Toxics Control Act. In Oregon, the authority
is found in the Oregon Revised Statute Chapter 453, Hazardous Substances; Radiation Sources, and
Chapter 466, Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials II. In Idaho, Title 39, Chapter 71 of the Idaho
Code contains the Idaho Hazardous Substance Emergency Response Act.

Similar to oil spills, federal response authorities are shared by the Environmental Protection Agency
and the United States Coast Guard, with EPA maintaining jurisdiction of hazardous substance spills in
the inland zone and the Coast Guard in the coastal zone. EPA also has the lead for longer-term
hazardous substance and pollutant or contaminant cleanups in the coastal zone. Responsibility for
radiological responses is more complex and is dependent on the source of the release. Roles and
responsibilities are outlined in the Nuclear/Radiological Incident Annex to the NRP.

7200 Command

The complexity and jurisdictional characteristics of the incident will determine the level of involvement
of federal, state, local, tribal, responsible party, and other responders. Hazardous substance release
response may differ somewhat from oil spill response because most hazardous substance response
involve a single jurisdiction and are handled exclusively at a local level. Oil spills tend to be multi-
jurisdictional and thus a more complex command structure is often necessary. Large, complex, multi-
jurisdictional hazardous substance incidents or incidents involving weapons of mass destruction will
require a more structured and formal incident command structure and likely the use of a Unified
Command.

7210 Hazardous Substances and WMD Incident / Unified Command Objectives.

Primary Unified Command Objectives:
• Health and Safety of Responders;
• Victim Rescue;
• Community Safety and Evacuation (if necessary);
• Securing the Source of the Contaminant;
• Environmental Protection and Response; and
• Protection of Property

Other Possible Unified Command Objectives:
• Threat Assessment;
• Agent/Substance Identification;
• Hazard Detection and Reduction;
• Environmental Monitoring;
• Sample and Forensic Evidence Collection/Analysis;
• Identification of Contaminants;
• Feasibility Assessment and Clean-Up;
• On-Site Safety; and
• Protection, Prevention, Decontamination, and Restoration Activities.

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7220 WMD Incident Management

A nuclear, biological, or chemical Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) type terrorist incident is
inherently a hazardous substance incident. As such, it should be responded to under the National
Response System (NRS) and potentially the National Response Plan (NRP). The US Coast Guard has
developed an All-Hazards Incident Management Handbook which provides some guidance as to
organizational set-up and roles/responsibilities for hazardous materials as well as mass-casualty
incidents. These are found in Chapter 16 (Hazardous Substances/Materials), Chapter 17 (Terrorism
Incident), and Chapter 19 (Multi-Casualty Branch) of the Incident Management Handbook (IMH). The
Incident Specific Annexes to the NRP also provide guidance on response to Incidents of National
Significance.

Generally, a WMD incident may unfold through the following progression:
1. An incident event will occur, which may or may not include an explosion;
2. Local public safety (police and fire) and emergency medical personnel will likely be the first
responders;
3. Location will be cleared for secondary devices by law enforcement community;
4. First responders will establish site control and zoning, on-scene decontamination and medical
treatment, and prevention of secondary contamination through use of appropriate personal
protective equipment;
5. Injured people will be transported to medical facilities;
6. Law enforcement agencies will collect criminal evidence at the same time medical diagnosis
and treatment is occurring;
7. Depending upon the agent/substance used, there may be secondary exposure at the scene
and offsite; and
8. Structure decontamination will be accomplished using protocols being developed.

The UC responding to an incident where terrorism is involved must be acutely aware of the unique
nature of the Federal Government’s response mechanism for these types of incidents. HSPD-5 gave
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the lead federal role for coordinating federal support to a
state and local response (Principle Federal Official), however, nothing in the NRP changes legal
authorities or responsibilities outlined in other federal, state, or local laws and regulations. The UC may
find themselves working with or for DHS, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), FEMA, or a
number of other federal agencies under the National Response Plan (NRP). A response to a major
terrorist incident will likely result in a declaration of an Incident of National Significance and/or a
Presidential Disaster Declaration under the Stafford Act. In this event, the Emergency Support
Function (ESF) structures outlined in the NRP will be used to organize and coordinate federal
assistance. Under this structure, EPA and the USCG have co-leadership responsibilities under ESF-
10, Hazardous Materials. If no disaster declaration is made, EPA and the USCG will work under the
NCP and National Response System utilizing the vast resources this system provides to the Federal
On Scene Coordinator.

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) issued by DHS on March 1, 2004, provides a
consistent, flexible, and adjustable national framework within which government and private entities at
all levels can work together to manage domestic incidents regardless of their cause, size, location, and
complexity. The NIMS provides a set of standardized organizational structures---such as the Incident
Command System, multi-agency coordination systems, and public information systems.

Response Management System. The following is an example schematic of a potential WMD Unified
Command Response Management System

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7230 Notifications

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7231 Federal

Releases of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
hazardous substances, in quantities equal to or greater than their reportable quantity (RQ), are subject
to reporting to the National Response Center (800-424-8802) under CERCLA (40 CFR Part 300.125(c).
Such releases are also subject to state and local reporting under section 304 of Superfund
Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) Title III (Emergency Planning and Community Right to
Know Act (EPCRA)). CERCLA hazardous substances, and their reportable quantities, are listed in 40
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 302, Table 302.4. CERCLA and EPCRA reportable quantities
may also be found in EPA’s ―List of Lists‖ at: http://www.epa.gov/ceppo/pubs/title3.pdf. Radionuclides
listed under CERCLA are provided in a separate list, with RQ’s in Curies.

While there are no statutory reporting requirements for releases of ―pollutants or contaminants‖ or
terrorist-related threats, the National Response Center will accept all reports of potential terrorist
incidents and pass the report along to the appropriate agencies. All emergencies should also be
immediately reported to 911 to activate local law enforcement and response resources.

Secondary notifications may be made to a number of different agencies and organizations, including
but not limited to the following:
• Local/State hazmat and health departments;
• Local/State Emergency Management Agencies,
• Local/State Environmental Agencies;
• Bomb squads or Department of Defense (DOD) Explosive Ordinance Detachments;
• Department of Health and Human Service’s (HHS), Center for Disease Control (CDC), or
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR);
• National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Health and
Safety Administration (OSHA);
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);
• General Services Administration (GSA);
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or Department of Energy (DOE);
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA);
• Department of Agriculture (USDA);
• National Guard Civil Support Teams;
• Coast Guard National Strike Force;
• Private Sector Cleanup Contractors;
• Trustee Agencies;
• Laboratories/Transportable Laboratories; and/or
• Other stakeholders identified in this plan or other local plans.

What We Need to Know
• Reporting Party
• Contact Phone(s)
• Responsible Party
• Material Released
• Injuries
• Populations threatened
• Potential exposures
• Resource Damages (e.g. dead fish)
• Quantity
• Concentration
• Location
• Cleanup Status

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The National Response Center’s web page: http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/nrchp.htm

7232 Washington

For spills or discharges of hazardous substances onto the ground or into ground water or surface
water, any person who is responsible for a spill or non-permitted discharge must immediately notify all
local authorities in accordance with the local emergency plan. The appropriate regional office of the
Department of Ecology must also be notified.

For spills or discharges that result in emissions to the air, notify all local authorities in accordance with
the local emergency plan. Also in western Washington notify the local air pollution control authority, or
in Eastern Washington notify the appropriate regional Office of the Department of Ecology.
The Forward of this Plan outlines the required notifications for spills, these numbers are summarized
below.

Notification of federal and state agencies does not guarantee notification of local responders. Notify
local authorities in accordance with the local emergency plan.

7233 Oregon

ORS 466.635 requires any person owning or having control over oil or hazardous material who has
knowledge of a spill or release shall immediately notify OEM as soon as that person knows the spill or
release is a reportable quantity. ORS 761.405 requires that railroads notify OEM of any derailment or
fire involving or affecting hazardous materials. OAR 345-60-030 requires similar notification for
radioactive material incidents. Sections 304, Title III of the Federal superfund Amendments and Re-
authorization Act (SARA) of 1986 requires facilities to notify the Local Emergency Planning committee
(LEPC) and the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) if there is a release of a listed
hazardous substance that exceeds the reportable quantity for that substance.

OERS provides 24-hour service through Oregon Emergency Management (OEM), of the Department of
State Police. The OEM duty officer will ask you to provide the following information:
1. Your name and agency.
2. Your telephone number.
3. Type of incident and the materials involved.
4. Location/time of incident.
5. Background/how the incident occurred.
6. On-scene contact and how to reach them.
7. Severity of incident - threat to people, property, or the environment.

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8. Actions taken - containment, evacuation.
9. Responsible party and telephone number.

The OERS Web Site is: http://www.osp.state.or.us/oem/organization/oers/oers.htm

7234 Idaho

If hazardous materials are released in amounts that may pose a threat to persons, animals, property, or
the environment – or if the release exceeds the Reportable Quantity (as defined in state or federal
statute), the responsible party must contact the Idaho State Communications Center (800 623-8000
within Idaho or 208 846-7610 commercial). Spillers must also contact the local emergency response
agency (commonly accessed through 911). While all state agency reporting requirements are met by
calling the state communications center, a spiller is not relieved of notifying the National Response
Center or other reporting requirements by calling the Idaho State Communications Center. Spillers,
however, may seek advice on reporting requirement through the Center.

The Idaho Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incident Command and Support Plan is
initiated through notification of the State Communications Center. The Center will contact cognizant
local, state and federal agencies. Unless the spill requires no further actions, a conference call among
pre-identified agencies will occur within fifteen minutes of the initial call to the center. This conference
call will be used to coordinate further response activities and to begin the transition from emergency to
remediation.

7240 Drug Lab Response

This section provides information and procedures for responses directly relating to drug lab clean up.

Agency responders will work with law enforcement personnel when requested to dispose of drug lab
chemicals from the sites of illicit methamphetamine drug labs and lab dumps. Removing these illegal
lab chemicals and processing them for proper disposal reduces the immediate threat to public health
and safety.

According to federal statute, hazardous substances from drug labs must meet the criteria for a time-
critical removal action outlined in the National Contingency Plan, 40 CFR 300.415(b)(2). The Federal
On Scene Coordinator makes this determination based upon the circumstances encountered and a
judgment of the risks posed by the situation.

State and Federal response agencies act as a supporting role to law enforcement and public health
agencies assisting in drug lab response, clean-up and chemical disposal under the following authorities
and laws:
• Federal Statutes for removal of drug lab wastes are found in:
o Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, as
Amended
by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (42 U.S.C. § 9604, CERCLA as
amended by SARA or commonly known as ―Superfund‖)
• WA Dept of Ecology’s responsibilities for drug lab response are found in:
o RCW 69.50.511, Uniform Controlled Substances Act
o RCW 70.105D, Model Toxics Control Act
o RCW 90.48, Water Pollution Control Act
• Oregon DEQ’s responsibilities for drug lab response are found in:

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o ORS 475.405-495
o ORS 453.855-912
• Idaho DEQ’s responsibilities for drug lab response are found in:
o Idaho’s responsibilities for drug lab response are found in Title 39, Chapter 71,
Idaho
Code Annotated.

Drug related chemicals are to include all controlled substances, immediate precursors and hazardous
chemicals. The definitions for these terms are listed below:
1. Controlled Substance: a drug, substance, or immediate precursor.
2. Immediate Precursor: a substance or principle compound that is primarily used in the
manufacturing process of a controlled substance.(RCW 69.43.010)
3. Hazardous Chemicals: Hazardous substances used in the manufacturing of illegal drugs.

7250 Public Information

As with any incident, it is very important to keep the public informed regarding the situation. For
hazardous substance incidents, it may also be necessary to communicate information about
evacuations, sheltering in place orders, testing of water supplies, road closures, etc.. Therefore, it is
very important to establish procedures early in the response for dissemination of information. The
Unified Command or a Public Information Officer (PIO) appointed by the UC may develop these
procedures. Because of the nature of hazmat incidents, it is very important that the local jurisdiction
participate fully in the development and dissemination of public information. The Unified Command
should seek out local public information resource if they are not already assigned to the incident. In
large, multi-jurisdictional incidents, it may be necessary to establish a Joint Information Center (JIC).
Section 9610 of this plan outlines the procedures to be followed in the Northwest Area when
establishing a JIC. Local media can also be used to quickly provide information to the public.

7260 Health and Safety

Section 9660 of this plan outlines health and safety requirements for responders at spill incidents.
Ultimately, the Unified Command is responsible for the health and safety of responders during a
hazardous substance cleanup. The Unified Command must identify a Safety Officer (SO) to ensure
proper attention is paid to health and safety concerns. The appointed SO should be experienced with
applicable regulations and have authority to enforce them. Health and Safety should be the main focus
of the responders throughout the duration of the incident.

The ICS Compatible Site Safety and Health Plan found in Section 9660 is designed for safety and
health personnel that use the Incident Command System (ICS). It is compatible with ICS and is
intended to meet the requirements of the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response
regulation (Title 29, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1910.120). The plan avoids the duplication
found between many other site safety plans and certain ICS forms. It is also in a format familiar to
users of ICS. Although primarily designed for oil and chemical spills, the plan can be used for all
hazard situations including WMD response.

7261 Health and Safety Precautions for WMD and Hazardous Substance Incidents

Response to WMD incidents requires a heightened awareness for health and safety issues. As
mentioned earlier, responders must be vigilant regarding the presence of secondary devices. In
addition, response to what may appear to be one type of incident (i.e., industrial chemical release
caused by an explosion) may also include radiological or biological components. As with any
hazardous materials incident, all situations should be approached and treated as unknowns and the
highest level of personnel protection should be utilized. At the same time, responders shouldn’t be

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unnecessarily burdened with protective equipment that might hinder their mission because of the heat
stress or due to its weight or bulk. Therefore, responders must first identify the agent/substance(s)
involved and use that information to make knowledgeable decisions as to the level of protection
required to ensure they do not become a victim, either as a result of the agent or from exhaustion. The
following are some basic guidelines for WMD response, but each situation may be slightly different and
should be approached individually.
• Initial entry into the Hot Zone should be in Level A, with a possibility of downgrading to a lower
level of protection after the agent(s) is identified, the concentration of the agent(s) is determined
to be below IDLH, and/or the Incident Commander/Unified Command authorizes a lower level of
protection based on risk assessment.
• Response teams require maximum respiratory protection when entering atmospheres
containing unknown substances, or entering atmospheres containing known substances in
unknown concentrations. If responders are unsure of the agent employed, eliminate any risk by
entering the area in Level A, as required by OSHA.
• Unless the responder is certain they are not dealing with a blister, nerve agent, or some other
hazardous substance that may be absorbed through the skin must be protected from liquids and
aerosols.
• Contamination can be transferred to a responder in numerous ways, including:
o Helping victims,
o Helping other responders,
o Moving contaminated debris,
o Handling contaminated objects,
o Walking through contaminants, and
o Over-spray from victim decontamination operations (e.g., while hosing down victims).
• If responders do not have proper personnel protective gear for either the unknown or known
contaminants, personnel should be kept away from the area. Although ―safe distances‖ will be
set by the Incident Commander/Unified Command based on incident specific information and
dynamics, the following are some general guidelines:
o Move upwind: Move upwind from the release.
o Move upgrade: Move upgrade from the release for chemical agents. Most of the
chemical agents are heavier than air and will move downgrade, especially in still air.
Also, any runoff from decontamination operations will flow downgrade.
o Avoid contact with contaminated people and things: Without proper protective
clothing,
you should avoid contact with contaminated people and things.

7262 Agent-Specific Health and Safety Precautions

Hazardous substances, pollutant or contaminants developed specifically to cause harm to human
health and used as weapons of mass destruction cause particular concerns for responders, especially
because some types of PPE have not been determined to be protective against these agents. The
following are some general precautions that should be considered if a weapon of mass destruction is
suspected.
• Blister agents (e.g., mustard and Lewisite) are designed to injure body tissue, both internally
and externally. In sufficient concentration, mustard agent vapors will destroy exposed skin
tissue. Therefore, the hazard presented by blister agents is both dermal and respiratory,
requiring maximum protection (Level A). With an accurate determination of agent concentration
in the atmosphere, a decision may be made to downgrade the protection to Level B if it is
determined that no significant splash hazard exists.
• Nerve agents (e.g., Sarin, Soman, and VX) present both a respiratory and a dermal hazard. In
liquid form, nerve agent droplets will be absorbed into the skin. In their vapor state, they will
enter the body through the lungs and destroy the body’s ability to produce cholinesterase, the
muscle-controlling enzyme. Consequently, initial entry into an area suspected of nerve agent
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contamination should be in Level A to ensure full protection of both the respiratory tract and the
skin. With an accurate determination of agent concentration in the atmosphere, a decision may
be made to downgrade the protection to Level B if it is determined that no significant splash
hazard exists.
• Choking agents (e.g., phosgene and chlorine) enter the body through the lungs, and not
through the skin. Consequently respiratory protection is the primary concern to protecting
against these agents. However, in high enough concentrations, choking agents may also
present a skin hazard (skin burns caused by hydrolization of the agent to hydrochloric acid).
Therefore, initial entry in Level A is prudent. Choking agents are reasonably non-persistent, so
the level of protection may be downgraded to Level C as soon as the concentration in the
affected area is determined to be below IDLH, assuming that the respirator to be used has been
proven to protect against that particular agent.
• Blood agents (e.g., hydrogen cyanide and cyanogen chloride) also enter the body through the
respiratory tract or through mucous membranes, not through the skin. However, in high enough
concentrations, blood agent could mix with skin moisture to form an acid, and thereby cause
skin irritation. In addition, situations where a significant amount of agent is in liquid form (such
as a 5,000-gallon tanker truck or 30,000-gallon railroad tanker) may present a significant splash
hazard. Level A provides maximum protection for both the respiratory system and the skin.
Since blood agents are extremely volatile, they will dissipate quickly in the air, probably by the
time measurements are taken to determine the concentration of the agent. If the agent vapor
concentration is below IDLH, the level of protection required may be downgraded to Level B or
C, but like choking agents, only if the respirator to be used is known to protect against that
particular agent and no splash hazard exists.
• Biological agents enter the body primarily through the respiratory tract, although they can
also
enter through broken skin, vector bites, ingestion, or through other body openings. Respiratory
protection is the key to protecting against these agents. An air-purifying respirator (with a P-100
filter) provides respiratory protection against airborne biological agents. Intact skin and regular
clothing provides good protection against most biological agents. Gloves and liquid resistant
clothing provide additional protection.
• Radiologically contaminated materials also present a respiratory hazard as well as a skin
contamination problem, since radioactive dust particles can be inhaled. As with biological
agents, an air-purifying respirator with filter provides respiratory protection against the inhalation
of radioactive dust particles.

• Note: Accurate identification of WMD agents and their concentrations often is not possible
without sophisticated detection instruments. These instruments may not be available until a
HAZMAT team or other specialized response team arrives at the scene and begins monitoring.
The recommendation to downgrade PPE levels is usually made by the Incident
Commander/Unified Command. The Incident Commander/Unified Command makes the
decision based on a risk assessment of the situation. Operations Level responders supporting
detection/monitoring activities, including downwind surveillance, may be able to provide
important information to aid the Incident Commander’s decision.

7300 Operations

Operations activities for hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant releases are dependant upon
the manner in which they are released (i.e., explosion, train derailment, fire, etc.) and the media
impacted from the release (i.e., air, soil, water, structures, etc.). However, operations activities can be
grouped into the following general categories.
• Notification;
• Evacuate/restrict access to area;
• Removal of victims;

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• Establishment of hot, warm, and cold zones;
• Determine the contaminant involved;
• Control/stop further releases;
• Contain material already released;
• Determine threat to human health and the environment;
• Determine extent of contamination;
• Evaluate cleanup/decontamination options;
• Implement cleanup alternatives; and
• Long-term monitoring or remediation, if necessary.

7310 Operations Guidelines for WMD

For personnel responding to known or suspected WMD incidents, the following guidelines should be
considered:
• Be aware of possible secondary devices, including explosive, radiological, chemical and
biological. Be cognizant of surroundings, especially of containers, or packages that appear
misplaced. A tactic terrorists often use involves setting off a device designed to draw in first
responders, then setting off a secondary device to maximize casualties.
• Ask qualified authorities, typically the FBI, if the area has been cleared of secondary devices.
• If the contaminant is determined to be biological, exercise extreme caution and avoid contact.
• Immediately initiate personal decontamination procedures. Be aware of victims. Some victims
may become agitated and fearful. They may attempt to leave the hot zone and/or physically
contact rescue personnel. Wear protection (i.e., gloves, etc.). Victims must be contained if risk
of further contamination is to be prevented.
• Attempt to talk to the victims. Inform them that help is on the way and try to keep them calm.
Explain the procedures for decontamination (decon); what personnel will perform the decon,
where the decon will take place, when the decon will begin, and how the decon will proceed (i.e.
mothers with children, etc.).
• Have all able victims move to a safe centralized location within the hot zone, away from the
actual mishap site to reduce chances of further contamination.
• Be aware that in a WMD incident terrorists generally have a singular purpose and that is to
cause fear, death and destruction. A defensive stance should always be maintained for a WMD
incident.
Regardless of whether a WMD incident results in a federal disaster declaration, all WMD response
begins locally with local, county, and state government agencies in areas where they have jurisdiction.
Federal agencies fill response gaps either by providing resources, decision-making, or funding support
according to either the National Contingency Plan/National Response System or the National
Response Plan.

7320 WMD Credible Threat Determination

All WMD incidents connected with terrorism are considered federal crimes. The law enforcement
agencies have the initial lead in each response. The FBI and local/state law enforcement must be
notified. Given available evidence, statements, scenario, and intelligence, the FBI/LE agencies will
make the determination on whether the incident is credible. As a rule, if the FBI and supporting LE
agencies indicate that the incident as stated in the initial notification process is not credible, responders
will stand-down from the response. Because of the high number of potential reports, most of which are
hoaxes, it is important that available resources are focused on real events. The FBI and supporting LE
agencies are the final authority on credibility determinations. The FOSC should share all available and
applicable information, in the Coast Guard’s possession, with the LE agencies to assist them in making
these determinations.
• Terrorist acts are federal crimes: Because all terrorist acts are federal crimes, the FBI has
jurisdiction in the investigation. Although the FBI will work closely with local/host nation law

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enforcement, they will be the primary supporting agency for the Department of State for
overseas incidents.
• Notify the FBI in accordance with your SOPs: The FBI should be notified as soon as
possible when a terrorist act has occurred. In addition to getting the FBI involved in the criminal
investigation aspects as early as possible, the FBI can also activate federal resources to assist
in the response activities.

The FBI is responsible for the WMD terrorist incident investigation. However, emergency responders
may be the first on or near the scene in carrying out their respective missions. Their actions and
observations may be critical to apprehending the perpetrators.

7330 Evidence Gathering/Protection and Initial Investigative Sampling (WMD)

The FOSC may be approached by the law enforcement agencies (FBI or local/State LE agencies) to
assist in obtaining initial investigative samples to confirm their ―credible threat‖ determination if local
sampling resources are not identified or available. (Local/State and private sector resources are critical
during this phase and should be identified in your planning.)
Initial investigative sampling may be very important to the emergency response and cleanup agencies
as well. Although the initial focus is law enforcement, there may be simultaneous health and safety
issues to consider. This is especially true if victims are symptomatic or there are other overt signs to
indicate a WMD substance or agent may be present.

Other than local/state and private resources, the EPA, the Coast Guard National Strike Force (NSF),
and the National Guard Civil Support Teams (CST) have the capability to make a hot zone entry and
collect samples from the site.

7331 Sampling Assistance and Resources

The following agencies are available to assist with sampling on-scene an active WMD incident.
• Active Sampling Assistance:
o Local/State Environmental or Health Agencies and Hazmat Teams;
o U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);
o Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA);
o National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH);
o Centers for Disease Control (CDC);
o Coast Guard National Strike Force (NSF);
o National Guard Civil Support Teams;
o Department of Defense; and
o Private Sector Contractors.
• Sampling Analysis/Laboratory Assistance:
o Local/State Environmental or Health Agencies/Laboratories;
o Centers for Disease Control (CDC);
o U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Agricultural Research Service;
o Department of Defense; and
o Private Sector Labs.

7340 WMD Technical Assistance Resources

The National Response Team has developed several Technical Assistance Guides (TAGs) to aid
response agencies in planning for and responding to WMD incidents. Two examples are the TAG for
Response to Anthrax and the TAG for Response to Ricin. These documents are available through the
Regional or National Response Teams and www.nrt.org. These TAGs contains good information on

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sampling and decontamination procedures for anthrax and ricin responses based on lessons learned
from recent responses.

7350 WMD Containment, Decontamination, and Cleanup

One of the first priorities after a WMD incident is agent decontamination and containment. The speed
and organization of the response effort, the establishment of control around the incident site, and the
timely initiation of decontamination activities will be the keys to success. Activities may be grouped into
the following three categories:
• Protection of people/environment not involved in incident
• Dealing with Mass Casualties/Fatalities
• Decontamination

7351 Protection of People/Environment Not Involved in the Incident
• Site Security: Within the limitations of their PPE, responders need to establish site security
early. Control ingress to and egress from the site. Controlling the site will help to contain and
avoid the spread of contamination. Responders should be aware that the perpetrator(s) might
still be in the area. They may be one of the victims, or they may be observing the results of their
actions. Always be alert for secondary devices.
• Communicate the hazard warning to others: Include involvement of 911 dispatchers in the
communications chain so that they can tell other responders about the hazards. Inform
dispatch of local wind direction, ingress routes, staging areas, and other information that can be
passed to follow-on responding units.

7352 Mass Casualties/Fatalities

• Observe Signs and Symptoms: Until detection and identification equipment arrives on the
scene, the only indication that initial responders will have of the hazard they are facing will be
from the signs and symptoms displayed by the victims. Do not make physical contact with the
victims and/or fatalities as cross contamination may result. Attempt to identify the magnitude of
the incident by estimating the number of casualties and/or fatalities.
• Direct Casualties to Safe Areas: Direct the casualties upwind and upgrade from the incident
site. Without the proper PPE, responders will not be able to assist non-ambulatory victims.
• Initiate Emergency Decontamination of Casualties: Attempt to get the casualties to remove
their clothing down to their underwear. If available, spray water on the casualties to help
remove contamination, however, remember to cover victims for environmental and modesty
concerns.
• Notify Chain of Command: Report the signs and symptoms of the victims, location of
casualty
holding areas, and any other actions taken to the chain of command.

7353 Decontamination

There are four types of decontamination involved: emergency, definitive, technical and structural.
These combine to cover the rapid decontamination of victims, secondary decontamination,
decontamination of the responders and equipment, and decontamination of structures or the
environment to allow for full recovery from incident.
• Emergency/Mass decontamination: Emergency decontamination is employed at the scene
to
save the lives of potential victims primarily by first removing contaminated clothing, then
removing the agent hazard from the skin by washing off or neutralizing the agent on the skin.
Additional emergency decontamination set-ups may be required at supporting medical facilities
away from the incident scene to take care of self-referrals who left the incident before

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responders gained control. Depending on the size of the incident and the number of victims
involved, emergency/mass decontamination may require considerable resources and must be
quickly organized in order to prevent contaminated victims from leaving the scene and
spreading contamination.
• Definitive decontamination: A follow-on decontamination procedure is normally performed at
medical facilities to ensure that all body surfaces are free of any residual contamination.
• Technical decontamination: Technical decontamination is performed to remove or neutralize
all contamination from emergency responders and their equipment. Most hazardous materials
teams are capable of performing technical decontamination.
• Structural decontamination: Decontamination of structures such as buildings, roadways,
subway stations/tracks, etc. to allow communities to again fully utilize these structures for their
intended purposes. Decontamination methods differ depending on the agent involved and the
nature of the material contaminated. Some materials cannot be effectively and/or efficiently
contaminated and must be properly disposed of a hazardous waste. EPA is developing
structural decontamination teams that will provide expert technical assistance in developing and
implementing agent-specific structural decontamination protocols.

7400 Planning

Planning for hazardous substance responses happens at a number of levels throughout Idaho, Oregon,
and Washington. As a result of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) Title III
requirements, State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCs), Local Emergency Planning
Committees (LEPCs), and Tribal Emergency Response Committees (TERCs) were formed. The
purpose of these groups is to develop local emergency response plans, participate in exercises to
ensure preparedness at the local level, and arrange for training for local responders. In addition, local
departments of emergency management (or similar groups) may assist with these functions as well as
notifications of hazardous substance incidents. The federal government does not fund SERCs, LEPCs,
and TERCs and the level of activity varies from area to area. The table below lists the number and
types of organizations that exist in each state. The emergency management positions vary from state
to state and may be a Department of Emergency Management, Emergency Services, Civil Defense, or
Disaster Services.

Various federal and state statutes require facilities and vessels to develop emergency response plans
to deal with their operations as well as potential off-site impacts. Finally, the Northwest Area
Contingency Plan serves as the primary response planning document for the federal and state
hazardous materials response agencies in the northwest. In Idaho, the Idaho Hazardous
Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incident Command and Response Support Plan is the primary
state response planning document and references the Northwest Area Contingency Plan.

Few of these documents, however, outline tactical strategies to be followed during a hazardous
materials response. Due to the shear number of potential chemicals and environmental situations that
may be involved, it is critical to establish an Incident Command System structure with a Planning
Section responsible for development of Incident Action Plans for each operational period.

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7410 Planning for Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents

Weapons of mass destruction including nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons are a reality in the
world today. The Sarin gas attacks in Japan and Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) attacks in numerous
locations in the US, as well as several recent arrests of anti-government groups in the United States in
connection with efforts to obtain and release plague bacteria, Phosgene, Ricin, Sarin, and other deadly
substances, requires all response agencies to obtain a general level of awareness of such materials.

A nuclear, biological, or chemical terrorist incident is a local event with potentially profound regional and
national implications. The capability of a local government to deal with the immediate effects of an
incident is essential to the success of any NBC response. To assist in building local capability with
trained and adequately equipped responders, the National Response Team’s Response Committee
has developed the NRT Counter-Terrorism Primer: Understanding the Threat of Nuclear-Biological-
Chemical (NBC) Terrorism. This Primer consists of a binder of materials designed for Area
Committee’s and Regional Response Team’s to use in sharing NBC preparedness and response
information with State and local responders. A copy of this Primer may be obtained by contacting the
NRT’s Response Committee Chair at (703) 603-8727.

The National Response Team has also published a technical assistance document on response to
Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) releases. This document contains information on health and safety
protocols, sampling methodologies, and decontamination procedures. This document may be found at:
http://www.nrt.org/Production/NRT/NRTWeb.nsf/AllAttachmentsByTitle/A-47AnthraxTAD/$File/
Anthrax%20TAD%20citable%209_17_04.pdf?OpenElement

7420 Initial Response Actions/Hazard Identification

There are hundreds of thousands of different types of materials, each posing unique threats to life, the
environment, and property and each behaving differently under varying release and environmental
conditions. For this reason, one of the most import functions of the Planning Section is to obtain
information about a chemical’s behavior, potential health effects, and possible response alternatives.

In some cases, it may be very difficult to identify the hazardous substances that are involved in an
incident. For example, in the case of abandoned drums, it may be difficult to determine the substances
involved and thus the risks associated with them. In other cases, it might be relatively easy. For
example, if there is a train derailment or a transportation accident, hazardous waste manifests should
be able to provide responders with the information needed to begin assessing the risks associated with
the site.

Further, in the case of hazardous substance spills, until the released material is identified and the levels
of potential exposure determined, a response strategy cannot be safely implemented. The situation
must be approached with extreme caution and often a response must be delayed until safe levels of
exposure are determined and a properly equipped response team can be assembled. Decisions
regarding possible evacuations must also be made during the period of substance identification and
risk determination.

During the initial response phase, some basic actions may be implemented depending upon the
available information and resources. These actions can include, but are not limited to:
• rescue of victims;
• evacuating and/or controlling access to the area;
• identifying the hazards;
• controlling and/or stopping further releases;
• sampling of water/soil/product;
• containment of the already released product;

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• implementation of countermeasures; and
• establishing proper decontamination procedures.

The following is an example of a Spill Assessment Worksheet. This worksheet may be used during the
initial phases of a response to ensure all potential hazards are evaluated and to help ensure responder
health and safety is protected.

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7440 Laboratory Support for Biological Analyses

Response to potential biological threats requires the use of tools not often used during routine
hazardous substance response. For example, many of the analytical laboratories used for routine
environmental sampling are not equipped for nor qualified to analyze for biological agents. The
following is a partial list of laboratory resources for these types of analyses. A law enforcement agency
must call the lab to set up the work and initial screening must be performed to determine chemical

hazards to protect lab workers.
In late 2001, EPA established a number of Interagency Agreements with US government organizations
who can provide assistance with analytical support for biological analyses. The combined total
capacity of these Interagency Agreements is 2,500 samples per day. Contacting an EPA On Scene
Coordinator at 206-553-1263 is the first step toward accessing these resources.
• Aberdeen Interagency Agreement
o EPA’s Office of Emergency and Remedial Response’s (OERR) Analytical
Operations/Data Quality Center (AOC) established an Interagency Agreement with the
U.S Army, Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center to analyze environmental samples
for Anthrax. Sample analyses started in early November 2001.
o The IAG also covers the analyses of other Level 3 biological and chemical agents
besides Anthrax.
o For anthrax testing, screening is conducted through Immunoassays.
o Positive anthrax results receive 2 additional rounds of confirmatory analyses (i.e.,
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and cultures for inconclusive screening tests).
o Turnaround times will vary with the number of samples, preliminary verbal results
should
be available in 24 hours.
o Capacity for anthrax is about 80 samples per 8-hour day (with positive and negative
controls) for Immunoassay and about 20 samples per 8-hour day for PCR. Cell culture
capacity is 20 samples per day: 24 to 48 hours are necessary for cell growth.
o Reporting results: 24 hours for preliminary results; Final report in 48 hours
o Culture results available in 4 to 5 days.
• Dugway Proving Grounds
o AOC also established an Interagency Agreement (IAG) with the U.S. Department of
Army Dugway Proving Ground for the environmental analysis of Anthrax and other Level
3 biological and chemical agents.
o The IAG includes a protocol for testing spore sensor strips such as those used in the
Hart Building cleanup. (Up to 1200 spore strips per day can be analyzed).
• Private Lab - Blanket Purchase Agreements
o Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA) are currently in place with Midwest Research
Institute (MRI) and Battelle. The BPA’s cover analyses for anthrax and other Level 3
biological and chemical agents.
o MRI capacity for anthrax about 20 to 30 samples per day.
o Battelle capacity for anthrax is about 1200 samples per day.
o Immunoassays, PCRs and cultures (with gamma-phage confirmation if needed) are
all
available. Depending on sensitivities needed in the field, the order of testing may vary.
o Profiling is also possible.
o Specifications for testing and turnaround requirements can vary from order to order,
prices will be competitively bid for each order (within one day)
• Other resources for support in response to biological agents include:
o CDC (for smallpox)
Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch (F-38)

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National Center for Environmental Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
4770 Buford Highway
Atlanta, GA 30341-3724
24-Hour Emergency Telephone
(770) 488-7100
http://www.cdc.gov/
o Washington Department of Health
1 877 539-4344 (24 hour communicable disease hotline)
1610 NE 150th Street Shoreline, Washington 98155
General Info (206) 361-2800
o Oregon State Public Health Lab in Portland
Monday-Friday (503) 731-4024
Off hours (503) 731-4030
Site Address:
1717 SW Tenth Avenue
Portland, OR 97201
Mailing Address:
PO Box 275
Portland OR 97207-0275
General Info 503-229-5882
o Idaho State Health Lab (Boise)
Idaho State Communications Center may contact the lab 24-hours a day.
208 846-7610 OR 1-800-632-8000
The Idaho State Health Lab can perform most biological agent analyses.

7450 Information Sources

The following table provides information on sources of information that may help identify a material
and/or evaluate potential health effects and response alternatives.

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7460 CAMEO Database

The CAMEO® Suite of applications (CAMEO - Computer-Aided Management of Emergency
Operations, ALOHA - Aerial Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres, and MARPLOT - Mapping
Application for Response, Planning and Local Operational Tasks) is designed to allow the user to plan
for and respond to a hazardous substances incident.

The CAMEO Chemical Database has identification information and response recommendations for
thousands of chemicals commonly transported in the United States. CAMEO also includes blank
database templates that state and local organizations can enter information for facilities that store
hazardous substances. In the State of Washington, any local jurisdiction may obtain this information by
contacting the Washington Department of Ecology Community Right to Know at (360)407-6727. In
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Oregon, the same information may be obtained through the Office of the State Fire Marshal Hazardous
Substance Information Hotline at (503)378-6835. In Idaho, this information can be obtained by calling
the Emergency Communications Center at 208-846-7610.

ALOHA® can predict the movement of hazardous substances in the atmosphere and display this on a
digital map via MARPLOT®. ALOHA has almost a thousand chemicals in its database. MARPLOT
uses electronic maps created by the Bureau of the Census that cover the entire country and can be
downloaded for free from: http://www.epa.gov/ceppo/cameo/marmaps/

The CAMEO Suite can be downloaded for free from: http://www.epa.gov/ceppo/cameo/index.htm

7470 Mitigation

Following identification of the hazardous substance or substances involved and the risks associated
with those substances, a plan of action can begin to be formulated. Planning for all potential releases
of hazardous substances and their possible combinations is not possible.

Addressing issues related to decontamination of people and equipment is critically important to the
overall success of a hazardous substance response. It is also very important in ensuring proper health
and safety is maintained. During the mitigation phase and throughout final cleanup, a decontamination
area must be established and procedures for personnel and equipment movement established.

7480 Long Term Cleanup

At some point after the height of the initial response phase, the nature of site activities may evolve into
a long-term cleanup phase. The responders involved in the initial response phase may or may not be
actively involved with this phase. Depending upon the scope of activities and the ability of the local
responders, post-initial response and mitigation phase efforts may necessitate mobilization of additional
resources. Also, it is possible that federal and/or state agency representatives may need to be involved
with the long-term phase to ensure that regulatory mandates are followed.

The NCP Section 300.415 and similar state regulations require the lead agency to evaluate all
information to determine the appropriate removal/remedial actions. Efforts should also be made to
have the responsible parties, if known, perform necessary actions. If the responsible parties are
unknown, or are unable/unwilling to perform the actions, it may be necessary for a federal, state, or
local agency to undertake the necessary efforts to see that the removal/remedial tasks are
accomplished. The following is a list of treatment centers in Washington State for petroleum-
contaminated soil:

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7481 Disposal

As a result of response and long-term cleanup activities, a number of different hazardous wastes may
have been generated. The responsible party or lead agency must address proper disposal of the
wastes in accordance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the NCP and
NWACP, state, and local regulations. See Section 9620 for Washington State Disposal Guidelines and
Section 4337.2 for Oregon State Disposal Guidelines.

Disposal protocols and requirements will conform to the State and Federal standards that exist for
hazardous substances and contaminated materials. Options for disposal of materials connected to the
emergency response action will be addressed by the State with support by the federal agencies for
those agents, substances, or radioactive materials that need special care.

7482 Natural Resource Trustee Issues

Natural Resource Trustees are not trained for incident response. However, they play a key role
providing information for natural resource protection strategies, helping ensure that response actions
do not further harm natural resources, and assessment of damages following the release of hazardous
substances. Although it is not a priority for incident responders, they may be able to assist Natural
Resource Trustees in obtaining critical data for their Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA).
As outlined in Section 2250 of this Plan, a NRDA team may be utilized during and after an incident.
The NRDA team can provide environmentally sensitive area information and information on possible
cleanup methods and equipment. Also, NRDA can organize post-response activities for evaluating
resource impacts, development of restoration or enhancement projects, and damage assessment
information for monetary claims.

7500 Logistics

7510 Specialized Emergency Response Teams

There are a number of specially trained hazardous materials teams (both public and private) throughout
the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington that will most likely be involved in hazardous substance
spills. The following tables provide information on how to contact these various teams.

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7520 Contractor Support

There are a number of contractors in the Northwest Area with expertise in responding to hazardous
substance releases. It is essential that any contractor retained have the appropriate training to meet
the OSHA 1910.120 health and safety requirements and be capable of responding in the appropriate
level of protection.

7530 Equipment

Local response teams and contractors usually arrive on-scene with the basic equipment necessary to
evaluate and respond to hazardous substance incidents. EPA maintains Level A response capabilities
in Seattle and Portland. EPA has numerous real-time air monitoring and sampling instruments, a
portable Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS) for identification of unknowns, and for
WMD, several agent-specific real-time monitors. EPA also has the capability to collect air samples for
laboratory analyses. Most Hazardous Materials response teams have some real-time monitoring
equipment.

The National Response Team and the National Strike Force Coordination Center are working on plans
to develop a national equipment database for hazardous materials equipment.

7600 Finance/Administration

As outlined in Section 6000 of this Plan, there are a number of federal and state funding sources that
may be accessed to pay for costs incurred at an incident. These sources are set up as funding
mechanisms in the event that the responsible party is unable/unwilling to provide funding of response
actions. Access to the funding sources is possible through the federal or state agency that is
responsible for administering the fund.

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Under CERCLA, the Hazardous Substance Response Trust Fund (Superfund) was established to pay
for cleanup of releases of hazardous substances and uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. EPA
manages and administers this fund. In order for a response/cleanup to be initiated using Superfund
monies, there must be a release or the threat of a release of a CERCLA hazardous substance,
pollutant or contaminant (See section 7110 Definitions). The release must cause a threat to public
health or welfare or the environment based on the criteria outlined in NCP 300.415(b)(2). Pollutants or
contaminants must meet a higher threshold of posing an ―imminent and substantial endangerment‖ to
human health or the environment. The Federal On Scene Coordinator makes these determinations.
States do not have direct access to funds from the CERCLA trust fund.

NCP 300.415(b)(2) factors:
i. Actual or potential exposure to nearby human populations, animals, or the food chain from
hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants;
ii. Actual or potential contamination of drinking water supplies or sensitive ecosystems;
iii. Hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants in drums, barrels, tanks, or other bulk
storage containers, that may pose a threat of a release;
iv. High levels of hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants in soils largely at or near
the
surface, that may migrate;
v. Weather conditions that may cause hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants to
migrate or be released;
vi. Threat of fire or explosion;
vii. The availability of other appropriate federal or state response mechanisms to respond to the
release; and
viii. Other situations or factors that may pose threats to public health or welfare of the United
States
or the environment.

7610 Local Government Reimbursement

Through the EPA, who administers the Superfund, local (county, parish, city, municipality, township, or
tribe) agencies may apply for reimbursement of costs incurred in response to an incident. States are
specifically excluded from seeking reimbursement from the Superfund. Local governments are eligible
for reimbursement up to $25,000 per incident for costs such as overtime charges, response
contractors, equipment purchased for the response, and replacement of damaged equipment. EPA
may accept only one request for reimbursement for each hazardous substance release incident. EPA
cannot reimburse for costs previously budgeted for by the local government. On February 18, 1998,
EPA published an Interim Final Rule simplifying the process for Local Government Reimbursement
(LGR). Information on the new rule and application forms may be obtained by calling EPA’s LGR Help
line at (800) 431-9209 or http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/er/lgr/ .

The State of Idaho has a provision in Title 39, Chapter 71 to reimburse costs for local responders to
hazardous materials incidents. The statute also establishes the policy that it is Idaho’s preference to
use the Idaho cost recovery process when it is available. Cost recovery packages and forms may be
obtained by calling 208-422-5725.

7620 Cost Documentation

All entities and agencies should take care in documenting the full range of costs in responding to an
incident. Since it may never be clear at the onset of an incident how costs might be recovered, it is
important that records meet a very strict standard of accuracy and completeness.

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Upon completion of all site activities and/or completion of each phase of an incident, the FOSC may be
responsible for submitting letters and/or reports to other agencies. The NCP and NWACP require that
an FOSC Report be submitted if requested by the National Response Team or the Regional Response
Team. Also, those responders and agencies that accessed fund sources, or wish to access fund
sources for reimbursement, must provide written documentation and information to support the costs
incurred. Costs must be fully and accurately documented throughout a response. Cost documentation
should provide the source and circumstances of the release, the identity of responsible parties, the
response action taken, accurate accounting of federal, state, or private party costs incurred for
response actions, and impacts and potential impacts to the public health and welfare and the
environment.

7700 Reserved for Future Use

7800 Reserved for Future Use

7900 Reserved for Future Use

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ANNEX A

MARINE FIRE
RESPONSE
PROCEDURES

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Annex A Table of Contents
Vessel Fire Checklist......................................................................................................A-3
USCG Authority/Responsibility guidance.......................................................................A-4
Incident Command System Organization Char..............................................................A-5

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USCG Authority/Responsibility guidance

1. Protection of life and property within USCG capability (SAR)
2. Mitigation action if possible/appropriate before local fire response services
arrive
3. Notify affected parties & coordinate emergency services
4. Advise and liaison with state and local agencies
5. Assess adequacy of owner/operator response
6. Restrict vessel traffic (create/enforce safety zones) if necessary
7. Move or destroy vessels if necessary
8. Assist local firefighting services with logistics, water, cooling exterior
bulkheads if possible
9. Coordinate and direct pollution prevention and response
10. May not delegate these authorities to any state or local agency
11. Coast Guard personnel may not be under command of a non-U. S. military
entity
o Only directly engage in fire prevention and response on USCG vessels
and property
o Only directly engage in fire prevention and response on non-USCG
vessels and property
if capable (i.e. sufficient resources and training) & with the approval of the
COTP and
I/C.

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ANNEX B

SHIPBOARD FIRE
OPERATIONS
GUIDE

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Annex B Table of Contents
MFSA Notification Callout..............................................................................................B-3
Fire Incident Log ...........................................................................................................B-4
Shipboard Firefighting Initial Response Worksheet.......................................................B-5
IMS for Shipboard Fires.................................................................................................B-7
Mutual Aid Mobilization..................................................................................................B-8
MFSA Specialized Equipment ......................................................................................B-9
CO2/Slice Tool MFSA Response Units .......................................................................B-10
Fire Boat Fueling Downriver ........................................................................................B-11

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MFSA Notification Callout
MFSA NOTIFICATION CALLOUT
MARINE EXCHANGE/MFSA SHIPBOARD FIRE EMERGENCY
NUMBER (503) 220-2055

MARINE EXCHANGE WILL CONTACT THE FOLLOWING:
1. Appropriate Fire Department (Notify or confirm prior notification)
See the following pages for Fire Agency Emergency Contact Information.

2. U.S. Coast Guard – Sector Portland, Oregon (503) 240-9301

3. MEX Duty Person
a. Operations Manager
b. Executive Director

4. Clean Rivers Cooperative
a. General Manager
b. Assistant Manager

5. Ship Agent (per ANA)

6. National Response Center (800) 424-8802

7. Oregon Emergency Response System (800) 452-0311

8. Washington Emergency Response System (800) 258-5990

9. Washington Department of Ecology (360) 407-6300

10. Washington Maritime Cooperative (206) 448-7557

11. Columbia River Bar Pilots 24-Hour Line (503) 224-5161
a. Office (503) 325-2643
b. Dispatch (503) 325-2641

12. Columbia River Pilots 24-Hour Line (503) 289-9922

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Fire Incident Log
FIRE INCIDENT LOG
Date/Time of Call

Phone call came in on: (i.e. MEX/MFSA ER/RADIO)

Reported By: Name:
Company:
Title:
Phone Number:

Who has caller already notified?

Name of vessel involved:

Facility, port, berth or milepost river location:

Source/cause of incident (where fire originated, how far spread?)

Any injuries?

Commodity vessel carrying:

If at facility, has facility been notified?

Direction to incident:

Vessel agent: Were they notified?

Were any petroleum material released into water? (If so contact agent and CRC)

Estimated quantity released in the water:

Has the release been contained?

Further information regarding the incident:

Level of MFSA response required:

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IMS for Shipboard Fires

• Size Up:
o Nothing Visible – investigate
o Smoke or fire visible – greater alarms/investigate

• Investigation:
o Contact ship’s agent / Master or other ship’s officer if possible
o What is the situation?
o What is being done?
o Is everyone accounted for?
o Retrieve fire plan and other important documents.

• Notification:
o Follow Quick Response Card notifications

• Do:
o Control access to the vessel
o Establish a secondary means of egress off the vessel.
• Don’t:
o Commit resources until information has been gathered and a plan has
been developed.
o Assume that the fire department ―owns‖ the vessel and can override
the decisions of the
master or other vessel representative.

• Additional Resources available through MFSA (area limitations)
(Make all MFSA resource requests through Merchants exchange dispatch)
o Large quantities of foam and distribution equipment;
o CO2 distribution equipment;
o Slice tool;
o Additional trained personnel and firefighting equipment;
o Technical advisors; and
o Additional ICS overhead personnel.

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MFSA Specialized Equipment

Location and Activation Procedures

Foam Trailers:
It is MFSA policy to activate both foam trailers unless it is specifically requested to
activate only one.
The closest trailer and support team will be activated first. The specialized foam team for
the second trailer will not be activated unless requested by the initiating fire agency.

Foam Trailer Locations
• Portland – Arco, 9930 NW St. Helens Road
• Kalama (Kalama Port Sewage Plant)

Activation: Within Portland, area:
• Chief on scene will contact 911 (Floor Supervisor)
• 911 will contact station 3 (Foam Group)
• 911 will contact MFSA (503) 220-2055
• MFSA will contact tractor company
o 1st Option – Cowlitz Clean Sweep (360) 423=6316
o 2nd Option – Wilhelm Trucking Main dispatch: (503) 227-0561
• Alternate: (503) 241-6162

Activation: Outside of Portland Area:
• Chief on scene or area 911 will contact MFSA (503) 220-2055
• MFSA will contact closest fire department (either Portland or Cowlitz #5)
Portland:
• MFSA will contact Portland (Floor supervisor) (503) 823-1901 to Dispatch
Station 3
• MFSA will contact tractor company
o 1st Option - Clean Sweep (360) 423=6316
o 2nd Option – Wilhelm Trucking Main dispatch: (503) 227-0561

Cowlitz #5:
• MFSA will contact Cowlitz County Fire District #5 (360) 673-4655
• Cowlitz #5 will contact Williams Transport or move it with own CDL driver.

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CO2/Slice Tool MFSA Response Units

CO2/Slice Tool Locations:
• Portland – Station 24
• Longview Fire Department

Activation within the Portland area:
• Chief on scene will contact 911 (Floor supervisor)
• 911 will contact Station 24 for dispatch
• 911 will contact MFSA (503) 220-2055

Activation outside of the Portland area:
• Chief on scene or area 911 will contact MFSA (503) 220-2055
• MFSA will contact either Portland or Longview depending on which is closest to
the incident.
• MFSA will call Portland Fire Department (Floor Supervisor) at 911 or (503) 823-
1901 or
Longview Fire and rescue at (360) 578-5218
• Trained personnel will respond with equipment.

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Fire Boat Fueling Downriver

In the event a Fire Boat is on an MFSA incident and is unable to fuel at its normal fueling
facilities, use the following guidelines:
• Foss Maritime Corporation, McCall Oil Company, and Wilcox Flagel Oil
Company will provide fueling services.

Astoria:
Wilcox and Flagel Oil Company (503) 325-3122 (Days only)
Night or Emergency
Steve Miller (503) 325-2020
Cell phone (503) 741-0144
Foss Maritime Corporation (800) 882-4143
(Make all requests for fueling through their dispatch office)
Hours of availability: 24 hours
Contact persons: Stu Sanborn
Burk Cummings
Billing: Will bill the City for services

Longview:
Wilcox and Flagel Oil Company (360) 423-3300
(Dockside only)
Hours of availability: 24 hours
Fueling location: The Port of Longview Berth
Billing: Will bill the City for services

Portland
Foss Maritime Corporation (503) 286-0631 or (800) 882-4143
(Make all requests for fueling through their dispatch office)
Hours of availability: 24 hours
Contact persons: Stu Sanborn
Burk Cummings
Billing: Will bill the City for services

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ANNEX C

SPECIFIC
AGENCY
CONTACT
INFORMATION

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Annex C Table of Contents
Astoria, Oregon......................................................................................................... C-3
Clark County, Washington........................................................................................ C-4
Clatskanie, Oregon................................................................................................... C-6
Cowlitz, Oregon..........................................................................................................C-7
Longview, Washington.............................................................................................. C-9
Portland, Oregon....................................................................................................... C-10
St. Helens, Oregon.....................................................................................................C-11
Vancouver, Washington............................................................................................ C-12

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Astoria, Oregon

ASTORIA FIRE DEPARTMENT
555 30TH
ASTORIA, OR 97103

RIVER MILE: 12

ASTORIA FIRE DEPARTMENT: (503) 325-2345

EMERGENCY NUMBER - 911 Equivalent: (503) 325-4411

CONTACTS:

LENARD HANSEN TEL: (503) 325-2345

HOME: (503) 325-7654

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Clark County, Washington

CLARK COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT #6
8800 N.E. HAZEL DELL AVENUE
VANCOUVER, WA 98665

RIVER MILE 105

CLARK COUNTY #6: (360) 576-1195

EMERGENCY NUMBER -911 Equivalent: (360) 992-9200

CONTACTS:

1) ED WILKERSON TEL: (360) 576-1195
HOME: (360) 737-2638
CELL: (360) 281-5638

2) BATTALION CHIEF ON
DUTY PAGER: (360) 418-5452

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CLARK COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT #12
26506 N.E. 10TH AVENUE
RIDGEFIELD, WA 98642

RIVER MILE

EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

CLARK COUNTY #12: (360) 887-4609

EMERGENCY NUMBER - 911 Equivalent: (360) 992-9200

CONTACTS:

1) LARRY BARTEL TEL: (360) 887-4609
CELL: (360) 798-9212
PAGER: (350) 418-5442
HOME: (360) 887-3793

2) TIM DAWDY TEL: (360) 887-4609
CELL: (360) 904-0347
PAGER: (360) 418-5608
HOME: (360) 887-3568

3) JIM LANGBORG TEL: (360) 887-4609
CELL: (360) 607-3255
PAGER: (360) 418-5302
HOME: N/A

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Clatskanie, Oregon

CLATSKANIE RURAL FIRE DEPARTMENT
280 S.E. 3RD
CLATSKANIE, OR 97016

RIVER MILE 50

CLATSKANIE RURAL FIRE DEPARTMENT: (503) 728-2025

EMERGENCY NUMBER - 911 Equivalent: (800) 696-7795

CONTACTS:

1) DICK LONG TEL: (503) 728-2025
CELL: (503) 791-0413
HOME: (503) 728-2379

2) STEVE SHAREK TEL: (503) 728-2025
CELL: (503) 791-0604
HOME: (503) 728-4477

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Cowlitz, Oregon
COWLITZ 2 FIRE & RESCUE
701 VINE STREET
KELSO, WA 98626

RIVER MILE 65

COWLITZ 2 FIRE & RESCUE: (360) 578-5218

EMERGENCY NUMBER - 911 Equivalent: (360) 577-3098
CONTACTS:

1) DAVE LAFAVE TEL: (360) 578-5218
CELL: (360) 957-2696
HOME: (360) 636-0601

2) ALAN HEADLEY TEL: (360) 578-5218
CELL: (360) 957-2698
HOME: (360) 425-8994

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COWLITZ COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT #5
382 N.E. FRONTAGE
KALAMA, WA 98625
RIVER MILE 70 - 80
Cowlitz County Fire District #5 has four large waterfront facilities within
this section:
1. United Harvest Grain 2. Noveon Chemical Co.
3. Kalama Export 4. Steelscape Co.

COWLITZ CO. FIRE DISTRICT #5: (360) 673-2222

EMERGENCY NUMBER - 911 Equivalent: (360) 577-3098
CONTACTS:

1) CHRIS ANDERSON TEL: (360)-673-2222
COMMAND (360) 749-2975
CELL (360)-957-1472

2) VICTOR LEATZOW TEL: (360) 673-4655
COMMAND (360) 749-1168
CELL:
HOME: (360) 225-2205

3) MIKE IMBODEN WORK: (360) 673-2325
CELL: (360) 957-4098
HOME: (360) 673-4419

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Longview, Washington

LONGVIEW FIRE DEPARTMENT
740 COMMERCE AVENUE
LONGVIEW, WA 98632

RIVER MILE 65

LONGVIEW FIRE DEPARTMENT: (360) 442-5503

EMERGENCY NUMBER - 911 Equivalent: (360) 577-3098

CONTACTS:

1) LANE WINTERMUTE TEL: (360) 577-3332
CELL: (360) 430-9286
PAGER: (360) 501-0414
HOME: (360) 577-4272

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Portland, Oregon
PORTLAND FIRE BUREAU
55 S.W. ASH STREET
PORTLAND, OR 97204

RIVER MILE 105

EMERGENCY NUMBER:

PORTLAND FIRE LIAISON - 911 Equivalent: (503) 823-3873

CONTACTS:

1) DEPUTY CHIEF TEL: (503) 823-3755
CELL: (503) 823-8928
PAGER: (503) 301-5122

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St. Helens, Oregon

ST. HELENS /RAINIER RURAL FIRE DISTRICT
270 COLUMBIA BLVD.
ST. HELENS, OR 97051

RIVER MILE 85

Columbia River Fire and Rescue (Formerly St. Helens): (503) 397-2990
Non-Emergency Dispatch: (503) 397-1521 or 1-800-696-7795
EMERGENCY NUMBER - 911 Equivalent: (503) 397-1521
CONTACTS:

1) JAY TAPPAN TEL: (503)-397-2990
2) RON YOUNGBERG TEL: (503) 397-2990
PAGER: (503) 366-3199
4) BRIAN BURRIGHT PAGER: (503) 366-3152

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Vancouver, Washington

VANCOUVER FIRE DEPARTMENT
7110 N.E. 63RD STREET
VANCOUVER, WA 98661

RIVER MILE 105

VANCOUVER FIRE DEPARTMENT: (360) 892-4323

EMERGENCY NUMBER - 911 Equivalent: (360) 737-1911 or
(360) 992-9200

CONTACTS:
1) DON BIVINS TEL: (360) 735-8784
HOME: (360) 256-5884
2) JEFF JOHNSON PAGER: (360) 418-5121
HOME: (360) 574-5653

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ANNEX D

RESOURCES

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ANNEX E

RADIO
FREQUENCIES

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Annex E Table of Contents
Radio Frequencies........................................................................................................E-3

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CHAPTER 8100

SECTOR SEATTLE
MARINE
FIREFIGHTING PLAN

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8100 INTRODUCTION
This chapter outlines the responsibilities and actions during a marine fire incident occurring within the
Puget Sound Captain of the Port Zone, which encompasses Puget Sound, the Straits of Juan De Fuca,
and the northern Washington coast. The principal purpose is to explain the Coast Guard's role and the
support that can be provided to local municipalities during marine firefighting incidents. Policies,
responsibilities and procedures for coordination of on-scene forces are provided. It is designed for use
in conjunction with other state, regional and local contingency and resource mobilization plans.

8111 Abbreviations

CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
COTP Captain of the Port
CP Command Post
CWA Clean Water Act
DCM Dangerous Cargo Manifest
DOT US Department of Transportation
IC Incident Commander
ICS Incident Command System
IMDG International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code
MFMC Marine Firefighting Mission Controller
MFSC Marine Firefighting Scene Coordinator
MSO Marine Safety Office
NRC National Response Center
EMS Washington State Emergency Management Office
OSC Federal On-Scene Coordinator
OCMI Officer-In-Charge, Marine Inspection
OPA 90 The Oil Pollution Act of 1990
OSLTF Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund
PSVTS Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Safety
SMC Search and Rescue Mission Controller
SUPSALV Supervisor Naval Salvage Operations
PWSA Ports and Waterways Safety Act

8112 Definitions and Responsibilities

CCGD13 - Commander, Coast Guard District Thirteen - The U.S. Coast Guard District Commander
(Admiral) who exercises operational and administrative control over all Coast Guard units assigned to
the District (few exceptions) and acts as a direct representative of the Commandant.

Coast Guard District Thirteen - Coast Guard District Thirteen's area composes Washington, Oregon,
Idaho, and Montana, and extends out into the Pacific Ocean 200 nautical miles.

Coast Guard Group/Air Station Port Angeles - Group Commands are established to provide
coordination and efficiency of achievement of the basic missions by all operating units in their
geographical area.

Coast Guard Sector Seattle - Coast Guard Sector Seattle is responsible for administering and directing
all Coast Guard activities relating to applicable navigation, shipping, transportation, and environmental

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laws and regulations within the Captain of the Port Puget Sound. In addition, the Sector Commander
provides coordination and efficiency of achievement of the basic missions by all operating units in their
geographical area. Sector Seattle was established in 2005 which merged the individual commands of
the MSO Puget Sound, Group Seattle and VTS Puget Sound into one command.

COTP - Captain of the Port- The Commanding Officer, Sector Seattle is designated as COTP Puget
Sound. The COTP is responsible for administering and directing all Coast Guard activities relating to
Port Safety and Security (PSS), Marine Environmental Response (MER), and Waterway Management
(WWM) functions.

FOSC - Federal On-Scene Coordinator - The federal official predesignated by EPA or the USCG to
coordinate and supervise federal responses under the National Contingency Plan.

IC - The person (vessel master, salvage supervisor, fire chief, etc.) who is directly responsible for
coordinating and directing a comprehensive response to the emergency situation. Designated by the
Responsible Party or Lead Agency.

Lead Agency - A government agency responsible for ensuring adequate fire response. Normally a
local Fire Department. (Determination of Lead Agency is discussed in Section 400).

MFMC- Marine Firefighting Mission Coordinator: The officer at Sector Seattle responsible to the COTP,
for overall supervision of U.S. COAST GUARD marine firefighting support operations and for execution
of this plan.

MFSC- Marine Firefighting Scene Coordinator - Officer at Sector Seattle responsible for On-Scene
execution of COTP Marine Firefighting support responsibilities.

MFC - Marine Firefighting Coordinator - Provides the MFSC with firefighting expertise and advice
during a firefighting situation. This position will be filled by a Coast Guard Reservist employed as
civilian firefighters familiar both with shipboard and land firefighting techniques and local fire
organizational structure.

OSC - On-Scene Commander - Designation per the National SAR Plan. Prosecutes the SAR mission
on-scene and has operational control of all SAR response units on scene.

SMC- Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator - Designation per the National SAR Plan. Responsible
for planning and operational coordination and control of SAR missions. Person with OVERALC
execution of Search and Rescue responsibilities, normally designated by the Commanding Officer of
the cognizant Coast Guard Sector or Commander Coast Guard District Thirteen.

VTS Puget Sound - Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service - VTS Puget Sound is a division of the
waterways management branch of Sector Seattle. It’s mission is to prevent groundings, collisions and
the loss of life, property and environmental damage. The goal of the VTS is to maintain predictability
and good order of the waterway.

Waterfront Facility - All piers, wharves, docks, and similar structures to which vessels may be secured;
areas of land, water or land and water under and in immediate proximity to them; buildings on such
structures and equipment and materials on or in such buildings.

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8113 Coast Guard Authority

The Coast Guard has no specific statutory responsibility to fight marine fires; but the local Coast Guard
Captain of the Port is charged by the Ports and Waterways Safety Act (33 U.S.C. 1221, et seq.) with
the responsibility for navigation and vessel safety, safety of the waterfront facilities, and protection of
the marine environment within the Captain of the Port's area of jurisdiction. This authority allows the
Captain of the Port to:
• Direct the anchoring, mooring, or movement of a vessel;
• Specify times of vessel entry, movement, or departure to, from or through ports, harbors, or
other waters;
• Restrict vessel operation in hazardous areas; and
• Direct the handling, loading, discharge, storage, and movement--including emergency
removal,
control, and disposition--of explosives or other dangerous cargo or substances, on any bridge or
other structure on or in the navigable waters of the United States or any land structure
immediately adjacent to those waters.

The Coast Guard under the Clean Water Act as amended by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C.
1251, et seq.) may, whenever a marine disaster in the navigable waters or exclusive economic zone of
the United States has created a substantial threat of pollution because of a discharge or an imminent
discharge of large quantities of oil or a hazardous substance from a vessel, coordinate and direct all
public and private efforts directed at removal or elimination of such threat and summarily remove and, if
necessary, destroy such a vessel. Also under section 4202 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 mandates
that the Coast Guard maintain an Area Contingency Plan of pollution response equipment (including
fire fighting equipment) within each port.

The Intervention on the High Seas Act (33 U.S.C. 1471, et seq.) extends the Coast Guard's authority to
take similar preemptive or corrective action upon the high seas (i.e., beyond the three mile territorial
sea). Specifically, it authorizes the Commandant of the Coast Guard to take such measures on the
high seas as may be necessary to prevent or mitigate such a casualty which may reasonably be
expected to result in major harmful consequences. This authority rests with the Commandant. The
Sector Seattle Commanding Officer should relay any recommendation to take such action through the
district commander to the Commandant.

42 U.S.C. 1856-1856(d) allows an agency charged with providing fire protection for any property of the
United States to enter into reciprocal agreements with state and local fire fighting organizations to
provide for mutual aids. This statute further provides that emergency assistance may be rendered in
the absence of a reciprocal agreement, when it is determined by the head of that agency to be in the
best interest of the United States.

The Coast Guard cannot delegate their statutory authorities and shall not delegate mission
responsibilities to state or local agencies. Sector Seattle shall not be party to any agreement that
relinquishes Coast Guard authority, evades Coast Guard responsibility, or places Marine Safety Office
military personnel under the command of any person(s) who is/are not a part of the Federal military
establishment. Coast Guard forces will be subject to no authority other than that of their superiors in
the chain of command. Within the Coast Guard, the Captain of the Port will delegate authorities as
necessary.

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8114 Federal Policy

Federal policy established in the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (PL 93-498), states
that Fire prevention and control is and should remain a state and local responsibility, although the
federal government must help to reduce fire losses.

8115 Coast Guard Policy

The Coast Guard has traditionally provided fire fighting equipment and training to protect its vessels
and property. Commanding Officers of Coast Guard units (Sector Commanders, Cutters, etc.) are
routinely called upon to provide assistance at fires on board vessels and at waterfront facilities.

The Coast Guard renders assistance as available, based on the availability of resources and the Coast
Guard units training level. The Commandant intends to maintain this traditional "assistance as
available" posture without conveying the impression that the Coast Guard is prepared to relieve local
fire departments of their responsibilities

The Coast Guard fire fighting policy is set forth in the Coast Guard Marine Safety Manual, Vol. VI,
chapter 8. A summary of this policy is as follows:

Although the Coast Guard clearly has an interest in fighting fires involving vessels or waterfront
facilities, local authorities are principally responsible for maintaining necessary fire fighting capabilities
in U.S. Ports and harbors. The involvement of Coast Guard forces in actual fire fighting shall be to a
degree commensurate with our personnel training and equipment levels. The Coast Guard intends to
maintain its historic "assistance as available" posture without conveying the impression that we stand
ready to relieve local jurisdictions of their responsibilities. Additionally, the response actions taken shall
pose no unwarranted risk to Coast Guard personnel or equipment.

It is the Commandant's policy that Coast Guard personnel shall not actively engage in fire fighting. The
exceptions to this policy include the following:
• Individuals whose primary duty is fire fighting;
• Isolated units located where there are no municipal fire departments and the commanding
officer determines a fire brigade is necessary to carry out the mission of that unit;
• In order to save a life; and
• In the early stages of a fire that can be extinguished using a portable fire extinguisher.

8116 Related State Policy

The Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan is developed in support of RCW
38.54, the State Fire Services Mobilization Act. In implementing this act, consistency will be sought
with:
• RCW 76.04, which governs the Department of Natural Resources;
• RCW 43.43 and 38.52, which govern fire protection services and emergency management;
• RCW 52, governing fire districts; and
• RCW 35, governing cities and towns.

Authorization of state fire resources mobilization may be requested when (1) all local and mutual aid
resources have been expended in attempting to control an emergency incident presenting a clear and
present danger to life and property or (2) a non-stabilized incident or simultaneous incidents presenting
a clear and present danger to life and property and requiring in addition to local resources and mutual

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aid, the deployment of additional resources as established by the Region Fire Defense Plan approved
by the State Fire Defense committee.

8117 Canadian/U.S. Cross Border Policy

An agreement is in place, which has been negotiated between the U.S. and Canada, which allows for
cooperation in an emergency situation. Commander 13th Coast Guard District maintains this
agreement.

8118 Nonfederal Responsibility

8118.1 Local Fire Departments

Local fire departments are responsible for fire protection within their jurisdictions. In a number of cities,
this responsibility includes marine terminals and facilities. Some of these terminals and facilities have
entered into mutual aid agreements with the surrounding fire departments.
Typical responsibilities of local fire departments include:
• Establish and staff Incident Command;
• Request necessary personnel and equipment in accordance with existing mutual aid
agreements and Washington State Resource Mobilization Plan;
• Make all requests for Coast Guard/federal personnel, equipment and waterside security
through
COTP; and
• Establish liaison with police department for landside traffic and crowd control, scene security
and evacuation.

8118.2 Master/Mate of the vessel

The master is always in charge of the vessel, but NEVER in charge of fire fighting efforts of non-vessel
personnel.

8118.3 Owners/Operators of Vessel
These individuals are always a critical source of vessel/facility information. Regardless of other
response resources, the owner/operator of vessels and facilities retain a fundamental responsibility for
safety and security.

8120 Command and Control

A major waterfront or shipboard fire in Puget Sound will probably involve response teams from federal,
state and local agencies. The nature and location of the fire will be the deciding element in determining
which agency assumes overall command or lead agency in a unified command. Overall command or
lead agency must be determined as early as possible in the incident to ensure the effective use of
personnel and equipment.

8121 Command Interrelationships

The incident command system is the accepted organization system used by most federal, state and
local agencies mitigating emergency situations and is designed to expand and contract to meet the
needs of the incident. The U.S. Coast Guard response organization is designed to be interactive with

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the incident command system, the accepted Washington State response organization system. The
organizational structure for any given incident will be based upon the management needs of that
incident.

8122 Unified Command

In instances when several jurisdictions are involved or several agencies have a significant management
interest or responsibility, a unified command with a lead agency designation may be more appropriate
for an incident than a single command response organization. Generally, a unified command structure
is called for when the incident occurs within one jurisdiction but involves several agencies with
management responsibility for it due to the nature of the incident or the resources needed to combat it.
Such circumstances would pertain for almost any fire at a facility or a vessel at pier side or anchorage
located in Puget Sound because of the similar responsibilities of local fire departments and the Coast
Guard for the saving of life, property and the environment.

8123 Transfer of Command

The presence of local fire fighters or Coast guard personnel does not relieve the master of command
of, or transfer the master’s responsibility for overall safety on, the vessel. However, the master should
not normally countermand any orders given by the local fire fighters in the performance of fire fighting
activities on board the vessel, unless the action taken or planned clearly endangers the safety of the
vessel or crew.

8123.1 Vessel Underway

While the vessel is underway the IC is the COTP. Once at pier side, the IC shifts (with concurrence of
the COTP and local fire department) to the fire department.

8123.2 Vessel at Pier

With COTP approval, the vessel is towed and eventually anchored in the bay. Initially, the IC will be the
local fire department and once the vessel is underway, the IC shifts (with mutual concurrence) to the
COTP.

8130 Operations

Marine fire fighting is substantially different from standard structural fire fighting requiring specialized
equipment and training. The IC that does not have an organized marine fire fighting team may wish to
follow some general guidelines for operational considerations:
• Muster the crew. Remove all nonessential personnel off the vessel and away from the scene.
Make sure the master, mates and all engineering personnel remain where they can be used as
an information resource.
• Rescue. Life safety must always be the first consideration in any fire or emergency situation.
When lives are in danger, the IC must quickly assess whether the situation necessitates
immediate removal of personnel, the number of persons that need to be extracted and the
hazards to the rescue team.
• Exposure. The fire should be fought so as to prevent the spread of fire on or off the vessel.
Typical exposures include flammable liquid or gas tanks, open stairways, explosives, or any
other substance that would accelerate or aid the spread of the fire. Provided there is no danger
of water reactivity, exposures are best cooled by application of a fog pattern until no visible
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exposure protection.
• Confinement. To accomplish proper containment, all closures and generally all ventilation
(unless personnel are trapped inside the space) should be secured. Establish primary fire,
smoke and flooding boundaries. Primary boundaries are critical to the control of a fire. Monitor
and cool the boundaries, as necessary, on all six sides of the fire (fore, aft, port, starboard,
above and below).
• Extinguishment. The fuel source, amount of fuel/surface area and the location of the fire will
determine the tactics and agents to be used.
• Overhaul. Ensuring that the fire will not re-flash and determining the point of origin and source
of ignition. A detailed photographic record of the fire scene prior to commencing overhaul is a
necessity to aid in post fire investigations.
• Ventilation. Generally, all ventilation on a vessel will initially be secured upon receipt of a fire
alarm. Utilization of ventilation tactics to aid in extinguishment should not begin until a
coordinated attack is staged.

8140 Planning

8141 Marine Firefighting Technical Advisory Team (MFFTAT)

A MFFTAT has been assembled in the Puget Sound area to provide a small, rapidly deployable team of
qualified personnel available on a 24-hour basis to render on-site technical advice and supply
necessary resources to Incident Commanders at marine fire fighting incidents. This team consists of
representatives from local port agencies and fire departments. The team members with their technical
advice and information are:
• COTP Puget Sound
o Knows what C/G resources are available
o Can tap into the federal pollution fund
o HAZMAT knowledge
o Dewatering knowledge
• Marine Surveyor
o Representative for Protection and Indemnity, i.e. insurance company
o Access to vessel agent
o Provide interpreter
o Provide copies of Cargo Manifest and/or ships plans
• Operations Specialist
o Understands vessel operations from the water side
o Knowledge of tugs and barges
o Understands hooking up and towing operations
o Provides expertise in tides and currents
• Seattle/Tacoma Marine Unit
o Availability of a fireboat
o Knowledge of crew in marine fire issues
• State Fire Protection Bureau
o Regional Coordinators
o Awareness of sensitive and jurisdictional issues

The specific team members are identified in the resource lists of the appendix of this plan.

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8141.1 MFFTAT Initial Actions

• Meet with the IC to:
o Relay Coast Guard response actions in progress
o Explain type and degree of Coast Guard Support available
• Receive situation report of ongoing operations
• Establish an appropriate safety zone around the burning vessel
• Determine required vessel movements
• Locate and designate the fire fighting anchorage and pier
• Determine the need of pollution response
• Provide the IC with MSIS or any other available vessel data
• Stability assessments should be initiated as soon as possible
• Advise the IC of aspects where the team has special expertise
• Coordinate all port safety and environmental response functions with the IC

8150 Finance

The Washington State Resource Mobilization Plan will be followed for cost documentation and
recovery. The COTP has the ability to request opening the U.S. Oil Spill Liability Fund or CERCLA if a
substantial threat to the environment, public health or welfare is determined. Any action to open this
fund will be coordinated with the State of Washington.

8160 Logistics

8161 Communications

Connecting interagency radio frequencies may and probably will require an exchange of radio
equipment. Communication obstacles inherent in a multi-agency task will be minimized by strict radio
discipline and adhering to the chain of command built into the Incident Command System.
Landline and cellular phones can help facilitate communications between agencies. It is extremely
important when relaying information through third and fourth parties by telephone that the information
received is expeditiously forwarded to the appropriate agency or individual. All operational significant
information received over this medium should also be forwarded to the IC.

8162 Coast Guard Frequencies and Resources

Refer to Communications Section 5300 in this plan.

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CHAPTER 8200

MARINE
FIREFIGHTING
CONTINGENCY PLAN

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8200 INTRODUCTION

The original purpose of this plan was to inform personnel assigned to USCG Sector Portland, Oregon,
of roles, appropriate actions, available resources, and current policy and procedures related to marine
fire response. However, it is recognized that the U.S. Coast Guard is just one of many emergency
response agencies which is likely to respond to a marine fire, and the response must be a coordinated
effort in order to be successful. Therefore, this plan has been rewritten so that it can be a valuable
reference source for all agencies responding to a marine fire.
The main body of this plan gives background information and discusses various considerations for
responding to a vessel fire, while the annexes offer specific information that can be quickly referenced
during an actual marine fire response. Personnel assigned a role in marine fire response should first
know his/her role in such an event. Secondly they should read through the main body of this
document, with emphasis on the sections most relevant to his/her role. Thirdly, they should become
familiar with the annexes so that they are able to quickly refer to important information during an
incident. This Plan has been formatted to meet Incident Command System (ICS) requirements.

8201 Authority

The U.S. Coast Guard has no specific statutory responsibility to fight marine fires. Traditionally, the
Coast Guard has been responsible for saving life and property upon the waters of the United States
and typically will respond to a marine fire in some manner. To this extent, various statutes are used to
establish USCG authority to respond to marine fires.

8202 The Statutes

8202.1 14 USC 88(B)14 USC 88(b)
The USCG must render aid to save life and property when a marine emergency occurs within the
capabilities of available resources. This may include marine fires.

8202.2 Clean Water Act

[As amended by the Oil Pollution Act 1990 (OPA 90) (33 USC 1251 et seq.)]. Whenever a marine
disaster occurs in a Navigable Waterway or in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the U.S. and creates a
substantial threat of pollution because of a discharge or an imminent discharge of large quantities of oil
or hazardous substance from a vessel, the USCG may coordinate and direct all public and private
efforts to remove or eliminate such a threat and summarily to remove and destroy such a vessel if
necessary. This Act mandates the USCG develop and maintain an Area Contingency Plan (ACP),
which should include a listing of fire-fighting equipment within each port.

8202.3 (33 USC 1471, et seq.)

33 USC 1471 extends USCG authority to take similar preemptive or corrective action on the high seas.
It specifically authorizes the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard to take necessary measures on the
high seas to prevent, mitigate, or eliminate grave and imminent danger to the coastline or related
interests from pollution or threat of pollution, following a maritime casualty or acts related to such a
casualty which may reasonably be expected to result in major harmful consequences. This authority
rests with the Commandant.

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8202.4 The Ports and Waterways Safety Act (33 USC 1221, et seq.):

The Ports and Waterways Safety Act charges U.S. Coast Guard’s local Captain of the Port (COTP) with
responsibility for safe vessel operations, safety of waterfront facilities, and protection of the marine
environment within the COTP’s area of jurisdiction. This authority allows the COTP to:
(a) Direct anchoring, mooring, or movement of vessel;
(b) Specify times of vessel entry, movement, departure to, from, or through ports, harbors, or other
waters;
(c) Restrict vessel operation in hazardous areas; or
(d) Direct the handling, loading, discharge, storage, and movement, including emergency removal,
control, and disposition of explosives or other dangerous cargo/substances, on any bridge or
other structure on or in the navigable waters of the U.S. or any land structure immediately
adjacent to those waters.

8202.5 42 USC 1856-1856d

42 USC 1856 allows an agency charged with providing fire protection for any property of the U.S. to
enter into reciprocal agreements with state and local fire fighting organizations to provide mutual aid.
This statute further provides that emergency assistance may be rendered in the absence of a reciprocal
agreement when it is determined by the head of that agency to be in the best interest of the U.S.

The Coast Guard cannot delegate its statutory authorities and shall not delegate mission
responsibilities to state or local agencies. The Sector shall not be party to any agreement that
relinquishes Coast Guard authority, evades Coast Guard responsibility, or places military personnel
under the command of any person(s) who is/are not part of the Federal military establishment. Coast
Guard forces will not be subject to any authority other than that of their superiors in their chain of
command. Within the Coast Guard, the COTP will delegate authorities as necessary.

8203 Definitions and Acronyms

TO BE DEVELOPED

8204 U.S. Coast Guard Policy
Federal policy is established in the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (PL 93-498). It
states that fire prevention and control is, and should remain, a state and local responsibility, although
the federal government must help to reduce fire loss. The ultimate responsibility is always with the
vessel or facility owner and operator.

The U.S. Coast Guard has traditionally provided fire fighting equipment and training to protect its own
vessels and property. Captains of the Port are also called upon to provide assistance at major fires on
board other vessels and waterfront facilities. Although the Coast Guard clearly has interest in fighting
fires involving vessels or waterfront facilities, local authorities are principally responsible for maintaining
necessary fire fighting utilities in U.S. ports and harbors. USCG renders assistance as available, based
on the availability of resources and level of training. The Commandant intends to maintain this
traditional ―assistance-as-available‖ posture without conveying the impression that the USCG is
prepared to relieve local fire departments of their responsibilities.

The presence of local fire fighters does not relieve the vessel's Master command of, or transfer the
Master’s responsibility for overall safety of the vessel. However, the Master should not normally
countermand any orders given by the local fire fighters on board the vessel, unless the action taken or
planned clearly endangers the safety of the vessel or crew.

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Paramount in preparing for vessel or waterfront fires is the need to integrate USCG planning and
training efforts with those of other responsible organizations, particularly local fire departments and port
authorities. COTP’s shall work closely with the municipal fire departments, vessel and facility owners
and operators, mutual aid Sectors, and other interested organizations. The COTP shall develop a fire
fighting contingency plan that addresses fire fighting in each port in the COTP zone.

8205 Captain of the Port (COTP) Considerations & Area of Responsibility

8205.1 Coordinated Marine Firefighting Considerations

In any fire the quickness and effectiveness of the initial response is the key to fire suppression. If the
fire is not quickly controlled, the likelihSDO of a larger, more involved response increases. In addition,
today’s fires may be very complex as they increasingly involve a number of hazardous materials
ranging from bulk liquids to toxic solids.
Therefore, a closely coordinated effort is essential factor in an effective marine fire fighting response.

The response organization will vary depending on the location of the fire and its severity. The level of
Coast Guard involvement will range from providing input on an advisory level to, if necessary, taking
charge as the Federal On-Scene Commander. The possibility of a spill of some type of pollutant
always exists due to fire-fighting water runoff. The COTP will invariably be involved, especially if the
USCG has to step in as On-Scene Commander. The following sections discuss some of the
complexities involved in a coordinated response, and provide guidelines for proper organization and
action.

8205.2 Area of Responsibility

The level of Coast Guard fire-fighting response will depend largely on the location of the fire within the
Pacific Northwest region. For this reason, a discussion of the various areas of responsibility is in order.

The COTP Portland, Oregon, zone is described in 33 CFR 3.65-15.

The Sector Portland Search and Rescue zone includes the navigable waters of the Willamette River
from the mouth to river mile 183.2 (Eugene area). It also includes the Columbia River from river mile
48 to river mile 335 (Richland, Washington) and between the mouth of the Snake River and the Ice
Harbor Lock and Dam (Snake River mile 9.7). Sector Astoria has SAR responsibility on the lower
Columbia River and portions of southern Washington, including Grays Harbor, and the northern Oregon
coast. The remainder of the Oregon coast is the responsibility of Sector North Bend.

The COTP Portland’s zone for response to a pollution incident is described in the ―COTP Portland,
Oregon, Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan.‖ It is possible that a fire with
resulting pollution could occur where the EPA has pollution response responsibilities. If this were to
occur, the SECTOR would likely respond to and assist with the fire and pollution response efforts at
least until the EPA representative arrived on scene.

8206 Geographic Considerations

Please refer to section 8105.2 for a description of geographical boundaries. There are also maps and
charts in the Sector Portland Crisis Action Center (CAC) which show the boundaries for the various
USCG areas of jurisdictions and responsibilities.

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8206.1 Sensitive Areas

Maps and descriptions in the USCG Thirteenth District's Geographic Response Plan (GRP) identify
environmentally sensitive areas throughout the COTP zone.

8207 Response Organization and Policies

8207.1 The National Response System: The National Inter-Agency Incident Management
System (NIIMS) or Incident Command System (ICS)

Local fire departments use NIIMS for their response system, and the U.S. Coast Guard has also
adopted this system on a national level. The USCG typically refers to this as the Incident Command
System (ICS). It is highly recommended that Coast Guard personnel assigned to marine fire response
get adequate training in this system. Standard ISC forms are provided in Annex L.

8207.2 National Response Policy

TO BE DEVELOPED

8207.3 State Response System

TO BE DEVELOPED

8207.4 State Response Policy

TO BE DEVELOPED

8207.5 Local Response System

Maritime Fire and Safety Association (MFSA)

In February 1982, the 600-foot grain ship, Protector Alpha, caught fire while being loaded in Kalama,
WA on the Columbia River. The shipboard blaze raged for 72 hours before the fire was controlled.
The local fire district was not trained nor equipped to respond to a vessel fire of this magnitude, and
believed its boundaries ended at the pier. The ship’s foreign crew abandoned her.

The burning vessel was set adrift in the river before the fire fighters aboard could be evacuated. The
ship eventually was grounded. One Coast Guardsman was killed and another fire fighter was injured
battling the fire. Damage to the ship exceeded $15 million.

While serious shipboard fires are unusual, they are not unknown, as the Protector Alpha incident
shows. Ship fires have resulted in hundreds casualties. Furthermore, a major vessel casualty on the
Columbia River, or any of the other shipping channels in the region, could block shipping lanes and/or
damage key facilities, effectively choking the region’s commerce.

In the aftermath of the Protector Alpha incident, the U.S. Coast Guard called together the maritime
community, forming an ad hoc committee to review the situation. The committee found serious
deficiencies in the region’s capability to handle shipboard and waterfront fires.

In response, the Sector organized the Maritime Fire Safety Association (MFSA). The purpose of this
new organization was to put into place a system to ensure an adequate, timely, and well-coordinated
response to shipboard fires over the entire 110-mile channel of the Lower Columbia River.

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Multiple jurisdictions are involved: two states, seven counties, fourteen cities, seven port districts, and
over twenty local fire departments. Compounding the complexity, fire district boundaries in both
Oregon and Washington generally believed to end at the shoreline. All members of the MFSA have
agreed to work and train together, so that when an incident occurs, each fire bureau will be familiar with
the resources and capabilities of other fire bureaus and can rely on their assistance.

No single entity has responsibility for fighting marine fires on and along the river. While the USCG is
commonly thought to be responsible for such fires, its authority and responsibility are not
comprehensive and its resources are limited.

Early in 1984, consultants working on behalf of MFSA, were retained to prepare a plan for handling
marine fires in the Lower Columbia. The Lower Columbia Maritime Fire Safety Plan (1985)
incorporated MFSA’s program in a proposed framework for building a limited marine fire response
capability along the Columbia River from the Portland/Vancouver harbor to Astoria, Oregon, near the
mouth of the river. The Plan represented a significant step in creating an effective system for handling
shipboard fires.

This Plan was further fine-tuned and MFSA has now developed the Shipboard Fire Operations Guide,
which is provided in this manual as Annex B. It is a detailed guide used to coordinate fire response
efforts between all the MFSA member fire departments along the Lower Columbia River. This
document is possible due to mutual aid agreements between these fire departments, and it serves as a
resource guide for fire response efforts occurring within the MFSA boundaries.

Fire Protection Agency Advisory Council (FPAAC)
This subcommittee of MFSA developed the Shipboard Fire Operations Guide discussed above.
FPAAC meets on a regular basis to address training and equipment needs for marine firefighting, and

to plan and coordinate drills to test and improve MFSA's response capabilities.
8207.6 Local Response Policy

• Portland Fire Bureau: The PORTLAND FIRE BUREAU responds to all fires within the
established boundaries of the city of Portland, Oregon. This area includes the Port of Portland
piers/docks and most waterfront facilities. Facilities located in the ―Rivergate‖ area have been
annexed by the city and are now covered by Portland Fire Bureau protection. Sauvie Island
now has a volunteer fire department that falls under Multnomah County Fire District 30. Hayden
Island is covered by Portland Fire Bureau, except the area west of the railroad bridge. The
lower Willamette River, North Portland Harbor, and the Columbia River from the shore to the
center of the navigable channel constrained by the city’s east/west boundary area are covered
by the Portland Fire Bureau. Vessels moored to piers in protected areas are also provided
firefighting
services. The Portland Fire Bureau has mutual aid and response agreements with the
Vancouver Fire Department and has merged with the Multnomah County Fire District 10 (East
County).
• Vancouver Fire Department: The VANCOUVER FIRE DEPARTMENT responds to fires within
the city limits, which includes most waterfront facilities. Vessels moored to piers at the Port of
Vancouver are provided fire protection. Vancouver has a mutual aid agreement with Portland
for the use of two engines and one fire truck (Note: a truck carries ladders, and its crews
generally perform rescue work. An engine carries hoses and water, and its crews are involved
with fire suppression). Since the Vancouver Fire Department does not have a fireboat, if there
were a fire in Vancouver’s marine jurisdiction, a fireboat would most likely be requested from the
Portland Fire Bureau. In addition, the MFSA agreement provides enough flexibility whereby a
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―marine coordinator‖ could be provided to the Vancouver Fire Department from the Portland Fire
Bureau. A ―marine coordinator‖ is an individual trained in marine fire fighting who should
function as an advisor on scene.
• St. Helens Fire Department: The ST. HELENS FIRE DEPARTMENT responds to fires within
the city limits of St. Helens and its pleasure craft marinas, piers, and docks. Its boundary to the
north is Martin Bluff on the Columbia River and to the south is Scapoose Bay on the Multnomah
Channel. The Department has one 26-foot fireboat and a crew of 24 regular and approximately
15 volunteer fire fighters, which can be utilized for response in support of MFSA mutual
agreements. A certain number of these people will be support personnel and will not be active
firefighters.
• Kalama Fire Department: The Kalama area has three major waterfront facilities: the Peavey
Grain Terminal, Kalama Chemical, and the Harvest States Cooperative Grain Terminal. The
grain terminal is not within the city limits; however, it has an agreement with Kalama Fire
Department for fire protection of the facility. The KALAMA FIRE DEPARTMENT does not have
the capability to respond to shipboard fires. A similar problem with mutual assistance
agreements as outlined under the Longview section exists here as well. The grain terminal is
not within the Kalama Fire Department’s normal jurisdiction, and mutual aid agreements which
Kalama has signed are not in effect should a fire occur there.
• Longview Fire Department: The LONGVIEW FIRE DEPARTMENT responds to fires within
the city limits of Longview. This jurisdiction includes all of the Port of Longview piers. However,
a number of waterfront facilities are not within the city limits and special agreements are
required and exist to provide fire protection. The jurisdiction of the Longview Fire Department
ends at the end of the pier, so that vessels are not provided fire protection automatically. The
Longview Fire Department has a contract drafted, which a Master or agent must sign prior to
receiving fire fighting assistance. The contract specifies the cost of services and that the
expense will be paid by the vessel’s owner/agent. The Longview Fire Department has mutual
aid agreements with the Cowlitz County Fire Districts No. 2 and No. 5. This agreement binds
the signatory departments to respond only to those areas within the jurisdictional boundaries of
the department requesting assistance. In other words, if one department enters into a fire
protection agreement with a facility that is not within the department’s jurisdiction, the other fire
departments are not bound to respond to mutual aid requests to assistance at that facility. This
situation presently exists in portions of the Longview waterfront. However, contracts are in
effect which make provisions for fire departments who normally respond to mutual aid requests
to respond to these facilities and be reimbursed for costs incurred.
• Astoria Fire Department: The ASTORIA FIRE DEPARTMENT will respond to all fires along
the waterfront, as well as aboard ships. Fire fighting personnel have received specialized
training and equipment for shipboard fire fighting from MFSA. The fire department is an active
participant in MFSA, as are the other fire districts along the lower Columbia and Willamette
Rivers.
• Newport Fire Department: The NEWPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT, with the assistance of the
Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay, responds to all marine fires in the local area. Newport has a
mutual assistance agreement with Toledo, Oregon.
• Coos Bay and North Bend Fire Departments: The COOS BAY and NORTH BEND FIRE
DEPARTMENTS will respond to all fires along the waterfront and aboard ships. Both fire
departments have entered into a mutual assistance agreement with each other.
• Aberdeen Fire Department: The ABERDEEN FIRE DEPARTMENT responds to all fires at
waterfront facilities and aboard vessels moored to those facilities. The local fire departments of
Hoquiam, Cosmopolis, and Westport will also respond to waterfront fires. All four fire
departments have entered into a mutual aid agreement and will pool their resources in the event
of a significant emergency.

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Please refer to Annex C for specific information on each port and fire department.

8207.7 Vessel/Facility Owner Policy

TO BE DEVELOPED

8208 Plan Review And Update

Sector Portland is tasked to annually review and update this Plan. The review will ensure that changes
in personnel, telephone numbers, available resources, U.S. Coast Guard policy, laws and regulations,
or any other relevant information are accurately reflected. Exercise lessons-learned will also be
incorporated in this Plan.

8209 Exercises/Drills

Coordination between agencies requires knowledge of the capabilities of each participating agency.
Those personnel who expect to be involved in the response effort should devote time to understanding
the response organization and methods utilized by other agencies. Exercises with other fire fighting
organizations should be conducted annually. The results of these interactions should be used to
further update and fine-tune this plan. Typically, Sector Portland participates with MFSA on marine
response exercise on an annual basis.

8210 Training

Part of every effective contingency plan is the development and implementation of a training program.
Few Coast Guard personnel have very extensive experience responding to actual fires. Furthermore,
few municipal fire departments have very extensive experience responding to vessel fires. Therefore,
to overcome inexperience and apprehension and to develop expertise, a systematic training program is
essential.

Individual Coast Guard units should maintain in-house fire prevention and fire-fighting training
programs to improve skills and familiarize personnel with relevant concepts and Coast Guard
equipment. In addition, unit training programs should include familiarity with the Marine Safety Manual,
Volume VI, Chapter 8; NFPA 1405, "Guide for Land-Based Fire Fighters Who Respond to Marine
Vessel Fires;" and with the Incident Command System (ICS).

There are some resident marine fire-fighting training providers in the Pacific Northwest. For certain
USCG personnel, these courses are very appropriate:
• Fremont Maritime in Seattle, WA, provides classes ranging from one-day orientations to five-day
advanced classes certified by the USCG and IMO for ship’s crews. Classes include a balance
of classroom and simulation exercises. The USCG written exam for licensed officers is required
to pass the five-day advanced course. These classes are relatively inexpensive and very
appropriate for Coast Guard personnel.
• Washington State’s North Bend Marine Firefighting Center in North Bend, WA, is a similar
training provider with more extensive simulation facilities. The Center is frequently used by fire
department personnel.
• Southwestern Oregon Community College offers training in fire fighting techniques that may be
helpful to both Coast Guard and fire department personnel. For a catalog, including course and
fee information, contact:
Darrel Saxon,
Fire Sciences Coordinator

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Empire Lakes
Coos Bay, OR 97240
Phone (503) 888-7296.

Texas A & M University offers several different fire fighting courses that may be useful to USCG
personnel. In particular, the Marine Fire Fighting and Emergency Training Course offers a forty-hour,
one-week program aimed at providing personnel in the marine and transportation industry with
expertise in various phases of shipboard fire fighting and emergency procedures. Areas of emphasis
include fire prevention, fire suppression, and rescue. A schedule of classes and fees may be obtained
from Texas A & M University:
Texas A & M University System
Texas Engineering Extension Service
Fire Protection Training Division
Brayton Firemen Training Field
College Station, TX 77843-8000.

Various Navy units throughout the U.S. offer advanced fire training, which is usually available to Coast
Guard personnel. In the past this training has most often been reserved for ships’ crews; however, the
value of the training for Sector personnel is obvious. The quality of the schools is excellent and they
generally provide extensive practical experience. Navy courses would be especially appropriate for
personnel serving as the senior Coast Guard official on-scene or at the Sector Portland CAC. This
helps ensure appropriate Coast Guard actions and direction to other response agencies. This is
important considering one of the Coast Guard’s roles in marine fire response is to advise local fire
departments of the peculiarities of marine fire response as opposed to land based fires.

Finally, there is a marine safety training guide for the Marine Firefighting Coordinator (MFC). Typically
filled by a USCG marine safety officer from the Sector Portland response team, this position is
presently filled by the Assistant Chief of the Prevention Department (ACPD). The MFC completes the
training guide by studying reference material and completing certain tasks via on-the-job training (OJT).
Additional resident training is strongly recommended for this assignment.

All local fire departments conduct continuous training programs for their personnel. The training will
often cover all phases of firefighting, from prevention to overhaul and investigation. Considerable
attention is also focused on logistics problems. The importance of cooperation in cross training
between Coast Guard units and local fire departments cannot be over emphasized. Personnel who
have become familiar with each other’s equipment and methods can greatly facilitate a rapid response
and effective communications during an actual fire. This is why Coast Guard participation in joint fire
response exercises is so important.

8220 Command Structure

The person in charge of a fire response must be quickly identified and must be decisive in coordinating
the response efforts. As a matter of maritime law and common practice, the Master of a vessel is
presumed to be in charge of, and capable of, onboard ship operations including shipboard firefighting.
Merchant vessels are inspected to ensure crew competency, and seamen are required to be specially
trained to respond to a shipboard. Only at the specific request of the Master, or when it becomes
obvious that the vessel’s condition threatens the port’s safety or environment that relieving the Master
of responsibility should be considered. In cases where it is determined that the Master cannot or will
not effectively take charge, the person in charge will be determined based on the area jurisdiction in
which the fire occurs. For example, if a fire occurs in the Portland Fire Bureau’s jurisdiction, then an
official from the Portland Fire Bureau shall designate the person in charge. In the event a marine fire

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occurs outside a fire department’s jurisdictional area, the Coast Guard FOSC will become the On
Scene Commander.

Coast Guard response personnel shall be organized under the Incident Command System (ICS). This
is the system utilized by most local fire departments and is well suited for events involving a multiagency
response. Refer to Annex F to see how the Coast Guard response personnel fit into this
structure and Annex L for blank copies of standard ICS forms.

Coast Guard personnel shall not be under the command of a non-Coast Guard Incident Commander.
Orders from such an IC shall be passed through and evaluated by the Captain of the Port (COTP), who
is also the Commanding Officer for USCG Sector Portland. Only those orders that will not create
unwarranted risk for Coast Guard personnel and equipment shall be executed. It should be noted that
the relationships among involved parties may change as the firefighting efforts progress. It should also
be noted that regardless of who is in charge of the firefighting efforts, the COTP will carry out the duties
as the federal On-Scene Commander (OSC).

A very important Coast Guard response assignment is the Marine Firefighting Coordinator (MFC). The
MFC is the COTP’s marine firefighting technical expert, and acts as the primary on-scene liaison with
response organizations during a marine fire. As the COTP’s designated representative, the MFC is
responsible for the development and coordination of the planning, training, and response objectives of
Coast Guard firefighting assets. In addition to the recommended training for Coast Guard personnel in
the Training Section of this Plan, the MFC should undergo advanced training in marine firefighting
strategy/tactics and damage control, and should have completed the appropriate Marine Safety
Training and Qualification Booklets. The MFC should also be familiar with ICS and local fire services.

8221 Command Staff

TO BE DEVELOPED

8222 Command Structure – Unified Command

TO BE DEVELOPED

8223 Health and Safety Officer

TO BE DEVELOPED

8223.1 Health and Safety Officer On Site

TO BE DEVELOPED

8224 Public Information Officer (PIO)

Immediate information to the public is essential. Public affairs officers from the USCG may be the first
to respond to local media inquiries. As the incident management team builds, a Joint Information
Center comprised of USCG, state, responsible party representatives and local public affairs specialists
will be formed and staffed. During a major incident, the Public Affairs officer for USCG Sector Portland
can be supplemented with a Public Affairs staff provided by Coast Guard District Thirteen (D13) in
Seattle.

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During the marine firefighting exercise "Weyco Cargo Dock 97," it was discovered that having the PIO
at the scene was very beneficial. This person was able to become familiar with the situation faster and
stay up-to-date on fast breaking developments, and therefore they could better respond to public affairs
needs for the Incident Command (IC). Also, since the media will have reporters on-scene, it is better to
have a PIO there to greet them, handle inquiries, schedule and conduct news briefings, and keep the
media representatives out of the way of the response efforts.

8224.1 The interview

i. Before the press arrives:
o Ensure only designated persons speak to media;
o Set ground rules (i.e. length of interview, topics to be covered, subjects that cannot be
discussed);
o Select a couple key points you wish to make.
ii. During the interview:
o Wear a clean and proper uniform;
o In the field, flight and work uniforms are authorized;
o Keep eye contact with the interviewer, not the camera;
o Body language can speak louder than your words.
iii. Your communication:
o Do not speculate or give opinion;
o Do not answer exaggerated or hypothetical questions;
o Avoid speaking for other commands or agencies, refer them to that command or agency;
o Reasons for not answering questions can include - classified information, would interfere
with ongoing investigation, interfere with a law enforcement case, next of kin have not been
notified, you are not the appropriate command or agency to answer;
o There is no such thing as ―off the record;‖
o If you do not know, say so, then try to offer them somebody who does know;
o Avoid USCG acronyms;
o Never say ―no comment,‖ if you cannot answer say why.
o Do not just give one-word answers, explain some;
o Do not let reporters put answers in your mouth;
o Turn negative questions into positive answers, remember the reporter’s questions will
typically not appear on the news, only your answer;
o Do not let a rude reporter get to you;
o Be polite and never show anger or sarcasm;
o Always end the interview on a positive note.

8224.2 Logistical Concerns for Press

TO BE DEVELOPED

8224.3 Media Contacts

TO BE DEVELOPED
• Media Addresses

8224.4 Joint Information Center

TO BE DEVELOPED

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8224.5 News Release Samples

TO BE DEVELOPED
• Sample Fact Sheets
• Sample Press Release
• Sample News Advisory
• Checklist

8225 Legal Officer

TO BE DEVELOPED

8226 Marine Firefighting Coordinator (MFC)
This role is assigned to a marine safety officer who has a high level of expertise in marine firefighting.
This person advises the other agencies in aspects of firefighting peculiar to the marine systems (i.e.
stability, vessel equipment, etc). During the Weyco Cargo Dock 97 exercise, this person was
positioned at the Command Post while his assistant (a duty inspector) was onboard the vessel advising
the firefighters. It was found that the closer to the scene these officers were, the more valuable their
expertise was in guiding the response efforts. Often, these officers were able to address issues and
safety concerns that they would not likely been aware of had they been located elsewhere. The value
of having them in such close proximity should be balanced with the risk of injury or death by being too
close to the fire and its inherent dangers. The location should be decided by the Coast Guard’s senior
officer of the watch along with the sensibilities of the officers on-scene.

8227 Command Posts

Once it has been decided to allow a burning vessel to enter port, or when a fire breaks out aboard a
vessel in port, there is an immediate need for a coordinated/integrated firefighting effort, since federal,
state and local jurisdictions will be involved.
A Command Post will be established on-scene by the responding fire department. The USCG OSC or
representative should be on hand and maintain communications with the Coast Guard resources
involved. Other key personnel that may be on hand at the on-scene Command Post include the
vessel’s officers or facility operators, the owner’s representative, salvage and clean-up companies, a
marine chemist, and port officials. The representatives present should have authority to make
decisions to facilitate rapid and proper response.
In addition to the on scene Command Post, SECTOR Portland’s Crisis Action Center (CAC) shall be
staffed in accordance with this Plan.

8230 Operations

8231 Emergency Notifications
Coast Guard COTP, Portland, Oregon, is charged with ensuring the safety of vessels, waterfront
facilities, bridges, and the waterways for all coastal ports and waterways in the state of Oregon, those
in Washington south of Queets, Washington (to include Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay), and the
Columbia/Willamette Rivers system. Any fires that threaten the safety of vessels, waterfront facilities,
bridges, or the navigable waterways within this area shall be immediately brought to the attention of the
COTP through the following methods:

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a. Fire departments, upon receiving notification of a fire that meets the conditions above, are
requested to relay the report to the nearest Coast Guard unit. The report is requested even
when no Coast Guard assistance is required or needed. This is necessary, because the COTP
has duties that extend beyond fire fighting.
b. Coast Guard units, upon receiving notification of a marine fire, shall immediately relay the
information to SECTOR Portland in accordance with CCGD13 SOP. All units shall work closely
with local fire departments to maintain communication links and facilitate inter-agency
coordination.

Sector Portland would typically be notified at the Communications Center. The Sector Duty Officer
(SDO) would complete the Vessel Fire Action Checklist from the Emergency Operations Manual (refer
to Annex A for this document) with information supplied by the party making the notification. It is
extremely important to get sufficient accurate information about the incident. However, this should be
balanced with the urgency of the situation. If the notifying party is actually involved in the incident, one
should understand their urgency to respond to the fire. Questions to the notifying party should be
relevant and sensitive to the situation. Relevant information includes name, type and location of
vessel/facility, extent of fire, available fire-fighting equipment, hazardous material, amount of oil on
board, response action taken so far, number of crewmembers or facility personnel, injuries/fatalities,
vessels and/or facilities nearby, and what other parties have been notified.

8231.1 Sector Portland Internal Notifications: Sector Duty Officer (SDO Checklist)

The SDO would notify all the internal Sector personnel listed on the Vessel Fire Action Checklist.

8231.2 Notification of External Parties

To ensure the timely development and coordination of fire fighting and marine safety resources, it is
essential that all involved parties are promptly notified of marine fires under their jurisdiction. This
could include other federal and state agencies, local fire departments, port authorities, local law
enforcement agencies, private consultants and response organizations (marine chemists, salvage and
environmental companies) and affected private parties. Various annexes in this Plan contain phone
numbers of such parties. Local Port Authorities should be consulted during the planning stage to
discern whether a burning vessel may be brought into their area. Phone numbers for Port Authorities
and emergency response organizations are contained in Annex C. Their services may be invaluable,
particularly if an area must be evacuated or cordoned off to facilitate fire-fighting efforts.

The Public Information Officer shall field information requests from the press. If necessary, assistance
may be obtained from the Thirteenth District Public Affairs staff.

8232 Burning Vessel Movement Considerations

A crucial decision that must be made by the COTP is whether or not a burning vessel should be
allowed to enter or move within the port. Types of vessel movements that may be required in an
emergency include movement from sea to an anchorage or a pier; from an anchorage to a pier; from a
pier to an anchorage; grounding a vessel; or scuttling a vessel offshore.

These vessel movements should be thought out in advance and rehearsed as often as possible to
ensure a rapid and considered response in the event of a real incident. Annexes D and E provide
much of the details needed to determine moorage, anchorage, grounding or scuttling sites, and
response efforts.

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8232.1 Decision to allow a Burning Vessel to Enter Port or Move within the Port

Due to the limited resources available to fight an offshore fire, the COTP may be forced to consider
allowing a burning vessel to enter port. The numerous considerations that are part of this decision can
be found below, as well as in Volume VI, Chapter 8, of the Marine Safety Manual (MI6000.11). In
addition to Annexes D and E, the information in Section 8600 concerning liability and surety bonds
should be reviewed and considered as part of this decision.

The amount of information and number of considerations may seem too complicated to resolve in an
emergency, but it is important that a thorough analysis of all risks be conducted. An overall big picture
perspective is needed to prevent concern for a single vessel from narrowing our vision. We must
remember a burning vessel is only a small part of the resources (other ships, ports, facilities, personnel,
and marine environment) that must be protected. The COTP should approach such an incident by
considering the navigable waterways as a system used by various parties for transportation, recreation,
and commerce. The most important consideration must be how the overall system functions. A
burning vessel must be considered as only a single element within that system. The COTP must not
jeopardize the other elements to save a single vessel, if the risk to the system is too great. The
possibility of having a ship sink in a key navigation channel, thus blocking it, or spreading the fire to a
waterfront facility, must be evaluated.

There are numerous considerations that the COTP should evaluate when faced with the decision of
whether or not to allow a burning vessel to enter or move within a port. The following information
should be gathered and considered prior to making such a decision:
a. location and extent of fire;
b. status of shipboard fire-fighting equipment;
c. class and nature of cargo (HAZMAT);
d. possibility of explosion;
e. possibility of vessel sinking/capsizing;
f. hazard to crew or other resources where vessel is present;
g. forecasted weather (including bar conditions if applicable);
h. maneuverability of the vessel (i.e. Is it a dead ship, etc.);
i. availability (and willingness) of assist tugs;
j. effect on bridges under which the vessel must transmit;
k. potential for the fire to spread to the pier or pier structures;
l. fire-fighting resources available ashore and offshore;
m. consequences/alternatives if the vessel is not allowed to enter or move;
n. potential for pollution.

The above considerations should be investigated by the fire department chief and COTP by examining
the vessel and her cargo manifest before the vessel is allowed to enter port or move within the port.
The COTP should make a decision only after consultation with the Fire Department Chief, Port Director,
local government officials (i.e. Mayor, Director of Emergency Services), vessel owner’s agent, and
other experts depending on the circumstances.

Entry to port or movement may be permitted when:
a. the fire is already contained or under control,
b. there exists little likelihood that the fire would spread,
c. a greater possibility exists that fire could and would be readily extinguished with available
equipment in port before encountering any secondary hazards of explosion or spread of fire
d. all relevant parties consulted.

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Entry to port or movement may be denied when:
a. there is a greater danger that the fire will spread to other port facilities or vessels,
b. the likelihood of the vessel sinking or capsizing within a navigation channel, and becoming an
obstruction exists,
c. the vessel might become a derelict,
d. unfavorable weather conditions preclude either the safe movement of the vessel under
complete control or would hamper fire-fighting (look for high winds, fog, strong currents, etc.),
e. risk of a serious pollution incident by oil or hazardous substances exists; the COTP, in
conjunction with Thirteenth Coast Guard District (m) and the Regional Response Team (RRT),
shall assess the pollution risks and determine whether they are to be ordered to proceed to sea
to reduce the pollution hazards.

Additional considerations:
a. safety broadcast and Notice to Mariners,
b. ordering the movement of other vessels or cargo that may be impacted,
c. locating the vessel to best facilitate use of available resources.

8233 Offshore Fire-fighting Considerations

In addition to the problems associated with any shipboard fire, an offshore incident is further
complicated by the poor flow of information and difficulties in supplementing the vessel’s fire-fighting
resources. Reports from the vessel may be confusing due to the language difficulties or the simple fact
that the crew is too busy fighting the fire to provide detailed information. Until additional resources can
be brought to bear, the vessel’s fire-fighting equipment and crew will be the only resources available.
Additional resources in the form of public or private vessels may not be close enough to respond in a
timely manner and may be ill equipped to provide significant assistance. Therefore, the farther offshore
a burning vessel is the less external aid it shall receive, but the less impact it has on vessel traffic and
port operations. The closer to shore or a port a burning vessel is the more aid it is likely to receive,
while its impact on vessel traffic and port operations is greater. In both cases, SAR would be Coast
Guard’s most common response.

8233.1 Coast Guard Offshore Resources

During an offshore fire, ships and aircraft become important resources. Aircraft may provide a timely
source of information during the early stages of a response and can be used for personnel or
equipment transfers. Coast Guard vessels are limited in their ability to assist in a shipboard fire, but
are much better equipped than commercial vessels and have damage control teams that are drilled
regularly in shipboard fire-fighting. In addition to improving communications, larger Coast Guard
vessels with flight decks can be used to stage equipment flown to the scene. Strike Force personnel
and equipment can be useful in fire-fighting and dewatering evolutions. All requests for Coast Guard
equipment (including ships and aircraft) and supplies, whether from within the COTP Portland area or
not, should be directed to the Thirteenth District Command Center.

8233.2 Department Of Defense Offshore Resources

Fire-fighting equipment may be available from various Department of Defense (DOD) sources, consult
Annex G for a listing of DOD resources. In addition to the transportation capabilities discussed there,
DOD aircraft and vessels can be invaluable in an offshore fire situation for the same reasons discussed
for Coast Guard assets. The possibility of Naval or Army Corps of Engineers vessels operating in the
vicinity which can assist should not be overlooked. All requests for DOD assistance should be made to

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the DOD representative on the Regional Response Team, via the Chief of the Marine Safety Division of
the Thirteenth Coast Guard District.

8233.3 Other Offshore Resources

Any ship becomes a valuable resource during an offshore vessel fire, even those with small crews and
minimal fire-fighting capability. At a minimum, another vessel can provide a means of escape for a
burning vessel’s crew should their efforts to control the fire fail.

Vessels in the area may be notified of a situation via AMVER or with a Broadcast Notice to Mariners.
Tug companies in the vicinity may assist in fighting the fire, moving a dead ship or transporting
equipment. While few vessel operators would be reluctant to assist in a life-threatening situation,
vessel owners may not be willing to respond to a fire-fighting situation that could risk their vessels or
crew in order to protect a ship or cargo once the crew is safe.

8233.4 Offshore Scuttling Area Selection
If a vessel cannot be safely moved to a port, and it is possible that the vessel and cargo could be lost
(either intentionally or not) the vessel should be moved to an area where environmental damage will be
minimized. The information in this section should be reviewed to identify the best area to move the
vessel. The Environmental Protection Agency should also be consulted on any decision concerning
scuttling of a vessel. Scuttling must be conducted IAW COMDTINST 16451.5 and 40 CFR 229.3. See
Annex E for considerations on Scuttling Areas.

8234 Positioning A Vessel For Fire-fighting

This section addresses the positioning of a vessel that is on fire while underway, or a vessel that is
docked. No vessel on fire should be moved without the permission of the COTP, except under the most
urgent conditions.
The success or failure of a shipboard fire response effort will, in large part, be determined by the
vessel’s location. The likelihood of successfully fighting a fire on a remotely located vessel is small
compared to a vessel located near sufficient sources of fire-fighting resources

8234.1 Fire Suppression Berths

Several considerations enter into the selection of piers as a location:
• Paramount is the combustibility/flammability of pier structures and contiguous facilities,
• Availability of high-pressure water
• Access to response boats and vehicles,
• Minimizing risk of impeding navigation, and
• Risk to nearby vessels and facilities.
Much of the information needed to determine the suitability of a facility is in the facility survey file
maintained by the Prevention Department.

8234.2 Anchorage And Grounding Site Selection

When choosing anchoring or grounding locations, some of the same factors must be considered, as
well as its effect on navigation. The possibility of the vessel sinking or becoming a derelict is very real
and could prove a greater harm to the marine system than the loss of the single vessel. Other important
considerations are:

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• Bottom material – soft enough so that the ship’s hull will not be ruptured;
• Water depth – shallow enough so that the vessel could not sink below the main deck level, yet
deep enough so that fire boats, salvage barges, and tugs can approach; tides and other river
level fluctuations must be considered;
• Area weather – do not choose areas known to have strong winds or currents that could hamper
fire-fighting or salvage efforts.

The location and suitability of boat ramps and piers to be used as staging areas must also be evaluated
when considering grounding or anchorage sites. Refer to Annex D on specific grounding and mooring
sites.

8235 Response Actions

Size-up is one the initial and critical actions taken in response to a marine fire. This involves evaluation
of available facts and probabilities. The size-up consists of six steps to rapidly form a deliberate plan of
action:
• gather facts,
• assess probabilities,
• determine resources
• apply basic fire fighting principles
• decide a course of action, and
• formulate a plan of operations.

Pertinent facts might include location of fire, location of crew/personnel, acquiring vessel fire plan,
vessel/facility condition, stability issues, type and condition of cargo, and response equipment
available.

The COTP, Portland, Oregon, has developed a comprehensive response plan designed to best
accomplish unit members’ marine safety duties while being consistent with current directives and
guidelines regarding fire fighting. Often a marine fire incident can generate confusion among the
involved agencies, which could well prove disastrous. This can be overcome by designing plans of
action in conjunction with the involved agencies that detail the actions and responsibilities of each of
them.

The Captain of the Port is responsible for Coast Guard response efforts to a vessel fire. The COTP
has overall control of all Coast Guard forces and equipment involved in the response to a marine fire.
However, a vessel fire may be initially treated as a SAR case under control of the assigned SAR
Mission Controller until a determination of the situation has been made by on scene forces as to the
status of the vessel and its crew, the extent of the fire, ongoing response efforts, fire department and
other agency involvement, and other pertinent information. At this time, the COTP Portland may
assume the duties of On Scene Coordinator and carry out his/her responsibilities accordingly
.
The choice among courses of action delineated below is based upon where the incident occurs with
respect to the limits of the various fire department jurisdictions, the COTP area of responsibility, the
Sector Portland SAR zone, and the Coast Guard policy as described in the Marine Safety Manual. For
more detail on SECTOR response procedures, refer to the Annex A.

8235.1 Coast Guard Action in a Fire Department’s Jurisdiction within Sector Portland’s SAR
Zone and COTP Portland’s Zone

The response action to be taken in any fire department jurisdiction in Sector Portland’s SAR zone
follows:

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a. Upon the receipt of a report of fire, the Coast Guard Communications Center watchstander shall
notify the SDO, who shall complete the Vessel Fire Action Checklist.
b. The SDO shall notify designated personnel on the checklist.
c. Coast Guard personnel shall respond as directed by Annex A.
d. The appropriate fire bureau shall be contacted if they have not already been advised of the fire.
If the fire is in the Portland Fire Bureau’s, Longview, or St. Helens Fire Department’s area of
jurisdiction, one or more fireboats will likely be dispatched to the scene. Communications shall
be established on Channels 16 or 22A between the SECTOR’s responding small boat (if
dispatched) and the fireboats.
e. If the fire occurs in the jurisdictional area of a fire department that does not have a fireboat, it
should be determined whether the local fire department has sought any outside assistance from
Portland, St. Helens, or Longview Fire Departments. If no outside assistance has been sought,
the options available should be presented to the local fire department, and a plan of action
should be coordinated with the Coast Guard if necessary.
f. Unless involved in a serious SAR case, the SDO shall dispatch a boat to the scene immediately.
If available, the UTB should be selected. This should occur regardless of whether or not the fire
department requests USCG assistance. The boat crew should be rapidly briefed concerning the
extent of the fire.
g. Response team personnel, acting as On-Scene Coordinator’s representative shall be
dispatched to meet with the Fire Department Incident Commander in charge of shoreside
operations. This will provide a communications link between the COTP and the Fire
Department. Orders for coordination of Coast Guard fire fighting activities at the scene shall be
passed through the Coast Guard shore response team (On-Scene Coordinator’s
representative). Communications shall be established between the shore response team (OSC
rep), the SECTOR, and the UTB, on Channel 83 VHF-FM, or by cellular telephone.
h. Issue a safety broadcast, or Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB) to advise the maritime
community of the fire and presence of waterborne fire fighting units on-scene.
i. As a general rule, SECTOR Portland will provide fire fighting services as requested by the fire
department unless, in the opinion of the shoreside Coast Guard On Scene Coordinator or
coxswain, they are beyond the capability of the boat, either because of the boat’s
characteristics, inadequate personal protective equipment, or low experience level of the crew.
All actions shall be reported to the SDO at the time services are requested. Coast Guard forces
shall never take action without the approval or at the request of the shore-based Incident
Commander. Where Coast Guard fire fighting services are not needed, the Coast Guard boat
shall remain on scene to direct marine traffic or provide such other services as appropriate.
j. If a fire is reported to be ashore at or on a ship at a grain elevator or oil terminal, the following
actions will be taken:
1. Unaffected vessels moored to the facility are to be moved immediately, with or without
tugs and pilots, depending upon circumstances. A COTP order may be required.
2. Movement of other vessels in the area will be considered based upon degree of risk.
3. Pilots and tugs are to be deployed as early as possible.
4. Vessels moored at other types of facilities involved in a fire may be moved based upon
the degree of danger to the vessel.
5. Coast Guard personnel will board all vessels in a fire area and inform the Senior Deck
Officer to secure ship operations and be prepared to get underway.

6. Inform the local agents of vessels involved in the incident of the situation and any
anticipated movement of their vessels.
7. Vessels to be moved are to be directed to a harbor, anchorage, or another dock away
from the fire area.
8. If appropriate, a safety zone will be established for the protection of vessels, water, and
shore areas.

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8235.2 Additional considerations if the fire is within the Portland Fire Bureau’s jurisdiction

a. The fire department dispatcher will immediately call the SECTOR Portland Communication
Center concerning any waterfront fire or incident. Our communications watchstander shall alert
the SDO and other appropriate personnel.
b. Our first notification may not originate from the fire department dispatcher, as that person is
often unable to complete all the notifications until additional help arrives. In those cases, our
first notification may come from the fire boat en route to the scene via Channel 16.
c. Fire fighting is the primary responsibility of the city government, operating through the fire
department. Overall fire fighting control will be under the direction of the shore-based fire
Incident Commander on scene. The Portland Fire Bureau no longer has a marine division, and
consequently, the command and control of all fireboats also falls under the shore-based fire
Battalion Chief on scene. The Coast Guard small boats responding will have direct
communications with Portland Fire Bureau fire boats (Channels 16 or 22A) and the Coast Guard
On-Scene Coordinator (Channel 83) positioned with the shore-based Battalion Chief.

8235.3 Coast Guard Action within Fire Department Jurisdiction within COTP Portland’s Zone,
but Outside of Sector Portland’s SAR Area (Grays Harbor, Astoria, Coos Bay, and
Newport)

The response actions for a marine fire within fire department jurisdiction and within COTP Portland’s
zone but outside Sector Portland’s SAR area follow:
a. Upon notification of a waterfront fire, verify the report and ensure the appropriate fire
department has been notified.
b. Complete the Vessel Fire Action Checklist. The SDO and designated personnel shall respond
as directed by Annex A.
c. Coast Guard SAR forces on scene shall:
1. Keep COTP, Portland, Oregon, informed of the situation in accordance with CCGD13
SOP.
2. Provide transportation for SECTOR personnel to the vessel, if necessary.
3. Assess the situation as to potential water pollution threat to facilitate report messages
(POLREP’s) as necessary.
4. Report to the senior fire department official and establish communications.
5. Keep a log of times and key events of the incident.

8235.4 Fire Occurring Outside a Fire Department Jurisdiction But Within COTP Portland’s
Zone

There are numerous fire departments and fire districts along the lower Columbia and Willamette Rivers.
There are also a great number of districts along the coastal regions of COTP Portland zone. However,
it is still possible that a vessel fire could occur in an area not within any fire department’s jurisdiction.
(The jurisdiction of some fire departments ends at the end of the dock or the high water line.).

If a vessel fire occurs outside one of these jurisdictions (i.e. upper Columbia and Snake Rivers, coastal
waters, and certain portions of the lower Columbia River), the COTP Portland would assume On-Scene
Coordinator responsibilities. The On-Scene Coordinator would direct Coast Guard resources and
coordinate the response effort with other fire departments and agencies.

Under special circumstances, a Portland Fire Bureau fireboat may be dispatched to an area outside of
their normal fire fighting jurisdiction to assist other agencies. Requests for such assistance should
normally be directed to the Portland Fire Bureau. A strong argument for Portland Fire Bureau
involvement in the lower Columbia River exists because of the drastic impact a blockage of that area
would have on the Port of Portland.
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The Fire Bureau will consult with the appropriate city commissioner or mayor to secure permission to
respond. Additional means of obtaining equipment or assistance from one area of Oregon and
providing it to another area would be accomplished by the invocation of the ―State Conflagration Act‖
(ORS 476-510-476.610), which may be invoked by the Governor (Contact the Oregon State
Emergency Services, at (503)378-4124.).

8235.5 State Conflagration Act
At this time, Washington does not have a State Conflagration Act. However, some mutual aid
agreements exist.

8236 Safety Zones

To secure the safety of waterfront facilities and vessels, the COTP may find it helpful to control or
restrict traffic in the affected areas.
COMDINST 3170.3 describes the characteristics of limited access areas, including safety zones,
security zones, restricted areas, and regulated navigation areas. Authority is granted to the COTP to
establish safety zones by the Ports and Waterways Safety Act (33 USC 1221 et seq.). A safety zone
could be established around a burning vessel to facilitate access for fire or rescue units and to protect
uninvolved persons or vessels, or it could be used to ensure the safer transit of a vessel carrying a
dangerous cargo. They should be established on a temporary, and usually, emergency basis to deal
with a situation beyond the scope of normal safety and security measures.

8237 Communications

Communication between response team members and other agencies is critical. Mobile phone
numbers and radio channels must be pre-assigned and periodically confirmed and tested during
exercises. Consideration should be given to steel hulls inhibiting radio transmission with alternated
comms planned ahead of time.

The FCC has assigned 154.126, 154.260, and 154.290 MHz as the Fire Mutual Aid Radio Systems
(FMARS) frequencies for multi-agency response to a common incident.

Spare batteries, recharging capability, spare radios and mobile phones should be available in case the
incident lasts longer than anticipated or the number of response personnel is greater than expected.

Lessons learned from the fire response exercise Weyco Cargo Dock 97, showed that the mobile
phones were invaluable. Also, the radio channels assigned must be confirmed periodically throughout
the event, as it may become necessary to change them as more personnel arrive and overcrowd the
originally assigned frequency.

8238 Stability

Vessel stability can be defined as its ability to right its self from an inclining position. During firefighting,
excess water onboard can create flooding and free surface effect. This could prove disastrous
for the vessel leading to list and even sinking. Since local fire services do not typically have training in
this field, there is substantial risk that this could occur. This is the area of expertise that other response
agencies will depend upon the Coast Guard to contribute. The MFC would typically be the USCG
officer who would provide this advice. If nobody from the Coast Guard is available for this role, a naval
architect/engineer should be identified to be available for such advice. GSDO references abound on
this topic. At a minimum one should refer to NFPA 1405.

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8240 Planning

U.S. Coast Guard policy advocates extensive use of contingency plans as tools to assist local
commanders in accomplishing their many tasks.

8240.1 Goals

Some of the aims of contingency planning are detailed in the Marine Safety Manual and include:
a. prevent damage, destruction, and loss of life by minimizing the probability that an event will
occur;
b. minimize damage or destruction through prompt detection, immediate response and
implementation of corrective action;
c. improve decision-making of the Incident Commander;
d. provide training to personnel participating in response, mitigation, and coordination phases of a
marine emergency;
e. maintain liaisons with appropriate federal, state, and local organizations.
8240.2 Objectives
Some specific objectives of contingency planning are:
a. to prevent loss of life or personal injury, damage and destruction of vessels, cargoes, structures,
and facilities in U.S. ports and waterways, and damage to the marine environment, by reason of
accidental, intentional means, or natural phenomena;
b. to maintain safe, secure, and orderly continuation of marine traffic and the acceleration of such
traffic, if so required by national interests, in the face of accidental, intentional or natural
disasters;
c. to maintain adequate training through planning prior to a marine incident;
d. to maintain continual contact with local agencies having interest in or responsibilities for a
specific event and maintain a check on their resource capabilities and limitations;
e. to outline Unit capabilities and limitations with respect to available resources through all phases
of the event.

8241 Inclusion in Area Contingency Plan and Geographical Response Plans

Change 4 to Volume VI of the Coast Guard Marine Safety Manual directs the revision of Marine Fire
Fighting Contingency Plans and the integration of those plans into the Area Contingency Plan.

8242 Annual Review and Update

Every year this Plan shall be reviewed for accuracy and coherency with District and Commandant
guidance. Any lessons learned from exercises and real life fire response shall be incorporated in this
Plan. Exercise scenarios may include:
• waterfront facility (break bulk or bulk liquid
• freight vessel (break bulk or container)
• tank barge
• tank vessel (cargo tank or engine room)
• bulk solid cargoes (cargo or engine room)
• passenger vessel
• liquefied gas carrier.

8250 Logistics
Equipment lists and contact points for various port areas are included in Annex C. Also, the MFSA
"Shipboard Fire Operations Guide," provided as Annex B, has a detailed listing of resources and
emergency response agencies along the Lower Columbia River from the Portland/Vancouver area
down to Astoria.
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8260 Finance

8261 Funding

In general, funding for USCG fire-fighting activities must come from Coast Guard Operating Expense
(OE) funds. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980
(CERCLA) Trust Fund, and the Oil Spill Liability trust Fund (OSLTF) may be available to reimburse
firefighting expenses. CERCLA and OSLTF funds are only authorized for pollution related activities.

8262 Liability/Surety Bond/COFR

When a vessel requests to enter a port with the hopes of saving the vessel and cargo, liability
insurance should be required. The owners, Master, and agents should be required to indemnify and
hold harmless the port, its board, and federal and local governments for damage or injury suffered as a
result of such a fire or movement of the vessel.
A surety bond should also be required equal to the estimated cost of removing the sunken vessel from
the port. If the vessel is over 300 GRT, the vessel must provide proof of insurance for oil spill clean-up
with a valid Certificate of Financial Responsibility (COFR). The COFR should be verified before the
vessel is allowed to enter port. The Prevention Department can provide assistance verifying the COFR.
Liability insurance covering damage the vessel may cause to other property should also be investigated
since the possibility exists that the vessel could set fire to other vessels or facilities. Litigation might
ensue against the agencies that allowed the vessel to enter the port holding them responsible for
damage caused by the burning vessel. The assistance of the District legal officer should be sought to
avoid legal problems that could involve the Coast Guard.
Please note that while the above assurances are highly desirable, the acquisition of the necessary
bonds or insurance may not be possible before taking necessary action to save the vessel.

8270 Reserved for District/Area Committee Designation

8280 Reserved for District/Area Committee Designation

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CHAPTER 9000

AREA PLANNING
AND
DOCUMENTATION

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9000 Area Planning Documentation

9100 Regional Response Team (RRT) & Northwest Area Committee Membership

The Regional Response Team and Northwest Area Committee are a consolidated body made up of
federal and state representatives with jurisdiction in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. This group
includes two coastal and one inland area committees, and the Region 10 Regional Response Team.
While each area committee and the RRT retain jurisdiction over and legal responsibility for its area,
the Regional Response Team/Northwest Area Committee meets and functions as a unified
organization addressing spill preparedness and planning in the Pacific Northwest. The Regional
Response Team also retains its incident specific functions to support the OSC and Unified Command.
The Regional Response Team/Northwest Area Committee solicits advice, guidance, or expertise from
all appropriate sources and establishes workgroups as necessary to accomplish preparedness and
planning tasks. The RRT/Northwest Area Committee directs development and maintenance of the
Northwest Area Contingency Plan (NWACP).

9110 Area Committee Organization

The Northwest Area Committee is jointly chaired by the Captains of the Port (COTP) for Puget Sound
and Portland and EPA’s Emergency Response Program Manager. Washington, Oregon, and Idaho
lead response agency representatives serve as co-vice chairs. Members have voice and vote at all
Area Committee proceedings. Robert’s Rules of Order govern all meetings. Motions will be carried by
a simple majority of votes cast by member agencies but most decisions are arrived at by consensus.
The Area Committee meets as determined by the membership but at least semiannually. Workgroups
meet as necessary. The Area Committee does not constitute a formal Federal Advisory Committee;
therefore each agency is responsible for funding its own participation.

9111 Area Committee Members

The Northwest Area Committee includes member-representatives from the following:
• Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Puget Sound
• Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Portland
• Environmental Protection Agency Region Ten
• Washington State Department of Ecology
• Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
• Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security
• Other federal agencies
• Other state agencies
• Local government agencies
• Tribes
• Non-governmental organizations
• Industry
• Response Contractors

Participation at Northwest Area Committee meetings includes tribal representatives, public, and other
members of the spill response community.

9120 Regional Response Team

The National Contingency Plan (NCP, 40 CFR Part 300) states that regional planning and
coordination of preparedness and response actions shall be accomplished through the RRT. It goes
on to outline the concept of two components of the RRT: the standing RRT and an incident-specific
RRT. The role of the standing RRT includes evaluation of communication systems and procedures,
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planning, coordination, training, evaluation, preparedness, and related matters on a region-wide
basis. In the Northwest Area, these activities are conducted concurrent with the Area Committee. As
evidence of this, the Northwest Area Contingency Plan/Regional Contingency Plan has been adopted
by both the RRT and the Area Committee as the spill contingency plan for the Northwest Area. The
NWACP/RCP is essentially a Memorandum of Understanding by which all RRT and Area Committee
member agencies will conduct responses to releases of hazardous substances and oil discharges.

The role of an incident-specific RRT is determined by the operational requirements of the response.
An incident-specific RRT may be activated when the response exceeds the capabilities of the Area
where it occurs, transects state boundaries, or may pose a substantial threat to public health or
welfare or the environment. An incident-specific RRT may also be activated upon a request by the
FOSC or any RRT representative. Generally, the RRT may be used to assist the FOSC in obtaining
additional federal resources. The incident-specific RRT may also monitor and evaluate reports from
the FOSC, advise the FOSC on the duration and extent of the response, recommend specific actions
related to the response, assist the FOSC in preparing information for the public, and, if necessary,
recommend the appointment of a different FOSC for the response.

Further, Subpart J (40 CFR §300.900; Use of Dispersants and Other Chemicals) outlines specific
roles and responsibilities of the RRT and Area Committee, or certain RRT representatives, with
respect to the use of certain response technologies. Section 300.910 states that RRTs and Area
Committees shall address, through the planning process, the appropriate use of dispersants, surface
washing agents, surface collecting agents, bioremediation agents or other miscellaneous oil spill
control agents listed on the NCP Product Schedule and the appropriate use of burning agents. The
NCP allows RRTs and Area Committees to develop preauthorization or expedited approval plans for
the use of the substances listed above. The NCP also states that the EPA RRT representative, the
affected state(s), DOI, and DOC must approve all preauthorization plans. For situations not
addressed by preauthorization plans, the EPA RRT representative may authorize the use of products
listed on the NCP Product Schedule or burning agents. As appropriate, this authorization should be
given with the concurrence of the affected state(s) and in consultation with DOI and DOC. It should
be noted that a FOSC may authorize the use of an NCP Product Schedule substance without the
concurrence of the EPA RRT representative when the use of the product is necessary to prevent or
substantially reduce a hazard to human life. An incident-specific RRT can be deactivated when the
Chair determines that the FOSC no longer requires RRT assistance.

9121 RRT Activation Procedures

The Regional Response Team has duties outlined in the National Oil and Hazardous Substance
Contingency Plan (NCP), 40 CFR, Part 300, September 15, 1994, to provide support during a
response to an oil or hazardous substance spill or release. The NCP provides information concerning
what conditions should exist for the RRT to be activated and what services would likely be expected
during activation.

The two principle components of the RRT mechanism are a standing team, and incident-specific
teams formed from the standing team when the RRT is activated for response. This document
provides guidelines on the procedures for activation of an incident-specific team and is not intended
to inhibit or impede agency-to-agency requests. The role of the incident-specific team is determined
by the operational requirements of the response to a specific discharge or release.
1. Purpose:
This document provides general guidelines for activation of the RRT, in accordance with the
NCP.
2. When the RRT Should Be Activated as an Incident Specific Response Team:
a. When an oil discharge or hazardous material release in consultation with the federal or
state OSC:
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(1) exceeds the response capability available to the federal or state On Scene
Coordinator (OSC)/ Remedial Project Manager (RPM) in the place where it occurs;
(2) may pose a serious threat to the public health or welfare, or the environment, or to
regionally significant amounts of property; or
(3) is a worst-case discharge as described in 40 CFR 300.324.
b. When requested by an RRT member;
c. When requested by a federal or state OSC.
3. What May Be Expected of the RRT?:
a. The RRT is capable of providing the following assistance:
(1) Monitoring and evaluation of reports from the OSC/RPM; advise the
(2) OSC/RPM on the duration and extent of response; and recommend
(3) specific response actions.
(4) Request other federal, state, local governments, or private agencies to
(5) provide resources under their existing authorities.
(6) Help the OSC/RPM prepare information releases for the public and
(7) for communication with the NRT.
(8) Review major policy issues with regard to response actions. (i.e.,
dispersants, in-situ burning, etc…)
(9) If circumstances warrant, make recommendations to the regional or
(10) district head of the agency providing the OSC/RPM that a different
(11) OSC/RPM should be designated; and
(12) Submit reports to NRT as significant developments occur.
4. Who activates the RRT?:
a. The RRT is activated at the call of the EPA (inland) or U.S. Coast Guard (coastal)
RRT Co-Chair. Depending on the location of the spill, the OSC or designated
representative should contact the Co-Chair prepared to provide a brief and summary
of issues.
5. Who Chairs the Activated RRT?:
a. When the RRT is activated for response actions, the chair shall be a member of the
lead agency providing the OSC/RPM. (Referred to as the lead agency Chair.)
b. When the RRT is activated, affected states may participate in all RRT deliberations.
State government representatives participating in the RRT have the same status as
any federal member of the RRT.
6. Types of RRT Activation and Who May be Activated?:
a. The RRT Lead Agency Chair may call for a full or partial activation, as defined
below:
(1) Full activation: All of the RRT member agencies and affected states are
asked to assist in the RRT’s activities related to the response, either in person
or by conference call.
(2) Partial Activation: Given the circumstances related to the response, only
specific agencies and affected states are asked to participate by the RRT Lead
Agency Chair. This may be by conference call or in person.
b. Regardless of the type of activation, all RRT agencies and affected states will be
notified. If a partial activation is called, the Lead Agency Chair will designate those
agencies to participate.
c. Each agency/state is responsible for maintaining current points of contact and
d. 24 hour contact procedures for its representatives and alternates.
7. What is the Activation Process?:
Step 1: Based on the criteria in section 2, the EPA or USCG RRT Co-Chair, depending on
location of the spill, is contacted and briefed.
Step 2: The RRT Lead Agency Chair, in consultation with others as needed, decides to
activate the RRT and determines the participating agencies.

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Step 3: The RRT Lead Agency Chair instructs their staff (RRT Coordinators / Command
Centers) to coordinate a phone conference with the National Response Center (NRC) or other
connection, and then call an activation meeting of the participating agencies/states and
provide the conference information. All other agencies/states will be notified and may
participate as desired.
Step 4: During the initial phone conference, the RRT Lead Agency Chair will provide the
following information:
1) Reason for and background of the activation;
(2) Status of the incident and the response, as known;
(3) Relevant RRT activities to date;
(4) Type of activation (full or partial); if partial, the agencies/states
(5) involved and why they were selected;
(6) The lead agency Chair for the activated RRT.
Step 5: The RRT Co-Chair will turn over the lead for the meeting to the Lead Agency Chair of
the activated RRT if the Lead Agency Chair was not initially available, as necessary.
Step 6: The lead agency Chair of the activated RRT will provide the following:
(1) Provide specific information and assistance requests to other agencies
(2) and states;
(3) Provide participating member agencies/states with planned response
(4) actions;
(5) Identify the Incident Command Center to support the activated RRT; (i.e. EPA,
CCGD13 or State Operations Centers)
(6) Prioritize requests and establish deadlines for completion of tasks;
(7) Provide point of contact for furnishing updated information to each member
agency/state;
(8) Provide the Lead Agency Chair’s 24-hour contact information;
(9) Establish a schedule for future conferences.
Step 7: The RRT Lead Agency Chair and Co-Chair and will continue to conduct the meetings
as needed and act on RRT requests.
8. Terminating RRT Activation:
a. Termination of RRT involvement will be initiated by the RRT Co-Chair, in
consultation with the RRT, lead agency chair, and OSC/RPM, after assumed tasks
have been completed and RRT involvement is no longer considered necessary.
9. Notifying the NRT:
a. Whenever there is insufficient national policy guidance, a technical matter requiring
a solution, a question concerning interpretation of the NCP, or disagreement on
discretionary actions among RRT members that can’t be resolved at the regional level,
it may be referred to the NRT for advice. The decision to notify the NRT lies with the
EPA and USCG RRT Co-Chairs.
10. Points of Contact:
a. Attached is a list of phone numbers and points of contacts to be used in activating
the RRT.
b. The National Response Center (NRC) is equipped and ready to provide conference
call participants, time, and duration of call. They will provide a phone number for the
participants
to call into (―meet-me‖ conference).

9122 RRT Co-Chairs

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency U.S. Coast Guard
Manager, Emergency Response Unit Chief, Marine Safety Division
EPA Region Ten (ECL-116) 13th Coast Guard District
1200 Sixth Avenue 915 Second Avenue
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Seattle, WA 98101 Seattle, WA 98174
Office telephone: (206) 553-1200 Office telephone: (206) 220-7001
24 hour number (206) 553-1263 24-hour number (206) 220-7015

When the RRT is activated for response actions, the chair shall be the member agency providing the
OSC/RPM in accordance with 40 CFR 300.115(c).

9123 On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs):

Response operations dealing with emergencies involving discharges of oil or hazardous substances
requiring a Federal lead, will be carried out by pre-designated On-Scene-Coordinators, as identified
below:

Inland Area: Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10

24-Hour Contact Number – (206) 553-1263
Inland spill notifications for EPA should be made through the National Response Center at (800) 424-
8802, who will then immediately pass the report along to the Region 10 Duty Officer. If responders
need to speak directly to an EPA Region 10 Duty Officer, the above 24-hour contact may be used. If
the Duty Officer cannot be reached through the above number, the responder may contact EPA
Region 9, San Francisco, at (800) 300-2193, or EPA Region 8, Denver, at (888) 901-1638, who
provides backup services to EPA Region 10. EPA Regions 9 and 8 have the ability to contact Region
10 Duty Officers through alternate means.

EPA Region 10 pre-designated OSCs are located in the following cities. All may be reached by calling
the above number. All EPA Region 10 OSCs may respond to any location in Idaho, Oregon, or
Washington.
• Seattle, WA – 9 OSCs
• Portland, OR – 2 OSCs
• Boise, ID – 1 OSC
• Coeur d’Alene, ID – 1 OSC
• Anchorage, AK – 2 OSCs

Coastal Area: United States Coast Guard
Commanding Officer Commanding Officer
U.S. Coast Guard U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office Puget Sound Marine Safety Office Portland
1519 Alaskan Way South 6767 North Basin
Seattle, WA 98134 Portland, OR 97217
(206) 217- 6232 (503) 240-9301

9124 Federal Representatives

Department of Agriculture (U.S. Forest Service)
U.S. Forest Service
Fire & Aviation Management
1740 SE Ochoco Way
Redmond, OR 97756
(541) 504-7204
Fax (541) 504-7215
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Department of Commerce (NOAA)
NOAA Office of Response and Restoration
7600 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115-0070
(206) 526-6317
24 Hour Spill Line: (206)526-4911

Department of Defense (United States Army Corps of Engineers)
North Pacific Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 2870
Portland, OR 97208-2870
(503) 808-3903

Department of Energy
U.S. Department of Energy
Emergency Preparedness
P. O. Box 550 (A6-35)
Richland, WA 99352
(509) 376-8519

Department of Health and Human Services
Emergency Coordinator
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Department of Health and Human Services
1200 Sixth Ave., Room 1930
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 553-1698

Department of Homeland Security (FEMA)
FEMA Region 10
Federal Regional Center
Preparedness, Training, and Exercise Division
130-228th St. SW
Bothell, WA 98021-9796
(425) 487-4775

Department of Homeland Security (USCG)
Commander (m), Marine Safety Division
Thirteenth Coast Guard District
915 Second Avenue, Room 3506
Seattle, WA 98174-1067
(206) 220-7210

Department of the Interior
U.S. Department of the Interior
Regional Environmental Officer
500 N. E. Multnomah Street, Suite 356
Portland, OR 97232-2036
(503) 231-6157

Department of Justice
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U.S. Department of Justice
Torts Branch / Civil Division
Room 7-5395 Federal Building
P. O. Box 36028
Room 7-5395 Federal Building
450 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102-3463
(415) 436-6630

Department of Labor (OSHA)
U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA
Assistant Regional Administrator
1111 Third Avenue, Suite 715
Seattle, WA 98101-3212
(206) 553-5930

Department of Transportation
Office of Transportation Safety
RETREP
U.S. Coast Guard D13
915 Second Ave
Seattle, WA 98174-1067
(206) 220-7095

Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Emergency Response Unit Manager
1200 Sixth Avenue, Mail Stop ECL-116
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 553-1200
FAX (206) 553-0175

Food and Drug Administration
District Director
P.O. Box 3012
Bothell, WA 98041-3012
(425) 483-4950

General Services Administration (GSA)
General Services Administration (10FZX)
Regional Emergency Coordinator
400 15th St. SW
Auburn, WA 98001-6599
(253) 931-7108

9125 State Representatives

State of Idaho
Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security
Director
8040 Guard Street
Boise, ID 83720
(208) 422-5725
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Fax (208) 422-4485

State of Oregon
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Emergency Response Program Manager
811 S.W. Sixth Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 229-6865

State of Washington
Washington State Department of Ecology
Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Program Manager
M/S PV-11
Olympia, WA 98504-8711
(360) 407-7450

9126 Associated Membership

Federal Associate Representatives

Department of Commerce (NOAA)
NOAA Office of Response and Restoration
Scientific Support Coordinator
7600 Sand Point Way
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 526-6081
24 Hour Spill contact #: (206)526-4911

Department of Defense (US Navy)
Navy Region NW
Regional OHS Spill Coordinator
1103 Hunley Road
Silverdale, WA 98315-1103
(360) 476-1842 / 340-0071

Department of Homeland Security (USCG)
Commanding Officer
Pacific Strike Team
Hangar 2, Building 390
Hamilton AFB, CA 94934-5001
(415) 883-3311
24 Hr: (415) 437-3700
Fax: (415) 883-7814

U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office Portland
Commanding Officer
6767 N. Basin
Portland, OR 97217
(503) 240-9355
24 Hr: (503) 240-9301
Fax: (503) 240-9308

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U.S. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Office Puget Sound
Commanding Officer
1519 Alaskan Way South
Seattle, WA 98134
(206) 217-6205
24 Hr: (206) 217-6232
Fax: (206) 217-6345

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Idaho Office
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Idaho State Director
3050 Lake Harbor Lane, #126
Boise, ID 83703
(208) 334-9625 x 131
24 Hr: (208) 863-6583
Fax: (208) 334-1691

Oregon Office
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Oregon State Director
530 Center Street, NE, Suite 100
Salem, OR 97301
(503) 399-5775

Washington Office
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Washington State Director
711 South Capitol Way, Room 501
Olympia, WA 98501
(360) 753-9875 ext 205

State Associate Representatives

State of Oregon
State Public Health Officer
Health Services
800 NE Oregon St.
Portland, OR 97232
(971) 673-1222

Director, Oregon Emergency Management
PO Box 14370
Salem, OR 97309-5062
(503) 378-2911, X22251
24Hr: 800-452-0311

State of Washington
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Secretary of Health
Washington State Department of Health
1112 SE Quince Street
P.O. Box 47890
Olympia, WA 98504-7890

Director, Washington Military Department
Emergency Management Division
Building 20, M/S TA-20
Camp Murray, WA 98430-5122
(253) 512-7000

9130 Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is responsible for ensuring the NWACP/RCP remains a valuable response
tool for local, state and federal responders in the Northwest Area. At the direction of the RRT and
Northwest Area Committee, the Steering Committee shall undertake efforts to review and improve the
NWACP/RCP, conduct outreach activities to increase the general understanding of the NWACP/RCP,
and make recommendations to the RRT and Area Committee regarding planning and preparedness
activities. The Steering Committee is also responsible for making assignments to Workgroups and
ensuring assigned tasks are carried out. The Steering Committee includes members from EPA,
USCG (District 13, MSO Puget Sound, and MSO Portland), the States of Idaho, Oregon, and
Washington, NOAA, the Department of Interior, and FEMA. EPA and the USCG District 13 currently
co-chair the Steering Committee.

9140 Workgroups

The RRT, NW Area Committee, and Steering Committee have commissioned a number of
workgroups to conduct planning and preparedness activities on their behalf. The workgroups have
been issued charters that broadly outline strategic objectives for the next 2 to 5 years. Membership
on these workgroups may include representatives from industry, environmental groups, cleanup
contractors, and other interested parties. Workgroups may include facility owners/operators, shipping
company representatives, cleanup contractors, emergency response officials, marine pilots
associations, academia, environmental groups, consultants, response organizations, and concerned
citizens. Local community members may be a valuable source of information for workgroups
regarding local knowledge of resources, oceanographic, weather and logistical problems.

The following is a list of the current RRT/NWAC Workgroups. Additional workgroups or Task Forces
may be established as needed to address specific subjects, unique problems, etc. Charters and
current action plans for each of these workgroups maybe found on the RRT/NWAC web site.
• Geographic Response Planning
• Hazardous Substances
• Logistics
• Marine Fire Fighting
• Public Communications and Outreach
• Response Technologies
• Wildlife

9200 Plan Review and Process

9210 Plan Implementation

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Agencies signatory to this plan must participate in a training process to ensure familiarity with its
contents. Other participating agencies are encouraged to use this plan in all response training.
Signatory agencies agree to establish an annual training program within their agencies to ensure that
all parties:
• Understand and are fully aware of their respective roles and responsibilities.
• Understand their role in the Unified Command System (UCS).
• Understand how their agency coordinates and communicates with other parties and
agencies.
• Understand what and where their assignments will be at a spill scene
• Understand the overall level of commitment their agency is to devote to spill response
operations
• Understand how they will be notified and when to respond to such notification.

Agency spill responders and key personnel are required to read this plan on an annual basis. Each
agency is responsible for regular review of this document. The use of open- and closed book
examinations for
training purposes is encouraged.

9220 Exercises

The Federal and state agencies signatory to the Northwest Area Contingency Plan agree to adopt
exercise policy consistent with the national guidance on exercise known as the National
Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP). The PREP guidance calls for four
frequencies of exercises: quarterly, semi-annually, annually, and triennially, depending on the group
holding the exercise. Government and industry will hold exercises, each initiating them according to
the recommended PREP frequency. The very large, triennial exercises will be scheduled through the
National Strike Force Coordination Center (NSFCC). Note that the triennial exercises are scheduled
based on Federal jurisdiction. Therefore for the Northwest Area, triennial exercises may be scheduled
such that one takes place each year since there are three Federal jurisdictions. However, exercise
scheduling will be coordinated to involve multiple jurisdictions whenever possible.

Typically, the groups holding exercises under PREP include oil handling facilities, tank vessels,
pipeline, and Federal agencies such as the Coast Guard and EPA. Individual states are expected to
tailor the PREP guidance to suit state needs and priorities without altering their approach to the point
of inconsistency with the Federal program. For example, the Washington State Department of
Ecology will require annual exercises of its oil handling facilities, but this required annual drill will be
the same one, which meets the Federal requirement. The only difference is that Ecology will likely
attend and evaluate the drill while the Federal agencies will see the annual exercise as ―self-
evaluated‖ under the PREP approach.

9221 Exercise Scheduling
Exercise scheduling is vital to the success of a national and regional program. Large sums of money
and time are involved, particularly for large exercises. Coordinated scheduling allows key players to
be available and budgets to be planned. Exercises will be scheduled in two ways depending on their
frequency. Large triennial or ―Area‖ exercises as PREP calls them will be scheduled through the
National Strike Force Coordination Center in coordination with regional agencies and industry.
Smaller annual drills will be scheduled through a clearinghouse working within the Northwest Area
Committee. This scheduling function is a task of the Steering Committee and the area drill schedule is
posted on the RRT/NWAC web site at http://www.rrt10nwac.com/files/schedule/drill_schedule.htm.

9222 Exercise Evaluation

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PREP sees exercise evaluation as ―self evaluation‖. Federal agencies will likely not evaluate
exercises smaller than the triennial ―Area‖ drills, but may attend a sampling of those given. States
may attend and evaluate more exercises depending on their staff workloads. Criteria by which Area
drills will be evaluated will be established by the NSFCC.

9224 Exercise Debriefing

Following spill exercises, debriefing sessions are frequently conducted to include all relevant Federal
and state personnel. Any other interested personnel from other than primary response agencies, local
responders, and contractors may also be invited to participate in the debrief. Debriefs are driven by
original exercise objectives. The debrief may include, but is not be limited to:
• Notification
• Action Plans
• Evaluation and initiation of action
• Investigation
• Operations
• Communication
• Natural resource protection
• Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation
• Site security/traffic control
• Safety
• Public Affairs
• Funding/contracting
• Disposal
• Dispersant use issues
• Conflicts
• ICS

Necessary records of each exercise should be kept for three years. These records shall include
dates, personnel present/participating in ICS positions, and a summary of the exercise to be made
available to all participants and the public at large. These reports will be used to update this plan.

9230 Revision/Update Requirements

The Northwest Area Contingency Plan shall be reviewed and updated annually by the Area
Committee. The main volume Area Contingency Plan and all Geographic Response Plans shall be
reviewed to ensure all information is current, with particular emphasis on the following areas:
• Emergency notification list
• Response equipment information (type and amount of equipment available)

9231 Plan Review/Update Process

The Steering Group will receive recommendations for Plan revisions from workgroups,
exercises/drills, training, NWACP RRT Co-Chair Guidance and other interested parties at least two
months prior to the update cycle. The preferred method for submitting recommended changes is
through the RRT/NWAC web site Submit Comments link: http://www.rrt10nwac.com/comments.asp.
Alternatively, comments and recommended changes may be submitted the Steering committee lead
for the appropriate chapter. In either case the Steering Committee lead will:
Consider the proposed change
Make edits and minor changes
Submit major changes to the Steering Committee for review and concurrence
Provide feedback to the submitter on the action taken.

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9300 Planning Assumptions - Background Information

9400 Spill & Discharge History

9500 Spill Scenarios

9510 General

An important part of contingency planning is anticipating the effects of a spill and preparing in
advance for the response to spills likely to occur in the area. This chapter outlines responses to three
levels of response scenarios: the worst-case discharge (the complete discharge of a vessel’s cargo in
adverse weather conditions, 35-million gallons), the maximum most probable discharge (the largest
historical spill in the area - up to 250,000 gallons), most probable discharge (the "average" spill up to
100 gallons) for each of the two areas covered by this plan (Puget Sound Area, Portland Area), and
also a single worst-case discharge scenario for the inland EPA Region Ten Area. Note that scenario
discussions are separated by federal jurisdictions. This is because the requirement to develop
scenarios is a federal one. These scenarios cover the range of spills likely to occur. At this time, the
Area Committee is only required to develop these scenarios for oil discharges. The Area Committee
will address scenario development for releases of hazardous substances in a future release of this
plan.

9520 Discharge Scenarios

Worst case, maximum most probable, and most probable discharge information has been removed
from the public version of this document for security concerns. This information is available upon
request at http://www.rrt10nwac.com/comments.asp.

9600 Manuals and Guidelines Created by NWACP Workgroups

9610 Northwest Area Joint Information Center Manual

9620 WASHINGTON STATE DISPOSAL GUIDELINES

9630 IN-SITU BURNING POLICY MANUAL

This section reserved for the In-Situ Burn Operational Guidelines, which are under revision. Refer to
Chapter 4000 for in-situ burn policy.

9640 NORTHWEST AREA SHORELINE COUNTERMEASURES ASSESSMENT MANUAL

9650 COMMUNICATIONS MANUAL

9660 HEALTH AND SAFETYMANUAL

9670 SPECIAL MONITORING OF APPLIED RESPONSE TECHNOLOGIES

9680 Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Oil Spill Response

9690 Places of Refuge

9700 General Information on Potential Discharge Sources

9800 Memorandum of Agreements between Participating Agencies
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9900 Support and Reference Resources

9910 Glossary

The following lists contain definitions for terms and acronyms used in this plan and in the oil and
hazardous materials response community generally. While the lists may not be comprehensive, every
effort was made to define and identify terms and acronyms to make this document usable to the
layperson. Differences between state and federal definitions are identified where necessary.

Definitions
The sources of definitions are indicated where appropriate. For enforcement purposes, refer to the
applicable state laws or federal regulations.

Area Committee, as defined by sections 311(a)(18) and (j)(4) of CWA, as amended by OPA, means
the entity appointed by the President consisting of members from Federal, state, and local agencies
with responsibilities that include preparing an area contingency plan for a designated area.

Area Contingency Plan (ACP), as defined by sections 311(a)(19) and (j)(4) of CWA, as amended by
OPA, means the plan prepared by an area committee, that in conjunction with the NCP, shall address
the removal of a discharge, including a worst-case discharge and the mitigation or prevention of a
substantial threat of such a discharge from a vessel, offshore facility, or onshore facility operating in
or near a designated area.

Biological additives means microbiological cultures, enzymes, or nutrient additives deliberately
introduced into an oil discharge to encourage biodegradation to mitigate the effects of the discharge.

Bulk means material that is stored or transported in a loose, unpackaged liquid, powder or granular
form capable of being conveyed by a pipe, bucket, chute or belt system.

Burning agents means those additives that, through physical or chemical means, improve the
combustibility of the materials to which they are applied.

CERCLA is the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980,
as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986. It is also known as the
Superfund Act.

Chemical agents means those elements, compounds, or mixtures that coagulate, disperse, dissolve,
emulsify, foam, neutralize, precipitate, reduce, solubilize, oxidize, concentrate, congeal, entrap, fix,
make the pollutant mass more rigid or viscous, or otherwise facilitate the mitigation of deleterious
effects or the removal of the oil, hazardous substance, pollutants, or contaminants from the water.
Chemical agents include biological additives, dispersants, sinking agents, miscellaneous oil spill
control agents, and burning agents.

Claim means a request, made in writing for a sum certain, for compensation for damages or removal
costs resulting from an incident.

Coastal waters means the waters of the coastal zone except for the Great Lakes and specified ports
and harbors on inland rivers. Precise boundaries are determined by USCG/EPA agreements and
identified in this ACP (see Table 1-1).

Coastal zone means all United States waters subject to the tide, United States waters of the Great
Lakes and Lake Champlain, specified ports and harbors on inland rivers, waters of the contiguous
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zone, other waters of the high seas subject to the NCP, and the land surface or land substrata,
ground waters, and ambient air proximal to those waters. The term coastal zone delineates an area of
federal responsibility for response action. Precise boundaries are determined by EPA/USCG
agreements identified in Federal Regional Contingency Plans. Boundaries are also identified in this
ACP. (Table 1-1)

Coast Guard District Response Group, as defined by sections 311(a)(20) and (j)(3) of CWA, as
amended by OPA, means the entity established by the Secretary of the department in which the
USCG is operating in each USCG district and shall consist of: the combined USCG personnel and
equipment, including firefighting equipment, of each port within the district; additional pre-positioned
response equipment; and a district response advisory team.

Contiguous Zone means the zone of the high seas, established by the United States under Article 24
of the Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone, which extends nine miles seaward
from the outer limit of the territorial sea.

Discharge, as defined by section 311(a)(2) of CWA; as amended by OPA, includes, but is not limited
to, any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, or dumping of oil, but excludes
discharges in compliance with a permit under section 402 of CWA, discharges resulting from
circumstances identified and reviewed and made a part of the public record with respect to a permit
issued or modified under section 402 of CWA, and subject to a condition in such permit, or
continuous or anticipated intermittent discharges from a point source, identified in a permit or permit
application under section 402 of CWA, that are caused by events occurring within the scope of
relevant operating or treatment systems. For purposes of the NCP, discharge also means imminent
threat of discharge.

Dispersants are chemical agents that facilitate dispersal of the oil into the water column.

Drinking water supply, as defined by section 101(7) of CERCLA, means any raw or finished water
source that is or may be used by a public water system (as defined in the Safe Drinking Water Act) or
as drinking water by one or more individuals.

Federally permitted release, as defined by section 101(10) of CERCLA, means discharges in
compliance with a permit under section 402 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act; discharges
resulting from circumstances identified and reviewed and made part of the public record with respect
to a permit issued or modified under section 402 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and
subject to a condition of such permit.

First Federal Official means the first federal representative of a participating agency of the National
Response Team to arrive at the scene of a discharge. This official coordinates activities under the
NCP and may initiate, in consultation with the FOSC, any necessary actions until the arrival of the
pre-designated FOSC.

Fund or Trust Fund means the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, various state funds or the Hazardous
Substance Response Trust Fund.

The Geographic Response Plan (GRP) is a document, which provides oil spill response strategies
and natural resource sensitivity information for specific geographic areas.

Ground water, as defined by section 101(12) of CERCLA, means water in a saturated zone or
stratum beneath the surface of land or water.

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Hazardous substance, as defined by section 101(14) of CERCLA, means: any substance designated
pursuant to section 311(b)(2)(A) of the CWA; any element, compound, mixture, solution, or substance
designated pursuant to section 102 of CERCLA; any hazardous waste having the characteristics
identified under or listed pursuant to section 3001 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (but not including
any waste the regulation of which under the Solid Waste Disposal Act has been suspended by Act of
Congress); any toxic pollutant listed under section 307(a) of the CWA; any hazardous air pollutant
listed under section 112 of the Clean Air Act; and any imminently hazardous chemical substance or
mixture with respect to which the Administrator has taken action pursuant to section 7 of the Toxic
Substances Control Act. The term does not include petroleum, including crude oil or any fraction
thereof, which is not otherwise specifically listed or designated as a hazardous substance in the first
sentence of this paragraph, and the term does not include natural gas, natural gas liquids, liquefied
natural gas or synthetic gas usable for fuel (or mixtures of natural gas and such synthetic gas).

Inland waters means those waters of the United States in the inland zone, waters of the Great Lakes,
Lake Champlain, and specified ports and harbors on inland rivers.

Inland zone means the environment inland of the coastal zone excluding the Great Lakes, Lake
Champlain, and specified ports and harbors on inland rivers. The term inland zone delineates an area
of federal responsibilities for response actions. Precise boundaries are determined by EPA/USCG
agreements and are identified in this ACP. (Table 1-1)

Incident of National Significance means an incident which due to its severity, size, location, actual or
potential impact on the public health and welfare or the environment, or the necessary response
effort, is so complex that it requires extraordinary coordination of federal, state, local, and responsible
party resources to contain and cleanup.

Lead agency means the Federal or State agency that has primary responsibility for coordinating
response action under this Plan. The lead Federal agency is the agency that provides the FOSC as
specified elsewhere in this Plan and has the authority to direct Federal resources. The lead State
agency is the agency that provides the SOSC as specified elsewhere in this Plan and has the
authority to direct State resources.

Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is a group of local representatives appointed by the
State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) to prepared local oil and hazardous materials spill
response plans as per the mandates of CERCLA as amended by the Superfund Amendments and
Reauthorization Act Title III.

Local Official means a representative of county, city, or municipality or other subdivision of state
government with responsibility for representing that entity's interests in the event of an incident.

Management of migration means actions that are taken to minimize and mitigate the migration of
hazardous substances or pollutants or contaminants and the effects of such migration. Management
of migration actions may be appropriate where the hazardous substances or pollutants or
contaminants are no longer at or near the area where they were originally located or situations where
a source cannot be adequately identified or characterized. Measures may include, but are not limited
to, provision of alternative water supplies, management of a plume of contamination, or treatment of a
drinking water aquifer.

Maximum Most Probable discharge is based on historical spill data, and is the size of the discharge of
oil or hazardous substance most likely to occur taking into account such factors as the size of the
largest recorded spill, traffic flow through the area, hazard assessment, risk assessment, seasonal
considerations, spill histories and operating records of facilities and vessels in the area.

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Most Probable Discharge is the size of the average spill in the area based on the historical data
available.
National Pollution Funds Center (NPFC), as defined by section 7 of Executive Order 12777, means
the entity established by the Secretary of the department in which the USCG is operating whose
function is the administration of the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF). This includes access to the
OSLTF by Federal agencies, states, and designated trustees for removal actions and initiation of
natural resource damage assessments, as well as claims for removal costs and damages.

National Strike Force Coordination Center (NSFCC), is defined by sections 311(a)(23) and (j)(2) of
CWA, as amended by OPA, means the entity established by the Secretary of the department in which
the USCG is operating at Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Its responsibilities include providing a variety
of technical assistance and other resources to an FOSC, and administration of the USCG Strike
Teams established under the NCP.

Natural resources means land, fish, wildlife, biota, air, water, ground water, drinking water supplies,
and other such resources belonging to, managed by, held in trust by, appertaining to, or otherwise
controlled by the United States (including the resources of the exclusive economic zone defined by
the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976), any state or local government,
any foreign government, any Indian tribe, or, if such resources are subject to a trust restriction on
alienation, any member of an Indian tribe.

Navigable waters, as defined by 40 CFR 110.1, means the waters and adjoining shorelines of the
United States, including the territorial seas. The term includes:

•All waters that are currently used, were used in the past, or may be susceptible to use in
interstate or foreign commerce, including all waters that are subject to the ebb and flow of the
tide;
• Interstate waters, including interstate wetlands;
• All other waters such as intrastate lakes, rivers, streams (including intermittent streams),
mud flats, sandflats, and wetlands, the use, degradation, or destruction of which would affect
or could affect interstate or foreign commerce including any such waters:
o That are or could be used by interstate or foreign travelers for recreational or other
purposes;
o From which fish or shellfish are or could be taken and sold in interstate or foreign
commerce; and
o That are used or could be used for industrial purposes by industries in interstate
commerce.
• All impoundments of waters otherwise defined as navigable waters;
• Tributaries of waters identified in this definition, including adjacent wetlands; and
• Wetlands adjacent to waters identified in this definition: Provided, that waste treatment
systems (other than cooling ponds meeting the criteria of this paragraph) are not waters of the
United States.

Offshore facility means any facility of any kind located in, on, or under any of the navigable waters
and any facility of any kind located in, on, or under any other waters, other than a vessel or a public
vessel.

Oil naturally occurring liquid hydrocarbons at atmospheric temperature and pressure coming from the
earth, including condensate and natural gasoline, and any fractionation thereof, including, but not
limited to. crude oil, petroleum gasoline, fuel oil, diesel, sludge, oil, refuse, oil, vegetable oil, animal
oil, coal oil, oil mixed with ballast or bilge water, and oil mixed with wastes other than dredged spoils.

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Oil does not include any substance listed in table 302.4 of 40 CFR Part 302 under Section 101 (14) of
CERCLA.

Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) means the fund established under section 9509 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 9509).

Oregon Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team, means a team of local emergency
responders trained, equipped and organized to respond to oil and hazardous materials incidents in a
given geographic area.

Oregon Radiation Emergency Response Team (RERT), is a group composed of individuals from the
Oregon Health Division Radiation Control Section. This team will respond to any radioactive materials
incident.

On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) means the official predesignated by Federal or state government to
coordinate and direct response. OSC is usually modified with a lead character indicating affiliation.
The Federal OSC (FOSC) and State OSC (SOSC) have the authority and responsibility to direct
Federal and State resources respectively.

Onshore facility means any facility (including, but not limited to motor vehicles and rolling stock) of
any kind located in, on, or under any land within the United States other than submerged land.

Preliminary assessment means review of existing information and an on-site and off-site
reconnaissance, if appropriate, to determine if a discharge or release may require additional
investigation or action.

Public vessel, as defined by section 311(a)(4) of CWA, as amended by OPA, means a vessel owned
or bareboat-chartered and operated by the United States, or by a state or political subdivision thereof,
or by a foreign nation, except when such vessel is engaged in commerce.

Release means any spilling, leaking, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping,
leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment, including the abandonment or discarding of
barrels, containers, and other closed receptacles, containing any hazardous substance or pollutant or
contaminant.

Remove or removal refers to containment and removal of oil or hazardous substance from the water,
shorelines or land or the taking of such other actions as may be necessary to minimize or mitigate
damage to the public health or welfare (including, but not limited to, fish, shellfish, wildlife, public and
private property, and shorelines and beaches) or to the environment. For the purpose of the NCP, the
term also includes enforcement activities related thereto.

Sinking agents means those additives applied to oil discharges to sink floating pollutants below the
water surface.

Site means the area covered by the extent of contamination and all suitable areas in very close
proximity to the contamination necessary for implementation of a response action.

Specified ports and harbors means ports and harbor areas on inland rivers, and land areas
immediately adjacent to those waters, where the USCG acts as predesignated on-scene coordinator.

Spill of National Significance - See Incident of National Significance.

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State means the states of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas,
and any other territory or possession over which the United States has jurisdiction. For purposes of
the NCP, the term includes Indian tribes as defined in the NCP except where specifically noted.

State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) a group of officials appointed by governors to
implement the provisions of Title III SARA.

Superfund - See CERCLA.

Surface collecting agents means those chemical agents that form a surface film to control the layer
thickness of oil.

Tank vessel means a vessel constructed or adapted to carry, or that carries, oil or hazardous material
in bulk as cargo or cargo residue.

Tribal Official is an individual designated to represent tribal interests for purposes of spill response.

Trustee means an official of a Federal, state or tribal natural resource management agency
designated in Subpart G of the NCP or as designated by a state or tribe, who may pursue claims for
damages in the event of a spill.

Unified Command is a version of Incident Command System where decisions are made with the joint
input of several agencies representing their individual jurisdictions. Note: The FOSC has the ultimate
authority to resolve any disputed decision or action.

Vessel means every watercraft or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a
means of transportation on water other than a public vessel.

Volunteer means any individual accepted to perform services by the lead agency, responsible party
or unified command, which has authority to accept volunteer services. A volunteer is subject to the
provisions of the authorizing statute, the NCP and this plan.

Worst-case discharge means, in the case of a vessel, a discharge in adverse weather conditions of
its entire cargo, and in the case of an offshore or onshore facility is the largest foreseeable discharge
in adverse weather conditions.
9911 Acronyms and Abbreviations

Area Committee
ACP Area Contingency Plan
AOR Area of Responsibility
APHIS Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
ARAR Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements
ARPA Archaeological Resource Protection Act
AST Atlantic Strike Team, Fort Dix, New Jersey (USCG)
ATSDR Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
BHS Bureau of Homeland Security (Idaho)
BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs (U.S. Federal)
BLM Bureau of Land Management (U.S. Federal)
BOE Bureau of Explosives
CAMEO Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations
CANUSPAC Joint Canada-U.S. Marine Pollution Contingency Plan Pacific
CCG Canadian Coast Guard
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CCGD13 Commander, Thirteenth Coast Guard District (USCG)
CDC Centers for Disease Control (U.S. Federal)
CDRH Center for Devices and Radiological Health
CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response
Compensation and Liability Act of 1980
CERCLIS CERCLA Information System
CFR Code of Federal Regulation (U.S. Federal)
CGAS Coast Guard Air Station (USCG)
CHEMTREC Chemical Emergency Transportation Center
CHLOREP Chlorine Emergency Plan
CHRIS Chemical Hazard Response Information System
COGLA Canadian Oil and Gas Lands Administration (Canada Federal)
COTP Captain of the Port (USCG)
CRCI Clean Rivers Cooperative Incorporated
CSCI Clean Sound Cooperative Incorporated
Customs U.S. Customs Service/Revenue Canada
CWA Clean Water Act (33 USC 1321)
DEIS Draft Environmental Impact Statement
DHD District Health Department (Idaho)
DHS Department of Homeland Security (Federal)
DINA Department of Indian and Northern Affairs (Canada Federal)
DFO Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada Federal)
DND Department of National Defense (Canada Federal)
DOC Department of Commerce (U.S. Federal)
DOD Department of Defense (U.S. Federal)
DOE Department of Energy (U.S. Federal)
Department of Environment (Canada Federal)
DOI Department of Interior (U.S. Federal)
DOJ Department of Justice (U.S. Federal)
DOL Department of Labor (U.S. Federal)
DOS Department of State (U.S. Federal)
DOSC Deputy On-Scene Coordinator
DOT Department of Transportation (U.S. & Canada Federal)
Department of the Treasury (U.S. Federal)
DRAT District Response Advisory Team (USCG)
DRG District Response Group (USCG)
DWT Dead Weight Ton
EA Department of External Affairs (Canada Federal)
EC Environmental Coordinator (Idaho)
Ecology Washington State Department of Ecology
EIS Environmental Impact Statement
EMD Emergency Management Division
EMR Department of Energy Mines and Resources (Canada Federal)
EMS Emergency Medical Services
EOC Emergency Operations Center
EPA Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. Federal)
EPS Environmental Protection Service (Canada Federal)
ERC Emergency Response Coordinator (USPHS)
ERT Environmental Response Team
ESF Emergency Support Functions
FCO Federal Coordinating Officer (U.S. Federal, FEMA)
FDA Food and Drug Administration (U.S. Federal)
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
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FINCEN Finance Center (USCG)
FOSC Federal On_Scene Coordinator
FPN Federal Project Number
FRERP Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan
FRP Federal Response Plan
FTS Federal Telecommunications Systems
FWPCA Federal Water Pollution Control Act
FWS Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S. Federal)
GRP Geographic Response Plan
GRU U.S. Coast Guard Group
GSA General Services Administration (U.S. Federal)
GST Gulf Strike Team, Mobile, Alabama (USCG)
GT Gross Ton
HACS Hazard Assessment Computer System
HAZMAT Hazardous Materials
HB House Bill (Washington)
HHS Department of Health and Human Services (U.S. Federal)
HMER Hazardous Materials Emergency Response
HSPD-5 Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5 (Federal)
HUD Housing and Urban Development (U.S. Federal)
H&W Health and Welfare Canada (Canada Federal)
IBDS Idaho Bureau of Disaster Services
IC Incident Commander
ICS Incident Command System
IDEM Idaho Department of Emergency Management
IDEQ Idaho Division of Environmental Quality
IDHW Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
IDWR Idaho Department of Water Resources
IHCC Interagency Hazard Communication Council (Oregon)
INEL Idaho National Engineering Laboratory
INS Immigration and Naturalization Service (U.S. Federal)
IONS Incidents of National Significance
IOSA Islands Oil Spill Association
ISP Idaho State Police
ITD Idaho Transportation Department
JIC Joint Information Center
JRC Joint Response Center
JRT Joint Canadian-U.S. Response Team
LCP Local Contingency Plan (USCG)
LEPC Local Emergency Planning Committee
LEPD Local Emergency Planning Districts (Washington)
LERA Local Emergency Response Authority (Idaho)
L&I Department of Labor and Industries (Washington)
LOSC Local On-scene Coordinator
LRC Local Response Center
LRT Local Response Team
MARAD Maritime Administration (U.S. Federal)
MCSAP Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program
MEP Marine Environmental Protection Branch (USCG)
MFSA Maritime Fire and Safety Association (Oregon)
MIO Marine Inspection Office (USCG)
MLC Maintenance & Logistics Command (USCG)
MLCPAC Maintenance and Logistics Command Pacific (USCG)
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MMS Minerals Management Service (U.S. Federal)
MOA Memorandum of Agreement
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MRL Minimum Response Levels
MSIS Marine Safety Information System (USCG)
MSO Marine Safety Office (USCG)
MSRC Marine Spill Response Corporation
NAVSUPSALV U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage
NCP National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (40 CFR 300)
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act (U.S. Federal)
NIMS National Incident Management System
NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service (U.S. Federal)
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (U.S. Federal)
NPFC National Pollution Funds Center (U.S. Federal)
NPS National Park Service (U.S. Federal)
NRC National Response Center (U.S. Federal)
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
NRDA Natural Resource Damage Assessment
NRP National Response Plan
NRS National Response System (U.S. Federal)
NRT National Response Team (U.S. Federal)
NSF National Strike Force (U.S. Federal)
NSFCC National Strike Force Coordination Center (U.S. Federal)
NTSB National Transportation Safety Board (U.S. Federal)
OAR Oregon Administrative Rules
ODEQ Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
ODFW Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
ODOE Oregon Department of Energy
ODOT Oregon Department of Transportation
OEC Oregon Environmental Council
OEM Oregon Emergency Management
OERS Oregon Emergency Response System
OHS Oil and Hazardous Substances
OPA 90 or OPA Oil Pollution Act of 1990
OPCEN Operations Center (USCG)
OR-OSHA Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration
ORS Oregon Revised Statutes
OSC On-Scene Coordinator
OSC-R On-Scene Coordinator Representative
OSC/RPM On-Scene Coordinator/Remedial Project Manager
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
OSHD Oregon State Health Division
OSLTF Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund
OSP Oregon State Police
OSRA Oil Spill Response Account (Washington)
OSU Oregon State University
PAO Public Affairs Officer (USCG)
PHS Public Health Service (U.S. Federal)
PIAT Public Information Assist Team (USCG)
PIO Public Information Officer
POLREP Pollution Report (Message format)
PP Potential Pollution Source
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PPR Preliminary Purchase Request (Washington)
PRP Potentially Responsible Party
PSICC Puget Sound Interagency Coordination Center
PST Pacific Strike Team, Novato, California (USCG)
RAT Radiological Assistance Team
RCP Regional Contingency Plan
RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
RCW Revised Code of Washington
R&D Center U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center
RDA Resource Damage Assessment (Washington)
RERT Radiological Emergency Response Team
RFD Reference Dose
RHMRT Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team (Oregon)
RNO Regional News Office
RP Responsible Party
RPM Remedial Project Manager
RRC Regional Response Center
RRT Regional Response Team
RSEO Regional Superintendent Emergency Ops (Canada Federal)
RSPA Research and Special Programs Administration
SAC Support Agency Coordinator
SAR Search and Rescue
SARA Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986
SARSTA Search and Rescue Station (USCG)
SEPA State Environmental Policy Act (Washington)
SERC State Emergency Response Commission
SFM State Fire Marshall
SI Site Inspection
SITREP Situation Report (Message format)
SMC Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator
SOLV Stop Oregon Littering and Vandalism (Oregon)
SONS Spill of National Significance (see IONS)
SOP Standard Operating Procedure
SOSC State On-scene Coordinator
SSC Scientific Support Coordinator (U.S. Federal)
TAP Trans-Alaskan Pipeline
TAT Technical Assistance Team (EPA)
TEAP Transportation Emergency Action Plan
TOSC Tribal On-Scene Coordinator
USA U.S. Army
USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
USAF U.S. Air Force
USC U.S. Code (U.S. Federal)
USCG U.S. Coast Guard
USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDHHS U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
USFS U.S. Forest Service
USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
USGS U.S. Geological Survey
USMC U.S. Marine Corps
USN U.S. Navy
USPHS U.S. Public Health Service
VR Vulnerable Resources
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VTS Vessel Traffic Service (USCG)
WAC Washington Administrative Code
WCC Warning Communications Center (USDOE)
WDEM Washington Department of Emergency Management
WDF Washington Department of Fisheries
WDNR Washington Department of Natural Resources
WDOA Washington Department of Agriculture
WDOE Washington State Department of Ecology
WDOT Washington Department of Transportation
WDFW Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
WEC Washington Environmental Council
WISHA Washington Department of Occupational Safety and Health
WSMC Washington State Maritime Commission
WSP Washington State Patrol

9920 Conversion Tables

Refer to the Oil Spill Field Operations Guide (FOG) ICS-OS-420-1 dated June 2000.

9930 Sample Communications

To be developed.

9931 Forms

To be developed.

9932 Notices

To be developed.

9933 Letters

To be developed.

9934 Plans

To be developed.

9935 Reports

To be developed.

9940 Bibliography and Additional Resource Documents

The following documents are outstanding reference material that can assist in a response.

9941 Canada/United States Joint Inland and Marine Pollution Contingency Plans (CANUS)
The US Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Canadian Coast Guard, and
Environment Canada sign bilateral plans calling for the development of area-specific annexes to
address spills that cross or threaten to cross the US/Canadian Border. From the US side, these plans
are maintained by the RRT Co-Chairs, EPA Region 10 and US Coast Guard District 13.

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9941.1 CANUSOPS

9941.2 CANUSWEST
See http://www.canuswest.com.

9941.3 CANUSPAC

9942 North American Emergency Response Guide Book
http://hazmat.dot.gov/gydebook.htm

9950 Recommended ICS Forms

There are several variations of ICS forms available. The Northwest Area Contingency Plan does not
endorse any one specific ICS form format. See NIMS, Appendix A, Tabs 8 and 9. Examples of oil spill
ICS forms may be found at:
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oilaids/ICS/intro.html (Electronic ICS Forms) and
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/preparedness/Drills/ICS_Forms/ICS_Forms.htm.

Additional ICS forms may be found at http://www.nimsonline.com/download_center/index.htm#forms
and http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/ics/index.html.

9960 Oregon Chemical Terrorism Plan

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COMMUNICATING
DURING
ENVIRONMENTAL
EMERGENCIES

NORTHWEST AREA:
Washington, Oregon, and Idaho

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9610 JOINT INFORMATION CENTER GUIDE

INTRODUCTION
This guide is designed to help communicators during response to environmental emergencies that do or may
occur in the Northwestern U.S. – Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. In recognition of the new (December
2004)
National Response Plan, Emergency Support Function #15-External Affairs Annex is included in the
Resources Section. This JIC Guide is based on and draws heavily from the National Response Team (NRT)
JIC model and serves as Section 9610 of the Northwest Area Contingency Plan. The Regional Response
Team/Northwest Area Committee (RRT/NWAC) Communications and Public Outreach Workgroup will
regularly update the contents of the document.

To submit comments or corrections, please use the RRT/NWAC web site:
http://www.rrt10nwac.com/comments.asp

Nation Response Plan, Emergency Support Function #15 – External Affairs Annex‖
http://www1.va.gov/emshg/docs/national_response_plan/files/ESF15.pdf

INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Functional Units
The Northwest Area Contingency Plan requires the use of the National Incident Management System to
manage environmental emergencies. The organization of incident management is built around five major
functions, including:

Command
Command sets objectives and priorities; has overall decision-making responsibility. The Public Information
Officer and the Liaison Officer are appointed by and report directly to the Incident Commander.

Operations
Operations conduct tactical operations to carry out response; develops tactical objectives and directs all
resources.

Planning
Planning develops plans to accomplish objectives; collects, evaluates, and provides most incident
information;
maintains resource status.

Finance/Administration
Finance/Administration monitors and analyzes costs; provides accounting, procurement, and time recording.

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Mandates

Certain federal laws require incident response to be managed or co-managed by a Federal On-Scene
Coordinator from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and, in
some cases, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) or the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In addition,
some of these laws grant broad legal authorities to the Federal On Scene Commander.

Individual state mandates also contain requirements for designation of a State On-Scene Coordinator. For
certain types of incidents, on-scene coordination may be delegated from a federal agency to a state
counterpart. Federal on-scene coordination using the incident command system is required under these
mandates or programs:

• National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan;
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act;
• Oil Pollution Act;
• Clean Water Act; and
• Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Unified Command

When multiple organizations are involved in response, a Unified Command (UC) is established and may be
composed of up to five on-scene coordinators, one each representing federal, state, tribal, and local
jurisdictions, and the responsible party, when known. A Joint Information Center (JIC) is activated when the
Unified Command model is used.

Joint Information System

In response to most ―routine‖ or ―minor‖ environmental incidents, public information activities are carried out
by the lead response agency, in coordination with other organizations. In these cases, the lead Public
Information Officer usually conducts activities from the office or another remote location, as directed by the
Incident Commander, via phone and e-mail with agency counterparts. Early notification and coordination

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includes timely review of draft news releases and other materials, and collaboration to determine other
information needs.

Public Records

Most information (with the exception of information about active enforcement, investigations and security
sensitive matters) collected, generated, or distributed during incident response is part of the public record
and is potentially releasable. All response personnel should adhere to these public trust responsibilities and
ensure that copies of all documents are maintained and submitted daily to the Documentation Unit.

Related Links
• Public information request guidelines (to be developed).
• Public records request form (tbd).

INITIAL PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER – PRE-JIC

When an incident occurs, there is a high demand for information. Public perception is often shaped by
impressions formed in the first few hours of response.

When a state environmental or emergency management agency, the Coast Guard or the EPA first learns
about a spill, the respective public information officers should quickly contact one another to share
information in an effort to release a joint statement to the media. This first release should be issued within 30
minutes of the initial notification and not longer than two hours after notification is received.

Until a JIC is established, communication with the media and other key audiences is carried out by a lead
agency’s information office, either remotely or on-site. This Initial Public Information Officer carries out
activities with or without assistance. The time needed to travel to the command post and have basic JIC
operations in place will affect decisions about how and by whom communications are conducted. For
example, issuing the initial news release within a couple hours of notification may require that facts be
provided over the phone or electronically to an agency public information officer operating from the office or a
remote location.

In order to build trust with the public and among agencies that are responding to the incident, every press
release should include a ―cooperative response statement.‖ This statement should include, by name, all the
primary participating agencies who are responding to the spill.

ACTIVITES OF INITIAL PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER

The following includes tasks that an Initial Public Information Officer should accomplish in the first 24 hours
of incident response in order to set up a functional JIC:

• Share latest information immediately with other lead agencies. (Call the state environmental agency
or call the Coast Guard);
• Sign in and receive necessary identification or clearance (if operating on-scene);
• Make contact with the Incident Commander or Unified Command;

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• Obtain objectives for the response;
• Establish a dedicated phone line and e-mail address, if possible, for inquiries from the media;
• Gather basic facts about the incident - who, what, when, where, and how;
• Make contact with the Situation Unit Leader and Environmental Unit Leader for incident information;
• Draft, spell-check, and proofread news release;
• Obtain review and approval of all news releases by Incident Commander or Unified Command;
• Proofread and finish release. (If significant changes are made, the release must be re-approved by
the Incident Commander or Unified Command);
• Obtain approval for fact sheets;
• Attach a fact sheet or other information if relevant to the incident;
• Distribute news release to media, affected agencies, and other audiences within two hours;
• Contact other local agency communicators for assistance/information about their community;
• Respond to media calls and other requests for information;
• Conduct media interviews;
• Begin to develop a media plan, setting the next time and place for updates, briefings, news
conference, etc. This should be closely coordinated with the Incident Commander and the Planning
Section Chief;
• File copies or create a log of callers, time of calls, questions and responses;
• Find answers to questions by the media or key audiences;
• Brief the next shift of public information officers; and
• Assess the need for community relations personnel.

Related Links
• Incident Status Summary – ICS Form 209.
• JIC Equipment checklist (tbd).
• JIC Resources checklist.
• JIC Supplies Checklist.
• Media E-List: North Puget Sound.
• Media E-List: South Puget Sound.
• Media Query Form.
• Miscellaneous News Release Distribution E-List.
• News Release Sample – Initial.
• Relief Briefing checklist (tbd).
• Response communications (depending on the size of the incident).

JOINT INFORMATION CENTER

A Joint Information Center (JIC) is created under Unified Command to effectively manage communication
resources and public messages when multiple organizations are involved in incident response. The need to
form a JIC is determined by the Incident Commander or Unified Command as advised by the incident Public
Information Officer. A JIC is usually located in or near the incident command post and is staffed by personnel
from the participating organizations. If the JIC is located in the command post it is imperative that any media
representatives present be given an adequate work space physically separated from working Command and
General Staff personnel. Satellite JICs may be needed for response to major incidents involving large
geographic areas.

Primary JIC Objectives
• Gather, package, and distribute information and data in a timely manner.
• Inform the public, primarily through the news media.
• Analyze public perception and community expectations.
• Evaluate communications.

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Overall JIC Objectives
• Gather, analyze, produce, and distribute information about the incident.
• Ensure timely release of accurate information to the media and other audiences.
• Establish and maintain the official incident web site.
• Review for approval or revisions any public information developed in response to the incident by
other agencies.
• Capture images in video and photos for use by response organizations and the media.
• Develop, recommend, and execute public information products, plans, and strategies.
• Coordinate closely with incident Liaison Officer.
• Monitor and measure media content and public perception of the incident.
• Inform the Incident Commander/Unified Command of public reaction, attitudes, and needs.
• Prepare appropriate response personnel for news conferences and interviews.
• Identify and correct rumors and misinformation.
• Evaluate response communications when the JIC is deactivated.
• Produce a log and organize all JIC materials for distribution to the Documentation Unit each day.

JIC Set-up and Logistics
A Logistics Section staff member, in consultation with local community leader(s), may help select a location
for
and set up the JIC. A dedicated Information Technology Specialist may also be recruited. JIC space should:

• Be located in or near the command post;
• Be large enough to accommodate the anticipated number of JIC personnel and the Liaison Officer, if
possible, working in any given shift;
• Have adequate numbers of tables, chairs, and AC outlets or power strips approved within fire codes;
• Accommodate a phone bank with dedicated lines and computers connected to the internet; and
• Provide quick access to a printer, copier and fax.
Two things needed immediately are:
• A phone – if land lines are initially scarce, consider using a dedicated land line to take incoming calls
from media and use cell phones to call out; and
• A computer with necessary software, printer, and internet capability. Electronic distribution of news
releases can be handled by the JIC or by an office of a participating agency.

Related Links
• JIC Equipment checklist (tbd).
• JIC Supplies checklist.
• JIC Resources checklist.

JIC Deactivation
The Incident Commander/Unified Command with advice from the Public Information Officer (PIO) determines
when to deactivate the JIC. When deactivating a JIC:

• Notify community and local officials about closing and provide regional contact information;
• Notify media and agency communication managers about closing and provide regional contact
information;
• Prepare comprehensive deactivation news release for lead-agency headquarters approval and
distribution;
• Provide casebooks to communication managers whose organizations will assume responsibility for
ongoing information;
• Complete after-action report and participate in evaluation discussions;
• Return equipment and supplies;
• Update list of equipment and supplies; and
• Inventory and replenish ―go-kits‖.
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JIC Organization
A JIC is a flexible organization that can expand or contract, depending on the incident and the number of
available personnel. Staff within the JIC may be assigned to fill different roles from day to day, depending on
priorities. No two JICs are structured exactly the same, but generally operate with key functional units filled
by one or more personnel.

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*Some incidents require a significant community relations effort. In these cases, a separate Community
Relations Unit is formed.

Incident Information Sources

The Situation Unit (within Planning) generates and coordinates nearly all incident information. JIC personnel
should review the job descriptions found in the Field Operations Guide for the Resource Unit Leader,
Situation
Unit Leader, and the Environmental Unit Leader and be familiar with the information that these groups can
provide the JIC. A schedule should be established for information updates from these groups each day and
conform as close as possible to the Planning Cycle established by the Planning Section Chief. Determine
what displays you will need for a press conference, work with the Situation Unit Leader to produce maps, or
order display needs from the Logistics Section.

Examples of displays include:

• Base Maps - for use in the field by field observers, depicting where the oil is, from a ground
perspective
and where workers are;
• Overflight Maps - for use in the air during overflights, depicting where oil actually is and where the
equipment is;
• Resource Status Map - depicting where the majority of the resources are operating;
• Situation Maps - depicting where the oil is, possibly also depicting the various GRP’s in the area,
staging areas, the command post, and other relevant material;
• Natural Resources at Risk and Protection Strategy Maps - showing where the resources at risk are
and
what is being done to protect them;
• Trajectory Maps - depicting where NOAA thinks the oil will go over time;
• Road Maps - with road closures depicted; and
• Nautical Charts

Public Information Officer

It is the policy of the RRT/Northwest Area Committee that the Public Information Officer position be filled by a
qualified representative of a federal, state, tribal, or local agency, if available. If no such agency
representative is initially available, qualified, or willing to be the Public Information Officer, a responsible party
representative may, upon the Unified Command’s concurrence, fill that role.

The RRT/Northwest Area Committee also encourages responsible parties to designate an Assistant Public
Information Officer (see below) to participate in meetings attended by the Public Information Officer and to be
present during briefings by the Public Information Officer or delegate.

The Public Information Officer (PIO) is appointed by and reports to the Incident Commander or Unified
Command. The Public Information Officer should be trained in the incident command system and
experienced in public affairs, public speaking, crisis communication, media relations, and JIC management.
The PIO will:

• Oversee JIC operations, ensuring adequate space, equipment, and available personnel;
• Appoint personnel to key positions based on skill level and previous training;
• Participate in meetings of the Unified Command and provide advice for handling issues;
• Develop public information plans, goals, and strategies for specific operational periods;
• Analyze public perceptions and incorporate necessary strategic adjustments;
• Provide direction for handling controversial and sensitive issues;
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• Establish daily schedules for news conferences, briefings, tours and public meetings which should
be closely coordinated with the Operational Planning Cycle. This ensures that the Public Information
Officer has the latest information available;
• Prepare Unified Command for news conferences;
• Moderate news conferences and assist with public meetings;
• Conduct media briefings;
• Develop plans for media tours and assist the Liaison Officer with VIP tours and visits;
• Coordinate exchange of information among other sections and participating agencies; and
• Resolve disputes among JIC personnel or organizations involved with public information.

Related Links
• JIC Supplies checklist.
• Daily Briefing checklist (for PIO or Designee).
• JIC Equipment checklist (tbd).
• JIC Notification contact list (tbd).
• JIC Resources checklist.
• Media E-List: North Puget Sound.
• Media E-List: South Puget Sound.
• Media Query Form.
• News Release Sample – Initial.
• News Conference/Public Meeting Worksheet.
• Speaker Request Worksheet.
• Moderator Script Outline.
• Daily Unit Log – ICS Form 214.
• Individual Log – ICS Form 214a.

Assistant Public Information Officer
The Assistant IO (from the responsible party) helps the IO by carrying out assignments and tasks as directed
by the IO. The Assistant IO may attend all the same meetings as the IO. The Assistant IO should have the
same level of technical capability and qualifications as the primary IO, and should be prepared to assume the
duties if the IO is unable to carry them out. Unlike a deputy, an assistant does not have decision-making
authority unless specifically delegated by the IO and cannot step in for the IO in his/her absence.

JIC Manager
When a JIC manager is required he/she is appointed and reports to the Public Information Officer to
supervise
and coordinate activities of the Internal Affairs and External Affairs units. The position should be filled by an
experienced public information specialist familiar with the incident command system. Necessary skills include
writing, editing, proofreading, and management of people and projects.

The JIC Manager:

• Ensures that JIC operations and personnel are well-functioning, and promptly addresses emerging
needs;
• Notifies agency communication managers that a JIC has been activated;
• Reviews and revises, if necessary, public information materials developed by government agencies
prior to web-posting or distribution;
• Assigns JIC positions, work and deadlines;
• Sets staff work hours and daily JIC operations schedule;
• Establishes internal communication procedures;
• Completes the daily unit log;
• Ensures that all JIC costs are accounted for, including travel and other reimbursement vouchers and
are provided to the Finance/Administration Section;
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• Ensures that approved, spell-checked news releases and other materials are distributed internally
and
externally; and
• Briefs JIC personnel at the beginning of each shift.

Related Links
• Agency Communication Managers E-List.
• Daily Unit Log – ICS Form 214.
• Individual Log – ICS Form 214a.
• JIC Supplies checklist.
• JIC Resources checklist.
• JIC Manager Daily Activity checklist (tbd).
• Memo: Information Approval.

Internal Affairs Unit
Internal Affairs personnel are appointed by and report to the JIC Manager. They are responsible for
gathering,
producing, distributing, and maintaining public information in electronic, print, and broadcast formats. Internal
Affairs positions should be assigned to people with any combination of skills in writing, editing, journalism,
reporting, web-site management, photography, and videography. The JIC Manager also may request
Information Technology (IT) support from the Logistics Unit to install and provide expertise in computers and
telephone equipment or programs. JIC IT support is most needed in the first few days of incident response
and for ongoing periodic trouble-shooting. Internal Affairs personnel:

• Gather, manage, and analyze information from all parts of the JIC and Unified Command;
• Establish and maintain the incident web site. (See example web site from Selendang Ayu incident);
• Ensure information posted on the incident web site is approved by IO/UC prior to posting;
• Establish and implement systems to manage the flow of information;
• Develop communication and outreach products (e.g., news releases, talking points, briefings, fliers,
fact
sheets, and public service announcements);
• Post and distribute information to JIC personnel and to the Documentation Unit for posting in the
command post;
• Respond rapidly to requests for information from Media Specialists;
• Provide support for news conferences, briefings, public meetings, tours, and other activities;
• Support the development and modification of communications and outreach strategies;
• Support the development of materials and logistics for VIP tours; and
• Assume delegated responsibilities of the JIC Manager.

Information Coordinators
Information Coordinators gather, analyze, and distribute to other JIC personnel up-to-date information about
incident response. They also monitor media coverage. An Information Coordinator essentially fills the role of
―internal reporter‖ and should possess good listening, note-taking, and writing skills. Information Coordinators
should be familiar with the Incident Command System – especially the Situation Unit – and have a working
knowledge of key concepts, terminology, and subject matter. Operations briefings and planning meetings are
critical resources for Information Coordinators. Information Coordinators can also request that the Situation
Unit Leader obtain specific types of information for use by the JIC.
The Information Coordinator:

• Attends planning/situation meetings, takes good notes, and seeks clarification when needed;
• Routinely checks for new or updated information from the Situation Unit;

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• Provides a synthesis of status-briefing information to Production Assistants and other JIC personnel;
• Quickly finds and provides answers to questions from JIC personnel;
• Locates fact sheets, maps, aerial photos, and other resources to be attached to and distributed with
news releases or posted on the incident web site;
• Monitors, clips, and distributes all incident-related news from print and electronic media; and
• Produces and maintains a casebook.

Related Links
• Incident Status Summary – ICS Form 209.
• JIC Tracking Board checklist (tbd).

Production Assistants
Production Assistants write news releases and nearly all other print material. They also may take
photographs
or shoot video. At least one and often two or more, news releases are produced each day. Other products
include fact sheets, talking points, meeting agenda and presentation materials. Depending on staffing levels
and skills, Production Assistants may collaborate with Media Specialists (see page 16) to produce radio
feeds
and visual material for use by media and others. They may also work closely with the Web Coordinator (see
below), who formats material for posting on the official incident web site and provides that material to other
organizations for posting.

Production Assistants should possess a combination of skills in writing, editing, layout, photography,
videography, and broadcast production. Production Assistants:
• Write news releases, fact sheets, talking points, scripts, and other materials;
• Take publication-quality digital photographs for media and other users;
• Produce broadcast-quality video clips, radio feeds. and PSAs; and
• Develop briefing packets and handouts for news conferences, VIP tours, public meetings, and other
venues.

Related Links
• News Release Sample – Initial.

• Speaker Preparation workshee.t
Web Coordinator
A Web Coordinator is appointed by and reports to the JIC Manager. This position ensures that all information
posted on the incident web site is timely, accurate, continuously updated, and approved by the Unified
Command. The position also provides material to other organizations for web posting and, if practical,
monitors those web sites. The position should be filled by a person with strong skills in creating and
formatting web pages and working with digital images. The Web Coordinator may be located in the command
post or in a response agency’s office to:
• Format and post all incident information approved by the Unified Command and provided by the JIC
Manager.
• Respond to or forward to the JIC Manager e-mails from web-site users;
• Monitor and inform the JIC Manager of other web sites posting incident-related information; and
• Establish a link that directs users to the incident web site when the command post is deactivated.

Distribution Assistants
Distribution Assistants are appointed by and report to the JIC Manager. They are responsible for e-mailing
news releases, fact sheets, and other materials developed for the media and public. They may also distribute

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information door-to-door, when necessary. Coordination with the Liaison Officer will ensure distribution to
numerous non-media audiences.

Related Links
• Media E-List: North Puget Sound.
• Media E-List: South Puget Sound.

External Affairs Unit
The External Affairs Unit is largely responsible for communicating with the media and the public. Personnel
selected for these positions should possess experience in journalism, media relations, public affairs, public
speaking, and crisis communications. External Affairs personnel:

• Field inquiries from reporters. (Stay on message. Stick with facts);
• Serve as incident spokespeople in print and broadcast media;
• Assist in organizing and hosting news conferences, media briefings, and public meetings;
• Coordinate with the Liaison Officer;
• Analyze news coverage and community feedback to determine effectiveness of communication
efforts;
• Recommend and develop strategies for providing information to news media;
• Escort reporters and others during tours;
• Develop and implement community outreach programs;
• Identify and correct rumors or misinformation;
• Maintain records of media calls;
• Maintain contacts lists of media; and
• Promote story and feature ideas to target media.

Media Specialists
Media Specialists are appointed by and report to the JIC Manager. They rely on Information Coordinators to
provide and update information. Media Specialists:

• Serve as incident spokespeople;
• Staff the media phone-bank and respond quickly to information requests, using talking points, news
releases, and fact sheets as resources;
• Conduct print and broadcast media interviews;
• Prepare speakers prior to interviews; and
• Provide other External Affairs and JIC support as assigned.

Related Links
• Media Content Analysis worksheet.
• Media E-List: North Puget Sound.
• Media E-List: South Puget Sound.
• Media Query Form.
• Rumor Query Form.
• Speaker Preparation worksheet.

Community Relations Specialists
Community Relations Specialists are appointed by and report to the JIC Manager. However, they may work
jointly with, or directly for, the Liaison Officer, depending on incident-specific needs. The Community
Relations Specialist should possess skills in public involvement, community outreach, public speaking,
listening, and strategy development.

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The Community Relations Specialist disseminates site-specific information developed by the Internal Affairs
Unit to the local community by methods other than mass media. Dissemination methods include:

• Community and public meetings;
• Community bulletin boards;
• Community web sites;
• Community web calendar(s);
• Walk-in or walk-up information center;
• Central community phone hot line (part of the JIC; use ―dispatchers‖ to take all initial calls from both
media and public; information about wildlife or locations of oil must be reported to the Operations
Section);
• Recorded message information;
• Door-to-door canvassing;
• Uses volunteers to disseminate community information;
• Contacts with schools and churches and community centers; and
• Contacts with non-profit and service organizations, including neighborhood groups.

A community Relations Specialist:
• Assists the Liaison Officer with arranging logistics for tours for elected officials;
• Assesses public perception, summarizes public concerns, or analyzes content when requested by
the
IO or JIC Manager;
• Elevates important community concerns or site-specific knowledge through the chain-of-command;
• Interprets (oral) or translates (written) incident information for non-English speaking communities;
• Provides background and context to the IO and JIC Manager about affected communities including
information about local economic and cultural concerns, past impacts from spills or other
disasters/emergencies, organizations that can provide community and individual support, and opinion
leaders;
• Maintains records of public calls;
• Recommends and coordinates community outreach efforts or programs; and
• Determines the need for and format of public meetings and other public gatherings.

Related Links
• Community Feedback Analysis.
• Field Escort Equipment and Communications checklist.

JIC PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES

A JIC is responsible for media relations and public information during incident response. The following
protocols and procedures guide JIC activities.

Approval by Unified Command

Approval by Unified Command is required for all news releases prior to distribution. The Unified Command
should review for factual accuracy and avoid getting bogged down in copy-editing. The IO is responsible for
ensuring that review and approval by the Unified Command occurs quickly. If approval is delayed because of
disagreement about factual statements, the IO should employ two tactics: (1) re-word statements to meet
approval of the Unified Command or, (2) delete disputed statement(s) and try to resolve before the next news
cycle.

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Approval by the Unified Command is required for public information developed by individual agencies in
response to the incident. Review and approval must occur prior to publication, web posting, or distribution.
The IO or delegate will help facilitate this process. Whenever possible, review is completed within two hours.

Coordination of Public Information Among Other Agencies
Coordination of public information by other agencies is required when the IO or JIC Manager notifies agency
communication managers that a JIC has been activated. Coordination also occurs when public information
specialists operate from their agency offices to form a ―virtual JIC.‖ This coordination loop helps avoid
surprises and aids the Unified Command in speaking with a consistent voice. The Public Information Officer,
on behalf of the Unified Command, may be called upon to resolve disagreements that may arise.

Related Links
• Memo: Information Approval.
• Agency Communication Manager E-List.

Coordination with the Liaison Officer
Coordination with the Liaison Officer is an important responsibility of JIC personnel. A Liaison Officer is
appointed by and reports to the Unified Command, and is the point of contact for federal, state, and local
agency representatives and elected officials with a vested interest in the response. Calls received by the hot
line may be directed to the Liaison Officer. The Liaison Officer coordinates all calls from public and private
entities offering assistance or requesting information. The IO is responsible for ensuring that the Liaison
Officer’s messages are consistent with those from the JIC.

Communication Plans
Communication plans for the JIC provide the context and tactics for achieving communication objectives.
These plans should not be confused with the communication plan developed by the comms unit of the
Logistic Section for the operational and tactical response. Plans are developed by the Public Information
Officer for a specific operational period to help the JIC ―get ahead of a story‖ or anticipate issues, pitfalls,
problems, and opportunities. Personnel from various parts of incident command may be responsible for
certain plan deliverables. Any response personnel affected by a communication plan should be included as
early as possible.

Related Links
• JIC Communication Plan Outline.

Incident Web Site
The incident web site may include news releases, fact sheets, photographs, video clips, maps, and other
―documents.‖ The Web Coordinator works closely with the JIC Manager to ensure that all information posted
is accurate, updated, and approved.

Documents to the Documentation Unit
All documents generated by the JIC must be provided to the Documentation Unit of the Planning Section at
the
end of each shift. This includes news releases, fact sheets, other material developed for the media or public,
talking points, media query forms, rumor forms, phone messages, and communication plans. While
electronic
files may be kept, a hard copy is vital for overall documentation of incident response from all sections of the
Unified Command. The JIC Manager is responsible for collecting all documentation at the end of a shift and
giving it to the Documentation Unit.

Related Links
• Incident Web Site Policy (to be developed).
• Daily Briefing checklist (for PIO or Designee).
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• Incident Status Summary – ICS Form 209.

News Releases
A news release is a written document that is distributed via e-mail to news media within two hours of
response
activation and thereafter as needed. At the least, news releases should meet news cycles (10:30 to 11 a.m.
and 3:30 to 4 p.m.) and provide the most up-to-date information possible. Keep the process streamlined by:
• Limiting length to one page, or 250 – 300 words;
• Using Arial or Times Roman fonts (universal for all computers);
• Being judicious about using quotes. Deciding who is quoted and what they say can take
considerable time, but quotes can be important statements of empathy. An early narrative news
release is the best place for quotes. Ongoing releases are largely quantitative in content and don’t
need quotes;
• Avoiding logos or other layout flourishes that may complicate electronic transmittal;
• Summarizing quantitative information; and
• Using an asterisk to indicate new information when updating frequently.

Procedures for News Releases
• Write, edit, spell-check, and proofread draft release.
• Get review, approval from Unified Command or Incident Commander. (If significant changes are
made, the news release must be re-approved by the Incident Commander or Unified Command.)
• Proofread and finish approved release.
• The news release should have ―Joint Information Center‖ in the heading even though it may be
distributed by a state agency, the Coast Guard, etc.
• Post on JIC tracking board. Distribute to Unified Command and to the Distribution Unit within the
Planning Section for distribution within the command post.
• Use news releases as key information sources when responding to calls and conducting JIC
briefings/tours.

Timely distribution is crucial. Electronic distribution can be handled by either the JIC or a response agency’s
office – whichever is most expedient and up-to-date. News releases and updates should be distributed to:

• News media;
• Governor’s Office;
• JIC staff and other interested personnel in the response organization;
• Response organizations’ headquarters and/or regional offices;
• State and congressional elected officials from that area;
• Tribal officials;

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• Local officials and local emergency management departments;
• Special publications; and
• Environmental and other advocacy organizations.

The Community Relations Specialist and Liaison Officer are responsible for non-media distribution and they
jointly maintain those distribution lists.

Related Links
• Media E-List: North Puget Sound.
• Media E-List: South Puget Sound.
• Miscellaneous News Release Distribution E-List.

Handling Media Calls
Handling media calls is a primary activity of the JIC. News releases provide the basic reference for Media
Specialists who field calls from reporters or conduct on-camera interviews. It is essential that adequate
personnel be assigned to the media phone bank. Media Specialists should use Media Query forms to track
all media calls, questions, and answers. Avoid transferring incoming calls from reporters to voice-mail. If
Media Specialists are repeating the same information over and over, a media briefing may be in order

.Related Links
Media Query form.

Media Briefings
Media briefings are less formal than a news conference and are generally done by the IO or designee. A
media briefing quickly provides certain types of information, such as where cleanup crews will be working or
photographers can get photos. They are a good way to also give reporters the day’s general schedule and
the
time of the next news conference, public meeting, etc. Send an advisory to reporters or make calls at least
an
hour in advance of JIC media briefings. All meeting and briefings should be scheduled on the daily meeting
schedule, ICS Form 230, so that no conflicts occur.

Related Links
• Speaker Preparation Worksheet.

• Daily Meeting Schedule – ICS Form 230.
Tours for Media and VIPs
Tours for media and VIPs should be planned for early in major incidents. Several JIC personnel will be
involved in logistics, preparation, and escort. Coordination occurs with the Liaison Officer, Safety Officer, and
Logistics Section to address protocol, safety requirements, transportation, and escort concerns. The Unified
Command should be informed and may wish to accompany certain VIPs. To coordinate a tour:
• Work with the Operations Section to choose a few good vantage points for viewing incident effects
and response work;
• Work with the Operations Section to make sure that affected field personnel are alerted to tour
schedules and that someone is designated to answer questions about their work;
• Arrange for group transportation by the Logistic Section;
• Obtain necessary safety gear and safety briefing for group members;
• Prepare information packets and talking points for tour guides, using only information that has been
published or approved by the Unified Command;
• Choose a technical responder, such as someone working in the Environmental Unit, to accompany
the tour and answer technical questions; and

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• Drive and time the tour in advance.

Related Links
Field Escort Equipment and Communication checklist.

Media Pools
Media pools (for tours) may be necessary if access is restricted. Media pools should be used only as a last
resort. Reporters don’t like them, but will accept the decision if they understand the necessity. The IO will
determine the need for media pools. Journalists selected for media pools are expected to supply copy, video,
audio, or still photographs to all reporters requesting the material. Make sure that local reporters are included
in pools whenever possible. Follow the steps above for media tour preparation. A media pool should consist
of:

• One TV video crew (camera operator, sound technician, and reporter);
• One still photographer from wire service, newspaper, or magazine;
• One print reporter from wire service, newspaper, or magazine; and
• One radio reporter.

News Conferences
News conferences should be held when there is new, important information. A news conference is generally
held within the first 24 hours of response and thereafter daily – even twice a day – for major incidents. The
Incident Commander or Unified Command personnel are the main speakers for news conferences; however,
technical specialists from other sections may also be needed. Personnel from nearly all positions in the JIC
will play some part in preparation.

News conferences should not be held inside the incident command post due to privacy concerns and
potential distractions to response personnel. Establish a consistent media news conference/interview area
that will not impact response personnel. To hold a news conference:
• Select the appropriate time – approximately two hours before news deadlines (10 a.m. or 3 p.m.), or
as soon as possible after a major development;
• Select and schedule a location that is easily accessible, has power and plenty of parking, minimal
background noise, and a good backdrop, if possible;
• Set up space (audiovisual, chairs, public address system, etc.);
• Notify media about time and place, with a map or driving directions, for the news conference;
• Produce briefing packets with news releases, fact sheets, FAQs, maps, etc.;
• Identify speakers’ order of presentation;
• Schedule and conduct speaker preparation in advance of the news conference. Speaker
preparation is essential. Time spent will depend on incident circumstances. Each speaker should
have one or two main messages that contribute to a good overall picture;
• Develop or rehearse Q&A for each speaker. (Not for distribution, but to think ahead about answers
to questions that may be asked);
• Appoint a news conference moderator – usually the IO – who will:
o Greet the assembly;
o Set the agenda; discuss format;
o Explain the purpose of the news conference;
o Introduce the speakers;
o Call on reporters;
o Provide sources for additional information.
o Control the amount of time spent on any given subject. and
o End the conference on time.

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• Sign in attendees;
• Call on local reporters first or early in the Q&A;
• Assign a JIC staffer to record the event with a tape recorder or digital camera;
• Assign a JIC staffer to take written notes of each question asked (and by whom), and answers
given; and
• Assist reporters with any additional needs immediately following the news conference.

Related Links
• News Conference/Public Meeting worksheet.
• Speaker Preparation worksheet.
• Audience sign-in sheet.

Moderators
Moderators set the tone for and facilitate news conferences and public meetings. Have a predetermined
message for each news conference. Provide correct spellings for any speaker or place names with peculiar
spellings. State the speakers’ organizations and positions in the Unified Command.
• Limit each speaker to about three minutes. Stick to that time. Do not let any one speaker or reporter
dominate the news conference.
• Remain available after the news conference.

Related Links
• Moderator Script outline.

Editorial Board Meetings
An editorial board meeting might be requested if an incident command post operates for longer than 10 days
or when there is strong and sustained public interest. Editors are a conduit to community opinion leaders. A
JIC representative requests a meeting with a newspaper’s managing editor and opinion page editor. Two or
three representatives of the Unified Command attend. Reporters may or may not be present.

Editorial board meetings do not typically result in a story, but may result in an opinion piece or serve as
background for future stories. Editorial board participants should receive as much speaker preparation as
they would before a news conference. Editorial board meetings are normally held in the offices of the
newspaper.

To prepare for an editorial board meeting:
• Review articles about the incident and editorials from the previous week to have a sense of what
editors are thinking and reporters are writing.
• Develop two or three key messages for each speaker.
• Conduct a dry run of speakers and prepare with Q&A.
• Develop information packets along with names and contact numbers.
• Provide corrections if the paper has published serious factual errors that its reporter has refused to
correct, but don’t belabor minor points. and
• Expect the meeting to last 30 to 45 minutes.

Related Links
• Speaker Preparation worksheet.
• Media E-List: North Puget Sound.
• Media E-List: South Puget Sound.
• Miscellaneous News Release Distribution E-List.

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COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES

Public Meetings
Public meetings are necessary under a variety of circumstances. Many JIC personnel play a role in
organizing and hosting public meetings. The JIC Manager works with the Community Relations Specialist
and Liaison Officer as well as other JIC staff to determine the need for and format of meetings. Options
include open house events with multiple information displays, or more traditional venues featuring speakers
with audience questions. The Liaison Officer coordinates with local elected officials who may – or may not –
wish to participate. A representative of the responsible party, if known, should consider using a public
meeting as an opportunity to express regret about the incident.

Based on recommendations of the Public Information Officer, the Unified Command will make decisions
about whether to hold public meetings and/or mobilize a Community Relations Specialist or Unit.
Recommendations by the IO should be based on one or more of these factors:
• Injuries or deaths of community members as a result of the incident;
• Potential health risks;
• A high degree of community outrage, fear, or grief;
• Damage to the natural environment or potential harm to wildlife;
• Proximity of incident, command center, or staging areas to neighborhoods, schools, and other key
community resources;
• Lack of local news and information sources OR disproportionate media attention;
• Need for road detours and other emergency measures;
• Damage to or restriction from community resources like parks or public buildings;
• Damage to cultural resources;
• Response efforts continuing for several days or more;
• Widespread rumors and other unconfirmed or inaccurate information; and
• A community’s or responsible party’s past history with a disaster or emergency response.

To prepare for a public meeting:

• Select the time and a location that is easily accessible and ADA-compliant, with plenty of parking,
power, and minimal background noise. The end of the working day is best, with adequate time for
community members to arrive after getting off work;
• Determine meeting format (i.e., open house, audio/visual presentation, panel discussion);
• Ensure adequate set-up (tables, chairs, easels, displays, sound system, etc.);
• Identify speakers with technical expertise (health, wildlife, fish/shellfish, etc.);
• Schedule and conduct speaker preparation;
• Arrange for language interpreters, if needed;
• Develop talking points and internal Q&A for speakers;
• Develop and package handouts and presentation materials;
• Appoint a meeting moderator;
• Staff a sign-in table and information posts; and
• Handle inquiries from media and the public.

Related Links
• News Conference/Public Meeting worksheet
• Speaker Preparation worksheet.
• Moderator Script outline.
• Audience sign-in form.

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Community Bulletin Boards
Community bulletin boards can be placed at frequently visited locations in communities (i.e., grocery stores,
libraries, schools, churches, Chamber of Commerce office, ferry terminals (on both the mainland and island
sides), bus stops, park-and-rides, tourist information center, public boat launches/marinas, coffee shops, and
fishing license outlets. These bulletin boards convey information that is especially pertinent to local residents
or recreationists, including road closures, transportation detours, boating restrictions, health considerations,
reporting oiled birds or wildlife, etc. Posted materials can include maps, fact sheets, news releases, and
contact information. Bulletin boards must be updated frequently. Postings should also be removed when
information is outdated or no longer relevant.

Community Web Sites
Community web sites and community web calendars can also serve as credible communication tools for the
same type of information posted on community bulletin boards.

Information Centers
Walk-in or walk-up information centers should be considered when there is a high demand for public
information due to such circumstances as evacuations, human health risk, property damage, and
environmental damage.

Telephone Hotlines
Telephone hot lines or recorded message lines can be a useful tool to provide residents with a phone
number dedicated for community calls. This helps ensure that citizen calls are not preempted by other
priorities and that the main JIC line is reserved for media. Recorded messages may be appropriate to inform
residents about rapidly-changing conditions such as road closures, potentially harmful exposure to pollution,
and progress about incident response. Recorded messages should be updated frequently to provide
information to callers who might otherwise swamp incoming telephone lines. If a hot line is established, the
Community Relations Unit needs to be adequately staffed to handle the volume of calls.

Door-to-Door Canvassing
Door-to-door canvassing can be used when it is important to warn, instruct, or reassure residents. This
method can help inform residents about what they are hearing, seeing, or smelling, and can correct rumors
or misperceptions. If evacuation is required, notification is generally the responsibility of the local sheriff’s
office and should not be initiated by the JIC.

Elevating Information
Elevating information that may have value to the Unified Command or Incident Commander is a rare, but
important, function of the Community Relations Unit. For example, if a local citizen or group raises an issue
or has knowledge that may aid or hamper the response, that information should be elevated through the
chain-of-command.

Interpretation and Translation
Interpreting or translating incident information into other languages may be needed in communities with a
large number of non-English speaking residents. For further information about non-English speaking
populations, go to the U.S. Census Website.
Some agencies maintain lists of employees with language skills who might be recruited for incident
response. Ecology has five Multi-Lingual Interpretation and Translation Teams (MITT). These language
teams are fluent in Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Some communities also have
readily-available resources for overcoming language barriers (such as the Immigrant and Refugee
Organization in Portland).
Community groups, community centers, and local churches are other resources that may have language
services. While community members may have credibility and trust within the community, they lack the

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translation skills for technical information. Also remember that many languages have different dialects and
this may hamper interpretation.

Using Volunteers

Using credible community volunteers to disseminate information door-to-door or staff an information center
can be useful in building trust or in circumstances where many residents need to be individually contacted in
a short amount of time. However, using volunteers is not appropriate or feasible in many circumstances, and
should always be cleared by the Unified Command. Volunteers must be properly trained to understand the
scope and limitations of their role. One source of well-trained emergency volunteers is CERT (Community
Emergency Response Teams) found through emergency management departments in many counties.

School Districts
Local school districts should be notified immediately. In addition to providing necessary safety precautions for
students, schools have excellent systems for providing information to families. Schools are also good places
for public meetings and other response assistance.

Local Churches, Non-Profit, and Service Organizations
Local churches, non-profit, and service organizations can provide communication networks to inform
members, and often have available meeting space or other types of support. These organizations have the
additional value of credibility among their constituents.

ANALYZING PUBLIC PERCEPTION AND CONTENT

To provide the Unified Command with the best possible communications guidance, a JIC must have
accurate, ongoing analyses of public perception and media content. This analysis may not be formal, given
the quick pace of an incident. The Community Relations Specialist will play a big role in determining public
perception and working with JIC personnel to:

• Monitor primary newspaper, radio, television, and web sites;
• Attend town meetings;
• Conduct phone or door-to-door surveys;
• Coordinate and facilitate focus groups, depending on the magnitude of the incident;
• Track calls and requests from reporters and the public;
• Identify potential problems or rumors, reporting them immediately to the Public Information Officer
and
appropriate agency or office; and
• Identify significant minority communities and determine the most effective ways to communicate with
them.

Content Analysis
Content analysis is the review of both media reports and community comments to help determine the
effectiveness of JIC communication efforts. Areas for evaluation include visual images, information sources,
factual statements, and key messages. In evaluation, consider:
• Overall themes or key messages in media reports and quotes by local citizens;
• Statements about confusion, fear or anger;
• Visual images used by media or described by citizens, including metaphors, analogies, or stories;
• Information sources quoted by media reports or community members; and
• Accuracy of ―factual‖ statements.

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Media Content Analysis
Media content analysis includes:

• Length of a report, either as broadcast minutes or newspaper column-inches;
• Placement of the report, whether the lead story by broadcasters, front page of newspapers, or
placed elsewhere;
• Sources quoted in the report;
• Accuracy of ―factual‖ statements;
• Key messages stated by sources, quoted in the report, or implied as the overall theme of the report
or
interview;
• Visuals such as pictures, word analogies, or anecdotal stories that help explain environmental,
health,
or safety issues; and
• Negative words or phrases that might influence public perception or understanding of the issue.

Related Links
• Media Content Analysis worksheet.

Community Feedback
Community feedback helps a JIC shape, modify, and target communication products and strategies –
especially when there is a high degree of public outrage. Community feedback tools include questionnaires
at public meetings or posted on web sites, surveys conducted door-to-door or by phone, and focus groups.
Use of these methods is dependent on the magnitude of the incident.

Related Links
• Community Feedback Analysis.

Telephone Surveys
Telephone surveys can be conducted randomly (to the first name on each page of the local phone directory,
for example) or targeted to elected officials, organization directors, church pastors, school principals or
counselors, neighborhood association officers, police or fire department personnel, and others.

Focus Groups
Focus groups involve a moderator who interviews and facilitates a discussion among multiple people at the
same time. Focus groups yield a great deal of qualitative information. The moderator should be skilled in
interview techniques and facilitation, with good listening abilities.

Sometimes, specific concerns point to the need to target a distinct group, such as Native American tribes, or
workers or residents directly affected by the incident. In other cases, a broad assessment is desired, with
people representing different organizations, points of view, ethnic backgrounds, neighborhoods, incomes,
professions or other variables. The goal is to get as complete a picture as possible of the different
perceptions
regarding incident response.

Related Links
• Sample Questions for Focus Group of Interviews.
• Focus Group Preparation.
• Audience Sign-in Form.

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REFERENCES

Aerial Photos of Washington’s Shorelines http://apps.ecy.wa.gov/shorephotos/
Assessing Oil Spill Damage http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0208004.html
Coping with Technological Disasters: A User Friendly Guidebook (Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’
Advisory Council) http://www.pwsrcac.org/projects/coping.html
Emergency Spill Response in Washington State http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/971165cp.html
EPA Emergency Response Program www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/er/index.htm
EPA Oil Program www.epa.gov/oilspill/index.htm
Exxon Valdez: Ten years after http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/insert.pdf
FAQ: Oil Pollution Act http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/opa90faq.pdf
Geographic Response Plans http://www.rrt10nwac.com/geo_plans.htm
Internal Oil Transfers http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/991307.html
Marine Casualty and Pollution Database
http://transtats.bts.gov/Tables.asp?DB_ID=610&DB_Name=Marine%20Casualty%20And%20Pollution%20D
atabase&DB_Short_Name=Marine%20Casualty/Pollution
NOAA Office of Response and Restoration http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/
Oil Spills in Washington State: A Historical Analysis http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/97252.html
The Pacific States - British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force www.oilspilltaskforce.org/
Pollution Incidents in U.S. Waters: A Spill/Release Compendium: 1969 – 2001 http://www.uscg.mil/hq/gm/
nmc/response/stats/aa.htm
RRT/NWAC www.rrt10nwac.com
Spills Notification Rule http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/92119.html
GLOSSARY, ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

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Glossary Terms

Ambient conditions: Normal or typical surrounding temperature and pressure conditions.

Aromatic hydrocarbons: Hydrocarbons characterized by unsaturated ring structures of the carbon atoms.
Commercial petroleum aromatics are benzene, toluene, and xylenes. Aromatics are the heaviest, have the
highest boiling points, and are the most toxic of the crudes.

Asphalt: A black or brown hydrocarbon material that ranges in consistency from a heavy liquid to a solid.
The most common source of asphalt is the residue left after the fractional distillation of crude oils. Asphalt is
used primarily for surfacing roads.

Ballast: A substance (usually sea water) carried aboard waterborne vessels returning empty of cargo for the
purpose of submerging the propeller and rudder sufficiently and/or maintaining stability.

Barrel (bbl): A common unit of measure of liquid (volumetric) in the petroleum industry; it equals 42 U.S.
standard gallons or 0.136 tons at 60 degrees Fahrenheit or approximately 160 liters.

Barrier or containment barrier: Any non-floating structure that is constructed to contain or divert spilled oil.
Barriers are generally improvised and, unlike booms, are usually left in place until cleanup is complete.
Sorbent materials may be used in the barrier construction to simultaneously recover spilled oil. Barriers are
most frequently used in streams or ditches too shallow for conventional floating booms, and are almost
always staked downstream of the spill site.

Berm: (1) A raised shoulder or dike around a tank or tank farm, providing a reservoir if any oil is discharged
from the tanks. (2) A low impermanent, nearly horizontal or landward-sloping beach, shelf, ledge, or
narrow terrace on the back-shore of a beach, formed of material thrown up and deposited by storm
waves; it is generally bounded on one side or the other by a beach ridge or beach scarp. Some
beaches have no berm; others may have one or several.

Biodegradable: The property of a material to decompose naturally.

Biodegradation: The degradation of substances resulting from their use as food energy sources by certain
microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, and yeast. This process, with respect to oil, is slow and
limited to great extent by temperature, nutrients, and oxygen availability. Although more than 10
microorganisms have the ability to use hydrocarbons as energy sources, no single species can
degrade more than 2 or 3 of the many compounds found in oil.

Biological agent: Microorganisms (primarily bacteria) added to the water column or soil to increase the rate
of biodegradation of spilled oil. Alternatively, nutrients added to the water (in the form of fertilization) to
increase the growth and biodegradation capacity of microorganisms already present.

Bioremediation: The use of biological processes to remediate contamination; typically refers to the use of
microbes (usually bacteria; sometimes algae and fungi) to degrade hazardous wastes. Microbes are
used to speed up the natural breakdown of oil into harmless fatty acids.

Black oil: A black or very dark brown layer of oil. Depending on the quantity spilled, oil tends to quickly
spread out over the water surface to a thickness of about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches). However, from the air, it
is impossible to tell how thick a black oil layer is.

Boom (containment): A device or material used to contain and hold oil or other substances from spreading.
Basic components of an oil containment boom are flotation, a skirt, ballast, and tension member.

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Boom failure: Failure of a boom to contain oil due to excessive winds, waves or currents, or improper
deployment.

Bunker oils : Relatively viscous oils used primarily as a fuel for marine and industrial boilers.

Bunkering: The loading of fuel used on board. The act of filling a ship’s bunker (storage tank) with coal or
oil.

Bunkers: Fuel for a vessel’s own engines or boilers.

Captain of the Port: USCG officer who is broadly responsible within a respective area for port safety and
security, including enforcement of marine environmental protection regulations. Jurisdiction includes all
vessels and waterfront facilities.

Chemical agents: Those elements, compounds, or mixtures that coagulate, disperse, dissolve, emulsify,
foam, neutralize, precipitate, reduce, solubilize, oxidize, concentrate, congeal, entrap, fix, make the
pollution mass more rigid or viscous, or otherwise facilitate the mitigation of deleterious effects or
removal of the pollutant from the water. Term includes dispersants, surface-collecting agents,
biological additives, burning agents, and sinking agents.

Chemical dispersion: The distribution of oil into the upper portion of the water column caused by the
application of a chemical. With respect to oil spills, this term refers to the creation of oil-in-water
emulsions by the use of chemicals made for this purpose. In regard to shoreline cleanup, chemical
dispersion is the process of spraying chemical dispersants to remove stranded oil from rocky shoreline areas
that are not considered biological sensitive. Dispersants are usually sprayed on the
contaminated surfaces at low tide and allowed to mix with the oil through natural wave action on the
incoming tide. This forms an oil-in-water emulsion, which is subsequently flushed from the shoreline
with water hoses or through natural wave action.

Chemical treatment agent: Chemical treatment agent is a collective term for a class of materials used to
treat oil spills. Chemical dispersants are a subset of this class.

Chocolate mousse: Name given to a water-in-oil emulsion containing 50-80 percent water. These
emulsions are very stable, have a butter-like consistency, and are only formed with relatively viscous oil in
the presence of considerable wave action. See also: Emulsification; Water-in-oil emulsion.

Cleanup: For the purpose of this document, cleanup refers to the removal and/or treatment of oil, hazardous
substances, and/or the waste or contaminated materials generated by the incident. Cleanup includes
restoration of the site and its natural resources.

Coaming (ecology dam): A raised steel enclosure around an oil-loading manifold and/or oil transfer header
to contain an accidental oil spill. Vessels constructed before July 1, 1974 may use portable waterproof
containers, each at least 18 inches deep and having at least a 5 U.S. gallon capacity.

Coastal waters: All U.S. waters subject to the tide; U.S. waters of the Great Lakes; specified ports and
harbors on the inland rivers; waters of the contiguous zone (12 nautical miles) or other waters subject
to discharges in connection with activities under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act or the
Deepwater Port Act. These waters include those contained within the Exclusive Economic Zone (200
nautical miles).

Command post/center: Location of state, federal, local, and responsible party officials overseeing incident
response. This place serves as the central location for meetings and briefings, and the base for all
planning, logistics, and finance support activities. Also see Emergency Operations Center.
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Containment: The process of preventing the spread of oil beyond the area where it has been spilled in order
to minimize pollution and facilitate recovery.

Contingency Plan: (1) A document used to guide planning and response procedures regarding spills of oil,
hazardous substances, or other emergencies. A contingency plan usually consists of guidelines
developed for a specific industrial facility or an entire region to increase the effectiveness, efficiency,
and speed of cleanup operations in the event of an oil spill, and simultaneously protect areas of
biological, social, and economic importance.

Convergence line: A line on the water surface where floating objects and oil collect. A convergence can be
the interface between two different types or bodies of water, or it can be caused by a significant depth
change, tidal changes, or other common phenomena. Convergences are common in the marine
environment.

Crude oil: A naturally-occurring mixture, consisting predominantly of hydrocarbons and/or of sulfur, nitrogen,
and/or oxygen derivatives of hydrocarbons, which is capable of being removed from the earth in a liquid
state. Basic types of crudes are aromatics, napthenics or paraffinics, depending on the relative
proportion of these types of hydrocarbons present. Commercial gasoline, kerosene, heating oils, diesel oils,
lubricating oils, waxes, and asphalts are all obtained by refining crude oil.

Decontamination (Decon): The removal of hazardous substances from personnel and their equipment
necessary to prevent adverse health effects.

Demobilization: The deactivation of equipment, personnel, and other resources involved in response
operations.

Demulsibility: The resistance of oil to emulsification, or the ability of oil to separate from any water with
which it is mixed. The better the demulsibility rating, the more quickly the oil separates from water.

Discharge: Includes but is not limited to any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, or
dumping.

Dispersant(s): The term used to describe chemical or other agents that, when agitated with oil, break the oil
into small droplets/particles, then disperse into the water column. A dispersant is a chemical that
lowers the interfacial tension between floating oil and water, ideally to near zero. These conditions
facilitate the formation of oil droplets with little mixing energy. Once formed, these droplets can be
dispersed and degraded in the environment at a faster rate than would occur as a surface slick. Use of
dispersants is subject to OSC approval, with approval of the EPA representative to the RRT, and the
concurrence of the state with jurisdiction over the navigable waters polluted by the spill.

Dispersion: The distribution of oil in the upper portion of the water column, either mechanically (breaking
waves or other surface turbulence) or chemically.

Dissolution: The act or process of dissolving one substance in another. Specifically, a process contributing
to the weathering of spilled oil whereby certain slightly soluble hydrocarbons and various mineral salts
present in oil are dissolved in the surrounding water.

Distillate: A refined hydrocarbon that is obtained by collection and condensation of a known vapor fraction of
the crude oil.

Distillate fuel oils: A general classification for one of the overhead fractions produced from crude oil in
conventional distillation operations. The so-called light heating oil, diesel fuels, and gas oils come from this
fraction.
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Ebb tide: The stage of the tide when the water recedes to what is commonly called low tide.

Emergency Operations Center (EOC): A facility that could house and support the activity of an emergency
response effort.

Emulsion: A mechanical mixture of two liquids that do not naturally mix, such as oil and water. Water-in-oil
emulsions have the water as the internal phase and the oil as the external. Oil-in-water emulsions
have water as the external phase and the internal phase is oil.

Emulsification: The process by which one liquid is dispersed into another in the form of small droplets; the
formation of a water-in-oil mixture. Emulsification can occur through mechanical mixing or through
application of chemical dispersants. Emulsification is more likely to occur under high energy conditions
(strong winds and waves). An emulsified mixture of water in oil is commonly called "mousse." Its presence
indicates a spill that has been on the water for some time. See mousse.

Entrainment: The loss of oil from containment when it is pulled under a boom by a strong current.
Entrainment typically occurs from booms deployed perpendicular to currents greater than 1 knot (0.5
meter per second).

Environmental sensitivity: The susceptibility of a local environment or area to any disturbance, which might
decrease its stability or result in either short- or long-term adverse impact. Environmental sensitivity
generally includes physical, biological, and socio-economic parameters.

Evaporation: The process whereby any substance is converted from a liquid state to become part of the
surrounding atmosphere in the form of a vapor. In the case of oil, the rate of evaporation depends on
the volatility of various hydrocarbon constituents, temperature, wind and water turbulence, and the
spreading rate of the slick. Evaporation is the most important process in the weathering of most oils.

Evaporation rate: A term used to express the relative rate of evaporation for a chemical when compared to
the known evaporation rate of standard liquid.

Exclusion booming: The deployment of floating booms to prevent spilled oil from entering a sensitive area.

Facility: Any source of an oil spill as defined by the federal Water Quality Act. May be anything from a drilling
platform to a gasoline can, boat, pickup truck or storage tank.

Facility Response Plan: Site-specific oil spill response plans that address natural resource protection,
response strategies, and logistical support. The response strategies are designed around the physical
features (such as environmentally-sensitive areas) and the natural, cultural, and economic resources of the
region. The plans are to be used during the first 12 to 24 hours of a spill response.

Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC): USCG for coastal waters; EPA for inland waters and lands. See
On-Scene Coordinator.

Financial responsibility: Section of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) which requires vessel owners
and operators to demonstrate and maintain evidence of financial responsibility meeting the
limits of liability established by OPA 90 Sec. 10 4 (a).

Fire boom: Oil spill boom designed for use with in-situ burning.

Fire point: The lowest temperature at which oil vaporizes rapidly enough to burn for at least 5 seconds after
ignition, under standard conditions. The fire point is distinct from the flash point.

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Flash point: The lowest temperature that a liquid (oil) will give off enough vapor to form an ignitable mixture
in air, under standard conditions.

Field Operations Guide (FOG): A pocket guide to the Incident Command System structure.

Fuel oil grade: Numerical ratings ranging from 1 to 6. The lower the grade number, the thinner the oil is and

Fuel oils: Refined petroleum products having specific gravity in the range from 0.85 to 0.98, and flash points
greater than 55 degrees C. This group of products includes furnace, auto diesel, and stove oils (No. 2
fuels); plant to industrial heating fuels (No. 4 fuels oils); and various bunker fuels (No. 5 and No. 6 fuel
oils).

Gas-free: The condition of a tank, compartment, or container that has been tested using an appropriate gas
detector and found to be sufficiently free, at the time of the test, of toxic or explosive gases for a
specified purpose.

Gasoline: A mixture of volatile, flammable liquid hydrocarbons used primarily for internal combustion
engines, and characterized by a flash point of approximately -40 degrees C and a specific gravity from 0.65
to 0.75.

Gelling agents: Chemicals that increase the viscosity of oil and, in theory, can be applied to an oil slick to
reduce its rate of spreading over the water surface; however, gelling agents are rarely used due to their
expense, the large volume required, and their slow action.

Harmful quantity: The amount of oil, as defined by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, that will cause a
sheen or discoloration on the surface of the water, or deposit a sludge or emulsion beneath the surface
of the water or adjoining shorelines, or cause a sludge or emulsion to be deposited beneath the surface
of the water or upon adjoining surfaces.

Hazardous area: An area in which vapor may be present continuously or intermittently in sufficient
concentrations to create a dangerous flammable (and/or toxic) atmosphere.

Hazardous substance: Substance designated by EPA in 40 CFR 116.4.

Hazardous waste: A waste or combination of wastes as defined in 40 CFR 261.3, or those substances
defined as hazardous waste in 49 CFR 171.8.

Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (Hazwoper): Regulations (29 CFR 110.120)
developed by OSHA that cover the health and safety of workers at hazardous waste sites, including
emergency response operations at oil spills.

Heavy ends: The higher boiling components of a mixture of hydrocarbons.

Herding agent: Chemical agent that confines or controls the spread of a floating oil film.

Hydraulic dispersion: One of various shoreline cleanup techniques that uses a water stream at either low or
high pressure to remove stranded oil. These techniques are most suited to removal of oil from coarse
sediments, rocks, and man-made structures, although care must be taken to avoid damage to intertidal
flora and fauna.

Hydrophobic: Repels or incapable of dissolving in water. Desirable quality in sorbent material.

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Incident Action Plan: The incident action plan, which is initially prepared at the first meeting, contains
general control objectives reflecting the overall incident strategy and specific action plans for the next
operational period. When complete, the incident action plan will have a number of attachments.

Incident Commander (IC): The person responsible for coordinating and directing all phases and functional
components of a spill response.

Incident Command System (lCS): A method by which the response to an extraordinary event, including a
spill, is categorized into functional components and responsibilities for each component assigned to the
appropriate individual or agency.

Initial cleanup: Remedial action at a site to eliminate acute hazards associated with a spill. An Initial cleanup
action is implemented at a site when a spill of material is an actual or potentially-imminent threat to
public health or the environment, or difficulty of cleanup increases significantly without timely remedial
action. All sites must be evaluated to determine whether initial cleanup is needed. The goal of initial
cleanup is total cleanup; however, this will not be possible in all cases due to site conditions (e.g., a site
where overland transport or flooding may occur).

ln-situ burning: One of four oil spill response options in an offshore environment (the others being
mechanical cleanup, chemical dispersants, and bioremediation). Controlled on-site burning, with the
aid of a specially-designed fire containment boom and/or mechanical source. Factors influencing
combustion include thickness, reduction, vapor loss, dispersion, emulsion formation, oil submersion,
wind, waves, air and water temperature, rain or snow, etc. Requires federal and state approval.

Interim storage site: A site used to temporarily store recovered oil or oily waste until the recovered oil or oily
waste is disposed of at a permanent disposal site. Interim storage sites include trucks, barges, and
other vehicles used to store waste until the transport begins.

International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC): California-based organization with experts in the
field
of oiled bird rehabilitation. Typically, hired by the responsible party to operate a wildlife rehabilitation
effort when there are large numbers of oiled birds during a spill. These rehabilitation efforts are
coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state agency which handles wildlife.

International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol
of
1978: Ship Pollution is the abbreviated name. See MARPOL.

Intertidal zone: The area of shore that lies between the high tide mark and the low tide mark.

Jet fuel: A kerosene or kerosene-based fuel that meets more stringent specifications, particularly the smoke
point and freeze point. Used to power jet aircraft combustion engines. See also Kerosene.

Joint Information Center (JIC): A media and public information center established and staffed by the
agencies of the unified commanders (responsible party, USCG or EPA, state and local government).
The location for media to receive information regarding an incident.

Kerosene: Colorless, thin mineral oil whose density is between 0.75 and 0.85 grams per cubic centimeter.
Also called coal oil, lamp oil. Used as a fuel in jet engines, for heating and cooking, in lamps, as a
denaturant for alcohol, and as a carrier in insecticide sprays.

Knot: Nautical measure of speed, equal to approximately 1.2 mph.
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Liaison Officer: For major incidents, a position filled by a state or federal agency representative that reports
directly to the Command Unit, serving as the first point of contact for response agencies and
volunteers.

Light ends: A term used to describe the low molecular weight and volatile hydrocarbons in crude oil and
petroleum products. The light ends are the first compounds recovered from crude oil during the
fractional distillation process and are also the first fractions of spilled oil to be lost through evaporation.
The lower-boiling components of a mixture of hydrocarbons.

Lightering: The pumping or transferring of oil from cargo compartments of a tank vessel to another vessel
and/or barge.

Local On-Scene Coordinator (LOSC): The person responsible for spill response activities for the involved
city, county, or tribal government(s). See On-Scene Coordinator.

Lower explosive level (LEL): The minimum concentration of a vapor in air that forms an ignitable mixture. At
concentrations below the LEL, there is not enough material to ignite.

Marine facility: Any facility used for tank vessel wharfage or anchorage, including any equipment used for
the
purpose of handling or transferring oil in bulk to or from a tank vessel.

Marine Safety Office (MSO): USCG Marine Safety Office located in or near most U.S. ports.

Marine Pollution (MARPOL): International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 as
modified by the Protocol of 1978. Regulation 26 requires certain oil tankers and other ships to carry an
approved oil pollution emergency response plan on-board. It was designed to minimize oil pollution of
the marine environment.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS): Data sheet required by law that describes the characteristics,
properties, and hazards associated with a specific material.

Mechanical removal: Includes the use of pumps, skimmers, booms, earth-moving equipment, and other
mechanical devices to contain the discharge of oil, and to recover the discharge from the water or
adjoining shorelines.

Message center: Part of the communications center, and is collocated or placed adjacent to it. It receives,
records, and routes information about resources reporting to the incident, resource status, and
administration and tactical traffic.

Metric ton (tonne): A unit of mass and weight equal to 1,000 kilograms or 2,205 pounds avoirdupois (1 lb. =
16 oz). In Canada, the metric ton is the most widely-used measure of oil quantity by weight. There are
roughly 7 to 9 barrels (245 to 315 Imperial gallons) of oil per metric ton, depending on the specific
gravity of the crude oil or petroleum product.

Mousse: An emulsified mixture of water in oil, often referred to as ―chocolate mousse,‖ in oil spill cleanup
terminology. Mousse can range in color from dark brown to nearly red or tan, and typically has a into the oil
will cause the apparent volume of a given quantity of oil to increase by up to four times. See
emulsification.

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Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustees: Comprised of representatives from various
state agencies that advise state and federal oil spill cleanup officials regarding the protection and restoration
of natural resources threatened or damaged by an oil spill.

Non-persistent: Decomposed rapidly by environmental action.

Oil: Petroleum, in any form, including crude oil, fuel oil, sludge, oil refuse, and refined products. ―Oil‖ for the
purposes herein does not include animal or vegetable based oil.

Oil-in-water emulsion: A type of emulsion where droplets of oil are dispersed through a water matrix. These
types of emulsions can occur naturally, with their formation and persistence facilitated by addition of
chemical dispersants.

Oil snares: See Pom-poms.

Oil/water separator: A device for separating oil from water.

Oil film: A slick thinner than 0.0001 inch and may be classified as follows: barely visible; silvery - silvery
sheen, slightly–colored, brightly–colored, dull, dull brown, dark - much darker brown. Note: Each 1-
inch thickness of oil equals 5.61 gallons per square yard or 17,378,709 gallons per square mile.

Oil Spill Response Organization (OSRO): An exclusive term referring to all internal and external manpower
resources involved in response operations and response support activities.

Oil trajectory: The expected spread of an oil slick that is based on weather conditions, visual observations,
and computer models.

Oily debris: Includes sorbent pads/boom, protective clothing/gear, soil, sand, rocks, logs, kelp, plastics,
mousse, oil/water mixture, and animal carcasses.

Oily waste: Oil-contaminated waste resulting from an oil spill or oil spill response operations.

Oleophilic: Substance having an affinity for oil.

Oleophilic agent: A material or chemical that has the tendency to attract oil. Chemicals of this type may be
used to treat sorbent materials in order to increase their oil recovery capacity.

On-Scene Coordinator (OSC): The person responsible for the spill response activities of a single or group
of agencies. This person is responsible for coordinating that agency’s or group’s activities with those of
the other OSC’s through the ICS and the IC. There may be more than one OSC at a spill (e.g., federal
OSC, state OSC, and responsible party OSC), but only one IC.

OPA 90 update: Publication published monthly by the USCG that provides an overview of USCG actions
taken to implement the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90).

Operational period: The period of time scheduled for execution of a given set of operation actions as
specified in the Incident Action Plan

OSRO rating: Rating granted by the USCG to classify and certify the capability(s) of an oil spill response
organization. Classification categories are assigned according to the organization’s recovery capacity.
Level E represents the highest recovery capacity and Level A the lowest. Organizations are rated in
four areas: R/C: Rivers/Canals; I/N: lnland/Nearshore; O/O: Offshore/Open Ocean; GL: Great Lakes.

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Owner or Operator: (1) in the case of a vessel, any person owning, operating, or chartering the vessel; (2)
in the case of an onshore or offshore facility, any person owning or operating the facility; and (3) in the
case of an abandoned vessel or onshore or offshore facility, the person who owned or operated the
vessel or facility immediately before its abandonment.

Oxidation or atmospheric oxidation: The chemical combination of compounds, such as hydrocarbons, with
oxygen. Oxidation is a process that contributes to the weathering of oil. However, in comparison to
other weathering processes, oxidation is slow since the reaction occurs primarily at the surface and
only a limited amount of oxygen is capable of penetrating the slick or surface oil.

Padding: Filling and maintaining the cargo tank and associated piping system with an inert gas, other gas, or
liquid, which separates the cargo from the air.

Pancakes: Large tar balls that become flattened when heat is absorbed as they are exposed to sunlight or
some other source of heat. Sheen may or may not also be present.

Permissible exposure limit (PEL): The legal exposure limit established by OSHA (29 CFR 1910.1000) for
regulated chemicals. When exposures are maintained at or below the PELs, OSHA believes that the
average healthy worker may be repeatedly exposed day after day with no adverse effects. Legal TLV.
See TLV.

Personal protective equipment (PPE): Any gear, clothing, or other equipment used to protect personnel
from known and or suspected hazards.

Pig (―smart pig‖): An apparatus deployed into pipelines to assess damage and line integrity.

Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Club: An insurance organization for marine business.

Pilot: A licensed person hired to guide a ship in and/or out of port through dangerous waters.
Planning meetings: Meetings held to identify the organizational, equipment, manpower, and support
resources needed to achieve the strategic objectives for an operational period.

Public Information Officer (PIO): The member of the Command Staff responsible for overseeing
communications with the news media and public. There is only one Public Information Officer during
each incident shift, who may oversee the work of subordinate public information officers. The Public
Information Officer must be a representative of a state or federal government agency.

Pollutant: Any material entering the water that is not a normal part of the local environment or is in a
concentration that is not normal to the local environment.

Pom-poms: Pom-pom shaped absorbents made of synthetic fibers that ―attract‖ oil. Pom-poms are used
individually or tied on long ropes, and used to catch oil as it leaches from beaches and rocky areas.
Strings of pom-poms are effective in collecting oil in rock or difficult to reach areas where the tide rises
and falls. Also called oil snares.

Pour point: The lowest temperature at which a substance, such as oil, will flow under specific conditions.
The pour point of crude oils generally varies from -57 degrees C to 32 degrees C; lighter viscosities have
lower pour points. The pour point of oil is important in terms of effect on the shoreline and subsequent
cleanup, since free-flowing oils rapidly penetrate most beach substrates, whereas semi-solids tend to
be deposited on the surface and will penetrate only if the beach material is coarse or the ambient
temperature is high.

Parts per million (PPM): Units used for expressing concentrations of gas and vapors in air. PPM indicates
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the number of molecules of gas or vapor contained in a million molecules of air. It may also be used to
express the concentration of a substance in liquid or solid.

Prevention plan: A plan that outlines the measures taken by a ship or oil handling facility to prevent oil spills
from occurring.

Reclaimed: Product returned to its pre-spill state, a suitable condition for re-use.

Recontamination: Contamination by oil of an area that was previously cleaned.

Recoverable oil: Oil in a thick enough layer on the water to be recovered by conventional techniques and
equipment. Only black or dark brown oil, mousse, and heavy sheens (which are dull brown in color)
are generally considered to be thick enough to be effectively recovered by skimmers.

Recovery: In oil spill cleanup, the entire process of any operation contributing to the physical removal of
spilled oil from land, water, or shoreline environments. General methods of recovery of oil from water
are the use of mechanical skimmers, sorbents, and manual recovery by the cleanup work force. The
main method of recovery of oil spilled on land or shorelines is excavation of oiled materials.

Regional Response Team (RRT): The federal response organization (consisting of representatives from
selected federal and state agencies) that acts as a regional body responsible for planning and
preparedness for oil spills and provides advice to the FOSC in the event of a spill.

Remote sensing: The aerial sensing of oil on the water surface. The primary applications of remote sensing
are the location of an oil spill prior to its detection by any other means and the monitoring of the
movement of an oil slick under adverse climatic conditions and during the night.

Remove or removal: Moving or eliminating oil or hazardous substances from waters and shorelines, or
taking actions as necessary to minimize or mitigate damage to the public health or welfare, including but not
limited to fish, shellfish, wildlife, public and private property, shorelines, and beaches.

Residual fuel oils: Product remaining after the removal, by distillation or other artificial means, of an
appreciable quantity of the more volatile components of crude petroleum. Commercial grades of burner
fuel oils No. 5 and 6 are residual oils and include bunker fuels and Navy special.

Residual oils: The oil remaining after fractional distillation during petroleum refining; generally includes
bunker fuel oils.

Resource damage assessment: Monetary damage that the spiller must pay for causing an oil spill. The
damage assessment is developed by a committee comprised of the NRDA Trustees as well as federal
agency and tribal representatives.

Resources: All personnel and major items of equipment available or potentially available for assignment to
incident tasks on which status is maintained.

Response contractor: Individual organization, association, or cooperative that provides or intends to
provide equipment or personnel for oil spill containment, cleanup, and/or removal activities.

Respirator: A device designed to protect the wearer from the inhalation of harmful atmospheres.

Respiratory tract: The air passage from the nose to lungs, including the throat and trachea and bronchial
tubes.

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Riprap: (1) A layer of large, durable fragments of broken rock specially selected and graded, thrown together
irregularly or fitted together. Its purpose is to prevent erosion by waves or currents, and thereby
preserve the shape of a surface, slope, or underlying structure. It is used for irrigation channels, river
improvement works, spillways at dams, and sea walls for shore protection. (2) The stone used for
riprap.

Rookery: A wildlife nursery or breeding ground.

Scuppers: Openings around the deck of a vessel, which allow water falling onto the deck to flow overboard.
Should be plugged during fuel transfer.

Sedimentation: Due to weathering, the density of some heavy spilled oils may increase and become higher
than that of the sea water causing them to sink. Oil may also be absorbed by heavy mineral particles
(sand, silt, etc.) and thus sink.

Sediment: A general term used to describe or refer to material in suspension in air or water; the total
dissolved and suspended material transported by a stream or river; the unconsolidated sand and gravel
deposits of river valleys and coastlines; and materials deposited on the floor of lakes and oceans.

Sensitivity maps: Maps used by the On-Scene Commander and oil spill response team that designate
areas of biological, social, and economic importance in a given region. These maps often prioritize sensitive
areas so that, in the event of an extensive spill, these areas can be protected or cleaned up first.
Sensitivity maps usually contain other information useful to the response team such as the location of
shoreline access areas, landing strips, roads, communities, and the composition and steepness of
shoreline areas. Maps of this type often form an integral part of local or regional contingency plans.

Separator tank: A tank used to statically separate dissimilar cargo.

Sheen: An iridescent (rainbow) appearance on the surface of the water. A very thin layer of oil (less than
0.0001 inches or 0.003 millimeters in thickness) floating on the water surface. Sheen is the most
commonly-observed form of oil during the later stages of a spill. Depending on thickness, sheens
range in color from dull brown for the thickest sheens to rainbows, grays, silvers, and neartransparency
in the case of the thinnest sheens.

Shoreline sensitivity: The susceptibility of environment to any disturbance that might decrease its stability
or result in short or long-term adverse impacts. Shorelines that are most susceptible to damage from
stranded oil are usually equally sensitive to cleanup activities that may alter physical habitat or disturb
associated flora and fauna. The most sensitive shoreline environments are marshes and lagoons, while
exposed coastline, subject to heavy wave action, is generally least affected by oil and/or cleanup
activities.

Site-Specific Health and Safety Plan: A written plan that addresses the safety and health hazards for each
phase of site operations and includes the requirements and procedures for employee protection at a
remediation site.

Skimmer: Oil recovery device designed to ―skim‖ (remove) floating oil from the oil/water interface.

Slick: Common term used to describe a film of oil (usually less than 2 microns thick) on the water surface.

Sludge oil: Muddy impurities and acids that have settled from a mineral oil.

Solvent: A chemical substance, usually a liquid, that will dissolve or disperse other substances.

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Sorbent: Any material that absorbs oil or to which oil adheres. A sorbent should be oleophilic and
hydrophobic (i.e., absorbs petroleum or products from 0 to 25 times its weight, and repels water).
Sorbents are available in many forms (sheets, booms, sweeps, blankets, and loose material) and may
be made of polymer beads, synthetic hydrocarbon polymers, cellulose, plastic fiber, and straw.

Sorbent barrier: A barrier that is constructed of or includes sorbent materials to simultaneously recover
spilled oil during the containment process. Sorbent booms and barriers are used only when the oil slick
is relatively thin since their recovery efficiency rapidly decreases once the sorbent is saturated with oil.

Source control: Any number of procedures that may be employed to stop, curtail, and/or inhibit the source
of a spill.

Specific gravity: Tendency for a solid or liquid to sink or float in water

Spill: An unauthorized discharge of oil or hazardous substance.

Spill response: All actions taken in carrying out responsibilities to spills of oil and hazardous materials (e.g.,
receiving and making notifications; information gathering and technical advisory phone calls;
preparation for and travel to/from spill sites; direction of cleanup activities; damage assessments; report
writing, enforcement investigations and actions; cost recovery; and program development).

Spreading: When crude oil or refined petroleum product is poured onto clear water surfaces, it tends to
spread out to a thin film. Most crude oils spread to a thickness of some tenths of a millimeter after one
hour, and to only a few microns after two or three hours. When spilled into saltwater, oil will form
windrows, which are elongated thick patches of oil separated by areas of clear water or water covered
by a thin film of oil. The spreading rate will be affected by many factors, such as oil thickness near the
source of the spill, type of oil, sea state, weather conditions, and obstructions in the vicinity of the spill.

Staging area: That location where incident personnel and equipment are assigned on a time-available basis.

State On-Scene Coordinator (SOSC): Spill responder responsible for spills of oil and hazardous
substances
occurring in state. See On-Scene Coordinator.

Short-term exposure limit (STEL): The airborne concentration of a substance to which workers can be
exposed to continuously for a short period of time without suffering adverse health effects.

Streamers: A narrow line of oil, mousse, or sheen on the water surface, surrounded on both sides by clean
water. Streamers result from the combined effects of wind, currents, and/or natural convergence
zones. Often, heavier concentrations of mousse or sheen will be present in the center of a streamer,
with progressively lighter sheen along the edges. Streamers are also often called "fingers" or "ribbons."

Stripping: The removal of the last few gallons of liquid from the bottom of the tank.

Sump: A pit or reservoir that serves as a drain from which oil can be collected.

Surface tension: Force of attraction between the surface molecules of liquid. Surface tension affects the
rate at which spilled oil will spread over a land or water surface, or into the ground. Oil with low specific
gravity is often characterized by low surface tension and therefore faster spreading rate.

Surge: Unsteady fore-and-aft motion of a ship in a seaway, caused by waves and/or weather conditions.

Sweet crude oil: Crude oil having less than 0.05 cubic feet of dissolved hydrogen sulfide per 100 gallons.
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Tactical operations planning meeting: Meeting held to develop the tactics that will be used to achieve or
address the strategic objectives for an operational period.

Tank barge: Any tank vessel not equipped with means of self-propulsion, generally used for transporting
petroleum products.

Tank ship: Any tank vessel that is self-propelled.

Tank vessel: Any vessel specially-constructed or converted to carry liquid bulk cargo in tanks.

Tankerman: Any person holding a certificate issued by USCG attesting to his/her competency in the
handling of flammable or combustible liquid cargo in bulk.

Tar: A black or brown hydrocarbon material that ranges in consistency from a heavy liquid to a solid. The
most common source of tar is the residue left after fractional distillation of crude oil.

Tar balls: Weathered oil, accumulated with debris, that has formed pliable balls or patches that float on the
water. Tar balls can range in diameter from a few millimeters (much less than an inch) to a foot (0.3
meters). Tar balls generally sink to the sea bottom, but may be deposited on shorelines where they
tend to resist further weathering. Depending on how weathered or hardened the outer layer of the tar
ball is, sheen may or may not be present.

Task force: Any combination of resources that can be assembled for a specific mission.

Tension member: The part of a floating containment boom that carries the load placed on the barrier by
wind,wave, and current forces. Tension members are commonly constructed from wire cable due to its
strength and stretch resistance.

Threshold limit value (TLV): The highest concentration of a harmful substance in air which the average
healthy worker may be exposed to eight hours per day, up to 40 hours per week with no health effects.
See PEL.

Tidal flats: Marshy or muddy areas of the seabed that are covered and uncovered by the rise and fall of tidal
water.

Tidal variation: The vertical range between high and low tides.

Tide pools: Permanent depressions in the substrate of intertidal zones that always contain water, but are
periodically flushed with successive incoming tides. Tide pools are more frequently located near the
high tide mark, and often contain abundant flora and fauna that can be adversely affected when spilled
oil becomes stranded in these areas.

Toxicity: The degree to which a particular substance is deemed to be harmful or deadly. May be acute
(sudden) or chronic (long-term).

Unified Command (UC): The structure used when multiple government jurisdictions and the responsible
party are involved in incident response.

Unit: Those organizational elements having functional responsibility for a specific incident planning, logistic,
or finance activity.

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Upper explosive limit (UEL): The maximum concentration of vapor in air that forms an ignitable mixture. At
concentrations above the UEL, so much air has been displaced that there it not enough oxygen to
ignite.

Vapor: The gaseous form of a substance that is normally a liquid or solid when it is at atmospheric pressure
and room temperature.

Venting: The process of air release to and from cargo tanks.

Vessel Traffic System (VTS): USCG vessel traffic monitoring system.

Viscosity, viscous: Relating to the ability of a fluid (gas or liquid) to resist a change in shape or movement.
Tar, for example, is very viscous as compared to gasoline. Viscosity is a major factor in determining
whether spilled oil will penetrate shoreline substrate and can be handled by most conventional pumps.

Volatile liquid: A liquid that vaporizes readily at ambient temperatures.

Volatility: The tendency of a solid or liquid to pass into a vapor state. Many low-carbon-number
hydrocarbons
are extremely volatile and readily pass into a vapor state when spilled. For example, gasoline contains
a high proportion of volatile constituents that pose considerable short-term risk of fire or explosion when
spilled. Bunker fuels contain few volatile hydrocarbons since these have been removed during the
fractional distillation refining process.

Vessel of opportunity skimming system (VOSS): A portable, side-skimming oil recovery system that can
be deployed from most work vessels more than 65 feet in length.

Water-in-oil emulsion: Type of emulsion where droplets of water are dispersed throughout oil, formed when
water is mixed with a relatively viscous oil by wave action. In contrast to oil-in-water emulsions, this
type of emulsion is extremely stable and may persist for months or years after a spill, particularly when
deposited in shoreline areas. Water-in-oil emulsions containing 50 to 80 percent water are most
common, have grease-like consistency, and are generally referred to as ―chocolate mousse.‖

Weathering: The exposure of crude oils or light oils to the weather, with subsequent evaporation of the light
volatile constituents resulting in loss. Major processes that contribute to weathering include:
evaporation, dissolution, oxidation, emulsification, dispersion, and microbial degradation.

Weir: A vertical barrier placed just below the surface of the water (at the oil-water interface) so that a floating
slick can flow over the top into a recovery area while minimizing the amount of water recovered.

Windrows: Streaks of oil that line up in the direction of the wind. Windrows typically form early during a spill
when the wind speed is at least 10 knots (5.1 meters per second). Sheen is the form of spilled oil that
most frequently windrows.

Worst case spill: A term used by USCG to indicate the largest foreseeable discharge in adverse weather
conditions.

Worst case discharge: A term used by EPA indicating, depending on risk parameters: (1) the total
aboveground oil storage capacity (plus production capacity, if applicable); (2) the total above-ground capacity
of tanks without adequate secondary containment, plus an additional volume based on risk parameters;
(3) 110 percent of the capacity of the largest single tank within a secondary containment area or 110
percent of the combined capacity of a group of tanks served by the same secondary containment area,
whichever is greater; or (4) a combination of the above.
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RELATED LINKS
Daily Briefing Checklist (for PIO or designee)
Date/time:

Name of Lead PIO:

Name of JIC Manager:

Date/Time of press conference:

Inquiries:

Name of Field escorts:

Media analysis:

Speaker prep:

Editorial board prep:

Community outreach:

Inquiries:

Public meetings:

Community feedback:

Volunteer inquiries/organizations:

Protocol:

Tour support:

Escorting:

News releases:

Fact sheets:

Photo/video:

Audio/visual support:

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JIC Supplies Checklist
[ ] Audio cassette recorder and microphone
[ ] Audio multi-box
[ ] Batteries, replacements for all equipment (AAA, AA, 9-volt, C, D, camera)
[ ] Binder clips, various sizes
[ ] Binders (3-ring) with dividers, several
[ ] Cassette tapes, 4 audio and 4 digital
[ ] Clipboards
[ ] Computers, at least 1 wireless or with external drive, and software
[ ] Computer disks or memory sticks
[ ] Computer software: Windows, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Internet Explorer, Outlook, Word
[ ] Computer wi-fi card
[ ] Copier (best to lease with service contract)
[ ] Digital cameras, still and video
[ ] Dry erase markers and eraser
[ ] Easels
[ ] Extension cords with three prongs, 4 20-foot
[ ] File folders
[ ] Flip chart paper, 4 pads
[ ] 3-hole punch
[ ] Name tags
[ ] Paper clips
[ ] Paper towels
[ ] Phones, at least one cell and three land lines
[ ] Phone and DSL cords/cables
[ ] Power surge protectors
[ ] Printer
[ ] Printer cartridges, four
[ ] Printer paper – six reams, 4 white, 2 colored
[ ] Push pins
[ ] Radio, AM/FM
[ ] Staplers, several, with extra staples
[ ] Scissors
[ ] Tablets
[ ] Tape – clear, masking, blue (painter’s), duct
[ ] Time/date stamp
[ ] TV and VCR with antenna and cable cord
[ ] Video tapes, 10 2-hour
[ ] White sheet (if A/V screen is not available)
[ ] Whiteboard

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News Conference/Public Meeting Worksheet

Event:

Date:

Time:

Location:

Methods for notifying public:

Translation/Interpretation Needs:

Length of conference or meeting:

Audio/visual materials:

Moderator:

1. Presenter/Handout:

2. Presenter/Handout:

3. Presenter/Handout:

4. Presenter/Handout:

5. Presenter/Handout:

Refreshments:

Special needs arrangements:

Notes:

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News Release Sample – Initial

For immediate release – Oct. 14, 2004
Contact: Joint Information Center (206) 220-7237

Coast Guard, Ecology department investigate oil sheen

SEATTLE -- The U.S. Coast Guard received a report this morning of an oil sheen in Commencement Bay,
south of Vashon Island, Wash.

The Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology have established a unified command and
information center to respond to the oil spill of unknown origin.
A crew member aboard a tugboat in Commencement Bay reported the spill this morning. Thick fog
hampered the response efforts early in the day.

Reconnaissance teams are checking waters and shorelines – via helicopter, boat and on foot – in
Commencement Bay, Colvos Passage, Dalco Passage and Quartermaster Harbor to determine the extent of
the spill and whether wildlife are at risk.

Local governments and tribal authorities are being notified of the spill and response operations. Participating
agencies include the Washington departments of Natural Resources and Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The unified command has hired
National Response Corporation and Clean Sound Cooperative to clean up oil and install protective booms to
protect sensitive habitat.
###

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Moderator Script Outline

Welcome to today’s (this morning’s/tonight’s) news conference. My name is

We will be presenting information on:

With us today are:

We will begin today with brief statements by representatives of the Unified Command. Then we will

open the floor to your questions. Because of the on-going response needs, we will be available for

_________minutes today. Please allow time for everyone here to ask questions.

Following the news conference, staff of the Joint Information Center staff and I will try to help you
with

any further needs.

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Field Escort Equipment and Communications Checklist

Personal Protective Equipment (to be determined by the Safety Officer) which may include:
. Hard Hat
. Goggles
. Gloves
. Tyvek
. Rubber Boots
. PFD
. Respirator
. Level A Suit
. SCBA

Communications
. VHF radio
. Cell Phone

Information
. Assignment List: ICS Form 204
. Incident Status Summary: ICS Form 209
. Latest news release

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Sample Questions for Focus Group or Interviews

The following are sample questions that can be used for obtaining feedback through focus groups
or in interviews.

1. What was your reaction when you first learned of the incident? How and when did you first
learn about it?

2. Have you discussed the incident/response with friends, family, neighbors, or colleagues?
What are they saying?

3. How are you getting information about the response?

4. What are your preferred means of getting information?

5. In your mind, what questions remain unanswered?

6. In general, how would you rate the effectiveness of the response, on a scale of one to ten, ten
being highest?

7. What do or would you tell others about how response is being carried out?

8. If you could change one thing about the response, what would you change? What is the main
reason that one thing needs changing?

9. What would it take for the response agencies to get an ―A‖ for their efforts to respond to this
type of incident?

10. What two positive things can you tell me about the response? What are two negative things
about the response?

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Focus Group Preparation

Ideally, two or three sessions are held, with a different group in each. About two hours should be
scheduled for each group session. The location should be a comfortable, ―neutral‖ meeting room.
The host should provide coffee, tea, and snacks. Check to make sure your meeting location
complies with ADA requirements.

Optimum group size is 8 to 12 people. The more people you have in each group, the more time you
will need for discussion, but the broader perspective you’ll have. Be realistic. In a group of 10, for
instance, each person would have about ten minutes of dialogue in a two-hour meeting. In other
words, each person would have about one minute to respond to each of ten questions.

Be clear about your goals as you craft your interview questions. They need to yield answers that
help you understand how to better respond to community needs.

Develop and print an agenda for distribution among group members. You might also include a
packet of materials already generated to seek feedback on their effectiveness. Focus group
sessions should be taped (audio or video), along with note taking by the moderator and another
appointed JIC staff in attendance. You may want to record comments on a flip chart.

Be on hand early to greet all participants as they arrive. Have them print nametags and table
placards.

Sample agenda

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Joint Information Center Communication plan outline

Operational period:

Communication goal(s):

Summary of issue, problem, opportunity:

Key message(s):

Target audience(s):

Need for Translation/Interpretation:

Tools, tactics, and methods (how to notify or inform target audiences)

Deliverables – who will do what by when

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Media Content Analysis Worksheet

Date of news:

Media outlet name:

Broadcast times:

Coverage synopses:

Issues:

Inaccuracies:

View points:

Fixes:

Who replied to:

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CHAPTER 9620

WASHINGTON
STATE
DISPOSAL
GUIDANCE

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9620 Washington State Disposal Guidance For Disposal of Waste from Spills of Oil and
Other Potentially Hazardous Substances
Oil spill recovery and cleanup operations potentially can generate large quantities of recovered oil and
oily wastes. Overlooked waste management issues or delayed actions can result in the cessation of
recovery operations, delays in re-deploying equipment, and potential violation of state and federal law.

The Oil and Hazardous Substance Spills Act of 1990 (HB2494), and the Spill Prevention Act of 1991
(ESHB 1027), commissions the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) to develop
effective oil spill response regulations and to support and complement the federal oil pollution act of
1990, especially those provisions relating to the national contingency plan. This document serves as
part of the Washington Statewide Master Plan, which has been incorporated into the Northwest Area
Contingency Plan.

PURPOSE

This guidance provides a ―Guideline‖ and a ―Sample Disposal Plan‖ for developing incident specific
disposal plans at oil spills, more specifically, the treatment and disposal of wastes generated from the
cleanup of oil spills. This document’s ―Guideline‖ describes how waste must be handled, designated,
segregated, tracked, stored, transported, treated, and finally disposed. The ―Sample Disposal Plan‖,
provided at the end of this section serves as a model format for incident specific disposal plans. The
―Sample Disposal Plan‖ is designed to directly correspond with the ―Guideline‖.

APPLICABILITY
This document should be used when formulating a waste disposal plan during oil spills and oil spill
drills. This document covers all oil and oily debris recovered and generated during oil spill cleanup
operations. Oily debris includes but is not limited to: sorbents pads/booms, protective clothing/gear,
soil, sand, rocks, logs, kelp, litter, plastics, mousse, oil/water mixture and animal carcasses.

It is the expectation of Ecology that incident specific disposal plans will be in accordance with the
―Guideline‖ and will follow the ―Sample Disposal Plan‖ format. As per the NWACP Section 4270,
incident specific disposal plans should be developed by the Environmental Unit.

Historically, since most oily debris generated from oil spills has not designated as dangerous waste in
Washington State, this document is focused primarily on solid waste disposal options. This does not
preclude the use of this document in the event of hazardous material spills. If material is designated as
extremely hazardous waste or dangerous waste the requirements for handling and treatment or
disposal are more stringent, and it is essential to work with Ecology and local governments to ensure
that the wastes are being managed appropriately.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY
Under the provisions of Chapter 90.56.340 RCW (Oil and Hazardous Substance Spill Prevention and
Response Act) the spiller is responsible for immediately collecting and removing spilled oil and any
contaminated debris and/or soil. It is important to recognize that, if the responsible party is unable or
unwilling to fulfill this requirement, Ecology is authorized under the provisions of Chapter 90.56.350
RCW "to take such actions as are necessary to collect, investigate, perform surveillance over, remove,
contain, treat, or disperse oil or hazardous substances discharged into waters of the state."

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WASHINGTON STATE DISPOSAL PLAN GUIDELINE

SECTION I APPROVED WASTE HANDLERS

It is expected that the responsible party will be working closely with local approved waste handlers who
are familiar with Washington State's rules and regulations as well as transport and disposal options in
the state. The Washington State Department of Ecology Hazardous Waste Spill Assistance List
provides a partial list of companies and the services that they provide (Section 7320 NWACP). This list
is periodically updated. Updated lists can be obtained from any regional office. Only licensed
transporters and approved (or permitted) treatment and disposal facilities are to be used for waste
handling and disposition unless otherwise directed by Ecology.

SECTION II DESIGNATION

The process of classifying wastes, as solid or dangerous waste is known as "designation". Laboratory
tests or knowledge of the material must be used to determine if the material designates as dangerous
waste. Consult with your spill contractor, chemical testing laboratory, and the Department of Ecology for
advice on designating wastes as dangerous or solid. Designation procedures and waste management
requirements are contained in Dangerous Waste Regulations (Chapter 173-303 WAC). The Dangerous
Waste Regulations also apply to other wastes and are more stringent than Federal Hazardous Waste
Regulations (40 CFR, Parts 261 to 279).

Petroleum products such as bunker, diesel, and kerosene generally do not designate as dangerous
waste. Recovered oily liquids and other materials contaminated by oil that do not designate as
dangerous waste may be recycled, burned, or blended for fuel, without following the requirements of
hazardous waste. Recovered oily liquids may be managed as "off specification fuels" under the
exemption in the dangerous waste rules, as long as it is used as fuel. Recovered oily liquids and other
materials contaminated by oil that cannot be recycled, burned, or blended for fuel are considered solid
waste and subject to designation. Testing is generally required to determine whether such mixtures
designate as dangerous waste.

Oily waste may be designated as dangerous waste (dangerous waste or extremely hazardous waste)
depending on characteristics such as: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, toxicity, and persistence.

Wastes may designate as ―dangerous waste‖ because they are:
• listed (appear on lists for discarded chemical products or from specified industrial processes);
• ignitable (flash point <140 degrees F);
• corrosive (pH £ 2.0 or ³ 12.5) ;
• reactive (explosive, self-igniting, reactive with water);
• toxic (specific standards and test methods apply, i.e. Toxicity Characteristic Leaching
Procedure
(TCLP) and DW bioassay; and
• persistent (specific standards and test methods apply).

If a waste is classified as a dangerous waste the responsible party must ensure safe management
procedures:
• the waste is placed in proper tanks or stored in closed compatible drums,
• has appropriate labels and markings,
• is transported by authorized haulers,
• is shipped using a Hazardous Waste Manifest,
• is delivered to an authorized recycler or permitted treatment, storage or disposal facility
If recovered oily liquids and other materials contaminated by oil do not designate as dangerous waste

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then they are classified as solid waste and subject to RCW 70.95.

SECTION III INTERIM STORAGE, SEGREGATION, and TRACKING

A. INTERIM STORAGE SITES

Interim storage sites shall be specifically designated in the incident specific disposal plan. The location
of interim storage sites is dependent on the approval of the On-Scene-Coordinator (OSC) and local
health department. Interim storage sites shall be established with the goal of preventing additional
contamination from being reintroduced to the environment or posing a public health threat. Interim
storage sites, and roll-off boxes within these sites, should be lined with plastic tarps or visqueen, and
bermed to prevent runoff or leakage of oily material. In addition oily debris should be covered with
secured tarps or visqueen to prevent rainwater infiltration. Continued use of interim storage sites
beyond 90 days is subject to approval by Ecology. Interim storage sites should be returned to the
maximum extent feasible to the sites original condition. Interim storage sites are subject to periodic
inspections.

B. SEGREGATION

The segregation of wastes facilitates the determination of volume spilled and recovered. The purpose
of segregation is to assist determining the volume spilled and recovered. It also helps simplify disposal
procedures that may be required by incinerator or landfill operators. Material recovered must be
segregated in the following manner unless otherwise directed by the State or Federal OSC:
• Oil collected from sources other than state waters/shorelines (e.g. on vessels or pier);
• Oil and oil/water mixtures recovered from state waters/shorelines;
• Oiled organic debris: wood, aquatic vegetation.. Oily debris should be placed in clear plastic
bags for ease of identifying contents and segregation. To the extent possible efforts should be
made to homogenize recovered organic debris, e.g., heavily oiled eel grass should be kept
separate from dissimilar debris;
• Oiled sorbent material: oil snares, pads, and booms; and
• PPE and other typically non-sorbent materials.

C. WASHINGTON STATE OIL RECOVERY CREDIT FOR NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGES

If the responsible party will seek credit for oil recovery under Washington State's Natural Resource
Damage Assessment process, additional segregation is required for product collected during the first
24 hours after the oil release. Detailed guidance on the credit and segregation/measurement methods
can be obtained from the Washington Department of Ecology document "Compensation Schedule
Credit for Oil Recovery, RDA Committee Resolution 96-1".

D. TRACKING

Continually reporting and updating the Situation Unit with waste management data is a crucial aspect of
response. Waste management data is used to assess the progress of the response and to determine
potential response needs. Typically waste management data is summarized by the ICS Form 209,
which includes total volumes recovered, stored, and disposed of. The Environmental Unit in
conjunction with the Situation Unit must assure that this information is accurately reported. Clear lines
of communication must be quickly established with Operations to assure that an adequate tracking
system is in place. Waste disposal plans should describe the waste tracking system. The use of waste
disposition tracking forms is highly recommended, e.g., (See Sample Disposal Plan, Section IIID and
Appendix 1).

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E. DECANTING

Decanting is addressed in a separate section of the Northwest Area Contingency Plan (Section 4640).
The decanting approval form should be attached to the Incident Specific Disposal Plan. The
Environmental Unit should endeavor to assure that the intent of the decanting approval is followed.

SECTION IV DECONTAMINATION

Decontamination areas for personnel and equipment, including oiled booms, need to be addressed in
the disposal plan. In addition, areas may need to be set up for the decontamination of oiled vessels.
Each area designated as a decontamination site should be addressed in the incident specific disposal
plan. The location and set up of each decontamination area should be described in the incident
specific disposal plan.

SECTION V ANIMAL CARCASSES

The disposal of animal carcasses may need to be addressed in the disposal plan. The collection of
animal carcasses is the responsibility of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in conjunction
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Prior to the cleanup of any beach, an agent of the joint trustees
should coordinate the removal of oiled carcasses. No oiled carcasses shall be disposed of until
authorized by the appropriate natural resource trustee. With the approval of local Air and Health
authorities, the Department of Ecology recommends incineration of oiled carcasses at a permitted
facility.

SECTION VI WASTE DISPOSITION and FINAL DISPOSAL

It is important that the responsible party work closely with approved waste handler(s) in formulating an
Incident Disposal Plan (sample plan in appendix). Local approved waste handlers should be
knowledgeable in the appropriate rules and regulations concerning proper waste management,
transport, treatment, and disposal facilities. For clarification and assistance the regional office of
Ecology and/or local government authorities should be consulted.

• Hazardous Waste: The following priorities for the collection, handling, and management of
hazardous wastes are necessary, and should be followed in descending order as applicable
(Chapter 70.105.150 RCW):
o Waste reduction;
o Waste recycling;
o Physical, chemical, and biological treatment;
o Incineration;
o Solidification/stabilization treatment. and
o Landfill.
• Solid Waste: The following priorities for the collection, handling, and management of solid
wastes are necessary and should be followed in descending order as applicable (Chapter
70.95.010 RCW):
o Waste reduction:
o Recycling, with source separation of recyclable materials as the preferred method.
o Energy recovery, incineration, or land filling of separated wastes.
o Energy recovery, incineration, or land filling of mixed wastes.

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• Waste Reduction: Waste reduction is attainable through prevention and minimization of
waste
generated during cleanup operations. Waste reduction is the responsibility of the responsible
party, cleanup contractors and workers.
• Recycling: Recovered liquid oil that is exempt from the dangerous waste regulations should
be
recycled at a licensed refinery or recycling facility. Pads saturated with oil can be wrung out for
recovery of liquid oil for recycling.
Certain solid wastes recovered and generated during cleanup operations can be treated and
used again as useful materials. An example is the use of oiled sand, rock and gravel in asphalt
production. The waste may be handled at a treatment facility if it does not designate as a
hazardous waste or extremely hazardous waste under Chapter 173-303-070.
Additional options put forth by Hazardous Waste regulation 70.105, include:
o Bioremediation
o Thermal Desorption
o Asphalt Incorporation
• Energy recovery, incineration, or land filling of separated wastes or mixed wastes:
Energy recovery facilities use the oily debris such as sorbent pads, booms, and oily rags, as a
supplemental energy source in a rotary kiln. Incineration refers to burning at an approved facility
and open outdoor burning. These both require the approval of Ecology and the local air pollution
control authority. Controlled burning can be conducted at an approved energy recovery facility
or hog fuel burner.
• Thermal desorption: With this method heat does not destroy contaminants but separates
them
from the media. Sufficient heat is applied to vaporize water, organic compounds, and some
volatile metals. Vapors can then be destroyed in an afterburner or collected as liquid for further
treatment
• Outdoor burning: Open outdoor burning may be a viable option for disposal, if the waste is
considered "dangerous material". Prohibited materials may only be burned in an outdoor fire
when ordered by a fire protection authority and authorized by Ecology or the local air pollution
control authority. However such approval may only be given when the material constitutes
"dangerous material" (i.e. materials presenting a danger to life, property or public welfare) and
no approved practical alternative method of disposal is available.
• Land filling: Upon attaining local health department approval, oily waste may be disposed of
in
accordance with landfill guidelines and regulations. Landfill disposition should be planned only
for those wastes that other disposal options have been found to be unacceptable. Final
approval and acceptance of waste material is at the discretion of the landfill operator.

FINAL REPORT
In addition to daily updates of the disposal plan, at the conclusion of response activities and when all
parties have signed off on the closure of the response, a final report shall be provided by the
responsible party to Ecology within a timely manner. The final report should state in detail the amount
of oily waste generated, disposed of and/or treated. The report should be broken down by how the oily
waste material was segregated, e.g., oiled sorbents, free liquids recovered, contaminated soil and other
material collected. Disposal receipts should be attached to the final report.

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CHAPTER 9660

HEALTH AND
SAFETY MANUAL

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Background

Overview

This document was developed to provide Federal and State health and safety guidance for oil/Hazmat
incidents in the Pacific Northwest. This guidance document also includes two Site Safety and Health
Plan examples.

Purpose
The purpose of health and safety efforts conducted during an environmental emergency is to ensure
the protection of the responders, cleanup crews and the public from the possible hazards. The
guidance contained in this guidance document are intended to assist safety officers to establish,
manage and operate a safe spill response to the report incident.

Health and Safety

Federal Health and Safety Guidance

Federal and state government employees, private industry employees, and other contract personnel
involved in oil spill response activities must comply with all applicable worker health and safety laws
and regulations. The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act was enacted on December 29, 1970
and granted authority to the Secretary of Labor to promulgate, modify and revoke safety and health
standards. The primary federal regulations for hazardous waste operations and emergency response
are found in 29 CFR 1910.120. This regulation specifies the safety and health requirements for
employees involved in cleanup operations at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites being cleaned up
under government mandate and in certain hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal operations
conducted under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA). The regulations apply
to both emergency response and post-emergency response cleanup of hazardous substance spills.
The definition of hazardous substance used in these regulations is much broader than CERCLA,
encompassing all CERCLA hazardous substances, RCRA hazardous waste, and all DOT hazardous
materials listed in 49 CFR 172. Thus, most oils and oil spill response are covered by these regulations.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) classifies an area impacted by oil as an
uncontrolled hazardous waste site. The role of the site safety and health supervisor is to assess the
site, determine the safety and health hazards present, and determine if Federal OSHA regulations
apply. If an OSHA field compliance officer is on scene, he or she should be consulted to determine the
applicability of OSHA regulations. Disputes should be referred to the Department of Labor
representative on the RRT.

One of the key provisions of the OSH Act provided 50/50 funding to those states that developed their
own state program, which is at least as effective as the federal program in providing safe and healthful
employment. Two of the three states involved with this plan, Oregon and Washington, have developed
state managed programs and are discussed below. Idaho does not have a state managed program
and, therefore, all workers involved with oil spill response activities must comply with the federal
regulations.

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Washington State Health and Safety Guidance

The Washington State Industrial Safety and Health Administration (WISHA), a division of the
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (DLI), is responsible for assuring that employers
are providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. This responsibility is carried out
through enforcement of rules promulgated under authority granted in RCW 49.17. The primary
standard for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, WAC 296-62-300, became
effective in November 1989. Under these regulations, DLI can evaluate the safety and health program,
site characterization, site control, emergency response procedures and personal protective equipment
requirements during oil spill cleanup operations. DLI may also provide technical assistance to the OSC
and responsible party and conduct inspections of employers involved in spill response efforts. As
always, many other and safety and health regulations outside of WAC 296-62-300 apply to WISHA
jurisdiction employers.

Oregon State Health and Safety Guidance

OR-OSHA is a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services and is primarily
responsible for enforcing the health and safety regulations as they pertain to workers involved with an
oil spill. The primary standard for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, OAR 437-
002-1910.120, came into effect in July of 1990.

Idaho State Health and Safety Guidance

Federal regulations specify minimum training levels for responders to hazardous materials incidents.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces the requirements for federal
and private workers (29 CFR 1910.120). State and local employees must follow the same regulations,
but are overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (40 CFR 311).

Safety Officer Advanced Planning

The incident Safety Officer (SO) will need personnel and equipment very quickly in the event of an
incident. It would be beneficial, if possible, to have preset lists of resources, equipment and personnel
for a large incident that could be pared down for smaller incidents. This will allow the SO to get a
request into the logistics section quickly while the SO begins to tackle the chaotic issues at the
beginning of an incident. A go kit with information resources forms preprinted, or on a computer disk
(laptop and personnel printer if available) and some safety and detection equipment would increase the
response effectiveness of the SO. A good Site Safety and Health plan (see below) form that the SO is
familiar with will be a good guide/checklist to cover the safety issues of an incident and quickly develop
the site plan. This type of preplanning is critical to allow the SO to quickly respond to the needs of the
personnel responding to an incident.

Site Safety and Health Plans

The following site safety and health plans can be used as a general guide to facilitate rapid
development of site safety and health plans during spill response. They are NON-MANDATORY
guidelines intended to support appropriate site-specific site planning. They were developed for
response personnel involved in EMERGENCY and/or POST-EMERGENCY operations and may not
provide sufficient detail for long-term remedial sites.

A generic site safety and health plan is provided for oil/chemical spill responses along with a
PROPOSED ASTM STANDARD Site Safety and Health Plan for oil spill response. Both documents

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provide a set of attachments, which provide more detail for supervisory personnel. These attachments
should be used as needed. The generic and proposed ASTM standard site safety plans are not
intended to satisfy all requirements for written procedures. A site-specific site safety and health plan
must be backed up by other documents which add more detailed information which may not necessarily
be needed in the field (EXAMPLES: a site safety and health program, a respiratory protection program,
or a medical monitoring program.)

Once the PROPOSED ASTM STANDARD is approve this will replace the generic Site Safety and
Health Plan in this document.

ICS Compatible Site Safety and Health Plan

Purpose.

The ICS Compatible Site Safety and Health Plan is designed for safety and health personnel that use
the Incident Command System (ICS). It is compatible with ICS and is intended to meet the
requirements of the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response regulation (Title 29, Code
of Federal Regulations, Part 1910.120). The plan avoids the duplication found between many other site
safety plans and certain ICS forms. It is also in a format familiar to users of ICS. Although primarily
designed for oil and chemical spills, the plan can be used for all hazard situations.

Development.

The ICS Compatible Site Safety and Health Plan was initiated at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters,
Office of Response [(Commandant (G-MOR-3)] in 1998. Several Coast Guard personnel were involved
in the development and review of the plan. They are listed below.
• CDR Rick Muth (National Strike Force Coordination Center)
• LCDR Roger R. Laferriere (Commandant G-MOR-3, Office of Response)
• LCDR Tommey Meyers (Commandant G-WKS-2, Shore Safety & Environmental Health
Division)
• LCDR Tim Deal (Commandant G-MOR-3, Office of Response)
• LCDR Scott Paradis, (Maintenance and Logistics Command (kse))
• LCDR Ed Parsons (Marine Safety Office Portland, OR)
• LCDR Merrie Austin (Marine Safety Unit Galveston, TX)
• LCDR Wayne Mackenzie (First District Safety and Environmental Health Officer)
• LT Steve Ober (Gulf Strike Team)
• LT Rob Campbell (Gulf Strike Team)
• LT Eric Doucette (Pacific Strike Team)
• LT Kathy Slawson (Fifth District Safety and Environmental Health Officer)
• LT Tom Glynn (Safety and Occupational Health Instructor, RTC Yorktown)
• LTJG Stacy Tyler (Pacific Strike Team)
• GM1 Tracy Taylor (National Strike Force Coordination Center)
• DC1 Pete Pritchard (Atlantic Strike Team)
• Mr. Nir Barnea, CIH for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration also assisted in the
development and review of the plan.

The following industry representatives were involved in the review and refinement of the plan:
• Mr. Phil Glenn, President Clean Channel Association
• Mr. Michael Zustra, Director, Health and Safety, MPW Industrial Services Inc. CIH, MSPH
• Mr. J. Fritz Kin, Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC, CSP, CET CHMM

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• Dr. Fred Halvorsen, Halvorsen EHS Services, Ph.D., P.E., CIH
• Mr. John Weirz, Marine Spill Response Corporation
• Mr. Mike De Bettencourt, URS Grenier Woodward Clyde

Questions on the document should be addressed to the Coast Guard Office of Response at
(202) 267-0448.

EMERGENCY SAFETY AND RESPONSE PLAN (FORM SSP-A)

Purpose: The Emergency Safety and Response Plan provides the Safety Officer and ICS personnel a
plan for safeguarding personnel during the initial emergency phase of the response. It is only used
during the emergency phase of the response, which is defined as a situation involving an uncontrolled
release. It is also intended to meet the requirements of the Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) regulation, Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1910.120.

Preparation: The Safety Officer or his/her designated staff starts the Emergency Site Safety and
Response Plan. They initially address the hazards common to all operations involved in the response
(initial site characterization). Outside support organizations must be contacted to ensure the plan is
consistent with other plans (local, state, other federal plans). Form SSP-G need not be completed if
this form is used. When the operation proceeds into the post-emergency phase (site stabilized and
cleanup operations begun) forms SSP-B and SSP-G should be used. For large incidents, the
Emergency Site Safety and Response Plan complements the Incident Action Plan. For smaller
incidents, the Emergency Site Safety and Response Plan complements ICS Form 201.

Distribution: The Emergency Safety and Response Plan completed by the Safety Officer is forwarded
to the Planning Section Chief. Copies are made and attached to the Assignment List(s) (ICS Form
204). The Operations Section Chief, Directors, Supervisors or Leaders get a copy of the plan. They
must ensure it is available on site for all personnel to review. The Safety Officer is responsible for
ensuring that the Emergency Site Safety and Response Plan properly addresses the hazards of the
operation. The Safety Officer accomplishes this through on site enforcement and feedback to the
operational units.

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SITE SAFETY PLAN (FORM SSP-B)

Purpose: The Site Safety Plan provides the Safety Officer and ICS personnel a plan for safeguarding
personnel during the post-emergency phase of an incident. The post-emergency phase is when the
situation is stabilized and cleanup operations have begun. SSP-B is intended to meet the requirements
of the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) regulation, Title 29
Code of Federal Regulations Part 1910.120.

Preparation: The Safety Officer or his/her designated staff starts the Site Safety Plan. They initially
address the hazards common to all operations involved in the response (initial site characterization).
The plan is then reproduced and as a minimum sent to ICS Group/Division Supervisors. They amend it
according to unique job or on-scene hazards with support from the Safety Officer and/or his/her staff
(detailed site characterization). The plan is continuously updated to address changing conditions.
During the first hours of the response, where most response functions are in the emergency phase, the
Safety Officer may chose to use the Emergency Safety and Response Plan (SSP-A) in place of the Site
Safety Plan. For large incidents, SSP-B compliments the Incident Action Plan (IAP). For smaller
incidents, SSP-B compliments ICS Form 201. The Safety Officer is encouraged to use the
HAZWOPER Compliance Checklist (Form SSP-K) to ensure the IAP and the 201 address the
requirements and all other pertinent ICS forms (203, 205, 206, etc.) are completed.

Distribution: The initial Site Safety Plan completed by the Safety Officer is forwarded to the Planning
Section Chief. Copies are made and attached to the Assignment List(s) (ICS Form 204). The
Operations Section Chief, Directors, Supervisors or Leaders get a copy and make on site amendments
specific to their operation. They must also ensure it is available on site for all personnel to review. The
Safety Officer provides personnel from his/her staff to assist in the detailed site characterization. The
Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring that the Site Safety Plan for each assignment properly
addresses the hazards of the assignment. The Safety Officer must ensure that the safety plans on site
are consistent. The Safety Officer accomplishes this through on site enforcement and feedback to the
operational units.

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SITE MAP FOR SITE SAFETY PLAN (SSP-C)

Purpose: The Site Map for the Site Safety Plan is required by Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations
Part 1910.120. It provides in 1 place a visual description of the site, which can help, ICS personnel
locate hazards, identify evacuation routes and places of refuge.

Preparation: The Site Map for the Site Safety Plan can be completed by the Safety Officer, his/her staff
or by ICS field personnel (Group Supervisors, Task Force/Strike Team Leaders) working at a site with
unique and specific hazards. One or several maps may be developed, depending on the size of the
incident and the uniqueness of the hazards. The key is to ensure that the workers using the map(s)
can clearly identify the work zones, locations of hazards, evacuation routes and places of refuge.

Distribution: This form must be located with the Site Safety Plan (SSP-B). It therefore follows the same
distribution route.

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EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN (ICS FORM 208D)

Purpose: The Emergency Response Plan provides information on measures to be taken in the event of
an emergency. It is used in conjunction with the Site Safety Plan (Form SSP-B). It is also required by
Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1910.120.

Preparation: The Safety Officer, his/her staff member or the Site Supervisor/Leader prepares the
Emergency Response Plan. A copy of the Medical Plan (ICS Form 206) must always be attached to
this form.

Distribution: This form must be located with Site Safety Plan (SSP-B). It therefore follows the same
distribution route.

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DAILY AIR MONITORING LOG (FORM SSP-E)

Purpose: The Daily Air Monitoring Log provides documentation of air monitoring conducted during a
spill. The log is a supplement to the Site Safety Plan (SSP-B). It is only required when performing air
monitoring operations. The information used from the log can help update the Site Safety Plan.

Preparation: Persons conducting monitoring complete the Daily Air Monitoring Log. Normally these
are air-monitoring units under the Site Safety Officer. If there is a decision not to monitor during a spill,
the reasons must be stated clearly in the Site Safety Plan (SSP-B).

Distribution: The Daily Air Monitoring Log when completed is copied and forwarded to the Site Safety
Officer who must review and sign the form. The original form must be available on site, readily
available and briefed to all impacted ICS personnel.

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PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (SSP-F)

Purpose: The Personal Protective Equipment form is a list of personal protective equipment to be used
in operations. The listing of personal protective equipment is required by Title 29 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 1910.120.

Preparation: The Personal Protective Equipment form is completed by the Site Safety Officer, or
his/her staff. Personal protective equipment common to all ICS Operations personnel is addressed
first. Jobs with unique personal protective equipment requirements (fall protection) are addressed next.
When the form is delivered on site, the ICS Director, Supervisor, or Leader may amend the list to
ensure personnel are adequately protected from job hazards. It must be completed prior to the onset
of any operations, unless addressed elsewhere by Standard Operating Procedures.

Distribution: This form must be located with Site Safety Plan (SSP-B). It therefore follows the same
distribution route.

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DECONTAMINATION (SSP-G)

Purpose: The Decontamination form provides information on how workers can avoid contamination
and how to get decontaminated. It is a supplemental form to the Site Safety Plan.

Preparation: The Decontamination Form can be completed by the Site Safety Officer, a member of
his/her staff or by the Group/Division Supervisor, Task Force/Strike Team Leader on the site

Distribution: This form must be located with Site Safety Plan (SSP-B). It therefore follows the same
distribution route.

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SITE SAFETY ENFORCEMENT LOG (SSP-H)

Purpose: The Site Safety Plan Enforcement Log is used to help enforce safety during an incident.

Preparation: The Safety Officer and/or his/her staff complete the Site Safety Plan Enforcement Log.
The log is completed as Safety personnel are on scene reviewing the site. It should be completed at a
minimum once per day. The number of enforcement logs to be completed depends on the size of the
incident. Enough should be completed to ensure that site safety is being adequately enforced.

Distribution: The Site Safety Plan enforcement log when completed is delivered to the Safety Officer.
The Safety Officer can use the form to amend the Site Safety Plan (SSP-A or B).

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WORKER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM (SSP-I)

Purpose: The Worker Acknowledgement form is used to document workers who have received safety
briefings.

Preparation: Those personnel responsible for conducting safety briefings complete this form initially.
Once the briefings are completed, workers who were briefed print their name, sign, date and indicate
the time of the briefing.

Distribution: This form is returned to the Safety Officer or designated representative at the end of each
operational period.

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EMERGENCY SAFETY & RESPONSE PLAN COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST (SSP-J)

Purpose: The Emergency Safety and Response Plan 1910.120 Compliance Checklist is to ensure that
incident response operations are in compliance with Title 29, Code of Federal Regulations Part
1910.120, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. It also identifies how form SSP-J
can be used to satisfy the HAZWOPER requirements. This checklist is an optional form.

Preparation: The Emergency Safety and Response Plan 1910.120 Compliance Checklist is completed
by the Safety Officer or his/her staff as frequently as necessary whenever the Safety Officer wants to
ensure regulatory compliance. It is best used in conjunction with the Site Safety Plan Enforcement Log
(SSP-H). Many of the requirements are performance based and are best evaluated on scene by the
Safety Officer or his/her staff.

Distribution: The Safety Officer should maintain The Emergency Safety and Response Plan (ERP)
1910.120 Compliance Checklist.

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HAZWOPER 1910.120 COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST (SSP-K)

Purpose: The HAZWOPER 1910.120 Compliance Checklist is to ensure that incident response
operations are in compliance with Title 29, Code of Federal Regulations Part 1910.120, Hazardous
Waste Operations and Emergency Response. It also identifies how other ICS forms can be used to
satisfy the HAZWOPER requirements. This is an optional form.

Preparation: The HAZWOPER 1910.120 Compliance Checklist is completed by the Safety Officer or
his/her staff as frequently as necessary whenever the Safety Officer wants to ensure regulatory
compliance. It is best used in conjunction with the Site Safety Plan Enforcement Log (SSP-H). The
Site Safety Plan Forms (A-G) best meet some of the requirements. The Incident Action Plan is suited
to address other requirements, and the Safety Officer should ensure the IAP addresses them. Other
requirements are performance based and are best evaluated on scene by the Safety Officer or his/her
staff.

Distribution: The HAZWOPER 1910.120 Compliance Checklist should be maintained by the Safety
Officer.

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HAZWOPER 1910.120 DRUM COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST (SSP-L)

Purpose: The HAZWOPER 1910.120 Drum Compliance Checklist is to ensure that incident response
operations are in compliance with Title 29, Code of Federal Regulations Part 1910.120, Hazardous
Waste Operations and Emergency Response whenever drums are encountered during an incident.
This is an optional form.

Preparation: The HAZWOPER 1910.120 Drum Compliance Checklist is completed by the Safety
Officer or his/her staff as frequently as necessary whenever the Safety Officer wants to ensure
regulatory compliance. It is best used in conjunction with the Site Safety Plan Enforcement Log (SSPH).
The Site Safety Plan Forms (A-G) best meet some of the requirements. Other requirements are
performance based and are best evaluated on scene by the Safety Officer or his/her staff.

Distribution: The HAZWOPER 1910.120 Drum Compliance Checklist should be maintained by the
Safety Officer.

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SITE SAFETY PLAN ATTACHMENTS (SSP-ATTACH 1-#)

Purpose: The Site Safety Plan attachments provide ready-made safe work practices for the Safety
Officer and ICS personnel. They are optional documents designed to assist the Safety Officer in
communicating and enforcing control of safety hazards. They were derived from the U.S. Coast
Guard’s National Strike Force’s Guide for Developing Oil Spill Site Safety Plans (NSFCCINST
M16465.2).

Preparation: The SSP-Attachments require little to no preparation. Some of them have blank sections
(due to information changing) that are required to be filled by the Safety Officer or his/her staff. The
Safety Officer is encouraged to use the format presented by the attachments for developing his/her own
additional safe work practices.

Distribution: These forms must be located with Site Safety Plan (SSP-A). They therefore follow the
same distribution route.

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PROPOSED ASTM STANDARD
Standard Guide for Developing a Site Safety and Health Plan and Emergency Plan
for Responding Personnel at Oil Spills

1. Scope
This guide is intended to facilitate the rapid development of a written site safety and health plan (SSHP) during
the emergency and post emergency phases of small or large oil spill responses. It is intended to address all
aspects of a plan to cover the safety and health of ―responding personnel.‖ SSHPs are intended to help mount
a rapid response to an oil release in a safe manner and to provide readily available information on the
response approach to responders, regulators and others with a need to know. This guide provides the basis by
which a SSHP can be developed.

2. Resource Documents
2.1 Federal Standards:
• 29 CFR 1910.120 - OSHA Regulations for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency
Responses. (HAZWOPER).
• 40 CFR 300 - National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan.
• OSHA Compliance Guideline CPL. 2-2.51 (11/5/90) ―Inspection Guidelines for Post Emergency
Response Operations Under 29 CFR 1910.120.‖
• 49 CFR - Subchapter B Part 130 - Oil Spill Prevention and Response Plans.
2.2 National Fire Protection Association Standard: (phone: 617-770-4543)
• Standard for Professional Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials Incidents - NFPA
472.
• Control of Gas Hazards Aboard Vessels - NFPA 306.
2.3 Other Documents:
• NIOSH/OSHA/USCG/EPA Occupational Safety and Health Guidance Manual for Hazardous Waste
Site Activities (NIOSH 85-115). (phone: 800-356-4674)
• ―Oil Spill Contingency Planning,‖ October 1990, DOT and EPA Status Report to the President.
• NIOSH Health Evaluation Report ―Exxon/Valdez Alaska Oil Spill‖ (HETA 89-200 and 89-273-2111,
May 1991). (phone: 800-356-4674)
• ―Rehabilitating Oiled Sea Birds - A Field Manual.‖ International Bird Rescue Research Center, 699
Potter Street, Berkeley, CA. (phone: 510-841-9086)
• ―Oiled Bird Rehabilitation - A Guide for Establishing and Operating a Treatment Facility for
Oiled Birds.‖ 1989. Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, Inc., 110 Possum Hollow Rd., Newark,
DE 19711. (phone: 302-737-7241/9543, pager: 800-710-0695)
• US Coast Guard COMDTNOTE 16471 (G-MEP-4) ―Establishment of Area Committees and
Development of Area Contingency Plans,‖ September 30, 1993.
• ―Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents and Biological Exposure
Indices,‖ American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, Cincinnati, OH. (phone: 513-
742-2020)

3. Terminology
3.1 Description of Terms Common to Oil Spills:
3.1.1 Area Contingency Plans (ACPs) - A large spill potentially requires an organization to deal with multiple
geographic areas, numerous organizations, diverse tasking, and multiple jurisdictions. The Area
Contingency Plan is prepared in advance by the applicable Federal On-Scene Coordinator,
senior response officials from state and local jurisdictions, and an Area Committee to document the
initial organization structure for spill response (among other things).
3.1.2 Buddy System - A system of organizing employees into work groups in such a manner that each
employee of the work group is designated to be observed by at least one other employee in the work

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group. The purpose of the buddy system is to provide rapid assistance to employees in the event of an
emergency.
3.1.3 Cold Zone/Clean Support Zone - The minimal exposure areas maintained as uncontaminated locations
for support functions. Command posts, food service areas, and new equipment storage and staging
areas are examples of cold zone support functions. This zone is also called a ―clean zone‖ or ―support
zone.‖ (NFPA 472, 1-3)
3.1.4 Confined Space - A space that is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily
enter and perform assigned work and has limited or restricted means for entry or exit (for example
tanks, vessels, storage bins, and pits or spaces that may have limited means of entry), and is not
designed for continuous employee occupancy.
3.1.5 Contamination Reduction Zone - See definition of warm zone.
3.1.6 Emergency Phase - Period of time during which response efforts are carried out by employees from
outside the immediate release area or by other designated responders to an occurrence which results,
or is likely to result in an uncontrolled release of a hazardous substance. This phase ends when the
post-emergency phase begins.
3.1.7 Exclusion Zone - See definition of hot zone.
3.1.8 Hot Zone/Exclusion Zone - Hot zones are used to define areas where there are exposure hazards. Hot
zones should extend far enough to prevent adverse effects to unprotected personnel from the hazards
of the spill or release. (NFPA 472, 1-3)
3.1.9 Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) - An atmospheric concentration of any toxic, corrosive
or asphyxiate substance that poses an immediate threat to life or would cause irreversible or delayed
adverse health effects or would interfere with an individual’s ability to escape from a dangerous
atmosphere.
3.1.10 Incident Command System (ICS) - A response management system that provides an organizational
structure and procedures to be followed by the spill management team when responding to a spill.
3.1.11 Incident Commander (IC) - The senior official on the site who has the responsibility for controlling the
operations at the site.
3.1.12 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - The scientific arm of the federal
government for dealing with the weather and the ocean. The NOAA Hazardous Materials Group deals
with spills and works closely with the US Coast Guard in spill response. NOAA is also the lead federal
agency in dealing with Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA).
3.1.13 Oil - Means oil of any kind or in any form, including, but not limited to, petroleum, fuel oil, sludge,
oil refuse, and oil mixed with wastes other than dredged soil, but does not include petroleum,
including crude oil or any fraction thereof, which is specifically listed or designated as a
hazardous substance under subparagraphs (A) through (F) of Section 101(14) of the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) (42
U.S.C. 9601).
3.1.14 On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) - The predesignated official responsible for incident management in
accordance with the national contingency plan. Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC) - Is the
predesignated federal official responsible for ensuring immediate and effective response to a discharge
or threatened discharge of oil or hazardous substance. The US Coast Guard designates FOSCs for the
US coastal zones and the US EPA designates FOSCs for inland zones.
3.1.15 Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) - The inhalation exposure limit specified in 29 CFR 1910.1000 or
applicable state standards. These limits may be expressed as 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA),
Ceiling Limit, or 15-minute Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL).
3.1.16 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - This is equipment provided to shield or isolate a person from a
chemical or physical hazard. PPE is typically provided for skin, eyes, face, hands, feet, head, body,
hearing, and respiratory system. (NFPA 471, 1-3)
3.1.17 Post-emergency Phase - That portion of an emergency response performed after the immediate
threat from a release has been mitigated or eliminated and cleanup of the site has begun. Post

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Emergency phase can run simultaneously with the Emergency phase in separate geographic areas of
the spill response operation.
3.1.18 Responsible Party - Generally the owner or operator of a vessel, facility or pipeline. The Responsible
Party is liable for spill removal costs and damages.
3.1.19 Site Safety Officer (SSO) - The individual located at the site who is responsible to the employer/owner
and has the authority and knowledge necessary to implement the site safety and health plan and verify
compliance with applicable safety and health requirements.
3.1.20 Spills of National Significance (SONS) - Spills of extreme magnitude or severity. Only the Commandant
of the US Coast Guard or the Administrator of the EPA can declare a particular incident to be a SONS.
3.1.21 Support Zone - See definition of Cold Zone.
3.1.22 Threshold Limit Value (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists TLV-TWA) -
Airborne concentrations of substances which represent conditions to which nearly all workers may be
repeatedly exposed, day after day, without adverse health effects. These limits may be expressed as 8-
hour time-weighted average (TWA), Ceiling Limit, or 15-minute Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL).
3.1.23 Unified Command (UC) - Command and control of a large spill is expected to be coordinated
using a UC system. The OSC is charged with establishing a UC organization where appropriate to
include the State and Responsible Party representatives. The OSC assigns individuals from the
response community (federal, state, local, or private) to the UC organization.
3.1.24 Work Area - All the areas designated as either warm or hot zones.
3.1.25 Work Near Water - All personnel working in boats, on docks, or generally within 10 feet of water
deeper than three feet, shall wear US Coast Guard approved personal floatation devices (PFDs).
3.1.26 Warm Zone/Contamination Reduction Zone - The zones where many control functions take place (e.g.,
personnel log in and out, personnel are decontaminated, and dirty equipment is stored or
decontaminated). These zones are also called ―decontamination,‖ ―contamination reduction,‖ or ―limited
access zones.‖ (NFPA 472, 1-3)

4. Significance and Use
This guide is intended to help in developing a site safety and health plan (SSHP). The SSHP is intended for
use in both the emergency and post-emergency phases of a spill response. The SSHP can be used for both
small and large spill responses and can be completed rapidly so that responders can begin cleanup efforts
sooner. The concise structure of the SSHP also promotes a readily usable format for spill responders.

5. Contents of the Plan
5.1 The Safety and Health Emergency Response Plan consists of three parts:
A basic site-specific plan containing the following:
• Site Characterization
• Control Measures
• Work Plan
• Training
• Organization
• Emergency Plan
• Pre-entry Briefing
5.2 Attachments to be used to augment the basic plan and provide additional information and detail:
• Site Map
• Hazardous Substance Information Sheets (MSDS, etc.)
• Site Hazards
• Monitoring Program
• Training Program
• Confined Space Entry Procedure
• Safe Work Practices for Boats

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• Personal Protective Equipment Descriptions
• Decontamination
• Communication and Organization
• Site Emergency Response Plan
5.3 Appendices provided as resources and additional information:
• Site Safety Program Evaluation Checklist
• Confined Space Entry Checklist
• Heat Stress Considerations
• Cold Stress and Hypothermia Considerations
• First Aid for Bites, Stings and Poisonous Plant Contact
• Safe Work Practices for Oily Bird Rehabilitation
• Spill Site Pre-Entry Briefing
• Personnel Tracking System

6. Initial Steps for Effective Use of the Plan
6.1 Emergency Response:
A. Complete the two-page Safety and Health Emergency Response Plan checklist for initial site entry
and response. In each category check/complete all that apply. Separate checklists should be
prepared for each site and a master site list should be maintained.
B. Complete or provide the site map. The map may include:
• evacuation routes
• area to be evacuated (if any)
• contaminated zone
• decontamination zone
• location of first aid/hospital facilities
C. Provide hazard information on the spilled product, such as MSDS or other data.
D. Provide other information in the form of attachments or appendices, as needed.
E. Revise the site plan, site map and attachments as conditions at the site change. Attach these
revisions to the original plan and number them consecutively.
6.2 Post-Emergency Response:
A. Complete the two-page Safety and Health Emergency Response Plan checklist or revise the
existing plan in use for emergency response. Revise as conditions at the site change.
B. Complete or revise the site map, including the information listed for Emergency Response as well
as location of the Command Center and other information as needed.
C. Complete the attachments to provide more site-specific information as required by OSHA 29 CFR
1910.120. Some attachments, such as Confined Space Entry Procedures and Safe Work Practices
for Boats may not be applicable, depending on the spill site.
D. Use the appendices as resources and additional information as needed.

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ATTACHMENT: SITE MAP

Site Map may include the following information:
Site Name and Location
Work Zones
First Aid Locations
Surrounding Land Uses
Primary and Secondary Evacuation Routes
Assembly Points
Staging Area and Command Post Locations

Attach Map in place of this form.

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ATTACHMENT: HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE INFORMATION SHEETS
MSDS/RIDS/CHRIS/CHEMTOX/TOMES/etc.

Attach appropriate Hazardous Substance Information Sheets in place of this form.

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ATTACHMENT: SITE HAZARDS

□ BOAT SAFETY.
See Attachment - Safe Work Practices for Boats.

□ CHEMICAL HAZARDS
See Attachment - Hazardous Substance Information Sheets

□ COLD STRESS.
Cold stress can occur among responders as a result of prolonged exposure to low environmental air
temperatures or from immersion in low temperature water. Cold stress can lead to a number of adverse effects
including: frostbite, chilblain, frostnip, acrocyanosis, trench foot, Raynaud’s Disease, and hypothermia. The
single most important aspect of life-threatening hypothermia is the fall in the deep core temperature of the
body. In addition to provision for total body protection, consideration shall also be given to the protection of
other body parts, with emphasis on the hands, feet and head. The incidence of cold stress is dependent upon
a number of factors such as air and water temperature, wind speed, a person’s physical fitness, age, and
clothing worn, including protective clothing. Supervisors must monitor their employees for signs of cold stress
when weather conditions necessitate. The site safety and health officer will generally be guided by the ACGIH
guidelines in determining exposure control methods such as work/rest periods, clothing required, etc. Workers
shall be provided with adequate warm clothing, and rest opportunities. Warm and/or sweet fluids shall also be
available during rest periods. Protection from the elements, such as with warm rest shelters, shall be made
available, where feasible.

□ CONFINED SPACES.
See Attachment - Confined Space Entry Procedure
See Appendix - Confined Space Entry Checklist
DRUM HANDLING AND SPILL CONTAINMENT.
Drum handling at a spill site will primarily involve drums of waste and contaminated clothing.
Several types of drums may be used, ranging from 5 to 55 gallons in size. All drums and
containers must be properly labeled in accordance with OSHA and DOT regulations. Manual
lifting and moving of drums should be kept to a minimum. Mechanical devices and dollies
should be used for moving heavy drums.

□ EQUIPMENT OPERATIONS FOR CLEANUP/CONTAINMENT
Heavy Equipment:
Operation of heavy equipment, such as a front end loaders, bulldozers and cranes must be
done in accordance with applicable OSHA regulations. The operators must be trained and
qualified to operate powered industrial vehicles. The operator and helper must be familiar with
proper signaling techniques. Buckets must not be used as a lift; hard-hats must be worn; and a
fire extinguisher must be present on board equipment.

Cranes must be operated in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions and established
construction practices. Outriggers must be fully extended to assure maximum stabilization of
the equipment. Cranes must be operated only where the ground provides adequate support.
Rigging components must be inspected daily. Only certified wire rope slings with manufactured
sledges or manufactured web slings will be used. Certification documents must be received
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and filed for all slings. Each sling must be marked or tagged with its rated capacity and slings
must not be used with loads in excess of their rated capacity. (29 CFR 1910.184) Personnel
shall not be allowed under the boom or load except for the minimum time necessary to hook up
or unhook the load. (29 CFR 1910.180)

Forklifts:
Only trained and authorized operators shall be allowed to operate forklifts. Horseplay is not
permitted. Only stable or safely arranged loads that do not exceed the capacity of the truck
shall be handled. Fuel tanks must not be filled while the engine is running. Operators shall
perform daily or pre-use inspections of the forklift to be operated. A separate inspection will be
made each shift during multi-shift operations. Records of inspections must be maintained. All
inspection discrepancies must be corrected prior to operation of the forklift. If the discrepancy
cannot be corrected immediately, the forklift must be tagged out of service. 29 CFR 1910.178

Hand/Power Tools:
Hand tools are non-powered. The greatest hazards posed by hand tools result from misuse and
improper maintenance. Saw blades, knives or other tools should be directed away from other
employees. Dull tools can be more hazardous than sharp tools. Personal protective
equipment, such as wire mesh gloves, wrist guards, arm guards, aprons and belly guards may
be appropriated. Spark resistant tools (brass, plastic, aluminum and wood) should be used
around flammable substances.

Power tools are based on the power source used: electric, pneumatic, liquid fuel, hydraulic, and
powder-actuated. The following general precautions should be observed: never carry power
tools by the cord; never yank the cord to unplug the tool; keep cords and hoses away form
heat, oil and sharp edges; disconnect tools when not in use and before servicing; keep
observers a safe distance away; secure work with clamps or a vise freeing both hands to
operate the tool; avoid accidental starting; maintain tools with care; keep them sharp and
clean; safeguard hazardous moving parts of the tool; and, protect the operator from: point of
operation, in-running nip points, rotating parts, and flying chips and sparks. Many tools
including drills, tapers, fastener drivers, disc sanders, belt sanders and others must be equipped
with momentary contact ―on-off‖ control switch.

Employees using hand and power tools and exposed to the hazards of falling, flying, abrasive
and splashing objects, or exposed to harmful dusts, fumes, mists, vapors or gases must be
provided with the particular personal equipment necessary to protect them from the hazard. All
hazards involved in the use of [hand] and power tools can be prevented by following five basic
safety rules: Keep all tools in good condition with regular maintenance; use the right tool for
the job; examine each tool for damage before use; operate according to the manufacturer’s
instructions; and provide and use the right protective equipment.

□ ELECTRICAL HAZARDS.
Electrical hazards shall be identified and marked with suitable placards, barricades, or warning
tape as necessary.

□ FATIGUE.
Working long hours without rest may be required, especially during the early phase of response.
This, coupled with the stress of the situation and wearing required PPE, can contribute to
fatigue. Symptoms include loss of concentration, errors in judgment, irritability, sleepiness,
soreness and stiffness in joints and muscles. Rest and
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sleep is the primary treatments for fatigue. Stress can be addressed by relaxation techniques,
such as deep breathing, stretching, taking breaks, and other methods.

□ FIRE, EXPLOSION AND IN-SITU BURNING
Flammable and combustible materials may be encountered at the spill site. These may be fuels
for vehicles and equipment or the spilled material itself. However, some cleanup chemicals
such as solvents may also be used. Refer to the container label or proper MSDS for more
information on these materials.

Precautions should be taken when working with either flammables or combustibles:
No smoking
Store in approved, labeled containers
Ensure containers used to transfer materials are properly grounded
Provide fire extinguishers in areas where these materials are used
In-situ burning presents health and safety hazards not only to the workers engaged in the
burning activities, but also to individuals downwind of the burn site. Health and safety hazards
include:
Physical hazards: explosions, heat, loss of control of burning oil (e.g., flashback to the spill
source, loss of containment).
Inhalation of airborne burn products: These may include toxic and irritating substances such as:
smoke particles, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen dioxide, polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons, acid aerosols, aldehydes, acrolein, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons,
volatile organic hydrocarbons.

Safety factors to be considered include status of the spill (e.g., burning, being lightened,
personnel being evacuated, etc.); weather and sea conditions; distance of intended burn
location to the spill source; type and condition of the oil; proximity of ignitable vegetation, docks,
and other facilities; and control measures.

A detailed Burn Plan should be prepared. This should include a summary of safety and control
measures. Care must be taken to protect all personnel from any harmful exposure to heat and
or combustion products.

□ HEAT STRESS
Heat stress can result as responders perform heavy labor in protective and/or impermeable
clothing that does not breathe or allow for the dissipation of normal body heat. Heat buildup can
lead to a number of adverse health effects including: heat rash, heat cramps, dehydration, heat
exhaustion or heat stroke. The incidence of heat stress is dependent upon a number of factors
such as temperature, humidity, a person’s physical fitness, age, acclimatization, weight, drug or
medication use, and clothing worn, including protective clothing. Therefore, supervisors must
continually monitor their employees when workloads are heavy and temperatures and/or
humidity are high. The site safety and health officer will generally be guided by the ACGIH
guidelines in determining work/rest periods. Fluids shall be available at all times and personnel
will be encouraged to drink fluids during rest periods. Shaded rest areas will be made available
where feasible.

□ HELICOPTER OPERATIONS
Helicopters may be in use at the spill site for over flight surveillance; site characterization;
personnel/equipment transport; and rescue/medical transport. Safe work practices for
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passengers and other personnel include:
1. Passengers must receive a safety briefing from the pilot before liftoff. The briefing should
include: safety features and equipment and their location on the individual aircraft;
helicopter underwater escape procedures when appropriate; and, emergency
information.
2. Passengers and ground crew members approaching helicopters shall stay in a crouched
position, and must be in clear view of the pilot while approaching or departing a helicopter.
3. Passengers and ground crew should approach/depart from the FRONT of the helicopter
only when signaled by the pilot; and shall never walk under or around the tail, rotor or
exhaust.
4. Loose fitting clothing, hats, hard hats, or other gear, which might be caught in rotor
downwash, must be secured or removed within 100 feet of operating helicopters.
5. Passengers shall maintain a distance of 50 feet from helicopters while rotors are turning.
Ground crew should also maintain this distance, unless specific work practices are
developed for closer work.
6. Passengers shall wear seat belts at all times and personal floatation devices when flying
over bodies of water.
7. Passengers and ground crew shall wear hearing protection (which may include
communication headsets or helmets) at all times around operating helicopters.
8. Passengers shall assist the pilot in watching for other traffic or ground obstacles, as directed
by the pilot.
9. During emergency landing in water:
a. Do not exit until instructed to do so by the pilot after rotor blades stop turning or pilot
signals all clear.
b. Do not inflate personal floatation devices until outside of the helicopter.

□ LIFTING
Use available machinery and lift-aiding equipment before lifting heavy loads. Use teamwork for
heavy and numerous small loads. Do not rush work. Use of chemical protective clothing will
restrict movement and visibility. Use extra care while lifting in protective gear.

Safe lifting techniques:
1. Position feet properly. Feet should not be close together, but should be close to the load to
help keep the body close to the center of gravity. One foot should be positioned in the
direction the load will be moved to avoid twisting or turning of the back during the lift. Turn
using your feet and not by twisting the back.
2. Before and during the lift keep the load close to you to keep the center of gravity over your
feet.
3. Check your grip and test the weight of the load before lifting.
4. The back should be straight when starting the lift and the knees should be bent. This will
help to ensure that much of the lifting is done with the legs. To help keep the back straight,
the chin should be tucked in and head kept up.
5. Keep the stomach muscles tight while lifting. Keep your back straight during the lift and
avoid twisting motions in particular.
6. Move slowly and deliberately.

□ MOTOR VEHICLES
All motor vehicles must be operated in accordance with all state and local motor vehicle
regulations. Posted speed limits must be observed and seat belts worn by all occupants.
Check the outside of the vehicle and familiarize yourself with the interior and make all
adjustments before driving. Drive defensively. Employees involved in any accident must inform
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their supervisor as soon as possible. The driver is responsible for getting as much accident
information as possible. 29 CFR 1910.178

Safe use of motor vehicles is essential at the spill site and in traveling to and from the site.
Vehicles should be checked:
Tires inflated Fuel Spare tire Lights Windshield wipers
Brakes Turn signals Seat belts Horn

□ NOISE
Noise may be a significant hazard at a spill cleanup site. Noise may be generated by: pumps,
generators, compressors, trucks, and, heavy equipment. At a spill site, high noise areas and
equipment will be identified. Areas requiring the use of hearing protection will be so posted.
Hearing protection will be made available as required. As a general rule, hearing protection
should be worn in areas where noise prevents hearing ordinary conversation. Since hearing
loss caused by high noise exposure may not be noticed at first, it is important to wear the
hearing protection in high noise areas.

□ OVERHEAD AND BURIED UTILITIES
If work has to be performed near overhead lines, the lines must be de-energized and grounded,
or other protective measures must be provided before work is started. Arrangements must be
made with the person or organization that operates or controls the electric circuits to deenergize
and ground them. If protective measures such as guarding, isolating, or insulating are
provided, these precautions shall prevent employees from contacting such lines directly with
any part of their body or indirectly through conductive materials, tools, or equipment. Clearance
from overhead power lines to persons or equipment must be at least 10 feet unless the voltage
exceeds 50 kV. If a vehicle is in transit with its structure lowered, the clearance may be
reduced to 4 feet. If voltage exceeds 50 kV, the clearance must be increased by 4 inches for
each 10 kV. There are specific approach distances and insulation requirements given in the
referenced OSHA standard. (29 CFR 1910.333)

The estimated location of buried utility installations, such as sewer, telephone, fuel, electric,
water lines, or any other underground services should be determined before work begins. Utility
companies or owners must be contacted, advised of the proposed work and informed of the
urgency of the situation. OSHA states the aforementioned companies or owners have 24 hours
to respond unless state or local laws allow more time. Excavation may proceed if the exact
location of the installation cannot be determined or the utility company or owner does not
respond in the time period required by law. When the excavation approaches the estimated
location of the underground installations, the exact location must be determined by safe and
acceptable means. While the excavation is open the installation must be protected, supported
or removed as necessary to safeguard employees. (29 CFR 1926.651)

□ PLANTS/WILDLIFE
A variety of plants and wildlife will be encountered at most spill sites.
Plants
1. Avoid contact with all plants as much as possible. Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac
are hard to identify and may be hidden by other plant growth.
2. Train all personnel to recognize poisonous plants and to wear appropriate protective
clothing when handling.
3. Train personnel in basic first aid for plant contact.

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Wildlife
1. Examples of wildlife possibly encountered at a spill site include: stray dogs; bears; moose;
beaver; otters; snakes; birds; fish; skunks and other small animals; alligators; nutria; and,
insects.
2. Avoid contact with all wildlife, particularly oiled, injured or dead wildlife. Report visual
observation of such wildlife to supervisor.
3. Discuss wildlife hazards at the site during pre-entry briefings to ensure cleanup personnel
are aware of preventive and first aid measures.
4. Identify personnel with allergies to wildlife and plants, particularly those allergic to insect
stings and bites. Be prepared to provide immediate first aid to these individuals if needed.
5. Train all personnel to recognize wildlife, especially poisonous snakes and insects.
6. Proper response and rescue of wildlife will be made by personnel trained in handling wildlife.
7. Train personnel in basic first aid for bites and stings. Trained first aid responders should
administer first aid if possible.
See Appendix - First Aid for Bites, Stings and Poisonous Plants.

□ POOR VISIBILITY
Fixed or portable lighting shall be maintained for dark areas or work areas after sunset to
ensure that sufficient illumination is provided. (See Table H-120.1 of 29 CFR 1910.120(m) for
Minimum Illumination Intensities.)

□ PUMPS AND HOSES
Pumps and hoses may be used at the spill site to apply water, steam or chemicals for cleanup
and/or decontamination. They may also be used for liquid waste collection. Caution should be
used when working in areas where hoses are in use as they present a tripping hazard.
Additionally, when using pumps and hoses, determine their last contents to avoid contamination
or chemical reaction. Use the proper pump and hose for the job.

□ STEAM AND HOT WATER
Steam and hot water may be used during the spill cleanup. Use caution when working with
these materials since they can cause severe burns. Wear gloves and eye/face protection when
handling and be careful not to spray in the direction of other personnel.

□ UV RADIATION
Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight can be a significant hazard at a spill site. Cleanup will
primarily be done outdoors; therefore, sunscreens with the appropriate protection factor and UVtinted
safety glasses may be needed. Other types of radiation, such as from welding and
cutting, may also be a hazard. Avoid direct visual contact and use proper eye protection as
needed.

□ SLIPS, TRIPS AND FALLS
Slips, trips and falls on oily surfaces are the major cause of injuries at an oil spill site. Many of
these injuries occur in the first few minutes of work before workers realize the conditions and
begin to take precautionary measures. When entering a spill site, walk slowly and carefully in
oil-coated areas. Be especially careful when walking on oil-covered rocks. Oil-resistant safetytoe
boots with non-slip soles should be worn at all times in areas containing oil-covered rocks.
This type of footwear can help to minimize the falling hazard, but will not prevent it. Open
manholes, mud, pits, trenches, or similar hazards shall be identified and marked with suitable
placards, barricades, or warning tape as necessary.

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□ TRENCHING AND EXCAVATION
All surface encumbrances that may create a hazard to employees shall be removed or
supported to safeguard employees. Consideration must be given to underground installations.
Appropriate precautions must be taken with regard to soil type and conditions to avoid cave-in.
Employees must be provided with an approved means of access and egress. Adequate
precautions shall be taken to prevent employee exposure to hazardous atmospheres. Where
hazardous atmospheres exist, emergency rescue equipment shall be readily available.
Employees must be protected from cave-ins, falling loads, mobile equipment, water
accumulation, loose rock and soil. A competent person must inspect the excavation, adjacent
area, and protective systems prior to the start of work, as needed throughout the shift and after
every rainstorm or hazard-increasing occurrence. (29 CFR 1926.65 Subpart P)

□ WEATHER
Spill cleanup operations may be conducted in a wide variety of weather conditions. Weather
conditions change frequently and may require halting or modifying cleanup operations. Some
typical weather conditions that could impact cleanup operations include: High tides, lightning,
rain, hail, snow, sleet and high winds. A management and communication system for
responding to changing weather conditions is an essential element of the Site Safety and Health
Plan.

□ WORK NEAR WATER
All personnel working in boats, on docks, or generally within 10 feet of water deeper than 3 feet,
shall wear US Coast Guard approved Type I or Type II personal floatation devices unless
protected by guardrails.

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ATTACHMENT: MONITORING PROGRAM

SITE:
DATE:

A. MONITORING PLAN:
1. Air monitoring at the spill site and surrounding areas will be done to ensure site worker
and community safety.
2. Air monitoring will be done during work shift site characterization, and on each work shift
during cleanup activities until results indicate no further monitoring is required.
3. All monitoring done at the cleanup site will be documented and the data maintained by
qualified personnel on site.
4. Monitoring will be done in accordance with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120. Monitoring to be
done:
• during initial site entry and characterization;
• if a new potential inhalation hazard is introduced into the work area;
• during cleanup activities, on each work shift;
• if a new task is begun which may involve potential inhalation exposure.

B. INITIAL SITE MONITORING
1. Monitoring will be done during initial site entry. The monitoring will include checking for:
• oxygen (O2) deficiency using a direct reading oxygen meter;
• flammable atmospheres (%LEL) using a combustible gas indicator;
• benzene, hydrogen sulfide, hydrocarbons, and combustion by-products (SO2, CO), as
needed, using direct-reading instruments, colorimetric indicator tubes, and/or other valid
methods.
2. Instruments will be calibrated prior to and following use.
3. All monitoring will be documented. (See attached form for example.)

C. POST-EMERGENCY MONITORING (ON-GOING)
1. Monitoring for benzene, hydrogen sulfide, hydrocarbons and combustion by-products will
be done during each work shift on an on-going basis, as needed. Repeat initial site
monitoring if any significant changes occur (i.e., temperature increases, more
material released, wind direction changes, etc.)
2. Checks for oxygen deficiency and flammable atmospheres will be made if confined
spaces are encountered, or as required.
3. Exposure monitoring shall be done as necessary. Personnel samples will be collected
under the direction of the industrial hygiene personnel. Samples will be analyzed by a
laboratory accredited by the American Industrial Hygiene Association.
4. Results of site monitoring will be made available to site workers’ supervision for
informing all affected employees. Results will be available to the Command Center for
review by regulatory agencies.

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It is recommended the training program be previously prepared. Provide a copy of Responder’s Training
Program in place of this form.
This may include:
• Training matrix (jobs vs. training requirements)
• Syllabus
• Training outline
• Site-specific training should be done during pre-entry briefing

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ATTACHMENT: CONFINED SPACE ENTRY PROCEDURE

Provide a copy of Responder’s Confined Space Entry Program in place of this form (if needed).

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ATTACHMENT: SAFE WORK PRACTICES FOR BOATS

Ensure that all boats and operators comply with the appropriate state and federal regulations. In addition
to the items discussed below, certain types of vessels will require such items as USCG approved fire
extinguishers, backfire flame control, powered ventilation, sound signaling devices (different from
emergency signals), navigation lights/signals, pollution placards, and marine sanitation devices.
1. Boat operators must familiarize themselves and passengers with safety features and equipment on
their boats.
2. Boats must be operated by qualified individuals.
3. Life jackets, work vests, cold water immersion suits, or other appropriate USCG approved Personal
Floatation Devices (PFDs) must be worn by personnel in boats.
a. Use of cold-water immersion suits is particularly critical under conditions of cold stress.
b. Types of PFDs:
• Type I Offshore life jacket provides the most buoyancy. It is effective for all waters and
intended specifically for open, rough, or remote waters where rescue may be delayed.
• Type II Near-shore buoyancy vests are intended for calm, inland water, or where there is a
good chance of quick rescue.
• Type III Floatation aids are good for calm, inland water, or where there is a good chance of
quick rescue. Examples: float coats, fishing vests, and ski vests.
• Type IV These are throw able devices, not intended to be worn or to replace those that are
worn.
• Type V Special Use. These are intended for specific activities (according to the conditions on
the labels). Some examples: deck suits, cold water immersion suits, work vests, and hybrid
PFDs below.
• Type VI Hybrid Inflatables. These PFDs contain a small amount of inherent buoyancy and an
inflatable chamber. Performance equals that of a Type I, II, or III PFD (as noted on the label)
when inflated.
4. Boats should generally not be operated for oil recovery after sunset. If this is required or poses
minimal risk, areas of operation should be carefully prescribed, and individual boat operators should
maintain a communication schedule with a shore base. Each boat should be fully equipped with
appropriate running lights and emergency signaling devices, and personnel onboard should be
wearing emergency night signaling devices.
5. Distress signals (three or more for day and three or more for night) should be carried on board all
vessels. These devices may be required by regulation. They may be stored on board or issued to
individuals. If stored on board, they should be in a sealed, watertight, orange container marked
―DISTRESS SIGNALS‖.
a. USCG-approved pyrotechnic visual distress signals include red flares (hand-held or aerial), range
smoke (hand-held or floating), and launchers (for aerial red meteors or parachute flares).
Pyrotechnic devices should not be used near flammable product spills.
b. Non-pyrotechnic distress signals are not approved individually, but must meet certain
requirements. They should be in serviceable condition, readily accessible, and certified by the
manufacturer as complying with USCG requirements. These devices include orange distress
flags, and electric distress lights.
c. Distress flags are day signals only. They must be at least 3x3 feet with a black square and ball
on an orange background.
i. Electric distress lights are for night use only. These devices automatically flash the
international SOS code (...- - -...) so a flashlight IS NOT considered a distress signal. Under
inland navigation rules, a high intensity strobe light is considered a distress signal.
ii. It is illegal to display visual distress signals on the water, except when assistance is
required.

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6. Boat operators must keep their supervisors informed of their area of operations, especially when they
change their work area (if plans call for a boat to move to another location during a shift, the operator
should advise the supervisor of his actual time of departure).
7. Boat operators should never anchor their boats by the stern. This is typically the lowest point on the
boat due to design and/or loading, and is often squared off, making it vulnerable to swamping.
8. Portable fuel tanks should be filled outside of the boat. All sources of ignition in the area of fueling
(e.g., engines, stoves, or heat-producing equipment, and electrical equipment) must be removed
while fueling.
9. Strict adherence to the buddy system must be observed in boats; and all boats should be in direct
visual or radio contact with the shore base at all times.
10. To avoid slipping on wet decks or falling in boats, personnel should remain seated while boat is
underway. Horseplay and speeding are strictly prohibited. Personnel should keep their center of
gravity as low as possible while working in boats.
11. Boat operators must also ensure that boats are not overloaded. The capacity should be marked on a
label on the boat; if not, a general rule of thumb is: Length x Width / 15 = People (150 lbs). since
equipment adds to the weight, it should be considered as well. Weight should be distributed
evenly.
12. Personnel working in or operating boats should wear appropriate shoes/boots designed to help
maintain traction on wet surfaces.
13. Safety sunglasses or hearing protection should be worn by personnel working in, or operating, boats
where appropriate.
14. Fixed ladders or other substantial access/egress should be provided at boat transfer locations from
low water line to platform.
15. Depending on the specific nature of the operations (e.g., work in remote areas), other emergency
equipment that should be considered includes: anchors, radios, bailers, first aid kits, and additional
means of propulsion (e.g., paddles).
16. Workers should be cautioned about using their legs or arms to fend off during docking, or getting
their hands, arms, or legs between vessels or between vessels and docks or fixed structures.

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ATTACHMENT: PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) DESCRIPTIONS

INITIAL SITE ENTRY
If the identity and/or concentration of the spilled substance or its hazardous components are unknown,
initial responders will wear level A or level B protective gear or firefighters’ protective gear and SCBA.
Once the identity and concentrations of the spilled product and/or its hazardous components is known,
the following will apply:

1. PPE Selection Based Upon Site Hazards
PPE selection should be based upon the hazards expected to be encountered at the cleanup
site. The PPE required at the spill cleanup site may consist of:
• Oil-resistant suit
• Oil-resistant gloves
• Oil-resistant boots
• Splash goggles or safety goggles with side shields
• Face shield
• Hard hat
• Hearing protection
• Personal floatation device
• Flame resistant clothing
• Respiratory protection

2. PPE Use and Limitation of Equipment
Several factors must be considered when selecting and using PPE:
• The protective clothing, gloves and boots must be resistant to permeation or penetration
by oil and other chemicals used on the site.
• Protective clothing and gloves should be durable enough for heavy work.
• Protective clothing and glove materials must maintain protection and flexibility in hot or
cold weather conditions.
• Protective clothing must be large enough to fit over other clothing without ripping and
tearing.
• For respirator use, procedures must be in place for the proper selection, use, care, and fit
testing of the respirators. Additionally, wearer must be advised as to respirator expected
life and of monitoring for contaminant breakthrough, etc.
• Protective footwear must have non-slip soles. Additionally, conditions may require the
use of steel toe and/or steel shank footwear.

3. Work Duration
The work duration is expected to last for the full shift and will involve moderate to heavy physical
exertion during cleanup activities.

4. PPE Maintenance and Storage
PPE will be maintained and stored by an assigned work crew. Protective clothing and gloves will
be evaluated during and at the end of each shift and will be replaced as necessary. Boots and
other PPE may be decontaminated for re-use.

5. PPE Decontamination and Disposal
Assigned crews using soap or other suitable cleanser and rinse water may decontaminate PPE in
designated areas. The cleaning solution used will be disposed of in properly labeled containers
according to applicable regulations. Contaminated protective gloves and any other PPE to be
disposed of will be placed in properly labeled bags and disposed of according to applicable
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regulations.
6. PPE Training and Proper Fitting
All site cleanup workers, supervisors and others entering the contaminated zone will be given
training in proper use of PPE. The training will include:
• How to use PPE
• When and where to use the PPE
• How to inspect PPE to determine if it is working properly
Care will be taken to ensure employees are provided properly fitted PPE.
7. PPE Donning and Doffing Procedures
Prior to starting work, all site cleanup workers and others required to wear PPE will be instructed
on proper procedures for donning and doffing PPE. Doffing of contaminated clothing, gloves and
boots must be done in a manner to prevent skin exposure to the oil or chemicals.
Note: Provide additional job-specific PPE information here.

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ATTACHMENT: DECONTAMINATION

SITE:
DATE:
1. DECONTAMINATION (DECON) ZONES:
The work areas at the spill cleanup site will be divided into three zones:
1. Clean Zone (Cold Zone)
2. Contamination Reduction Zone (Warm Zone)
3. Contaminated Zone (Hot Zone)
These zones are to be demarcated at each work area by signs and/or barrier tape or other
means.
Decon is an important part of the spill cleanup program. This is carried out in the Contamination
Reduction Zone. Each time cleanup workers exit the Contaminated Zone they must go through
the decontamination procedure.
Decon crews are available to assist in the procedure as needed. The crews must wear
appropriate protective clothing. The decon crews are responsible for packaging and labeling of
contaminated work clothing and other personal protective equipment (PPE) if not to be reused.

2. DECON STATIONS:
Decon is carried out at a series of stations within the Contamination Reduction Zone. The ground
at each station is covered with heavy diked PVC sheets to prevent contamination of the soil.
These stations and the procedures at each are as follows:
STATION 1 Deposit contaminated equipment (tools, containers, etc.). Use this station for cool
down if needed.
STATION 2 While workers stand in shallow plastic tubs, remove tape, if worn, from glove and
boots. Scrub boots, outer gloves and protective clothing with decon solution (detergent in water).
Rinse with water from hand-held sprayers as workers step from tubs.
STATION 3 Remove boots and outer gloves. Deposit in designated containers.
STATION 4 Remove protective clothing and deposit in designated containers. Remove inner
gloves and deposit in designated containers.
STATION 5 Wash hands and face with mild soap. Shower as soon as practical.

3. EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR DECON:
• Shallow plastic tubs
• Mild detergent
• Long-handled, soft-bristle scrub brushes
• Benches or stools
• Towels
• Tables
• Wash basins
• Plastic drop cloths
• Various size containers
• Decon solution (detergent in water)
• Hand-held pressure sprayer
• Rinse water
• Tool/equipment drop containers, trash cans, trash bags

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ATTACHMENT: SITE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN

Site Emergency Responders (list roles and names):

Emergency Response Plan (describe briefly):

Site Communication System (describe or reference):

Site Alerting/Alarm System:

Evacuation Plan:

Emergency Medical Facilities:

First Aid:

Ambulance:

Hospitals:

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APPENDIX: HEAT STRESS CONSIDERATIONS

The following heat stress information has been taken primarily from NIOSH Publication 86-112 ―Working
in Hot Environments‖.

A. Health Concerns: Excessive exposure to a hot work environment can bring about a variety of
heat-induced disorders.
1. Heat Stroke
a. Signs and Symptoms. Heat stroke is the most serious of health problems associated with
working in hot environments. It occurs when the body’s temperature regulatory system fails
and sweating becomes inadequate to reduce body temperature. The body’s only effective
means of removing excess heat is compromised with little warning to the victim that a crisis
stage has been reached.
i. a heat stroke victim’s skin is hot, usually dry, red, or spotted
ii. body temperature is usually 105 degrees F or higher
iii. the victim is mentally confused, delirious, perhaps in convulsions or unconscious
b. Medical Attention. Unless the heat stroke victim receives quick and appropriate treatment,
death can occur. Any person with signs or symptoms of heat stroke requires immediate
hospitalization. Send someone to get medical assistance/EMT immediately. While waiting for
medical assistance, first aid should be immediately administered. This includes:
i. removing the victim to a cool shaded area
ii. removing outer clothing, wetting skin with tepid water to increase conductive loss
iii. vigorously fanning the body to increase cooling
iv. avoiding shivering, which will only increase heat production

2. Heat Exhaustion. Heat exhaustion includes several clinical disorders having symptoms that
may resemble the early symptoms of heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is caused by the loss of large
amounts of fluid by sweating, sometimes with excessive loss of salt.
a. Signs and Symptoms. A worker suffering from heat exhaustion:
i. still sweats
ii. experiences extreme weakness or fatigue, giddiness, nausea or headache in more
serious cases
iii. victim may vomit or lose consciousness
iv. skin is clammy and moist
v. complexion is pale or flushed
vi. body temperature is normal or only slightly elevated
b. Medical Attention. General treatment:
i. notify the site EMT
ii. have the victim rest in a cool place
iii. have the victim drink plenty of liquids
Victims with mild cases of heat exhaustion usually recover spontaneously with the treatment.
Those with severe cases may require extended care for several days. There are no known
permanent effects.

3. Heat Cramps
a. Signs and Symptoms. Heat cramps are painful spasms of the muscles that occur among
those who sweat profusely in heat, drink large quantities of water, but do not adequately
replace the body’s salt loss.
b. Medical Attention. Cramps may occur during or after work and may be relieved by
drinking liquids.

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4. Fainting. A worker who is not accustomed to hot environments and/or who stands erect and
immobile in the heat may faint.
a. Cause. Enlarged blood vessels in the skin and in the lower part of the body due to the
body’s attempts to control internal temperature, blood may pool in the lower extremities
rather than returning to the heart to be pumped to the brain.
b. Medical Attention. Upon falling down (or fainting), the worker should soon recover.
Examine for signs of injury. If no apparent injury, place on side until awake, then offer
fluids. Anyone who faints should see medical/EMT.
5. Heat Rash. Heat rash, also known as prickly heat, is likely to occur in hot, humid environments
where heat is not easily removed from the surface of the skin by evaporation and the skin
remains wet most of the time.
a. Signs and Symptoms. The sweat ducts become plugged, and a skin rash soon appears.
When the rash is extensive or when it is complicated by infection prickly heat can be very
uncomfortable and may reduce a worker’s performance.
b. Medical Attention. Rest in a cool place part of each day. Regularly bathe and dry the skin.
Avoid tight fitting undergarments.
6. Transient Heat Fatigue. Transient heat fatigue refers to the temporary state of discomfort and
mental or psychological strain arising from prolonged heat exposure. Workers unaccustomed to
the heat are particularly susceptible and can suffer, to varying degrees, a decline in task
performance, coordination, alertness and vigilance.

B. Preparing for Work in Heat. One of the best ways to reduce the heat stress of workers is to
minimize heat in the workplace. However, at oil spills, heat is difficult to control while working
outdoors and exposed to various weather conditions. Humans are, to a large extent capable of
adjusting to the heat. This adjustment to heat, under normal circumstances, usually takes about
5 to 7 days, during which time the body will undergo a series of changes that will make continued
exposure to heat more endurable. Early on in an exercise, shorter shifts with frequent rotations
willhelp with acclimatization

A worker who returns to work after vacation or extended illness may be affected by the heat in the
work environment. Whenever such circumstances occur, the worker should be gradually
reacclimated to the hot environment.

C. Mechanization. Heat stress depends, in part, on the amount of heat the worker’s body produces
while a job is being performed. The amount of heat produced during hard, steady work is much
higher than that produced during intermittent or light work. Therefore, one way of reducing the
potential for heat stress is to make the job easier or lessen its duration by providing adequate rest
time. Mechanization of work procedures can often make it possible to isolate workers from the
heat
source and increase overall productivity by decreasing the time needed for rest.

D. Work/Rest Cycles. Rather than be exposed to heat for extended periods of time during the
course of a job, workers should, wherever possible, be permitted to distribute the workload evenly
over the day with work-rest cycles and regular (and enforced) breaks should be scheduled. Work-
rest cycles give the body an opportunity to get rid of excess heat, slow down the production of
internal bodyheat, and provide greater blood flow to the skin. Providing cool rest areas in hot work
environments considerably reduces the stress of working in those environments. Rest areas
should be as close to the work area as possible, and provide shade. Shorter, but more frequent
work-rest cycles provide the greatest benefit to the worker. Reference ―ACGIH Threshold Limit
Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents and Biological Exposure Indices‖ for
additional information on work-rest regimen.
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E. Drinking Fluids. In the course of a day’s work in the heat, a worker may produce as much as 2 to
3 gallons of sweat. Because so many heat disorders involve excessive dehydration of the body, it
is essential that water intake during the workday be about equal to the amount of sweat produced.

Most workers exposed to hot conditions drink less fluids than needed because of an insufficient
thirst drive. A worker, therefore, should not depend on thirst to signal when and how much to
drink.
Five to seven ounces of fluids should be consumed every 15 to 20 minutes to replenish the
necessary fluids in the body. As a general rule, workers who do not urinate in normal amounts are
not drinking enough fluids.

There is no optimum temperature of drinking water, but most people tend not to drink warm or
very cold fluids as readily as they will cool ones.

Heat acclimatized workers lose much less salt in their sweat than do workers who are not
adjusted to the heat. The average American diet contains sufficient salt for acclimatized workers
even when sweat reduction is high. If for some reason, salt replacement is required, the best way
to compensate for the loss is to add a little extra salt to the food. Salt tablets should not be used.
Athletic drinks should be diluted at least 50% if used.

F. Protective Clothing and Heat Stress. Clothing inhibits the transport of heat between the body and
the surrounding environment. Supervisors must pay particular attention to the condition of their
employees, the work environment and the effects of chemical protective clothing as a contributor
to heat stress.

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APPENDIX: COLD STRESS AND HYPOTHERMIA CONSIDERATIONS

Frostbite and hypothermia are the two major hazards of working in cold temperatures. A cold
environment can reduce the temperature of the body and cause shivering, reduced mental alertness,
and sometimes loss of consciousness. However, a healthy worker who is properly protected and takes
reasonable precautions can function efficiently and safely in cold environments.

A. Factors Affecting Cold Exposure Severity
1. Important factors contributing to cold injury
• exposure to humidity and high winds
• contact with moisture or metal
• inadequate clothing
• General health conditions that affect cold stress severity:
• age
• overall health
• fatigue
• allergies
• vascular disease
• smoking
• drinking
• certain drugs or medications
2. If someone becomes fatigued during physical activity, they will be more susceptible to heat
loss. As exhaustion approaches, the body’s ability to contract the blood vessels diminishes; blood
circulation occurs closer to the skin; and rapid loss of heat begins. Sedative drugs and alcohol
increase the risk of hypothermia by dilating the blood vessels near the skin, which increases heat
loss and lowers body temperature.
3. The actual effects of a cold environment on the body also depend upon how well the skin is
protected. An insulating barrier affects the rate of heat loss from radiation, convection,
conduction and evaporation.
4. Environmental factors include wind and humidity, as well as temperature. The faster the air
movement, the greater the effects of cold exposure.

B. Hypothermia
Cold injury can be localized or generalized. Frostbite, frostnip, or chilblain are examples of
localized
injuries. Hypothermia is a generalized (threatening the whole body) cold injury that can be life
threatening.
1. Hypothermia is an abnormally low body temperature caused by exposure to cold in air or in
water. Hypothermia results as the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. Air temperature
alone is not enough to judge the cold hazard of a particular environment. Hypothermia cases
often develop in air temperatures between 30-50 degrees Fahrenheit. When you figure in such
factors as wind-chill, the effective temperature can be significantly lower.
2. Pain in the extremities may be the first warning of dangerous exposure to cold. Severe
shivering
is a sign of danger requiring removal from the cold exposure.
3. Early warnings of hypothermia are uncontrollable shivering and the sensation of cold; the
heartbeat slows and sometimes becomes irregular; the pulse weakens; and the blood pressure
changes. Fits of shivering, vague or slurred speech, memory lapses, incoherence, or drowsiness
may occur. Other symptoms, which may be seen before unconsciousness, are cool skin, slow,
irregular breathing, low blood pressure, apparent exhaustion, and inability to get up after a rest.

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4. Handling cold stress and hypothermia victims
a. A worker should go immediately to a warm shelter if any of the following symptoms occur:
• pain, numbness, white color in the extremities, ears, nose, cheeks (or frostnip)
• onset of heavy shivering
• excessive fatigue
• drowsiness
• euphoria
A litter should be used if possible for all but the mildest cases.
b. The main objective in handling hypothermia is to warm the body core evenly and without
delay. However, doing it too rapidly can disrupt body functions such as circulation.
The outer layer of clothing should be removed when entering a warm shelter
The remaining clothing should be loosened to permit sweat to evaporate, and changed if wet
Alcohol and caffeinated drinks should not be consumed
Anyone on medications, such as blood pressure control or water pills, should consult a
physician about possible side effects of cold stress
c. If medical help is not immediately available: keep the person quiet, but awake if possible;
avoid unnecessary movement; and if it is necessary to move a hypothermia victim, use a litter
- the exertion of walking or rough handling could aggravate circulation problems or cause
irregular heartbeats.
d. The sudden return of the cool blood pooled in the extremities to the heart can cause
shock. Do not rewarm the core and the extremities at the same time. In a case of mild
hypothermia where the person is conscious, the body may be packed with heat packs or
warm towels at the neck, groin, and armpits. As the extremities begin to recover warmth give
conscious victims sweet, warm drinks. Avoid caffeine or alcoholic drinks.
5. Water immersion victims. Floatation is the most important factor in water immersion survival,
but
may not be available if not provided in advance (see protective clothing notes below).
a. It is especially important to keep your head dry
b. Avoid thrashing about and assume the HELP position (Heat Escape Lessening Posture)
by crossing wrists over chest and draw in knees close to your chest to avoid losing body heat.
By using the HELP position, the head, neck, armpit, and groin areas are protected which are
all high heat loss areas.
c. If others are in the water with you, huddle together to reduce heat loss, aid in rescue, and
boost morale.
C. Evaluating Cold Exposure Hazards
1. Common sense will dictate how much clothing to wear and when to get into a warm area in
most
cases. However, some work environments require more complex evaluations.
2. Evaluating a work environment to determine the degree of cold stress involves measuring air
temperature, wind speed, and the amount of energy expended by the worker.
3. Air temperature can be measured by an ordinary bulb thermometer. Wind speed can be
measured in a variety of ways but can also be estimated as follow:
• 5 mph - light flag moves
• 10 mph - light flag fully extended
• 15 mph - raises newspaper sheet
• 20 mph - blowing and drifting snow
4. Table 2 in the Cold Stress section of the ACGIH TLV booklet estimates effective temperature
using actual temperature and wind speed. This booklet also provides additional guidelines for
controlling cold exposure hazards.

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D. Preventing Cold Stress
1. Reduce manual workload. When cold stress is a concern, personnel exposures should be
reduced by eliminating manual operations as much as possible. Power tools, hoists, cranes, or
lifting aids should be used to reduce the metabolic workload and to reduce the duration of human
exposure. Fatigue is also a compounding stress factor.
2. Dehydration. Working in cold areas causes high water losses through the skin and lungs,
because of the dryness of the air. Increased fluid intake is essential to prevent dehydration.
Warm, sweet, caffeine-free, non-alcoholic fluids, in addition to water, should be available at the
work site for fluid replacement and caloric energy.
3. Warm locations for breaks. For outdoor work such as beach cleaning, where it will be difficult to
warm the work area, it is particularly important to provide frequent breaks in a warm location.
These locations should also be stocked with warm fluids to help warming and prevent
dehydration. A work-rest schedule should be implemented using Table 3 in the Cold Stress
section of the latest edition of the ACGIH TLV booklet for guidance. Providing movable spot
heaters close to the work area can also be effective, and can also prevent secondary hazards
from carbon monoxide when workers attempt to warm themselves near running engines. If fine
work is to be performed with bare hands, special provisions should be made to keep the worker’s
hands warm using such things as warm air jets, radiant heaters, or contact warm plates.
4. Indoor/outdoor wind breaks and shelter. The work area should be shielded if the air speed at the
job site is increased by winds, draft, or ventilating equipment. For example, bird/mammal
rehabilitation may be conducted in large warehouse type buildings where heating may be difficult.
Wet work stations (such as washing or drying stations) should be enclosed by barriers to reduce
drafts.
5. Scheduling and task management. Schedule the coldest work for the warmest part of the day.
Move work to warmer areas whenever possible. Assign extra workers to highly demanding tasks.
Make relief workers available for workers who need a break. The buddy system is required for
all waste site operations. This is particularly important when working in stressful environments.
Minimize sitting still or standing around for long periods. Older workers need to be extra careful
in the cold. Additional insulating clothing and reduced exposure time should be considered for
these workers. Sufficient sleep and good nutrition are important for maintaining a high level of
tolerance to cold.
6. Protective clothing/equipment.
a. General considerations.
Provisions for additional total body protection are required if work is performed in an
environment at or below 4O C (39.2OF)
At air temperatures of 2OC (35.6OF) workers who become immersed in water or whose
clothing gets wet should be given dry clothing immediately and treated for hypothermia
Continuous exposure of skin should not be permitted when the air sped and temperature
results in an equivalent chill temperature of -32OC (-25.6OF).
b. Insulation. It is essential to preserve the air space between the body and the outer layer
of clothing to retain body heat. The more air pockets each layer of clothing has, the better
the
insulation.
i. Outer layer should be windproof and waterproof. Outer layers should not prevent sweat
evaporation.
ii. Dirty or greasy clothing loses much of its insulative value. Air pockets are crushed or
filled, and heat can escape more easily.
iii. Any interference with the circulation of blood reduces the amount of heat delivered to the
extremities. All clothing should be loosely worn and unrestrictive.

c. Chemical protective clothing (CPC) considerations. While CPC is important for protecting
personnel from hazardous exposures, it is important to remember that CPC ensembles have

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undesirable, as well as desirable impacts on the cold stress on personnel.
i. Undesirable effects. The desired insulating effect of clothing is negated if skin or clothing
is wet. Protective clothing (for cold or chemical protection) can also add to the work
load/fatigue of workers. When cold stress is a concern, care should be exercised in
selecting ensembles particularly for those parts of the ensemble protecting the trunk
of the body.
ii. Desirable. Liquids conduct heat better than air and have a greater capacity for heat than
air. For example, a spill of cold gasoline on skin can freeze the tissue very quickly.
Chemical resistant gloves, such as neoprene with cotton inserts, should be worn to
prevent this localized cold stress.
d. Priority clothing. The most important parts of the body to protect are the feet, hands, head
and face. Keeping the head covered is important because as much as 40% of body heat can
be lost when the head is exposed.
e. Ensemble options. The following items should be considered for addition to worker
ensembles in cold environments:
i. A cotton t-shirt and shorts under two-piece cotton and wool thermal uderwear. Twopiece
long underwear is preferred because the top can be removed and put back on as
needed.
ii. Socks with high wool content. Use thin inner socks and thick outer socks. If cold, wet
feet are a concern, the socks should be changed during the mid-shift break.
iii. Wool or thermal trousers (lap trousers over boot tops to keep out snow or water).
Felt-lined, rubber-bottomed, leather-topped boots, with a removable insole (for heavy work).
For chemical protective boots, air insole cushions and felt liners (steel/shank boots should be
avoided unless needed for specific safety reasons).
v. Wool shirt or sweater over a cotton shirt.
vi. Wool knit cap (watch cap) or (if hard hats are required) specially made hardhat liner.
vii. Face mask (vital when working in cold wind). Note: Face protectors must be periodically
removed so the worker can be checked for signs of frostbite.
viii. Double-layered goggles with foam padding around the edges (extremely cold
environments).
ix. Insulated gloves.
• 60 degrees F, or lower, for sedentary work
• 40 degrees F, or lower, for light work
• 20 degrees F, or lower, for moderate work
• 0 degrees F, or lower, wool mittens should be used instead of gloves
f. Ensembles for work when water immersion may occur.
i. Floatation (personal or throwable) devices are extremely important to avoid unnecessary
swimming that will increase the rate of body heat loss.
ii. Air trapped between layers of clothing will provide buoyancy and heat insulation, but
Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) offer the best chance for survival in cold water. Type
III PFDs include float coats and cold-water immersion suits, which provide floatation and
thermal protection.
iii. Position throw able floatation devices in boats or work areas near water.
g. Selection of materials.

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APPENDIX: FIRST AID FOR BITES, STINGS, AND POISONOUS PLANT CONTACT

Personnel briefed on first aid procedures must understand that ―FIRST‖ aid implies that further treatment
will probably be needed from trained/qualified medical personnel. See the American Red Cross
Standard First Aid Training Manual or the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons’ ―Emergency Care
and Transportation of the Sick and Injured‖ for additional information and updated procedures.
Employers of persons required to perform first aid must have an Exposure Control Plan, which complies
with OSHA’s Blood borne Pathogen Standard. (29 CFR 1910.1030) The employer must ensure
adequate training has been provided on the Exposure Control Plan, the OSHA Standard, and in the use
of ―Universal Precautions.‖ Response team members assigned to staff first aid locations must be trained
in the above before participating in first aid activities.

A. Bee Stings: Persons with a severe allergy to bee stings should carry an emergency treatment kit
and should notify supervisor of allergy upon arrival on site.
First Aid
1. Wash the wound with soap and water.
2. If symptoms of allergic reaction are present, request medical assistance and treat for shock.
3. If stinger remains embedded, try to remove it without squeezing it (this may inject more poison
into the wound). Avoid using tweezers since it may squeeze the venom sac. Scrape the stinger
out with a plastic card (e.g., credit card or driver’s license).
5. Use a cold pack to reduce/limit swelling. Do not place a cold pack directly on the skin! Place
gauze pad or clean cloth on the skin to prevent direct skin contact with the pack.
6 Keep the wounded area below the level of the heart to slow the venom’s spread.
7. Do not administer caffeinated beverages or alcohol since this will dilate blood vessels, enhancing
spread of poison.
B. Spider Bites:
1. Wash the wound with soap and water.
2. Request medical assistance to address symptoms. The person usually recovers after several
days of illness.
3. If symptoms of allergic reaction are present, treat for shock.
4. A cold pack may be helpful if the bite is quickly recognized.
C. Ticks:
1. Grasp the tick with tweezers as close to the bite site as possible and remove it by gently pulling.
Do not burn it off or squeeze its body in the attempt to remove it. If the head remains under the
skin, soak the area several times daily and use tweezers to attempt to remove.
2. Wash the wound with soap and water.
3. If symptoms of allergic reaction are present, request medical assistance and treat for shock.
4. If fever, rashes, or headaches develop within several weeks, contact medical personnel.
D. Animal Bites/Rabies:
1. Get medical attention immediately to address infection hazards and/or need for vaccination.
2. Determine when person last had tetanus immunization (contact unit holding medical records for
assistance).

3. Interview victims and witnesses to attempt to identify the specific animal that inflicted the

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bite.
E. General first aid for animal bites:
1. Control serious bleeding. Apply pressure using a gauze pad. Use of tourniquets is not advised
unless absolutely necessary.
2. Wash your hands before touching a wound. Personnel should wear rubber gloves and face
shield for working around human blood.
3. Wash wounds that are not bleeding heavily. Use plain soapy water. Trained medical personnel
must clean serious wounds.
4. Cover with clean dressing and bandage.
5. Rabies treatment must be administered by medical personnel. Prompt treatment is essential
since there is no cure for rabies if it is allowed to develop in a wound. Rabies shots must be
started quickly in order to prevent infection by building up immunity.
F. Poisonous Snakes:
1. Get medical attention immediately to address poisoning and infection hazards.
2. Determine when person last had tetanus immunization (contact unit holding medical records for
assistance).
3. Interview victims and witnesses to attempt to identify the specific type of animal that inflicted
the bite.
4. General first aid for snake bites:
a. Use of tourniquets is not advised.
b. Wash your hands before touching a wound. Personnel should wear rubber gloves and
face shield for working around human blood.
c. Wash wounds that are not bleeding heavily. Use plain soapy water. Trained medical
personnel must clean serious wounds.
d. Cover with clean dressing and bandage.
e. Serious health effects of poisonous snakebites will be greatly reduced by keeping the
victim as calm as possible and seeking prompt medical attention.
i. Keep the victim still. This will slow the spreading of venom.
ii. Place the bite area below the level of the heart to slow the spread of venom.
iii. Wash the bite area with soap and water.
iv. Use a splint to immobilize the bitten area if it is on an arm or leg.
v. Use a cold pack if medical attention may be delayed. Do not place a cold pack
directly on
the skin! Place a gauze pad or clean cloth on the skin to prevent direct skin contact
with the cold pack.
vi. Treat for shock if necessary.
vii. Do not administer caffeinated beverages or alcohol since this will dilate blood
vessels.
viii. Do not use incisions or suction to attempt to draw out poison.
ix. Seeking prompt medical attention and keeping the victim still are the two most
important keys to minimizing this health risk. However, the need to move the victim
toward medical attention will also tend to spread the venom. As a general rule, do
not move the victims toward medical care unless this will delay treatment by more
than a half hour.
G. Poisonous Plants:
1. Do not scratch. Scratching will only spread the poison and work it into the skin.
2. If these plants are accidentally touched, the plant sap should be washed off the affected area
with soapy water immediately. Remove and wash any clothing that came in contact with the
plant.
3. Medical attention may be needed if prolonged or serious conditions result.
4. Calamine lotion, hydrocortisone cream, or a cool compress may reduce the discomfort.

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REFERENCES:

Rehabilitating Oiled Sea Birds--A Field Manual. International Bird Rescue Research Center, 699 Potter
St., Berkeley, CA 94710.
Oiled Bird Rehabilitation--A Guide for Establishing and Operating a Treatment Facility for Oiled Birds.
Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, Inc., P.O. Box 289, Wilmington, DE 19899.

A. Operations of concern include:
• Hazing
• Bird Capture
• Transportation to Rehabilitation (Rehab) Center
• Triage and Rehab
• Transportation and Return to Habitat
• Logistics and Support
B. Hazards to be addressed.
1. Handling of birds. Handling of birds must be done by properly trained personnel to ensure the
protection of both bird and handler. Wild birds have no way of knowing or understanding human
intentions. Even a greatly weakened bird can inflict serious injury to handlers, especially to
human eyes. Open wounds on hands and arms can present opportunities for oily contaminants
and disease to enter the handler’s blood system.
2. Contact with oil. The site safety and health plan will provide a more detailed discussion of health
hazards of oils.
a. The primary health hazard associated with oils (crude oil in particular) is dermatitis from
skin contact. This condition may be aggravated for personnel conducting washing
operations. Prolonged exposure to soapy water initiates defatting of the skin, and water
logging may contribute to an initial skin injury by aggravating sensitivity to the oil. Once an
individual sustains an allergic dermatitis reaction it will be nearly impossible to prevent future
outbreaks other than by strict avoidance of any further contact with the oil.
b. Oils splashed in the eyes will also cause acute irritation and perhaps inflammation.
c. Injuries inflicted by birds open a path for the chemical components of oils to enter the
blood.
d. The smell of crude oil or diesels may be irritating to sensitive individuals and can cause
nausea even at otherwise non-toxic concentrations.
3. Slippery & dangerous surfaces. Field personnel will be working on dangerous surfaces. Wet
rocks, oily surfaces (including boats), ice, and steep or unstable terrain presents serious injury
potential for field personnel. This is a particular concern during capture because the choice of
location is purely up to the injured bird. Do not focus attention on capture to the neglect of
personal danger.
4. Work near water. Some of the most serious hazards exist near intertidal or surf areas. Public
beaches are relatively safe locations but oil spills occur at random locations, including those that
may be very dangerous. When working near intertidal areas, serious hazards may include:
• riptides
• undertows
• underwater drop-offs
• unstable banks
• soft bottoms (e.g., mud flats or marshes).
5. Exposure to the weather. Heat stress, cold stress, hypothermia, and sunburn should all be
considered as potential hazards for field personnel.
6. Electrical/shock hazards. Electrical equipment used in Rehab centers must be kept away from or
adequately protected from wet areas.
C. Safe Work Practices:
1. Never work alone in the field. Always work in teams of at least two people.
2. Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) for field operations:

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a. Dress for the weather!
i. Dress adequately for the cold or heat.
ii. Clothing guidelines for cold/hot weather are provided in other attachments.
iii. Bring a rain suit if there is any chance of getting caught in the rain.
iv. Bring a dry change of clothing in case you get wet and/or cold.
v. Even in hot dry weather personnel are at risk from poisonous plants, ticks, thick brush, or
snakes. Dress accordingly.
b. Prevent skin contact with oil.
i. Bring a change of work clothing in case you get wet, cold or dirty.
ii. Wear chemical resistant clothing appropriate for the exposure. Gloves, coverall pants,
aprons, rain slicker jackets, and boots may be worn to prevent contact with oils.
Neoprene is a common material that is resistant to many oils.
iii. Plastic trash bags or a suitable container should be available for holding oily gear.
iv. Clean oily gear at the rehab center or dispose of it properly. Do not bring contaminated
clothing or equipment home with you.
c. Wear floatation work vests or other Personnel Floatation Devices (PFDs) approved by the US
Coast Guard while working in boats, over the water, in the surf, or on sloping banks near the
water. If hypothermia is a consideration, cold-water immersion suits will be required in boats.
d. Bring sunglasses and sunscreen during the summer. Glasses or goggles should be worn
while handling birds.
e. Wear sturdy rubber boots or hip waders if there is any chance of working in wet or oily
locations.
f. Wear long sleeved garments for working in brushy areas, for sun protection, and for
protection from bites.
g. See Attachment for First Aid for Bites, Stings, and Poisonous Plants.
i. In particular, wear snake leggings in grassy/marshy areas or snake hazard areas.
ii. Stay alert for all of these hazards and report encounters to your supervisor in order to
pass the word to others.
iii. If you have allergic reactions to any of the hazards above, let your supervisor know and
stay away from recognized hazards.
h. While handling oily birds during capture, wear sturdy gloves that are resistant to oil.
i. Avoid leather clothing or articles. Leather is easily contaminated by oil, and cannot be
completely cleaned once contaminated.
j. Use soap and water, or waterless hand cleaner for removing oil after captures.
k. Wear long clothing and insect repellent in tick areas. Partners should examine each other for
ticks during breaks and at the end of the day.
l. Carry a throwing line if there is a chance of getting caught in soft muds/sands, or falling into
the water.
3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for working rehab centers:
a. Not all facilities will be heated or air-conditioned. Dress adequately and bring a change of
clothing. Dress adequately for the cold in particular. Bring a rain suit if there is any chance of
working outside in the rain. Clothing guidelines for cold weather are provided in other
attachments.
b. Bring a change of work clothing if you will be working with oil or contaminated water.
i. Suitable containers should be available for holding oil gear.
ii. Use aprons, rain slickers & pants, boots or boot covers, and gloves that are
resistant to
oils (neoprene is a common material that is resistant to many oils).
iii. Clean oily gear at the Rehab center or throw it away. Do not bring contaminated
clothes
or equipment home with you.

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4. Immunization.
a. Personnel working in the field or handling birds in centers should have an up-to-date
tetanus immunization.
b. Rabies vaccination should be administered to persons bitten by wild animals. Check with
the
local ASPCA and/or Center for Disease Control (CDC) to determine if rabies vaccines are
recommended for a specific geographical area.
5. Handling birds. Never handle birds unless trained in handling procedures. Reference (a)
provides specific details on capturing and handling procedures.
a. Never hold birds near your face. Keep them down at waist level.
b. Work with a partner in the field. One person should hold the bird while another helps
direct
the bird into a transportation container.
c. For prolonged handling (such as during washing):
i. use a beak gag to minimize biting and poking hazards; and
ii. work with a partner (one person controls the head while the other works with the
body).
6. Design and construction of rehab centers.
a. Prior to constructing or using a facility, consult with local fire officials about local fire
ordinances.
b. Electrical outlets, cords, appliances, and power tools should be kept away from cleaning
and pool areas as much as possible. Ground fault circuit interrupters must be installed for
electrical equipment used in wet locations, and should be used in most others. Depending
on the construction of rehab centers, the use of exterior grade electrical wire should be
considered for many locations. Electrical cords must be maintained in good condition. See
the main text discussion on the use of power tools.
c. Personal hygiene must be maintained in the field and especially in centers. Contact with
bird carcasses, droppings in bedding and on surfaces, and spoiled food are a particular
concern.
i. Washing and sanitation areas should be maintained between treatment/work areas
and personnel areas. Hand lotion should also be available to minimize skin irritation
from frequent washing.
d. The general layout of rehab centers should provide careful separation of contaminated
areas and clean areas. Hygiene facilities and contaminated equipment drops should be
located in a buffer zone between contaminated areas and clean areas. Locations that can
be easily maintained as clean for administrative areas, rest areas, eating/drinking areas, and
smoking areas should be selected before constructing pens, cleaning stations, or receiving
birds for treatment.
e. Food service should be carefully considered for rehab centers and field staging areas.
i. Hot beverages should be provided for cold weather work (personnel returning from
the field, or center personnel working with water). Personnel working in heat or cold
stress conditions need to take in extra fluids to avoid dehydration.
ii. Spoiled/contaminated foods can cause outbreaks of food poisoning. If cooking and
refrigerating facilities are not available at centers, food should be selected for
resistance to spoiling and discarded before it poses a health hazard. Support from
public health officials is recommended.
f. For the protection of personnel and animals, procedures must be established for the
regular cleaning of handling and holding areas. Provisions must be made for holding all
water wastes from cleaning stations and pools.
g. Locations for handling diseased or dead birds should be chosen before construction.
These locations should provide isolation, and separate provisions for waste removal.

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h. Plan for visitors at rehab centers. Visitors pose a hazard to the animals under care and
vice versa. It is highly recommended that a procedure be specifically adapted for receiving
visitors and providing tours.
i. Provide visitors with a briefing in an uncontaminated/non-working area including
rules and precautions.
ii. Tour guides should take visitors on a brief tour that has been specifically
approved. Visitors should not be allowed to touch or approach animals.
iii. Child visitors should generally be discouraged or be provided with a special tour
that involves a minimal exposure to the animals and work.
iv. Children should not be allowed in the work areas. If children volunteers are used
in a rehab effort, they should be kept away from the working areas in the center or
the field. Tasks should be carefully selected for safe administrative or support
functions.

D. Remember
1. A sick or injured person cannot help rehab efforts. Take care of yourself.
2. There are lots of opportunities to support bird rehab that do not involve handling birds, contacting
oil, or working in dangerous field conditions. Food service, cleaning, supply driving, tours for
visitors, computer data, working the phones and many other administrative tasks are available for
those people that are not prepared for working directly with the birds.

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CHAPTER 9680

OIL SPILL BEST
MANAGEMENT
PRACTICES

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9680 OIL SPILL BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

9681 Open Water Habitats

9681.1 Booming

Booms are flexible floating barriers that are placed on the surface of the water to control the spread of
spilled oil and to protect ecologically sensitive areas. Oil spill containment booms generally have five
operating components—flotation chamber, freeboard, skirt, tension member and ballast. The overall
height of the boom is divided between the freeboard, the portion above the surface of the water, and
the skirt, the portion below the water surface. Boom heights range from approximately 6 inches to over
90 inches, to address different types of water bodies and environmental conditions. Flotation attached
to the freeboard and ballast (e.g., chain, weights) attached to the skirt enable the boom to float upright
in the water. In other words, the plane created by the boom is perpendicular to that of the surface of
the water. Boom is typically made up of 50-foot sections; the sections, and the connectors between
sections, provide flexibility both in boom length and shape. Depending on the specific booming
strategy employed, boom is towed through the water, anchored in place (typically in water less than
100 ft deep), or attached to the shoreline or to a vessel.

There are four basic booming strategies contained in the NWACP: (1) containment, where boom is
used to contain and concentrate the oil until it can be removed; (2) deflection, where boom is used redirect
floating oil away from sensitive areas; (3) diversion, where boom is used to re-direct floating oil
toward recovery sites that have slower flow, better access for equipment and personnel, and a way to
remove the oil; and (4) exclusion, where boom is used to keep oil out of a sensitive area. In addition,
booming strategies can be used in combination with each other. Boom may also be used to enhance
recovery of oil by skimmers (de-scribed in greater detail below) or to collect and concentrate a sufficient
thickness of oil on the water surface to allow in-situ burning (described in greater detail below). During
a response, boom is typically in place for days to a week, depending on the spill. During that time,
boom may be moved and repositioned to maximize its effectiveness at containing, excluding, diverting
or deflecting oil.

Boom can potentially be used in all open water habitats, depending on environmental conditions, but
boom placement may be constrained by water depth and boat accessibility (except in the cases of very
small bodies of water, where boom may be deployed by hand). Boom may come in contact with the
substrate in shallow water or along shore-lines. However, this is undesirable in most cases, as typical
floating boom that comes into contact with the substrate is likely to lie flat and lose its ability to contain
oil. Boom designed for this specific purpose (i.e., to maintain containment after coming in contact with
the substrate), known as intertidal or tidal seal boom, may be used for oil containment along shorelines.
Like other boom, intertidal boom floats up and down over tidal cycles. However, the skirt is replaced
by one or two continuous tubes filled with water, which forms a seal with the substrate. As a result, a
vertical plane is maintained by the boom and it continues containing oil as the tide recedes. Traditional
boom attached to the shoreline typically comes in contact with substrate along shorelines for only a
short distance, usually less than 10 ft, depending on the slope of the shoreline. In addition to shallow
water depths, the effectiveness of booming strategies can be significantly reduced by wind, currents,
waves and the presence of large quantities of floating debris. For maximum boom effectiveness, the
depth of the water should be at least 5 times the draft of the boom. Once deployed, boom is routinely
checked and repositioned by response personnel using small boats to maximize its effectiveness in
changing environmental conditions.

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9681.2 Removal of Floating Oil — Sorbents

The objective of this response is to remove floating oil by allowing it to adhere to pads or rolls made of
oleophilic material. The dimensions of sorbent pads are typically 2 feet by 2 feet. Sorbent rolls are
approximately the same width as pads and may be 100 ft long. The use of sorbents to remove floating
oil is different from the use of skimmers in two ways: (1) the use of sorbents is a passive oil collection
technique that requires no mechanized equipment, whereas skimmers may be attached to active
vessels for oil collection and (2) sorbents are left temporarily in the affected environment to adsorb oil in
a specific locale, whereas skimmers may transit in order to collect oil in a broader area.

Sorbents are most likely to be used to remove floating oil in nearshore environments that contain
shallow water. They are often used as a secondary method of oil removal following gross oil removal,
such as skimming. Sorbents may be used for all types of oil; lighter oils absorb into the material and
heavier oils adsorb onto the surface of sorbent material, requiring sorbents with greater surface area.
Retrieval of sorbent material is mandatory, as well as at least daily monitoring to check that sorbents
are not adversely affecting wildlife or breaking apart after lengthy deployments. However, sorbent
materials generally do not remain in the environment for longer than one day.

9681.3 Removal of Floating Oil — Skimmers

The objective of this response action is to recover floating oil from the water surface using mechanized
equipment known as skimmers. There are numerous types or categories of skimming devices,
including weir, centrifugal, submersion plane, and oleophilic. (1) Weir skimmers use gravity to drain oil
from the water surface into a submerged holding tank. Once in the holding tank, oil may be pumped
away to larger storage facilities. (2) Centrifugal (also vortex) skimmers create a water/oil whirlpool in
which the heavier water forces oil to the center of the vortex. Once in the center, oil may be pumped
away from the chamber within the skimmer. (3) Submersion plane skimmers (Figure A-7) use a belt or
inclined plane to push the oil beneath the water surface and toward a collection well in the hull of the
vessel. Oil is scraped from the surface or removed by gravity and then flows upward into a collection
well where it is subsequently removed with a pump. (4) Oleophilic (i.e., having an affinity for oil)
skimmers (Figure A-8) may take on several forms (e.g., disc, drum, belt, rope, brush), but the general
principle of oil collection remains the same; oil on the surface of the water adheres to a rotating
oleophilic surface. Once oil has adhered to the surface it may be scraped off into containers or
pumped directly into large storage tanks.

Skimmers are placed at the oil/water interface to recover, or skim, oil from the water surface.
Skimmers may be operated independently from shore, be mounted on vessels, or be completely
selfpropelled. To minimize the amount of water collected incidental to skimming oil, booming may be used
in conjunction with skimming to concentrate the floating oil in a wedge at the back of the boom, which
provides a thick layer of oil to the skimmer head.

In shallow water, hoses attached to vacuum pumps may be used instead of other skimming devices
described earlier in this section. Oil may be removed from the water surface using circular hose heads
(4 to 6 inches in diameter); however, this is likely to result in the intake of a large water-to-oil ratio and
inefficient oil removal. Inefficient oil removal of this kind may also result in adverse effects to organisms
in the surrounding water. In-stead, flat head nozzles, sometimes known as ―duckbills‖ are often
attached to the suction end of the hose in order to maximize the contact between the oil and vacuum,
minimizing the amount of water that is removed from the environment. Duckbills (very much like an
attachment to a vacuum cleaner) are typically 18 inches or less in width and less than 2 inches in height. In
other words, duckbills are relatively small and designed for maximizing the amount of oil removed from the
water surface relative to the volume of water re-moved. Vacuum hoses may also be attached to small,
portable skimmer heads to recover oil they have collected. Adequate storage for

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recovered oil/water mixtures, as well as suitable transfer capability, must be available. Recovery
systems that use skimmers are often placed where oil naturally accumulates: in pockets, pools or
eddies.

Skimming can be used in all water environments (weather and visibility permitting) for most oils. The
presence of large waves, strong currents, debris, seaweed, kelp, as well as viscous oils, will reduce
skimmer efficiency.

Decanting

Efforts are made to minimize the amount of water collected during skimming (as discussed above).
However, the collection of water, in addition to oil, may be a reality under some circumstances. Limited
storage capacity for oil and water collected through skimming may constrain a response and the
removal of floating oil. Decanting is a procedure that can help maximize the use of temporary storage
capacity. When decanting is not used, storage limitations may necessitate that the removal of floating
oil, either by skimming or vacuuming, is ceased until more storage is available. Decanting is the
process of draining off recovered water from portable tanks, internal tanks, collection wells or other
storage containers to increase the available storage capacity for recovered oil. The liquid in the tanks
is allowed to sit for a sufficient period of time to permit oil to float to the top of the tanks. Water is then
drained from the bottom of the tank (stopping in time to retain most of the oil). The water removed from
the bottom of the tank is discharged back into the environment, usually in front of the skimmer or back
into a boomed area. When decanting is conducted properly, minimal oil is discharged back into the
environment. The decanting process is monitored visually to ensure prompt detection of oil discharges
in decanted water and that water quality standards set forth in the Clean Water Act are not violated.

Decanting may be allowed because of storage limitations; however, it may not be permitted in all cases.
In these cases, The NWACP Decanting Policy addresses ―incidental discharges‖ associated with oil
spill response activities. Incidental discharges include, but are not limited to, the decanting of oily
water, oil and oily water returns associated with runoff from vessels and equipment operating in an
oiled environment and the wash down of vessels, facilities and equipment used in the response.
Incidental discharges, as addressed by this policy, do not require additional permits and do not
constitute a prohibited discharge. See 33 CFR 153.301, 40 CFR 300, RCW 90.56.320(1), WAC 173-
201A-110, ORS 468b.305 (2)(b). However, the NWACP advises the FOSC to consider and authorize
the use of decanting on a case-by-case basis, after an evaluation of the environmental tradeoffs of
allowing oil to remain in the environment (because of storage limitations) or discharging decanted
water. The response contractor or responsible party will seek approval from the FOSC and/or State
On-scene Coordinator (SOSC) prior to decanting by presenting the Unified Command with a brief
description of the area in which decanting approval is sought, the decanting process proposed, the
prevailing conditions (wind, weather, etc.) and protective measures proposed to be implemented. The
FOSC and/or SOSC will review such requests promptly and render a decision as quickly as possible.
FOSC authorization is required in all cases and, in addition, SOSC authorization is required for
decanting activities in state waters.

9681.4 In-Situ Burning

The objective of in-situ burning is to remove oil from the water surface or habitat by burning it in place,
or in situ. Oil floating on the water surface is collected into slicks a minimum of 2-3 mm thick and
ignited. The oil is typically collected in fire-resistant boom that is towed through the spill zone by watercraft,
or collected by natural barriers such as the shore. Although in-situ burning may be used in any open water
environment, the environment dictates the specific procedure employed in a given burn. For example, in
offshore and nearshore marine environments, bays and estuaries, large lakes and large rivers a boom may
be towed at 1 knot or less during the burning process in order to maintain the proper oil concentration or

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thickness. In rivers and small streams, oil carried by currents may be collected and concentrated in
stationary boom attached to the shoreline or other permanent structures (e.g., pilings). In small lakes and
ponds the body of water may be too small or shallow to tow a boom and there may not be any consistent
current. Wind or mechanically generated currents (known as herding) may be used to collect and
concentrate oil along the shoreline or in a stationary boom attached to the shoreline.

Once an oil slick is sufficiently thick, an external igniter is used to heat the oil, generating enough
vapors above the surface of the oil to sustain a burn. It is these vapors, rather than the liquid oil on the
water surface, that actually burn. When enough oil burns, to the point that the remaining oil layer is
less that 1-2 mm thick, the fire goes out. The fire is extinguished at this oil thickness because the oil
slick is no longer sufficiently thick to provide insulation from the cool water. This insulation is necessary
to sustain the heat that produces the vapors, which are subsequently burned. The small quantity of
burn residue remaining in the boom is then manually recovered for disposal.

In-situ burning generates a thick black smoke that contains primarily particulates, soot, and various
gases (carbon dioxide, carbon monoxides, water vapor, nitrous oxides and PAHs). The components of
the smoke are similar to those of car exhaust. Of these smoke constituents, small particulates less
than 10 microns in diameter, known as PM-10, (which can be inhaled deeply into the lungs) are
considered to pose the greatest risk to humans and nearby wildlife. For this reason, the In-situ Burn
Policy does not allow for pre-approval of in-situ burning within 3 miles of a population, defined as >100
people per square mile (NWACP, Chapter 4000). All other areas are considered on a case-by-case
basis. Decisions to burn or not to burn oil in areas considered case-by-case are made on the basis of
the potential for humans to be exposed to the smoke plume, and pollutants associated with it. PM-10
exposure is generally limited to 150 micrograms per cubic meter; however, a cap on exposure to PM-10
has been set in the NWACP at 150 micrograms per cubic meter averaged over a 24-hour period
(NWACP, Chapter 4620). Smoke plume modeling is done to predict which areas might be adversely
affected. In addition, in-situ burning responses require downwind air monitoring for PM-10. Aerial
surveys are also conducted prior to initiating a burn to minimize the chance that concentrations of
marine mammals, turtles and birds are in the operational area and affected by the response. SMART
(Special Monitoring for Advanced Response Technologies) protocols are used. They recommend that
sampling is conducted for particulates at sensitive downwind sites prior to the burn (to gather
background data) and after the burn has been initiated. Data on particulate levels are recorded and the
Scientific Support Team forwards the data and recommendations to the Unified Command. Readers
interested in learning more about SMART protocols can visit the following site:
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oilaids/SMART/SMART.html.

It is possible for as much as 95% of the oil contained in a boom to be burned, depending on the
thickness of the initial layer of oil and whether it is possible to ignite the oil. Burning drastically reduces
the requirement for waste storage and disposal. Weathered and emulsified oils that contain more than
50% water are extremely difficult to ignite. Therefore, it is important to make the decision to burn within
24-48 hours of the spill. The NWACP requires that trade-offs between the effects of the emissions
produced from in-situ burning, such as PAHs, and the contamination that may result from floating oil or
oil that washes ashore, are carefully weighed in making the decision to conduct an in-situ burn.

9681.5 Chemical Dispersion of Floating Oil

The objective of chemical dispersion is to reduce the impact to sensitive shoreline habitats and animals
that use the water surface by chemically dispersing oil into the water column. Dispersants are
chemicals that reduce the oil – water interfacial tension, thereby decreasing the energy needed for the
slick to break into small droplets and mix into the water column. Specially formulated products
containing surface-active agents (surfactants) are sprayed (generally at concentrations of 2-5% by
volume of the oil) from aircraft or boats onto the slick. Agitation from wind and waves is required to

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achieve dispersion. Depending on the level of energy, very small droplets of oil (10 – 100 microns in
diameter) are mixed in the upper meter of the water column creating a sub-surface plume. This plume
of dispersed oil droplets rapidly (within hours) mixes and expands in three dimensions (horizontal
spreading and vertical mixing) down to as much as 10 meters below the surface (Lewis et al. 1998,
Lunel 1995, Lunel and Davies 1996, NRC 1989). As a result of this mixing, oil concentrations decrease
rapidly from the initial peak concentrations, for example from 10 or 100 ppm down to 1 ppm or less,
within hours to a day. Dispersion of oil and actual measurements of dispersed oil concentrations have
been conducted and studied in several field studies (Cormack and Nichols 1977, McAuliffe et al. 1980,
McAuliffe et al. 1981, Lichtenthaler and Daling 1985, Brandvick et al. 1995, Walker and Lunel 1995,
Coelho et al. 1995). Dispersed oil concentrations were generally between 1 ppm and 4 ppm within 1
hour after application of the dispersant in all of these studies.

Dispersing oil changes the trajectory of the oil plume from onshore to along-shore, as dispersed oil is
no longer transported by the wind. Therefore, oil dispersion may help protect sensitive shoreline
environments, as wind usually is the dominant environmental factor that carries floating oil ashore to
strand. Dispersants and dispersant applications are rarely 100% effective, however, so some oil will
likely remain floating on the water surface.

Due to the relatively short window of opportunity in which oil may be dispersed effectively, the decision
to use and deployment of this response technique are time–critical. In order to be used on a spill, a
dispersant must be listed on the National Contingency Plan Product Schedule maintained by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. Section 4610 outlines the Northwest Area Dispersant Use Policy.

9681.6 Barriers/Berms and Underflow Dams

The objective of the use of barriers/berms and underflow dams is to prevent entry of oil into a sensitive
area or to divert oil to a collection area. A physical barrier is placed across an area to prevent moving
oil from passing. Oil may be removed using sorbent material (placed in the water where oil is trapped
by the barrier), skimmers or vacuums. Barriers can consist of earthen berms, filter fences, boards or
other solid barriers. Be-cause of the time and labor required to construct berms, they are likely to be in
place for 1 to 5 weeks, depending on the specific event, if the decision is made to implement this
response. This response is more likely to be implemented in shallow and small water bodies than deep
ones. Earthen berms are fortified with sandbags or geotextile fabric (fabric or synthetic material that
enhances water movement and retards soil movement), to minimize the amount of siltation that may be
caused as a result of the structure. Silt fences and settling ponds (or a series of them) are used to
contain any suspended sediments that may be mobilized in the water while the berm is being
constructed in place or being removed. In-stream barriers may be removed using manual or
mechanical means, or both, depending on the accessibility of the site, the size of the structure and
stream and the sensitivity of the area to the use of heavy machinery.

If it is necessary for water to pass the barrier because of water flow volume or down-stream water
needs, underflow dams (for low flow rates) can be used. Underflow dams contain oil with a solid barrier
(e.g., boards, earthen berms) at the water level, while a submerged pipe (e.g., PVC or opening along
the bottom of the barrier) allows some water to flow beneath and past the barrier (Figure A-9). This
response is used in small rivers, streams and drainage ditches or at the entrances to shallow sloughs
when the flow of oil threatens sensitive habitats. The importance of maintaining water quality and
sufficient flow downstream of barriers is recognized (this response is often used to protect sensitive
habitats that are located downstream of the barrier), so these features of affected habitats are
monitored.

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9681.7 Vegetation Cutting

The objective of vegetation cutting is the removal of oil trapped in the canopy of kelp beds, to prevent
the oiling of wildlife or remobilization of trapped oil. Thick layers of oil may adhere to kelp fronds or
collect under the kelp canopy. This response is used in nearshore marine areas along the coasts and
in northern Puget Sound. The upper 1 to 2 feet of the kelp canopy is cut away by hand (bull kelp) or
with a mechanical kelp harvester (Macrocystis). The oiled kelp cuttings are removed for disposal.
Trapped tar balls in the kelp are freed and can be manually collected or flushed to a collection site.
Vegetation cutting is used when a large quantity of oil is trapped in the kelp canopy and the oil poses a
risk to sensitive wildlife using the kelp habitat or when the remobilization of oil to other adjacent
sensitive environments is likely to occur. Macrocystis kelp plants grow very rapidly and continue to
provide protective habitat to marine fishes and invertebrates. Other types of kelp (such as Nereocystis
or bull kelp) may be more sensitive to cutting and removal. Bull kelp fronds comprise one layer, so
cutting may result in loss of protective habitat for associated fishes and invertebrates. If the
reproductive cycle is not taken into account, the kelp forest may not return the following spring.
Resource experts are routinely consulted relative to these concerns prior to vegetation cutting activities.

9682 Shoreline Habitats

The action being analyzed in this biological assessment is comprised of a variety of methods, each of
which may be further subdivided into two or more variations. While the effects of each response, and
each variation thereof, may be discussed separately, they have been consolidated in a similar process
to that followed in the consolidation of shoreline types. For the purposes of this analysis, it makes
sense, both in terms on continuity and succinctness, to consolidate response methods that are similar
in terms of (1) the habitats in which they are used (e.g., sand beaches, rocky shorelines), (2) the types
of effects that may potentially result from them (e.g., increases in water temperature, siltation) and (3)
the overall activities associated with each (e.g., boat activity, use of machinery). Each response is
described below. Variations of each response are included. While variations of a given response are
not typically expected to result in different effects from those described for the response, the inclusion
of their descriptions is expected to increase the clarity of this document. Exceptions, in which a
variation of a response is expected to result in different or magnified effects to listed species, are noted
and discussed in the Effects Analysis section of this document.

9682.1 Removal of Surface Oil

The objective of this response method is to remove stranded oil on the shoreline while removing
minimum amount of sediment. Collected oil is placed in bags or containers and removed from the
shoreline. No mechanized machinery is used, with the possible exception of All Terrain Vehicles
(ATVs) that may be used to transport containers of collected oil to a staging area for retrieval. ATVs
are generally used on sand beaches, and restricted to transiting outside of the oiled areas along the
upper part of the beach. The techniques used in the removal of surface oil can be used on most
shoreline types, but they are most effective on sand or gravel beaches. Generally, removal of surface
oil is not recommended on soft mud substrates where mixing oil deeper into the sediment might occur,
unless this activity can take place from a boat when the substrate is under-water. It is most appropriate
for light to moderate oiling by medium to heavy oils. Light oils such as gasoline and diesel rapidly
evaporate and spread out to very thin layers and are not easily picked up. Removal of surface oil is not
recommended for mud flats, be-cause of the potential for mixing the oil down into the soft sediments.
For similar reasons, removal of surface oil is typically only used along the edges of sheltered vegetated
low riverbanks and marshes, and must be closely monitored.

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Best Management Practices for the Removal of Surface Oil

• Removal of surface oil may be used on all shoreline types with the exception of tidal flats; not
recommended for these shorelines because of the likelihood of mixing oil deeper into the
sediments.
• Cleanup should commence after the majority of oil has come ashore, unless significant burial
(on sand beaches) or remobilization is expected; minimize burial and/or remobilization by
conducting cleanup between tidal cycles.
• Minimize the amount of sediment removed with the oil.
• Minimize foot traffic through oiled areas on non-solid substrates (sand, gravel, dirt, etc) to
reduce the likelihood that oil will be worked into the sediment.
• Restrict foot traffic over sensitive areas* (shellfish beds, salmon redds, algal mats, bird nesting
areas, dunes, etc.) to reduce the potential for mechanical damage.
• Shoreline access to specific areas* may be restricted for periods of time to minimize the impact
of human presence/excessive noise on nearby sensitive biological populations* (bird nesting,
marine mammal pupping, breeding, fish spawning, etc.).
• Separate and segregate any contaminated wastes generated to optimize waste disposal stream
and minimize what has to be sent to hazardous waste site.
• Establish temporary upland collection sites for oiled waste materials for large spill events;
collection sites should be lined with asphalt pad and surrounded by berms to prevent secondary
contamination from run-off.
• Ensure safety of responders by maintaining proper span of control under experienced crew
bosses.

*Operations Section will be advised by Planning Section (Environmental Unit).

Three variations of this response exist: (1) manual removal of oil, (2) passive collection of oil (sorbents)
and (3) vacuum removal of oil. A brief description of each variation follows.

9682.1.1 Manual Removal of Oil

The objective of this variation of the removal of surface oil is to remove oil by using tools such as
hands, rakes, shovels, and other manual means. Collected oil is placed in bags or containers and
removed from the shoreline. This variation of the response can be used on most shoreline types
except for tidal flats where the threat of mixing oil deeper into sediments as a result of foot traffic is
typically greater than the benefits gained through use of this variation. Manual removal of oil is
recommended for use on (1) sheltered rocky shorelines and man-made structures and (2) sheltered
rubble slopes. It is conditionally recommended on (1) exposed rocky shorelines, (2) sand beaches, (3)
gravel beaches, (4) sheltered vegetated low banks and (5) marshes.

9682.1.2 Passive Collection of Oil (Sorbents)

This variation of the removal of surface oil allows for oil adsorption onto oleophilic ma-terial placed in
the intertidal zone or along the riverbank. Sorbent material is placed on the surface of the shoreline
substrate, allowing it to adsorb