Subpart L-National Oil and Hazardous

Substances Pollution Contingency Plan; Involuntary Acquisition of Property by the Government

300.1105 Involuntary acquisition of property by the government.

APPENDIX A TO PART 300-THE HAZARD RANKING SYSTEM

APPENDIX B TO PART 300-NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST

APPENDIX C TO PART 300-SWIRLING FLASK DISPERSANT EFFECTIVENESS TEST, REVISED STANDARD DISPERSANT TOXICITY TEST, AND BIOREMEDIATION AGENT EFFECTIVENESS TEST

APPENDIX D TO PART 300-APPROPRIATE ACTIONS AND METHODS OF REMEDYING RELEASES

APPENDIX E TO PART 300-OIL SPILL RESPONSE

AUTHORITY: 33 U.S.C. 1321(c)(2); 42 U.S.C. 9601-9657; E.O. 12777, 56 FR 54757, 3 CFR, 1991 Comp., p.351; E.O. 12580, 52 FR 2923, 3 CFR, 1987 Comp., p.193.

Subpart A-Introduction

SOURCE: 59 FR 47416, Sept. 15, 1994, unless otherwise noted.

§300.1 Purpose and objectives.

The purpose of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) is to provide the organizational structure and procedures for preparing for and responding

to discharges of oil and releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants.

$ 300.2 Authority and applicability.

The NCP is required by section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, 42 U.S.C. 9605, as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), Pub. L. 99-499, (hereinafter CERCLA), and by section 311(d) of the Clean Water Act (CWA), 33 U.S.C. 1321(d), as amended by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), Pub. L. 101-380. In Executive Order (E.O.) 12777 (56 FR 54757, October 22, 1991), the President delegated to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the responsibility for the amendment of the NCP. Amendments to the NCP are coordinated with members of the National Response Team (NRT) prior to publication for notice and comment. This includes coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in order to avoid inconsistent or duplicative requirements in the emergency planning responsibilities of those agencies. The NCP is applicable to response actions taken pursuant to the authorities under CERCLA and section 311 of the CWA, as amended.

§300.3 Scope.

(a) The NCP applies to and is in effect for:

(1) Discharges of oil into or on the navigable waters of the United States, on the adjoining shorelines, the waters of the contiguous zone, into waters of the exclusive economic zone, or that may affect natural resources belonging to, appertaining to, or under the exclusive management authority of the United States (See sections 311(c)(1) and 502(7) of the CWA).

(2) Releases into the environment of hazardous substances, and pollutants or contaminants which may present an imminent and substantial danger to public health or welfare of the United States.

(b) The NCP provides for efficient, coordinated, and effective response to

discharges of oil and releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants in accordance with the authorities of CERCLA and the CWA. It provides for:

(1) The national response organization that may be activated in response actions. It specifies responsibilities among the federal, state, and local governments and describes resources that are available for response.

(2) The establishment of requirements for federal, regional, and area contingency plans. It also summarizes state and local emergency planning requirements under SARA Title III.

(3) Procedures for undertaking removal actions pursuant to section 311 of the CWA.

(4) Procedures for undertaking response actions pursuant to CERCLA.

(5) Procedures for involving state governments in the initiation, development, selection, and implementation of response actions, pursuant to CERCLA.

(6) Listing of federal trustees for natural resources for purposes of CERCLA and the CWA.

(7) Procedures for the participation of other persons in response actions.

(8) Procedures for compiling and making available an administrative record for response actions.

(9) National procedures for the use of dispersants and other chemicals in removals under the CWA and response actions under CERCLA.

(c) In implementing the NCP, consideration shall be given to international assistance plans and agreements, security regulations and responsibilities based on international agreements, federal statutes, and executive orders. Actions taken pursuant to the provisions of any applicable international joint contingency plans shall be consistent with the NCP, to the greatest extent possible. The Department of State shall be consulted, as appropriate, prior to taking any action which may affect its activities.

(d) Additionally, the NCP applies to and is in effect when the Federal Response Plan and some or all its Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) are activated.

NSFCC-National Strike Force Coordination

Center

O&M-Operation and Maintenance
OSC-On-Scene Coordinator

OSLTF-Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund
PA-Preliminary Assessment

PIAT-Public Information Assist Team RA-Remedial Action

RCP-Regional Contingency Plan

RD Remedial Design

RERT-Radiological Emergency Response

Team

RI-Remedial Investigation

ROD-Record of Decision

RPM-Remedial Project Manager
RRC-Regional Response Center

RRT-Regional Response Team

SAC Support Agency Coordinator

SERC-State Emergency Response Commission

SI-Site Inspection

SMOA-Superfund Memorandum of Agree

ment

SONS-Spill of National Significance

SSC Scientific Support Coordinator SUPSALV-United States Navy Supervisor of Salvage

USFWS-United States Fish and Wildlife Service

§300.5 Definitions.

Terms not defined in this section have the meaning given by CERCLA, the OPA, or the CWA.

Activation means notification by telephone or other expeditious manner or, when required, the assembly of some or all appropriate members of the RRT or NRT.

Alternative water supplies as defined by section 101(34) of CERCLA, includes, but is not limited to, drinking water and household water supplies.

Applicable requirements means those cleanup standards, standards of control, and other substantive requirements, criteria, or limitations promulgated under federal environmental or state environmental or facility siting laws that specifically address a hazardous substance, pollutant, contaminant, remedial action, location, or other circumstance found at a CERCLA site. Only those state standards that are identified by a state in a timely manner and that are more stringent than federal requirements may be applicable.

Area Committee (AC) as provided for by CWA sections 311(a)(18) and (j)(4), means the entity appointed by the President consisting of members from qualified personnel of federal, state,

and local agencies with responsibilities that include preparing an area contingency plan for an area designated by the President.

Area contingency plan (ACP) as provided for by CWA sections 311(a)(19) and (j)(4), means the plan prepared by an Area Committee that is developed to be implemented in conjunction with the NCP and RCP, in part to address removal of a worst case discharge and to mitigate or prevent a substantial threat of such a discharge from a vessel, offshore facility, or onshore facility operating in or near an area designated by the President.

Bioremediation agents means microbiological cultures, enzyme additives, or nutrient additives that are deliberately introduced into an oil discharge and that will significantly increase the rate of biodegradation to mitigate the effects of the discharge.

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.

CERCLIS is the abbreviation of the CERCLA Information System, EPA's comprehensive data base and data management system that inventories and tracks releases addressed or needing to be addressed by the Superfund program. CERCLIS contains the official inventory of CERCLA sites and supports and EPA's site planning tracking functions. Sites that EPA decides do not warrant moving further in the site evaluation process are given a "No Further Response Action Planned" (NFRAP) designation. This means that no additional federal steps under CERCLA will be taken at the site unless future information so warrants. Sites given a NFRAP designation are placed in a separate archival data base. Inclusion of a specific site or area in the CERCLIS data base does not represent a determination of any party's liability, nor does it represent a finding that any response action is necessary.

Claim for purposes of a release under CERCLA, means a demand in writing for a sum certain; for purposes of a discharge under CWA, it means a request, made in writing for a sum certain, for compensation for damages or removal costs resulting from an incident.

Claimant as defined by section 1001 of the OPA means any person or government who presents a claim for compensation under Title I of the OPA.

Coastal waters for the purposes of classifying the size of discharges, means the waters of the coastal zone except for the Great Lakes and specified ports and harbors on inland rivers.

Coastal zone as defined for the purpose of the NCP, means all United States waters subject to the tide, United States waters of the Great Lakes, specified ports and harbors on inland rivers, waters of the contiguous 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 and identified in federal regional contingency plans.

Coast Guard District Response Group (DRG) as provided for by CWA sections 311(a)(20) and (j)(3), means the entity established by the Secretary of the department in which the USCG is operating, within each USCG district, and shall consist of: the combined USCG personnel and equipment, including marine firefighting equipment, of each port

in the district; additional prepositioned response equipment; and a district response advisory team.

Community relations means EPA's program to inform and encourage public participation in the Superfund process and to respond to community concerns. The term "public" includes citizens directly affected by the site, other interested citizens or parties, organized groups, elected officials, and potentially responsible parties (PRPs).

Community relations coordinator means lead agency staff who work with the OSC/RPM to involve and inform the public about the Superfund process and response actions in accordance with the interactive community relations requirements set forth in the NCP.

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 is contiguous to the territorial sea and which extends nine miles seaward from the outer limit of the territorial sea.

Cooperative agreement is a legal instrument EPA uses to transfer money, property, services, or anything of value to a recipient to accomplish a public purpose in which substantial EPA involvement is anticipated during the performance of the project.

Damages as defined by section 1001 of the OPA means damages specified in section 1002(b) of the Act, and includes the cost of assessing these damages.

Discharge as defined by section 311(a)(2) of the CWA, 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 the 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 the 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 the CWA, that are caused by events occurring within the scope of relevant operating or treatment systems. For purposes of the NCP, discharge also means substantial threat of discharge.