INTRODUCTION

When a major oil spill occurs in any navigable waters in the United States (U.S.), coordinated teams of local, state and national personnel are called upon to help contain the spill, clean it up, and assure that damage to human health and the environment is

minimized. Without careful planning and clear organization, efforts to deal with large oil spills could be slow, ineffective, and potentially harmful to response personnel and the environment.

The system that has been established in the U.S. for organizing responses to major oil spills is called the National Response System. This document describes the origins of the National Response System and outlines the responsibilities of the teams and individuals who plan for and respond to major oil spills in navigable waters.

THE NATIONAL RESPONSE SYSTEM

On March 18, 1967, a 970-foot oil tanker, the Torrey Canyon, ran aground 15 miles off the western coast of England, spilling 117,000 tons of crude oil that eventually washed up onto the popular resort beaches of England and France. Although the U.S. had not yet experienced a spill of this size in its coastal waters, the federal government began to question its ability to respond to such spills if they occurred here. As a result, in 1968 several Federal agencies developed a plan, now called the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, or National Contingency Plan (NCP) for short, that would bring together federal agencies with various kinds of expertise to respond to oil spills when they occur. The NCP, which was made into law in 1973, established the National Response System, a network of individuals and teams from local, state and federal agencies who share expertise and resources to assure

that oil spill control and cleanup activities are timely and efficient, and that they minimize threats to human health and the environment.

The three major components of the National Response System are the (1) OnScene Coordinator, (2) National Response Team, and (3) Regional Response Teams. The National Response System is activated when the National Response Center receives notification of an oil spill.

The National Response Center

The National Response Center, located

in Washington, D.C., is one of the first organizations to be notified when an oil spill occurs. It is staffed by officers and marine science technicians from the U.S. Coast Guard, and serves as the national communications center responsible for notifying the On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) whose job it is to oversee cleanup efforts at the spill site.

The On-Scene Coordinator

The On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) is a federal official who is responsible for all federal government efforts to contain, remove, and dispose of spilled oil in a major incident. This official is also responsible for coordinating federal efforts with, and providing support and information to, local, state and regional response communities.

The OSC is a representative of one of two federal agencies: the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The USCG has designated 48 OSCS; EPA has designated 145 OSCs. When a spill occurs in coastal waters, the OSC is the local USCG Port Commander. When a spill occurs inland, a regional EPA official is assigned as the OSC.

The OSC is responsible for four main

tasks during an oil spill response: (1) assessment, (2) monitoring, (3) response assistance, and (4) reporting.

Assessment

Assessment involves evaluating the size and nature of a spill, its potential hazards, the resources needed to contain and clean it up, and the ability of the responsible party or local authorities to handle the incident. The OSC typically conducts these activities at the beginning of a response. The results of the assessment are used to determine the need for personnel, equipment, and other resources to promptly and effectively combat the spill.

Monitoring

Monitoring comprises those activities taken to ensure that the actions being taken to control and clean up a spill are appropriate. All spills of a legally defined minimum size must be monitored by an OSC, even though most spills are small and are cleaned up by the responsible party or local fire or police departments. Monitoring can be conducted from the site when necessary, or from an agency office if the situation appears to be under control.

Response Assistance

Once a spill has been assessed, the OSC determines whether federal assistance will be necessary to help control and contain the spill. If the OSC decides that federal assistance is required, the OSC will obtain needed resources such as personnel and equipment. If sufficient resources are not available at or near the spill site, the OSC can secure them using a special fund the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (see box)-- which has been established for this purpose. This assistance is intended to ensure that oil spill cleanups will not be hindered by a lack of personnel or equipment.

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The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund

The company or individual responsible for an oil spill (known as a responsible party, or RP) has legal liability, to a defined maximum amount, for expenses related to containment and cleanup of the spill. However, when the RP is unable to pay for cleanup, funds from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund can be used to pay for removal costs and/or damages resulting from discharges of oil into U.S. waters. This Trust Fund, created by Congress in 1990, is administered by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and is based on a five-cent per barrel fee on imported and domestic oil. It also provides funds for research into and development of oil spill cleanup technologies. In 1990, $25 million per year was authorized to the USCG for its operating expenses for oil spill cleanup efforts. Another $30 million per year (until the end of 1992) was provided to establish the National Response System, and nearly $28 million per year is made available for research and development programs.

Reporting

Reporting on oil spill response actions provides information that is useful for designing or improving spill response plans. The NCP requires that the OSC report all activities that take place during and after a spill. For example, following a spill, the OSC is required to file a summary report that outlines the actions taken to remedy the spill and the level of assistance provided by local, state, and federal agencies. These reports can be used to identify problem areas and can be shared with other agencies who may make recommendations for improvement.

The National Response Team

The National Response Team (NRT) is an organization composed of fifteen federal agencies, each of which has responsibilities in environmental areas and expertise in various aspects of emergency response to pollution incidents. Although the NRT does not respond directly to incidents, it is responsible for three major activities related to managing oil spill response: (1) distributing information,

(2) planning for emergencies, and (3) training for emergencies.

Distributing information

The NRT is responsible for ensuring that information about oil spills -- technical, financial, and operational -- is available to all members of the team. This information is collected primarily by NRT committees whose purpose is to focus attention on specific issues, then collect and disseminate information on those issues to other members of the team.

Planning for emergencies

The NRT ensures that the roles of federal agencies on the Team for oil spill emergency response are clearly outlined in the National Contingency Plan. After a major spill event, the effectiveness of the response is carefully assessed by the NRT. The NRT may use information gathered from the assessment to make recommendations for improving the National Contingency Plan and the National Response System.

The NRT may be asked to help Regional Response Teams (see below) develop Regional Contingency Plans. The NRT also reviews these plans to ensure that they comply with federal policies on

emergency response.

Training for emergencies

One important aspect of any emergency response is preparedness, which is best developed by training. Although most training is actually performed by state and

local personnel, the NRT develops training courses and programs, coordinates federal agency training efforts, and provides information to regional, state and local officials about training needs and courses.

Supporting RRTs

The NRT supports Regional Response Teams (RRTs) by reviewing Regional Contingency Plans and assuring that they are consistent with national policies on oil spill cleanup. The NRT also supports RRTS by monitoring and assessing RRT effectiveness during an oil spill cleanup activity. The NRT may ask an RRT to focus on specific lessons learned from a specific incident and to share those lessons with other members of the National Response System. In this way, the RRTS can improve their own Regional Contingency Plans while helping to solve problems that might be occurring elsewhere within the National Response System.

Regional Response Teams

There are thirteen Regional Response Teams (RRTs) in the U.S., each representing a particular geographic region (including the Caribbean and the Pacific Basin). RRTS are composed of representatives from field offices of the federal agencies that make up the NRT as well as state representatives. The four major responsibilities of RRTS are (1) response, (2) planning, (3) training, and (4) coordination.

Response

RRTS provide a forum for federal agency field offices and state agencies to exchange information about their abilities to respond to OSCs' requests for assistance. As with the NRT, RRT members do not respond directly to spills but may be called upon to provide technical advice, equipment, or manpower to assist with a response.

Planning

Each RRT develops a Regional Contingency Plan to ensure that during an

actual oil spill the roles of federal and state agencies are clear. Following an oil spill, the RRT reviews the OSCS' reports to identify problems with the Region's response to the incident and improves the plan as necessary.

Training

Federal agencies that are members of the RRTS provide simulation exercises of Regional plans to test the abilities of federal, state and local agencies to coordinate their responses to oil spills. Any major problems identified as a result of these exercises may be addressed and changed in the Regional Contingency Plans so the same problems do not arise during an actual incident.

Coordination

The RRTS are responsible for identifying the resources available from each federal agency and state in their regions. Such resources include equipment, guidance, training, and technical expertise for dealing with oil spills. When there are too few resources in a Region, the RRT can request assistance from federal or state authorities to ensure that sufficient resources will be available during a spill. This coordination by the RRTS assures that resources are used as wisely as possible, and that no Region is lacking what it needs to protect human health and the environment from the effects of an oil spill.

SUMMARY

The National Response System is the mechanism established by the federal government to respond to discharges of oil into navigable waters of the United States. This system functions through a cooperative network of federal, state and local agencies. The primary mission of the system is to provide support to state and local response activities.

The major components of the National Response System are the On-Scene

Coordinator, the National Response Team, and

the thirteen Regional Response Teams. These individuals and teams work together to develop detailed Contingency Plans to outline responses to oil spill emergencies before they occur, and to develop or engage in training that prepares for actual emergencies. During oil spill events, they cooperate to ensure that all necessary resources such as personnel and equipment are available, and that containment, cleanup, and disposal activities are timely, efficient, and effective. It is through this cooperation that the National Response System protects human health and the

environment from potential harm from oil spills in navigable waters.