scholarly journals Geographic Response Plans: Preparing for Inland Oil Spills in California Waterways

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Burkholder
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Inland Waters ◽  
California Department ◽  
Contingency Plans ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Local Agencies

ABSTRACT #1141189 Emergency regulations governing the development of oil spill contingency plans in California, along with financial responsibility for inland facilities, pipelines, refineries and railroads, became effective in 2015, with final regulations being adopted in January of 2019. With the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's (CDFW's) Office of Spill Prevention and Response's (OSPR's) authority for oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response being extended to inland waters of the State, the need to develop Geographic Response Plans (GRPs) for priority watersheds with higher risk of an oil spill became a top priority. Given the successful history with developing, implementing, and maintaining the California marine Area Contingency Plans (ACPs), OSPR has implemented a similarly effective GRP program. GRPs are driven primarily by access to sites along river systems and lakes where response activities are feasible. The process of developing GRPs for the State has consisted of: 1) developing a consistent document framework based on recently developed GRPs including the Region 10 Regional Response Team (RRT) and Northwest Area Committee (NWAC) GRPs in the Pacific Northwest, the Feather River GRP developed by Union Pacific Railroad in California, as well as previously developed GRPs by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Region 9 (California, Nevada, Arizona); 2) implementing a Statewide GRP Steering Committee (SGSC) consisting of State, federal and local agencies, industry, oil spill response organizations (OSROs), an environmental Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), and a tribal representative; and 3) developing partnerships with industry representatives, and federal, State and local agencies, including first responders [Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) and others] to ensure critical local expertise and information is incorporated in each, individual GRP. With the emerging trend of oil by rail transportation; historical spill threats from pipelines, fixed facilities, and truck transportation; and the promulgation of emergency regulations extending OSPR's oil spill preparedness activities to inland waters, the development of GRPs for at-risk watersheds became critical.

Geographic Response Plans: Preparing for Inland Oil Spills in California Waterways

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 2017419
Author(s):  
Anna Burkholder ◽  
Yvonne Addassi
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
First Responders ◽  
The State ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Inland Waters ◽  
California Department ◽  
Contingency Plans ◽  
Feather River ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
State And Local

California emergency regulations governing the development of oil spill contingency plans and financial responsibility for inland facilities, pipelines, refineries and railroads became effective in 2015, with final regulation adoption scheduled for the fall of 2016. With the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's (CDFW) Office of Spill Prevention and Response's (OSPR) authority for oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response being extended to inland waters of the State, the need to develop Geographic Response Plans (GRP) for sensitive watersheds having relatively high oil spill risk has become a top priority. Previously developed GRPs in California have focused on waterways shared with Nevada and have not considered oil spill response, per se. Given the successful history with developing, implementing, and maintaining the California marine Area Contingency Plans (ACP), OSPR intends to implement a similarly effective GRP program. GRP's will be driven primarily by access to sites along river systems and lakes where response activities are feasible. Current efforts are underway to complete a Feather River GRP. The Feather River GRP has been vetted through the regional Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) which is comprised of first responders, railroad representatives, and federal, State, and local government agencies. The process of developing GRP's for the State will consist of: 1) developing a consistent framework based on the Feather River GRP, as well as previously developed GRPs; 2) implementing a Statewide GRP Steering Committee; 3) developing partnerships with industry representatives, and federal, State and local agencies, including first responders (LEPC's and others) to ensure critical local expertise and information is incorporated. With the emerging trend of oil by rail transportation, historical spill threats from other sources, and the promulgation of emergency regulations extending OSPR's oil spill preparedness activities to inland waters, the development of GRP's for at-risk watersheds is critical. The purpose of this poster is to provide an overview of the efforts to produce GRP's to provide oil spill response strategies for inland waters Statewide.

Is This the Care We Need?: An Examination of Childcare Policy in Pennsylvania

Commonwealth ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennie Sweet-Cushman ◽  
Ashley Harden
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Child Care ◽  
Current System ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Women And Politics ◽  
Richard Nixon ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Childcare Policy

For many families across Pennsylvania, child care is an ever-present concern. Since the 1970s, when Richard Nixon vetoed a national childcare program, child care has received little time in the policy spotlight. Instead, funding for child care in the United States now comes from a mixture of federal, state, and local programs that do not help all families. This article explores childcare options available to families in the state of Pennsylvania and highlights gaps in the current system. Specifically, we examine the state of child care available to families in the Commonwealth in terms of quality, accessibility, flexibility, and affordability. We also incorporate survey data from a nonrepresentative sample of registered Pennsylvania voters conducted by the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics. As these results support the need for improvements in the current childcare system, we discuss recommendations for the future.

Environmental Pollution Control: Regulatory Considerations and a Case in Point

1993 ◽  
Vol 9 (03) ◽  
pp. 159-166
Author(s):  
Jonathan Ross
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Pollution ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
The United States ◽  
Environmental Laws ◽  
Environmentally Sensitive ◽  
Dry Dock ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Local Agencies ◽  
Laws And Regulations

During recent years, the United States has paid increasing attention to controlling and minimizing environmental pollution. One result of this attention is the development of new laws and regulations, enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and by state and local agencies. These new environmental laws and regulations are considerably more stringent than those of past years and they directly impact how shipyards must conduct their operations. This paper discusses these laws and regulations at the national, state (including California, Virginia, and Connecticut), and local levels. With the environmental regulatory background in focus, the paper proceeds to explore the effects of the regulatory trend on one particular segment of the shipbuilding and ship repair industry: floating dry docks. Floating dry docks provide an illuminating example, because of the environmentally sensitive industrial activities carried out on board, such as grit blasting and painting with antifouling paints. The operational norms of floating dry dock pollution control are discussed, starting with present day commercial and Navy facilities, and culminating with the Navy's newest floating dry dock design, the AFDB 10.

TRAINING AND DOCUMENTATION1

1995 ◽  
Vol 1995 (1) ◽  
pp. 1011-1011
Author(s):  
Michael D. Cain ◽  
Linda C. George
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Administrative Support ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Regulatory Requirements ◽  
Response Training ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Local Agencies

ABSTRACT This presentation will visually demonstrate information on oil spill response training and documentation for compliance with current requirements, with a link to the response training and documentation requirements of international, federal, state, and local agencies. Administrative support and a computer-generated tracking system are used to assist in compliance with these regulatory requirements.

United States Coast Guard (USCG) C-130 Air Dispersant Delivery System (ADDS) capability history, deployment in remote areas, and associated challenges

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 2017027
Author(s):  
Tim Gunter
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Delivery System ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Federal State ◽  
United States Coast Guard ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
State And Local

Among the variety of oil spill response countermeasures, including mechanical, chemical, in-situ burning and bioremediation, deployment of chemical dispersants has been successfully utilized in numerous oil spills. This paper will review the history of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) C-130 Air Dispersant Delivery System (ADDS) capability, deployment in remote areas, and associated challenges. ADDS consists of a large tank with dispersant(e.g., 51,000 pounds), owned and operated by an industry partner, used aboard USCG C-130 aircraft designed to be ADDS capable as specified in various agreements for marine environmental protection missions. ADDS is a highly complex tool to utilize, requiring extensive training by air crews and industry equipment technicians to safely and properly deploy during an oil spill response. In 2011, the Commandant of the USCG, Admiral Papp reaffirmed the USCG's C-130 ADDS capability during a hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and the Coast Guard. The use of ADDS in remote areas creates unique challenges, such as logistical coordination between the USCG and spill response industry partners and maintaining proficiency with personnel. It is critical for federal, state, and local agencies, industry, and academia to understand the history and challenges of ADDS to ensure the successful utilization of this response tool in an actual oil spill incident.

scholarly journals Evolution of Contingency Planning in California – a Federal and State Coordinated Effort

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cassidee Shinn ◽  
Anna Burkholder
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Contingency Planning ◽  
California Department ◽  
Joint Preparation ◽  
New Process ◽  
Contingency Plans ◽  
Sensitive Site

ABSTRACT U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) agreed to the joint preparation of oil spill contingency plans following the enactment of California and federal laws in 1990. With little guidance initially, six Area Committees embarked on a new process to create the first coastal Area Contingency Plans (ACPs) in 1992. In 2015, when emergency regulations to expand OSPR's jurisdiction statewide became effective, developing inland Geographic Response Plans (GRPs) became a top priority. Over the last 30 years, the ACPs have evolved into robust, nationally recognized planning documents, and response plans have expanded into inland environments. This paper will describe in detail the contributions and advancements in California oil spill contingency planning over 30 years. It will highlight OSPR's approaches for statewide consistency and coverage, interoperability between various state and federal plans, tools (including Geographic Information System (GIS) and various databases), improved sensitive site contacts and management, and lessons learned. It will also cover goals for future improvements in both marine and inland contingency plans.

Federal On-Scene Coordinator's Investigative Role

2003 ◽  
Vol 2003 (1) ◽  
pp. 609-613
Author(s):  
Captain Jeffrey D. Stieb
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Transportation Safety ◽  
Federal State ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Unified Command ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Responsible Party

ABSTRACT In the United States, the Coast Guard Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC) in the role as Captain of the Port (COTP) is charged with investigating marine casualties resulting in oil spills in the coastal zone.2 The FOSC is in the challenging position of working with the responsible party as a member of the Unified Command, while simultaneously investigating the incident. Complicating the FOSC's balancing act is the likelihood that other federal, state, and local agencies will have an interest in the investigation. The parties conducting investigations (Department of Justice, National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Environmental Protection Agency investigators, and state and local investigators) report to their own senior officials and are not under the direction and control of the FOSC. This article will discuss, from a Coast Guard officer's perspective, the FOSC's conflicting roles as a member of the Unified Command working closely in cooperation with the responsible party to mitigate the incident, and as a federal officer supervising at least one of the investigations. The article will describe the dynamics of significant oil spill investigations and provide recommendations on how investigative agencies should work together to conduct thorough investigations while minimizing the impact on the Unified Command's goal of working cooperatively to mitigate the effects of the spill.

A BOUNTY OF BOUNDARY LINES

1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 (1) ◽  
pp. 969-970
Author(s):  
Lieutenant Commander George H. Burns ◽  
Chief Marine Science Technician Shane M. Laws ◽  
C. A. “Ben” Benson
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Border Areas ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Local Agencies ◽  
Boundary Lines

ABSTRACT Significant inconsistency of boundary lines delineating the jurisdiction of various federal, state, and local agencies unnecessarily complicates oil spill planning and response by increasing the number of stakeholders in these processes. Planning gaps also occur in border areas as agencies concentrate their attention on risks more central to their zones. Compounding these problems is the location of some boundaries that are drawn precisely where the risk of a big spill is highest. More consistent and closer alignment of federal boundary lines and responsibilities is needed nationwide to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of spill planning and response.

Perceived Preparedness for a Mass Casualty Disaster in the United States: A Survey

1998 ◽  
Vol 13 (2-4) ◽  
pp. 28-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Glick ◽  
Marvin L. Birnbaum
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
Local State ◽  
Federal State ◽  
P Value ◽  
Medical Needs ◽  
Medical Response ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Local Agencies

AbstractIntroduction:A mass casualty disaster (MCD) never has occurred in the United States, but such an event remains a fearful possibility. The purpose of this study was to establish baseline information concerning the perceptions relative to the capabilities of the United States to respond to a MCD of persons most likely to involved in the responses to such an event when it does occur.Methods:A survey was constructed in 1995 to query the perceptions of persons in authority in federal, state, and local agencies who would participate in the medical responses to a MCD. Participants were asked to select the most likely scenario, a hurricane or earthquake, that could generate 30,000 casualties within their respective region. The survey requested respondent's perceptions as to the timing of the federal responses and the quality and sufficiency of these responses. The survey also sought information about the availability of plans to meet such a catastrophe in the region, and the frequency with which such plans have been exercised.Responses were grouped by phase of the responses and whether the respondents were employed by federal, state, or local agencies. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. When appropriate, a one-tailed t-test was used to compare the responses of the groups. A p-value = 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:A total of 104 surveys were distributed of which 88 were completed and returned (85%). Both the federal and state respondents had considerable experienced in this area.Overall, the federal respondents were more optimistic about the availability, utility, and timely arrival of federal resources to assist regions in meeting the medical needs. In each of the three phases of MCD responses evaluated (medical response, patient evacuation, and definitive care), there was concern that there were insufficient resources to meet the requirements. States and local respondents perceived that initially, they will be on their own for field rescue, life-supporting first-aid, and casualty evacuation. Respondents acknowledged that a combination of local, state, federal, and private resources eventually would be needed to meet the huge demand. Only 31% federal and 26% state/local respondents believed that there will be sufficient combined local, state, federal, and private resources to meet the requirements for the evacuation of casualties to definitive care facilities outside of the region, and another 50% acknowledged the resources would only partially meet these requirements. Sixty-eight percent of state/local respondents believed that there would be insufficient local, state, federal, and private definitive care resources to meet the requirements for definitive care.Conclusion:While three years have elapsed since the survey was conducted and there have been some improvements in preparedness and responses, concerns center around the perceived lack of resource capability or lack of ability to get the resources to the MCD scene in time to meet requirements. Such perceptions by experienced professionals warrant further review by those at all levels of government responsible for planning and responding to mass casualty disasters.

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