162 



17842 Federal Re^stei / Vol. 45. No. 55 / Wednesday, March 19, 1980 / Rules and Regulations 



$ 1510.32 Natiooal Response Team. 



(a) The NRT consists of 

 representatives from the participating 

 agencies. It is the national body for 

 planning and preparedness before a 

 pollution discharge and for coordination 

 and advice during a discharge. Each 

 participating agency shall designate a - 

 member to the team and sufficient 

 alternates to insniB r e pres entation. 



(b) Except for periods of activation 

 because of a pollution incident the 

 representative of EPA shall be the 

 chairman and the representative of DOT 

 shall be vice-chairman of the NRT. The 

 vice-chairman shall maintain records of 

 NRT activities along with national, 

 regional and local plana for pollution 

 response. When the NRT is activated for 

 a poUudon incident, the chairman shall 

 be the representative of EPA or DOT, 

 depending upon the area in which the 

 response is taking place. 



(c) NRT meetings ore open td the 

 pubUa Upon invitation of the chairman 

 and with the consent of members, non- 

 government observers may.participats 

 without vote in any meeting of the NRT 

 on matters of their direct concern. They 

 shall be provided with reports issued by- 

 the NRT. Invitations to participate shall 

 be given to a non-Government 

 organization i£ 



[1] The organization can reasonably 

 be expected tomake a significant 

 contribution to the work of the Team: 



(2) The organization's work, past and 

 present has a direct relationafaip ta the 

 work of the Team; and 



(3) The organization is not 

 represented at the NRT through another 

 organization. 



(d) Normally, when the NRT is not 

 activated for a pollution incident it shall 

 serve as a standing committee to 

 evaluate the preparedness of the 

 agencies and effectiveness of plans for 

 responding to pollution discharges, to 

 reconunend needed policy changes in 

 the response organization, and to 

 recommend revisions to this Plan as 

 needed. 



(e) The NRT shall consider and make 

 recommendations to appropriate 

 agencies on the training and equipping 

 of response teams: necessary research, 

 development demonstration, and 

 evaluation to improve response 

 capabilities; and equipment material 

 stockpiling, and other operab'onal 

 matters as the need arises. CEQ shall be 

 advised of any agency's failure to 

 respond adequately to these 

 recommendations. 



(f) The NRT shall'recommend 

 revisions of this Plan to CEQ for 

 approval and publication. 



(g) Scientific advisors shall be 

 designated, from EPA. DOC-NOAA. and 



DOWWS, to advise the .NRT on 

 scientific matters related to pollution 

 response, and to coordinate and oversee 

 the regional scientific support 

 mechanism (see i 1510.64). They shall 

 also evaluate and advise the NRT on the 

 desirability of carrying out research 

 affecting waters and resources not 

 under the jurisdiction of the United 

 States. 



(h) The NRT shall establish and 

 maintain a Research and Development 

 Committee to: 



(1] Provide the latest infansation on 

 Federaiagencies' research., 

 development and demonstration 

 activities for spill response and cleanup: 



(2) Respond to NWt requests for 

 scientific and technical information: 



(3) Identify appropriate research and 

 development initiatives; 



(4] Provide for information exchange 

 uetweeii agencies on response research, 

 development and demonstration 

 projects. The committee shall report to 

 the NRT at the June and December 

 meetings ami at other tunes upon 

 request. 



(i) Ad hoc committees may also be 

 established from time to time. 

 Representatives from the participating 

 agencies with direct involvement in such 

 committees' charters shall serve on 

 these committees. 



(j] Planning and preparedness 

 responsibilities of the NRT are to: 

 . (1} Make a continuing review of 

 regional responses to poUutton 

 bicidents. with an evaluation of 

 equipment readiness and coordination 

 among responsible public agencies and 

 private orgaiuzations. 



(2) Consider necessary changes In 

 policy on the basis of the continuing 

 review of regional responses to pollution 

 incidents; 



(3) Develop procedures to ensure the 

 coordination of Federal state, local 

 government and private responses to 

 pollution incidents; 



(4) Review regional'plans and reports 

 of activities from RRTs, and make siu« 

 that RRTs are functioning satisfactorily. 



(5) Inform the Research and 

 Development Committee on research 

 requirements identified during 

 discharges of unusual matefiaU or under 

 unique circumstances; 



(6) Review contliniously and act upon 

 reports by the Research ^id 

 Development Committee; 



(7) Maintain readiness to respond to a 

 nationally significant discharge of oil or 

 hazardous substances; 



(8) Monitor incoming reports from all 

 RRTs and activate the NRT for a 

 pollution incident when appropriate; 

 and 



[9] Meet monthly or more frequently 

 to review pollution emergency response 

 actions of the preceding period, receive 

 reporis from the R&D Committee and ad 

 hoc committees. Information on the time 

 and place of meetings may be obtained 

 from the National Response Center [see 

 i 1510.33). 



(k) The NRT shall be activated as an 

 emergency response team when 

 requested by any team representative or 

 when a discharge: ' 



(1) Exceeds the response capability of 

 the region in which it occurs; 



(2) Transects regional boundaries; or 



(3) Involves significant population 

 hazards or national pohcy issues, 

 substantial amounts of property, or 

 substantial threats to natural resources. 



When acting as an emergency 

 response team, the NRT shall consist of 

 representatives from the participating 

 agencies. Each representative or an 

 appropriate alternate shall be notified 

 immediately by telephone of the 

 emergency activation of the NRT, 



0) When activated for a pollution 

 Mddent die NRT shall meet at the call 

 of the chairman and shall: 



(1) Morutor and evaluate reports from 

 the OSC The NRT may recommend to 

 the OSC through the RRT. actions to 

 combat the discharge; 



(2) Request other Federal state, and 

 local governments, or private agencies 

 to consider providing resources under 

 their existing authorities to combat a 

 discharge of monitv response 

 operations; . 



(3) Coordinate the supply of 

 equipment personneL or technical 

 advice to the afiected region from other 

 regions or districts; and 



(4) Prepare public information 

 releases and transfer information 

 between the OSC and tfa« Washington. 

 D.C headquarters of the agencies 

 concerned. Public information is 

 discnssed in } lS10i37. 



(m) The NRT shall consider any 

 matter referred to it for settlement by an 

 RRT or OSC when the matter caimot be 

 resolved at regional level on an 

 interagency basis. Unless circumstances 

 dictate otherwise, further actions wlU 

 not be taken on matters thus referred to 

 NRT until the NRT position has been 

 transmitted to the RRT and OSC. Any 

 member of an RRT may petition the 

 NRT for a review of matters considered 

 by the RRT. Petitioning RRT members 

 ' may appear before the NRT to present 

 their arguments but shall not have the 

 right to vote in NRT deliberations on the 

 disputed matter. While the NRT desires 

 to achieve a consensus on all mattera 

 brought before it ceriain matters may 

 prove unresolvable through normal 

 debate or discussion. In such cases. 



