164 



17844 Federal Register / Vol. 45, No. 55 / Wednesday. March 19. 1980 / Rules and ReguJations 



are encouraged to add detailed accounts 

 of successful procedures: 



(iii) Operations, including 

 recommendations, comments or 

 observations on response methods. 

 equipment training or other operational 

 matters which have not been addressed 

 in the review of OSC reports. 



(h) Each coastal RRT is required to 

 conduct an aimual training exercise in 

 which response equipment is actually 

 deployed. These exercises should use all 

 existing capabilities in the local port 

 area. Any funding required to support 

 the exercise should be requested 

 through the normal agency budget 

 process. The RRT shall cooperate to the 

 fullest extent possible in Geld exercises 

 of member agencies. 



(i) RRTs for inland regions are 

 strongly encouraged to conduct an 

 annual training exercise in which 

 response equipment is actually 

 deployed. RRTs for inland regions shall 

 cooperate to the fullest extent possible 

 in field exercises of member agencies. 



(jj The RRT shall be activated as an 

 emergency response team when a 

 discharge: 



(1) Exceeds the response capability 

 available to the OSC in the place where 

 it occurs; 



(2) Transects regional boundaries; or 



(3) Poses a substantial threat to the 

 public health and welfare or to 

 regionally significant amounts of 

 property. Regional contingency plan* 

 shall specify detailed criteria for 

 activation of RRTs. 



(k) The RRT shall be activated 

 automatically in the event of a major or 

 potential major discharge. The RRT may 

 be activated during any other pollution 

 emergency by an oral request from any 

 RRT representative to the chairman of 

 the Team. Requests for Team activation 

 shall later be confirmed in writing. Each 

 representative, or an appropriate 

 alternate, shall be notified immediately 

 by telephone when the RRT is activated. 

 POLREPS to the NRC from RRTs shall 

 include the lime of Team activation, 

 method of activation (e.g., telephone) 

 and place of assemoly (if appropriate). 



(1) When activated for a pollution 

 incident agency representatives shall 

 meet at the call of the chairman and 

 shaU: 



(1) Monitor and evalute reports from 

 the OSC. The RRT shall advise the OSC 

 on the duration and extent of Federal 

 response and may recommend to the 

 OSC specific actions to combat the 

 discharge; 



(2) Request other Federal, state or 

 local government or private agencies to 

 consider providing resources under their 

 existing authoriUea to combat a 



discharge or monitor response 

 operations; 



(3) Help the OSC prepare information 

 releases to the public and for 

 communication with the NRT. Public 

 information is discussed in i 1510.37; 



(4) Advise the regional head of the 

 agency providing the OSC if the 

 circumstances or progress of a pollution 

 discharge indicate that a different OSC 

 should bedesignated: and 



(5) Submit Pollution Reports 

 (POLREPS) to the NRC as developmente 

 occur and not later than 1600 local time 

 of each day of the operatioiL 



(m) Whenever insufficient national 

 policy guidance exists on a matter 

 before the RRT, or there is a question 

 concerning the interpretation of national 

 guidance, the matter shall be referred to 

 the NRT for resolution. Time permitting, 

 further actions will not be taken on such 

 issues until the NRT has ti-ansmitted a 

 position to the OSC and RRT. Should the 

 matter directly affect a Slate or local 

 government the RRT representatives of 

 the affected governments may express 

 their position to the NRT. 



(n) If any member of the RRT dissents 

 from a decision of the RRT on a 

 discretionary action pursuant to the 

 Plan, or an interpretation of the plan, 

 that member may appeal the decision to 

 the NRT in accordance with 

 I lS10.32(m). The dissenting member 

 .shall notijfy the chair of the NRT of its 

 appeai During a major pollution 

 discharge, a member who has pursued 

 an appeal to the NRT may request 

 further review by CEQ. 



(o) Any State or local govermnent 

 representative who participates in the 

 RRT has the same status as any Federal 

 member of the RRT. Although it is 

 preferable that RRTs reach consensus 

 views, there may be occasions when a 

 vote is necessary. On those occasions, 

 each Federal cabinet level or 

 independent agency, the directly 

 affected State, and the directly affected 

 local government shall be accorded one 

 vote only. 



(p) The RRT shall be deactivated by 

 agreement between the EPA and USCC 

 team members. The time of deactivation 

 shall be included in POLREPS. 



(q) Boundaries for regional 

 contingency plans shall follow those of 

 the Standard Regions for Federal 

 Administration as shown in Annex m. 

 Boundaries for local contingency plans 

 shall coincide with those agreed upon 

 between EPA and the USCG to 

 determine OSC areas of responsibility 

 and shall be clearly indicated in the 

 regional contingency plan. 



9 tSIOJS Regional Respona* Canter. 



The RRC is the regional center for 

 pollution response activities. Each 

 regional plan shall specify quarters for 

 the RRC. The RRC provides facilities 

 and personnel for communications, 

 information storage, and other 

 requirements for coordinating the 

 response to pollution incidents. 



; 1510J6 Ot>-Scan* Coordinator. 



(a) The OSC shall direct Federal 

 pollution control efforts and coordinate 

 all other Federal efforts at the scene of a 

 discharge or potential discharge. The 

 OSC shall be predesignated. as part of 

 the planning and preparation for 

 response to pollution incidents, by the 

 regional or district head of the agency 

 responsible for providing the OSC 



(1) The first official from an agency 

 with responsibility under this plan to 

 arrive at the site of a discharge shall 

 coordinate activities under the Plan until 

 the OSC arrives. 



> (2) The OSC shall collect pertinent 

 facts about discharge, such as potential 

 impacts on human health and welfare; 

 the nature, amount and location of 

 discharged materials: the probable 

 direction and time of travel of 

 discharged materials, the natural 

 resources, including fish and wildlife 

 and their habitat and property which 

 may be affected and the priorities for 

 protecting them. 



(3>The OSC shall direct Phase n. 

 Phase m and Phase FV operations; that 

 is. Evaluation and Initiation of Action, 

 Containment and Countermeasures: and 

 Removal. Mitigation and Disposal (see 

 Subpart E, SS 1510.51-55 for descriptive 

 details). Advice provided by the EPA on 

 the use of chemicals in Phase in and 

 Phase rV operations shall be binding on 

 the OSC, except "is provided in Annex X 

 of this Plan. Advice provided by the Fish 

 and Wildlife Service POI) or by the - 

 National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Administration (DOC) on cleanup 

 actions that may affect endangered and 

 threatened species or their habitats shall 

 be considered at all times and shall be 

 binding on the OSC unless in his 

 judgment actions contrary to this advice 

 must be taken to protect human life. 



(4) The OSC shall provide necessary 

 support and documentation for Phase V 

 activities (Documentation and Cost 

 Recovery). 



(5) The OSC will consult regularly 

 with the RRT in carrying out this Plan 

 and will keep the RRT fully informed of 

 all activities under the Plan. 



(b) EPA and the USCG shall designate 

 OSCs for all areas in each region. The 

 EPA shall furnish or provide OSCs for 

 inland waters. The USCG shall furnish 

 or provide OSCs for the coastal waters. 



