166 



17846 Federal Register / Vol. 45, No. 55 / Wednesday, March 19, 1980 / Rules and Regulations 



(d)(1) A Public Information Assistance 

 Team (PIAT) shall be available to help 

 OSCt and agenies' regional offices meet 

 the demands for public information 

 during a major pollution incident qr 

 threatened incident Team members will 

 be trained in journalism, public 

 relations, and photography, and will 

 have a knowledge of pollution response 

 techniques, equipment and the laws and 

 regulations relating to pollution 

 incidents. PIAT will be based at U.S 

 Coast Guard Headquarters and can be 

 requested through the NRC any time. 



(2) If the NRT has not been activated, 

 the PIAT can serve as a center for 

 answering inquiries in Washington, 

 D.C upon request of the parent agency 

 of the OSC 



Subpart D— Plans .. 



J 1510.41 Raglonat contlngeney ptana. 



(a) The RRTs shall develop regional 

 contingency plans for each standard 

 Federal region. The purpose of these 

 plans is coordination of a timely, 

 effective response to pollution inddenta 

 by various Federal agendea and other 

 organizations. Regional contingency 

 plans must have a broad scope. They 

 must indude information on all useKil 

 facilities and resources in the region, 

 from govermnent commerdal. academic 

 and other sources. To the greatest extent 

 possible, regional plans will follow the 

 format of the National plaiL An example 

 of the desired format is in Annex Q. 



(b) Each region indudes many 

 sdentists who can make significant 

 contributions to the response activities 

 of the OSC and RRT. Regional Sdentific 

 Support Coordinators (SSCs) shall 

 organize and coordinate these sdentists 

 and their contributions to the greatest 

 extent possible. SSCs with advice from - 

 RRT members, shall also develop the 

 parts of the regional plan that relate to 

 sdentific support 



} 1510.43 Local conDiiQeney ptans. 

 (a) Each OSC if responsible for 

 developing a local contingency plan for 

 the Federal response in his area of 

 responsibility (Federal local plans). The 

 plan should provide for a well- 

 coordinated response that allows 

 integration of or compatibility with 

 pollution response plans of local. State 

 and non-Federal entities. The plan shall 

 identify environmentally sensitive areas, 

 the probable locations for pollution 

 inddents, the kinds of resources 

 required to respond to pollution 

 incidents, where such resources can be 

 obtained plans of action for protecting 

 vulnerable resources, methods and sites 

 for disposal of recovered oil and 

 hazardous pollutants consistent with 



local and state plans developed under 

 the Resource Conservation and 

 Recovery Act (42 U.S.C 6901, et seq.), 

 and a local structure for responding to 

 pollution inddenta. The Federal local 

 plan shall be developed in concert with 

 and shall be consistent with fire 

 emergency and disaster plans prepared 

 by State and local agendes. To the 

 greatest extent possible. Federal local 

 plans will follow the sample format in 

 Annex n. 



(b) While the OSC is responsible for 

 developing Federal local plans, a 

 successful planning effort depends upon 

 the full cooperation of all agency 

 representatives, and indudes the 

 development of local capabilities to 

 respond to pollution inddents. Particular 

 attention must be given, during the 

 planning process, to developing a 

 multiagency local response team for 

 coordinating on-scene efforts. The RRT 

 must ensure proper liaison between the 

 OSC and local representatives of RRT 

 members. 



A National inventory of pollution 

 response and support equipment (SKD/Q 

 has been developed to help OSCs and 

 RRTs gain rapid access to resources 

 during emergendes. This Inventory is 

 accessible through the NRC remote data 

 terminals at Coast Guard Districts and 

 Marine Safety Offices, and Captain of 

 the Port Offices. The Inventory shall 

 indude privately or commerdally 

 owned equipment as well as government 

 resources. Regional and local planners 

 shall ensure that data in the system are 

 current and accuate, so that OSCs can 

 make full use of it during emergendes. 

 with minimal delays in obtaining needed 

 resources. The Coast Guard is 

 responsible for keeping the national 

 inventory up to data with information 

 bom the regional offices of Federal 

 agendes. 



Subpart E— Oparatlonat-flasponaa 

 Ptiaaaa 



J 1510.51 Phaaa 1— Oteeovary and 

 nottflcadon. 



(a) A discharge or potential discharge 

 may be discovered through: (1) A report 

 submitted by a discharger in accordance 

 with statutory requirements; (2) 

 deliberate search by vessel patrols and 

 aircraft and (3) random or inddental 

 observation by Government agendes or 

 the public 



(b) A discharge or potential discharge 

 discovered through deliberate search 

 should be reported directly to the NRC 

 Reports of random discovery may be 

 provided by fishing or pleasure boats, 

 fire and police departments, telephone 

 operators, port authorities, news media, 

 or others. Such reports should be made 



to the NRC or the nearest USCG or EPA 

 office. (See 5 1510.33(e) and Annex HI). 



Regional and local plans shall provide 

 for all reports to be channeled to the 

 NRC RRC and appropriate State 

 agency (as agreed upon with each State] 

 as promptiy as possible. Reports of 

 major and medium discharges received 

 by either EPA or USCG shall be 

 expeditiously relayed by telephone to 

 appropriate members of the RRT as 

 specified by the regional contingency 

 plan. Reports of minor discharges shall 

 be exchanged between EPA and USCG 

 as agreed to by the two agendes. 



(c) The agency furnishing the OSC for 

 a particular area is responsible for 

 implementing Phase I activities in that 

 area. 



11510.52 Phaaa II— Evaluation and 

 Initiation of action. 



(a) The OSC shall ensure that a report 

 of a discharge or potential discharge is 

 immediately investigated On the basis 

 of all available information, the OSC 

 shall: (1) Evaluate the magnitude and 

 severity of the discharge or threat (2) 

 determine the feasibility of removal: and 

 (3) assess the effectiveness of removal 

 actions. 



(b) When appropriate and as soon as 

 possible after receipt of a report the 

 OSC shall advise the RRC of the need to 

 initiate further Federal response actions. 

 The actions may be no more than 



'activation of the RRT, or a request, for 

 additional resources for further 

 surveillance, or they may extend to 

 Phase in or Phase IV containment or 

 removal operations. 



(c) The OSC shall ensure adequate 

 surveillance over whatever actions are 

 initiated If effective actions are not 

 being taken to eliminate the threat or if 

 removal is not being properly done, 

 advise the responsible party. If the 

 responsible party does not then take 

 proper actions, or if the discharger is 

 unimown or is otherwise unavailable, 

 the OSC shall, pursuant to § 311(c)(1) of 

 the Act take whatever actions are 

 necessary to eliminate the threat or 

 remove the pollutant 



J15ia53 Phaaa III— Contalnmanl and 

 eountarmaaauraa. 



Defensive actions should begin as 

 soon as possible after a discharge or 

 potential discharge is discovered This 

 phase may indude actions to protect the 

 public health and welfare such as: 

 analyzing water samples to determine 

 the source and spread of the pollutants: 

 procedures to control the source of 

 discharge; measiu°es to keep waterfowl 

 and other wildlife away from the 

 polluted area: damage control or salvage 

 operations; placement of physical 



