ADVISOR, March/April 1995

What are Area Contingency Plans?

The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that each Area Contingency Plan (ACP) address the following:

1. When implemented in conjunction with the National Contingency Plan (NCP), the ACP must be adequate to remove a worst case discharge, and to mitigate or prevent a substantial threat of such a discharge, from a vessel, offshore facility or onshore facility operating in or near the area;

2. Describe the area covered by the plan, including areas of special economic or environmental importance that might be adversely affected by a discharge. In describing the areas of special economic and environmental importance, several factors are considered, including, but not limited to, the presence and proximity of natural resources, environmentally sensitive areas and population concentration; the location of drainage basins and appropriate geographic and/or topographic features; the location of water supplies; and beaches, ports, recreational areas, areas of seasonal significance, and bird migratory flyways;

3. Describe in detail the responsibilities of an owner or operator and of federal, state and local agencies in removing a discharge, and in mitigating or preventing a substantial threat of a discharge. These responsibilities should include specific duties, tasks, personnel, and equipment expected, and the stage of response in which they are expected (i.e., initial response, longterm remediation);

4. List the equipment (including firefighting equipment), and dispersant or other mitigating substances and devices, and the personnel available to an owner or operator and federal, state and local agencies, to ensure an effective and immediate removal of a discharge, and to ensure mitigation or prevention of a substantial threat or discharge;

5. Describe the procedures to be followed for obtaining an expedited decision regarding the use of dispersant;

6. Describe in detail how the plan is integrated into other ACPs; vessel, offshore facility and onshore facility response plans approved under CWA section 311 (j); and operating procedures of the National Strikeforce Coordination Center.

Revised: May 9, 1996
Maintained by Christine Manninen, manninen@glc.org

http://www.glc.org/docs/advisor/95/oil/acp2.html