Contingency planning for oil industry

We require oil-handling operations — such as facilities, pipelines, large commercial vessels, and railroads — to have oil spill contingency plans that detail how they would respond to oil spills. We review the plans and test them in complex deployment and tabletop drills as part of our public service.

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Rulemaking

Updated contingency plan rules for state-approved oil spill contingency plan holders became effective on January 18, 2020. These updates:

Established requirements for review and approval of Spill Management Teams and Wildlife Response Service Providers.
Enhanced requirements for readiness for spills of oils that, depending on their chemical properties, environmental factors (weathering), and method of discharge, may submerge or sink.
Enhanced drill requirements to reflect legislative direction.
Updated planning standards to align vessel and facility requirements and ensured best achievable protection is maintained in contingency plans.
Enhanced planning standards for oiled wildlife response.
Established three types of railroads and streamline requirements based on railroad types.

Additional information on the rule updates can be accessed at:

Guidance for rule implementation

Oil spill contingency planning

Washington state requires larger oil-handling facilities, pipelines, commercial vessels, and railroads to have state-approved oil spill contingency plans. These plans describe the plan holder's ability to respond to oil spills. Plans include information on spill response procedures, equipment, safety, communications, and training.

Each company is required to develop, maintain, and test their contingency plan. We review and approve plans on a five-year cycle. The oil spill contingency plan rule requires a 30-day public review and comment period for plan updates.

Guidance and assistance for specific industries

All railroads carrying oil as cargo must submit and maintain an oil spill contingency plan. Updates to Chapter 173-186 WAC became effective on January 18, 2020. The phase-in date for current plan holders is June 18, 2021.

Assistance documentation

Please contact Matt Bissell if you have questions for facility contingency plan in accordance with Chapter 173-186 WAC, Oil Spill Contingency Plan – Railroad
Contingency Plan Boilerplate/Template

A contingency plan must be submitted for review and approval at least 65 days prior to the beginning of operations at a new facility. Facilities with an approved contingency plan must resubmit the plan for review and approval every five years.

Assistance documentation

Please contact Matt Bissell if you have questions for facility contingency plan in accordance with the oil spill contingency plan rule.

All tank vessels and large commercial vessels greater than 300 gross tons are required to develop, maintain, and practice their contingency plan, or sign up with an approved Washington state umbrella plan.

Assistance documentation

State-approved plans See a list of current plan holders and staff contacts for each plan.
Neah Bay Emergency Response Towing Vessel (ERTV) Learn more about the emergency response towing vessel and how it is used.
Technical manual Vessels with contingency plans are required to have a technical manual.

Rules (WACs) and laws (RCWs) governing contingency planning

Contact information

Matt Bissell
Acting Preparedness Section Manager
Matt.Bissell@ecy.wa.gov
360- 280-7061

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Contingency planning for oil industry

I want to...

Rulemaking

Oil spill contingency planning

Guidance and assistance for specific industries

Assistance documentation

Assistance documentation

Assistance documentation

Rules (WACs) and laws (RCWs) governing contingency planning

Related links

Contact information