Preparing for oil and hazardous materials spills

Oil spill preparation involves a continuous cycle of activities that capture lessons learned from spills and drills to improve oil spill contingency plans. In the Pacific Northwest, oil spill planning is part of a three-state effort to manage oil and hazardous material spills in a coordinated manner. The Northwest Area Committee has developed policies and tools for use by the oil spill community.

Our preparedness work

In planning for spills, we:

• Approve oil spill contingency plans, which includes planning requirements for facilities, pipelines, railroads, and commercial vessels.
• Approve primary response contractors, which are private companies or cooperatives under contract with plan holders for response equipment and personnel support.
• Approve spill management teams, which are personnel trained to integrate into an incident command system or unified command system and manage an oil spill.
• Approve wildlife response service providers, which are companies with trained personnel who are qualified to staff and manage wildlife response activities during an oil spill.
• Provide contingency planning guidance for railroads, pipelines, commercial vessels, refineries and oil terminals.
• Develop geographic response plans for use in response to oil spills to water.
• Participate in the development of the Northwest Area Contingency Plan.
• Manage the registration system for volunteers and Vessels of Opportunity.

In training and when practicing test plans, we:

• Evaluate oil spill drills that test and improve preparedness plans, equipment, and procedures.
• Train on Incident Command System roles and responsibilities.
• Verify response equipment and ensure it is properly maintained.

In researching effective response technology, we: 

• Review research and development of oil spill response technologies, training procedures, and operational methods.
• Develop and test response tools to ensure rapid, aggressive, and well-coordinated spill responses.

In ensuring oil spillers can pay for a spill, we: 

• Require proof that commercial vessels have up to $1 billion of insurance or other proof of financial responsibility.
• Require proof that large oil handling facilities, such as refineries, pipelines, and marine terminals have up to $300 million of insurance or other proof of financial responsibility.
   

Rules directing our preparedness work

• Oil spill contingency plan, Chapter 173-182 WAC
• Oil spill contingency plan – railroad, Chapter 173-186 WAC
• Financial responsibility, Chapter 173-187 WAC