i

Table of Contents

Introduction.............................................................................................................................................1

Section 1: Overview of Area Planning ............................................................................................... 3

A. What is an Area Contingency Plan?...................................................................................... 3

B. How is an ACP developed? .................................................................................................... 4

C.	 What are the benefits of an ACP? ......................................................................................... 4

D.	 What are the statutory and regulatory underpinnings of the ACP?.................................... 5

E.	 What is the relationship of the ACP to other plans?............................................................ 6

Section 2: Initial Steps/Preliminary Analysis................................................................................... 9

Section 3: Area Committees.............................................................................................................11

A. Initial AC recruitment ...........................................................................................................11

B. Project management ...........................................................................................................12

C. Initial AC meeting .................................................................................................................12

D. AC organization ....................................................................................................................13

E. AC operations .......................................................................................................................14

F. AC activities and responsibilities ........................................................................................14

Section 4: Scope and Content of the ACP ......................................................................................17

Section 5: Essential Plan Elements.................................................................................................19

A. Maps .....................................................................................................................................19

B.	 Contacts and notification.....................................................................................................19

C. Resources.............................................................................................................................19

D. Sensitive areas.....................................................................................................................21

E. Hazard analysis ....................................................................................................................22

F. Response strategies and worst-case discharges...............................................................24

G. Response management: roles and responsibilities ..........................................................25

Section 6: Advanced Area Planning ................................................................................................27

A. NOAA Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA)..................................27

B.	 Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations (CAMEO).................................27

C. LandView® 6........................................................................................................................28

D. RMP*Comp...........................................................................................................................29

Appendix A: Statutory and Regulatory Authorities.......................................................................31

CERCLA and EPCRA ...................................................................................................................31

Clean Water Act..........................................................................................................................31

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90).....................................................................................32

The National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) ..................32

The Stafford Act..........................................................................................................................34

Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPD)/Presidential Policy Directives (PPD).....35

Clean Water Act and NCP Area Plan Requirements.................................................................38
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Appendix B: Area Committees.........................................................................................................41

Appendix C: ACP Formats, Scope and Organization ....................................................................43

Appendix D: Tools...............................................................................................................................45

Appendix E: Contact/Notification Lists ..........................................................................................47

Appendix F: Resource Inventory Development.............................................................................49

Appendix G: Response Strategy Development..............................................................................51

Appendix H: Resources for Assistance in ACP Development......................................................53

Appendix I: Volunteers.....................................................................................................................55

Appendix J: Acronyms ......................................................................................................................57
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Disclaimer

This Handbook includes links to documents and information on non-EPA 

sites. Links to non-EPA sites and documents do not imply any official EPA 

endorsement of, or responsibility for, the opinions, ideas, data or products 

presented at those locations, or guarantee the validity of the information 

provided. Links to non-EPA web sites and documents are provided solely as a 

pointer to information on topics related to area contingency planning that may 

be useful to EPA staff and the public.

While EPA will attempt to keep links to information timely and accurate, the 

Agency makes no expressed or implied guarantees. EPA expects to review 

this Handbook routinely and update the links listed in the appendices as 

necessary.
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1

Introduction

This Handbook is a guide and reference for the development of Area

Contingency Plans (ACPs) for environmental emergencies. While it is

primarily intended for use by EPA emergency response program personnel,

area contingency planning is necessarily an inter-agency process, and the

use of this handbook to inform other agencies of EPA’s planning process is

encouraged. Because area plans are focused on specific geographic domains,

with many physical and jurisdictional variables, there can be no ‘one size fits

all’ plan format, but maintaining a national consistency in the basic content is

important, particularly considering the statutory and regulatory requirements

by which EPA and other agencies are bound.

This handbook was developed by EPA’s Area Planning Workgroup during

2011 and 2012 and incorporates the accumulated knowledge of years of

contingency planning experience. Although ACPs are specifically mandated

by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), EPA’s responsibilities under other

laws, including CERCLA, make an all-hazards approach to contingency

planning desirable. The processes of planning for responses to all types of

environmental emergencies (e.g., oil spills, hazardous materials releases,

natural disasters) share common elements that have been demonstrably 

successful in major responses.

In the interests of conciseness and accessibility, this handbook will

not recapitulate extensive portions of related documents, but will list

key references, including laws, regulations and technical resources, in

appendices.

This Handbook is available for download as a PDF file from EPA’s Office of

Emergency Management web site at http://www.epa.gov/oem/.
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3

A. What is an Area Contingency Plan?

An ACP is a reference document prepared for the use of all agencies

engaged in responding to environmental emergencies in a defined

geographic area. Throughout this Handbook, the terms ‘Area Contingency

Plan’ and ‘ACP’ also encompass the processes for developing and

managing Sub-Area Plans and Geographic Response Plans, which have

scopes more limited than the ACP itself.

Under federal law (OPA 90) and regulation (National Contingency Plan),

all United States territory is divided into jurisdictional zones, with the

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) designated the lead agency for planning and

response in coastal zones and certain major inland water bodies, and EPA

designated the lead for inland areas, with certain exceptions for DoDmanaged areas. As an EPA document, this handbook is focused on inland

zone planning, but EPA also has a role in the coastal zone, particularly

regarding oil spill counter-measure concurrence and approvals. EPAlead inland plans covering areas adjacent to the coastal zone must also 

ensure compatibility with USCG-lead plans for those zones. Appendix A

provides specific details on federal jurisdictions.

Under CWA 311(j)(4), there are specific required elements for ACPs. These

elements include:

q	 A description of the area covered by the plan, including areas

of special economic or environmental importance that might

be damaged by a discharge. This description should provide a 

comprehensive picture of the defined area, which may be a body of

water, a watershed or a political jurisdiction

q	 A description of the responsibilities of owners, operators and federal,

state and local agencies in responding to a discharge, or mitigating

or preventing a substantial threat of discharge. The plan should

identify those entities with authorities and resources for planning and

response, describe their capabilities and establish an operational

framework for these entities to ensure optimum communication and

coordination during a response. 

q	 A list of resources (personnel, equipment and supplies) available for

response to discharges.

q	 A description of procedures for expediting decisions on the use of

dispersants.

q	 A description of how the plan is integrated with other plans.

Section

1

Overview of Area Planning
4

When implemented in conjunction with the NCP, the ACP must be adequate to remove a worst

case discharge, and to mitigate or prevent a substantial threat of such discharge. Additionally,

ACPs may provide guidelines for conducting specific tasks such as: sampling, classifying,

segregation, and temporary staging of recovered waste; and identifying prior state disposal

approval, various waste disposal options and a hierarchy of preferences for disposal alternatives

(40 CFR 300.310(c)).

An ACP is not a rigid, prescriptive plan with step-by-step instructions for responses. Rather it is a

mechanism to ensure that all responders have access to essential area-specific information and

to promote inter-agency coordination as a means of improving the effectiveness of responses.

B. How is an ACP developed?

An ACP is the product of a collaborative process involving stakeholders within the defined area,

organized as an Area Committee (AC). Although it must be initiated and led by a federal agency

(33 U.S.C. 1321(j)(4)(B)), the AC is to be comprised of members from qualified personnel of

Federal, State, and local agencies. The AC provides a forum for agencies to develop constructive

working relationships while identifying issues and problems and developing solutions in advance

of a response. The AC is responsible for developing the ACP, evaluating its implementation, and

maintaining it through a continuous improvement process, through consultations with the RRTs

and others as appropriate.

C. What are the benefits of an ACP?

Responding to the immediate 

circumstances of an environmental

emergency can be a challenging task.

Overlapping jurisdictions and potentially 

divergent interests of the parties involved

can make response even more difficult.

The ACP provides a mechanism for

planning for these potential complications

prior to an incident. The ACP is a useful

tool for responders, providing them with

practical and accessible information to

place the incident in a larger context,

informing them about who and what

they need to know to make the response

effective.

The process for ACP development may be as beneficial as the final product. The Area Committee

provides a forum for all parties to identify problems, resolve conflicts and become informed about

the issues raised by actual and potential incidents. From EPA’s point of view, the AC provides an
5

effective mechanism for informing a wide audience about the response and planning concepts

as part of the National Response System (NRS). The NRS is the government’s mechanism for

emergency response to discharges of oil and the release of chemicals into the navigable waters

or environment within the jurisdiction of the United States. The NRS functions through a network

of interagency and inter-government relationships that were formally established and described

in the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) as found in

40 CFR Part 300. The AC provides a way for local, state, and federal members to define their

most significant concerns, ensuring that they will be considered should a response be required.

D. What are the statutory and regulatory underpinnings of the ACP?

ACPs were initially conceived in the context of oil spill responses, but the ACP concept has grown

beyond that to encompass the prospect of responses to environmental emergencies in general,

including hazardous materials releases, natural disasters and acts of terrorism. There is a

substantial foundation of laws, regulations and executive orders that provide the basis for ACPs.

These include:

Clean Water Act (1972): The CWA (originally the Federal Water Pollution Control Act) expanded 

the federal government’s authority to regulate discharges to waterways and provided the original

statutory basis for the National Contingency Plan (NCP).

Oil Pollution Act of 1990: The OPA 90 amendment to the CWA established ACP requirements

for the NRS to address worst-case discharges of oil and hazardous substances and mandated

facility-specific plans (facility response plans [FRPs]) for certain categories of facilities.

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (1980): CERCLA 

established a federal emergency response program to deal with immediate threats from

hazardous substances and pollutants (excluding petroleum as provided by 42 U.S.C. 9601(14)

and (33)) and a remedial response program to deal with hazardous waste sites requiring actions 

consistent with a permanent remedy

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (1986): EPCRA amended CERCLA by 

adding requirements for community-based emergency planning, through State Emergency

Response Commissions (SERCs), Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs), and public

disclosure of hazards associated with certain facilities.

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended: The Stafford

Act provides the authorities and funding for federal support to state and local entities in

responding to major disasters and emergencies.

National Response Framework (2008): The NRF is the federal executive document that provides

the national blueprint for how the Nation conducts all-hazards response.

National Contingency Plan (40 CFR Part 300, amended in 1994): The NCP is the federal

regulation that defines the authorities and responsibilities of designated federal agencies for

responding to releases of oil, pollutants and hazardous substances.
6

Regional Contingency Plans: The NCP requires that each federal region, through its Regional

Response Team (RRT), develop RCPs. ACPs exist under the umbrella of the RCP.

Homeland Security Presidential Directives: HSPDs are executive orders that address specific

issues. HSPD-5 covers incident management, and requires the establishment of the National

Incident Management System (NIMS). HSPD-7 addresses the protection of the nation’s critical

infrastructure. Presidential Policy Directive/PPD-8 focuses on improving the overall preparedness

of the nation to respond to emergencies. PPD-8 replaces HSPD-8.

State Laws: Each state, territorial and tribal entity has its own laws and regulations that apply

to environmental emergencies. As partners in the ACP process, these entities identify which

agencies and requirements are relevant to the ACP.

Local Laws: Each locality participating in the ACP identifies which of its laws and ordinances are

relevant to the ACP and which agencies will participate in the ACP process.

A more detailed summary of the statutory and regulatory basis for ACPs is included in Appendix A.

E. What is the relationship of the ACP to other plans?

The NCP is the regulatory foundation for interagency contingency planning. The NCP is a

regulation that establishes the authorities, responsibilities and relationships of agencies in

responding to environmental emergencies. RCPs extend the NCP model to a narrower regional 

focus, bringing in states and other entities as participants to deal with region-specific concerns.

In Executive Order 12777, the President delegated the authority to designate areas, appoint Area

Committee members, determine the information to be included in ACPs, and review and approve

plans for the inland zone to the EPA Administrator. The EPA Administrator, through delegation

2-91, initially designated thirteen geographic areas already covered by Regional Response

Teams, and the Regional Response Teams as the initial Area Committees. The EPA Administrator

also delegated Regional Administrators the authority to designate different geographic areas

within their Regions and appoint different Area Committee members. Regional Administrators

are authorized to delegate the authority no lower than the Division Director level. For this reason,

an RCP may function as an ACP, if the designee determines that there is no need for formally

defining multiple ACPs within a region. Sub-regional concerns may also be addressed by SubArea Plans, which have a more limited scope, but many of the same elements as ACPs or by

Geographic Response Plans, which focus on specific response strategies and tactics for more

narrowly-defined areas. If the designee determines that the RCP will serve as the sole ACP for the

region, the RRT assumes the responsibilities of the AC as described in 40 CFR 300.205(c). In this

case, the RRT solicits states for local representatives. NGO and private sector members may also

be invited.

ACPs also interface with plans developed by state and local authorities and by private sector

facilities, as well as other ACPs in bordering jurisdictions, such as those developed by the USCG.

The diagram on the next page illustrates the relationships between the various plans. The Federal 

Response Plan (FRP) was superseded by the National Response Framework (NRF) in 2008.
7

Relationship of Plans

There are three levels of contingency plans under the national response system: National

Contingency Plan, Regional Contingency Plans, and Area Contingency Plans. The relationships

between these plans and other planning mechanisms are described above.
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9

Section

2

Initial Steps/Preliminary Analysis

The decision to initiate the development of an ACP (or a Sub-area Plan or

a Geographic Response Plan) should be preceded by an analysis of the

costs and benefits of the process by the federal lead agency’s designated

On Scene Coordinator. The initial forum for this analysis is most often

the RRT, because ACPs are subsets of the RCPs. The stimulus for the

development of an ACP may be the experiences of agencies during the

response to a major incident, or it may be a pro-active effort to protect

sensitive resources or to address issues related to high-risk facilities.

There are no constraints on the ACP-defined areas within the region.

It may be based on jurisdictional boundaries, for example, if a state

perceives the need for specific measures within its boundaries, or it

may be based on geographical determinants, such as a watershed that

encompasses sensitive resources. Regardless, if there is a consensus

among the RRT participants that an ACP should be considered, then

the RRT should establish an ad hoc committee of interested agencies

to conduct an initial analysis, which should involve the following

considerations:

1.	 An inventory and assessment of existing plans, including the RCP and

any other federal, state, regional and local plans, and an assessment

of the effectiveness of these plans, including the identification of

gaps and other inadequacies that an ACP could remedy.

2.	 Identification of the portions of existing plans which are adequate

and can be incorporated into an ACP.

3.	 Identification of potential sub-areas within the ACP boundaries that

may require special attention, leading to sub-area plans.

4.	 Review of data and information from past incidents (e.g., after-action

reports, lessons learned, unresolved issues). This review should

identify specific problems that the ACP will address.

5.	 Preliminary identification of sensitive areas, including environmental,

cultural and economic resources.

6.	 Identification of actual and potential jurisdictional conflicts.

7.	 Identification of high-risk facilities and critical infrastructures.

8.	 Assessment of natural disaster risk and impact.

9.	 Initial estimates of the time and resources required for developing

the ACP.
10

10.	 Preliminary identification of key agencies and entities that should be invited to participate in

the AC.

11.	 Assessment of the consequences of not doing an ACP.

12.	 Consideration of the expansion of other Sub-Area Plans and Response Plans beyond their

current geographic area.

If the initial analysis concludes that there is little or no benefit from developing an ACP, or if

there are insufficient resources to successfully conclude the project, then the RCP remains the

operative plan and functions as the ACP.

If the conclusion of the initial analysis is that there would be a net benefit from developing an

ACP, and that there are sufficient resources available (e.g., personnel, funding), the next step

is to establish an AC. A lead agency or agencies should be designated to conduct outreach and 

provide information to potential AC members.

Before formally beginning the ACP process, it is wise to informally propose the concept to existing

contacts in the response community to determine if they are supportive in general, and if they

can commit time and resources. At this point, firm commitments are not required.
11

Section

3

Area Committees

A. Initial AC recruitment

The first task is to identify the stakeholders and interest groups that

should be involved in developing the ACP. Beginning with the list 

developed during the initial analysis, a summary of the analysis and

an invitation to join the effort should be distributed by the lead agency.

This first invitation list maybe supplemented with additional invitees

as the effort gains visibility, with the objective to be as inclusive and

comprehensive as possible. Potential members include:

q Existing RRT member agencies

q Other state/territorial/tribal agencies

l	 The lead state agency representative to the RRT should identify

other state agencies with interest and expertise relevant to ACP 

development

q Regional and local agencies

l	 The LEPCs within the area should be the initial contact point for

developing a list of potential participants

q NGOs 

l This list should include such entities as industry associations and 

environmental organizations

q	 Private sector entities, including regulated facilities

l	 The potential list should include facilities required to have FRPs

and others identified as high-risk in the initial analysis	

Responses to the solicitation should be evaluated critically. Every invitee 

may not be able or willing to participate, so consideration must be given

to identifying those that are most important to the success of the effort

and finding incentives for them to participate. The number of AC members

is variable and it is likely that several tiers of participation will emerge.

The AC recruitment phase may require several months of dialog with

critical members that are reluctant to commit for various reasons

(e.g., time constraints, limited resources). A decision must be made

as to whether enough of the key members have committed to warrant

proceeding with the initial AC meeting or whether additional preliminary 

work is needed.
12

B. Project management

Concurrent with the solicitation of participants, the lead agency should begin scoping the project

because the costs and the timeframe will be important factors to potential AC members. It is

unlikely that a definitive cost and schedule can be developed at this time, so an estimate should

be developed based on previous experience. Other ACPs should be reviewed to find one that

provides an appropriate model, and the AC for the selected model should be contacted to obtain

information on realistic costs and schedules. This first estimate should include:

q	 Staffing requirements and costs

q Travel costs 

q	 Contractor support requirements, sources, and costs

q	 Overall funding requirements and sources

q Time-line

C. Initial AC meeting

If the responses to the solicitation indicate

sufficient interest by potential participating

entities to proceed with the effort, an AC

formation meeting should be scheduled

and planned. The lead agency should 

prepare a briefing package for the meeting,

including the initial analysis and the 

presumptive schedule and budget, along

with related presentation materials. Briefing

materials should be made available to 

invitees in advance.

The meeting date and location should 

be selected with care to afford maximum

participation. Special consideration should 

be given to critical members.

Enlisting the support of state and local co-hosts for the meeting may help diffuse perceptions

that the ACP is a federal ‘top-down’ project.

The essential elements of the initial meeting agenda include:

q	 Welcoming remarks by co-hosts

q	 Briefing by the lead agency on overall context, authorities, analysis, AC functions, schedule

and budget

q	 Opportunity to review example plans from other areas
13

q	 Opportunity for clarifying questions and dialog

q	 Opportunity to opt for non-participation or information-only status

q	 Opportunity for potential members to describe their interests, authorities and resources

l	 Discussion of obstacles (e.g., budgetary, bureaucratic)

l	 Immediate follow-on meeting to plan for first formal meeting following the formation

meeting

The first meeting of the AC should focus on obtaining a consensus on the following basics:

q AC membership and organization

l Mail and email lists

l	 Identification of other parties for further solicitation

l Agreement on chair/co-chair agencies

q AC protocols

l	 Meeting locations and scheduling, record-keeping, logistics

q	 Review of the initial analysis

l	 Is the area covered by the ACP defined appropriately?

l Are there errors or gaps in the initial analysis?

q	 General agreement on scope and schedule for ACP development

q	 Review of resources available for ACP development, as well as potential resource constraints

q	 Review of potential obstacles

q	 ACP format, focus, level of detail and distribution

Subsequent AC meetings will focus on the specific tasks of ACP development.

D. AC organization

There is no requirement that any specific organizational model be followed, and the AC may

consider various options. The formality of the organization is also a function of its size; small ACs

can be more informal and collegial, while large ACs may require a more clearly-defined structure.

The participating entities will likely fall into three groups:

q Key players: Those with an active interest and with sufficient resources to play an active

continuing role in the AC.

q Supporting players: Entities with active, but limited interest or resources that may participate

on specific issues.

q Observers: Entities that need to know about AC activities, but have no active role.
14

Organizationally, key players should be included in an executive committee or should act as

chairs of potential subcommittees. Supporting players should be offered roles and positions

tailored to their expertise and time/resource limitations. Observers may be kept informed through

periodic reports and should be offered the opportunity to provide input and comment regarding

elements of the ACP as they are developed.

E. AC operations

Participation in an AC is voluntary, and decision-making is primarily by consensus. EPA will

chair the committee (with USCG as co-chair in areas where joint inland and coastal planning is 

conducted), but state and local participants may also be given co-chair roles. Each AC is headed

by a Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC); generally EPA personnel for the inland zone and USCG

personnel for the coastal zone.

Member assignments are voluntary, and should be based on the interests, expertise and time/

resources commitment required to execute the assigned tasks. Key AC operations are the following:

Review and approval processes: As tasks are completed, the AC must determine what levels of

review are required, both within the AC itself and external to the AC. Draft ACP elements should

be broadly distributed for review and comment, with reasonable deadlines (e.g., 30 days).When

the AC determines that the ACP is complete, the ACP should be submitted to the involved EPA

Regional Administrators (or their designees) for final approval. (See Appendix A, April 24, 1992

Federal Register Notice.)

Documentation, record-keeping and administrative support: An important early AC decision is 

to determine the appropriate level of record-keeping and documentation, and the amount of

administrative support required to maintain this level. Administrative support may be provided by 

staff from participating agencies or from support contractors, and includes the maintenance of

files, distribution lists, web sites and other tasks.

Reference materials library and distribution: As the ACP process evolves, the set of reference

materials supporting the ACP will grow. Maintaining this set and ensuring that all participants 

have access to it is a separate administrative support task.

Membership management: The most important part of this task is the maintenance of the

AC membership and distribution lists, ensuring that mail addresses, email addresses and

phone numbers are kept accurate and current. For those members of the AC with specific AC

responsibilities, back-up or alternate members should also be identified to ensure continuity is

maintained when a member is unavailable.

F. AC activities and responsibilities

The lead Agency designated FOSC is responsible for developing and managing the ACP through

the AC. These tasks include:

q ACP development: The AC’s primary task is to produce a final ACP that meets the needs

defined by the AC members and achieves the standards required.
15

q ACP publishing and distribution: Once the final ACP is developed, the AC should decide on

the modes of publication (e.g., hard copy, electronic, internet) and the scope of distribution.

q ACP evaluation: Once the ACP is distributed, the AC should establish a mechanism for

evaluating its effectiveness. The ACP itself should contain contact addresses for receiving

feedback and the AC should periodically consider comments received for possible future

amendments. In addition, the AC may participate in after-action analyses of significant

incidents and exercises.

q ACP updates and modifications: Technological advances, jurisdictional and organizational

changes, infrastructure changes and other factors may require the ACP to be modified and

updated. The AC should consider establishing an appropriate update cycle. In addition,

a means for providing interim updates should be established for significant events that

cannot be deferred to the update cycle. This makes ACP version control and date-stamping

an essential part of ACP management and enables all users to work with the most current

information.

q Inreach and outreach activities: At a minimum, the AC may be requested to provide reports

on progress to the RRT. Beyond that, the AC should consider how information should be

disseminated among the area community. The AC may serve as a clearing-house for planning

and response-related news. AC members should inform their own agencies about the ACP

and how to access and use it, so that all responders are equally prepared when an incident

occurs. The AC should also be prepared to respond to requests for information from outside

entities and organizations; this may require the preparation of fact sheets and briefing

materials that provide a general overview of the ACP.

q ACP Environmental Benefits Analysis: Net Environmental Benefits Analysis (NEBA)

is a methodology for identifying and comparing environmental benefits of alternative

management options in the removal of discharged oil and oil products. Net environmental

benefits are the gains in environmental services or other ecological properties attained by

the removal of the oil or ecological restoration minus the environmental injuries caused

by those actions. A NEBA for oiled sites typically involves the comparison of the following

management alternatives:

l	 Leaving contamination in place for natural attenuation;

l	 Removing the contaminants through traditional removal techniques; and

l Remediating contamination with alternative removal techniques.

NEBA involves valuing ecological services or other properties, assessing adverse impacts, and

evaluating removal actions. NEBA is a risk-benefit analysis applied to environmental management

options. To do this, a balance of resource managers and emergency responders must participate

together in forming opinion, guiding discussion and educating each other in processes of

importance and concern.
16

NEBA has the potential to assist resources managers avoid the possibility that the selected 

removal alternative will provide no net environmental benefit over natural attenuation of

contaminants and ecological recovery. An alternative removal option may provide no net 

environmental benefit because:

l	 The removal action is ineffective or inappropriate (the action does not substantially

change the risk); or

l The removal alternative causes environmental injuries greater than the damage 

associated with the contamination because: 

-	 The need for remediation has been driven by human health risk, not ecological risk;

-	 The ecological injury from contamination has been overestimated;

-	 Injuries associated with removal were not properly addressed; or

-	 The need for remediation is driven by human considerations not related to health or

ecologic concerns.

NEBA has the potential to help resource 

managers plan a removal that provides 

a positive net environmental benefit over

the hypothetical state that would prevail 

in the absence of contamination. NEBA

may be appropriate if any of the removal

alternatives potentially have significant

negative ecological effects or minimal

ecological benefits. Finally, NEBA may be

used when the multiple alternatives are 

beneficial, but the one with the greatest

net benefits is not apparent without formal

analysis.

See Appendix D for examples of sensitive areas inventories.

q ACP-based drills and exercises: The AC itself may sponsor drills and exercises to test

the viability of ACP elements and it should encourage its members to use the ACP when

conducting such activities in internal agency venues and in inter-agency exercises. The 

AC should ensure that exercise evaluations relating to the ACP are included in the ACP 

improvement process.

q ACP-related training: The AC may develop and sponsor training activities to improve the 

ability of responders to access and utilize the ACP. These may be specific to the ACP or may

include more general topics, such as NIMS-ICS courses, Health and Safety courses or spill

response courses. For electronic and web-based ACPs, the AC should consider the need for

training in the use of software that may be required for access and utilization.

For examples of AC organizations, documents, agendas and processes, see Appendix C.
17

q ACP coverage: The area covered by the ACP may be defined by

geographic features, jurisdictional boundaries, or both, at the

discretion of the AC. Within the ACP boundaries, sub-areas may be

defined where there are unique circumstances that require tailored

response strategies. 

q Areas of special economic and environmental importance: The ACP 

must include an inventory of features within the area that require

awareness by responders when developing response strategies. 

l Critical infrastructure: Utilities (such as drinking water intakes,

water and wastewater treatment plants, and major electrical

power plants and transmission lines), transportation corridors and

facilities, and other infrastructure elements may require specific

protection measures, special notification or access protocols or

have other unique attributes that may affect a response. The ACP

should identify these features and also provide guidance on how

they should be considered in response strategies. 

l Environmentally sensitive areas: The ACP should identify areas

within its bounds that may require tailored protection or response 

strategies due to unique environmental attributes. These may be 

recreational or commercially-significant areas, endangered species

habitats, drinking water supplies or other areas defined by the AC.

In each case, the ACP should provide guidance on how responders

should incorporate the needs of these areas into response

strategies.

l Culturally sensitive areas: The ACP should identify historical

landmarks, archeological sites, tribal lands and other features

that may require special protective measures or interaction with 

trustees or tribal authorities.

l High-risk locations: The ACP should identify fixed facilities and

transportation infrastructure locations that present a high

risk of release of oil or hazardous substances. Once these are

identified, the ACP should then address location-specific response

strategies and preparedness, such as the pre-staging of response

equipment. To the extent that these locations may be subject 

to regulatory requirements, such as facilities required to have

an FRP, the ACP should reference or provide a link to the FRP or

other required plan. The ACP should also reference and, whenever

possible, link to plans and other information developed by LEPCs

within its bounds.

Section

4 Scope and Content of the ACP
18

l Natural disaster impact areas: The ACP should incorporate information relating to

locations that may be susceptible to natural disaster impact (e.g., flooding, earthquakes),

and provide references or links to related disaster response plans at the local, state and

federal levels.

q Identifying and integrating with other plans: The ACP should identify and define its

relationship to other contingency plans that are within, adjacent to, or overlapping the ACP

defined area. These plans should be reviewed to ensure the ACP is not inconsistent with

them, and the owners of these plans should be informed of the ACP’s status and receive

copies of the final ACP. If there is a reasonable prospect of an incident occurring that

impacts both the ACP area and an area covered by an adjacent plan, the AC should establish

notification and coordination protocols with the adjacent entities. Examples of other plans to

consider include: 

l External plans: Adjacent RCPs and ACPs and International border plans

l Internal plans: State and local plans, private sector plans (FRPs and Risk Management

Plans (RMPs))

q Overall ACP formats: The AC should review example formats for the ACP to determine the

most appropriate fit for the needs of area responders. The primary purpose of the ACP is to

serve as a response tool. The primary customers of the AC process are the area responders,

so the ACP must be portable, easy to navigate, and accurate.

q ACP maintenance: Once the ACP is issued in final form, the AC should implement a

management and maintenance process to keep the ACP current and to incorporate

improvements. A regular update cycle should be considered to provide for changes that are

not time-critical, but interim amendments may also be required to reflect significant changes

within the defined area. Version control should be established and an interim update process

is critical. Certain portions of the plan, such as contact lists, may change frequently and

should be maintained separately from the plan itself.

q Downloadable and Internet-access ACPs: Consideration should be given to distribution of the

ACP in electronic form, to usability on PDAs and PCs, and to providing access to the ACP via

internet. 
19

Section

5

Essential Plan Elements

A. Maps

Maps are central to ACP development and utilization. The variety of

mapping formats, platforms and applications is constantly increasing

and evolving. Mapping tools should be evaluated in terms of accuracy,

accessibility, usability for responders in the field and ease of maintenance

and updating. Appendix D provides links to mapping tools that have

proven useful in ACP development.

B. Contacts and notification

Contact and notification lists must be maintained for a variety of

purposes. These lists may include:

q	 Lists relating to the AC and the ACP itself, the first of which

includes individuals and entities engaged in ACP development and 

maintenance. Other lists may cover those that receive ACP copies for

information only.

q Lists related to response operations should cover both immediate 

notifications when an incident occurs and contacts during response

operations when assistance is required from an entity listed in the

plan with knowledge, authority, expertise or resources required by the

Incident Commander (IC)/Unified Command (UC). In general, these

lists should be maintained separately from the plan itself, since they

may contain information that should not be widely disseminated.

Lists of this type are not intended to supplant existing notification

protocols, but reinforce and supplement them by adding information

specific to the area covered by the ACP. Response operations lists

should include 24/7 contact information for all essential response

entities.

q	 All lists should include mail, email, land line, and cell phone contact

information, as well as back up numbers if the primary contact is

unavailable and general agency office numbers.

q List management should be through a central administrative support 

control point.

C. Resources

The resources section of the ACP is perhaps the most difficult to develop

and manage. This is primarily due to the sheer magnitude of developing

an inventory of the personnel, equipment and capabilities of all response
20

entities in the defined area, and to the

difficulty of keeping the inventory current. It

is advisable that the AC initially limit its level 

of comprehensiveness, detail and focus

on the general capabilities of the response

entities and on those resources that are 

unique and may be difficult to acquire. If the

Incident Commander (IC)/Unified Command

(UC) requires specific information from

a response entity, contact points can

be provided to obtain the most current 

information directly from the provider.

Resource information is organized at the discretion of the AC. The information may be organized

by resource category, agency, type of incident or some combination of these or other categories.

Regardless of the organization, there are minimum requirements that should be incorporated

into the inventory. After determining the organizational concept, the AC should identify the initial

resource requirements and establish a spreadsheet format for agencies to enter their resource

information.

q General capabilities: Each entity identified as potentially having a response or response

support role should describe its authorities, areas of jurisdiction, areas of expertise, types of

available personnel and equipment and general response capabilities, including access to

funds.

q Personnel: The inventory may include numbers of available personnel, field-deployment

qualifications (including OSHA qualifications), Incident Command System (ICS) qualifications,

areas of technical and scientific expertise, mobilization response times, non-deployable

support personnel, secondary resources (available through contracts or mutual aid/

Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) agreements), and any other criteria

that the AC identifies as necessary.

q Equipment: Subcategories may include assessment, soil/water/air sampling, field

categorization, ambient monitoring, aerial survey/remote sensing, transportation, field

logistics, transportation, heavy equipment, booms, pumps, skimmers, PPE, mobile command

posts (MCPs), communications, data management.

q Laboratories: Identification of which entities have access to analytical capability, general

descriptions of capability and access procedures and contact points.

q Volunteer Resources: Management of volunteer resources presents unique issues

regarding training, safety, liability and integration with the response organization. The ACP

should provide links to policy documents relating to volunteer management and to local

organizations with volunteer management expertise. The NRT has developed guidance to 

address these issues (See Appendix I).
21

In applying this guidance to the ACP, the AC should insure that the ACP includes an inventory

of potential volunteer organizations, with brief descriptions of their interests, capabilities and

contact information. To develop this list, the AC should task a work-group to conduct outreach

to volunteer organizations to inform them of ACP activities and the parameters for response

participation, including training, safety and liability management requirements and to identify

potential obstacles to successful integration of volunteers into the response organization. The AC

should also consider the unique issues involving the use of volunteers during a response. See

Use of Volunteers, National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), 40

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 300.5, located in Appendix I of this Handbook.

If the AC determines that volunteer management may be a significant factor in responses, then

additional actions may be needed, such as inviting volunteer organizations to participate as

members of the AC, developing advance and/or just-in-time training programs in NIMS/ICS,

safety (e.g., HAZWOPER) and technical response subjects (e.g., wildlife rehabilitation) and inviting

volunteers to participate in ACP-related exercises.

q Contact information: Contacts for each type of resource, including level of approval needed

for commitment.

Information from each inquiry should be entered into a searchable database so that potential

resources can be identified quickly.

D. Sensitive areas

The AC should establish a committee to identify features and sub-areas that are sensitive

for environmental, cultural or economic reasons. This committee should include entities with

expertise in the application of requirements established by the Endangered Species Act (ESA),

the Historical Preservation Act and other statutes, regulations and agreements concerning

sensitive areas. The common theme for identifying a sensitive area is that it has attributes that

must be considered by responders in developing response strategies and tactics. For each 

feature or area identified, the exact location or boundaries should be mapped when possible, and

a brief summary of considerations should be documented. For certain sensitive areas, such as

ESA or archaeological sites, exact locations may not be identified, but should be referenced as

present in the general area. This summary should include:

q	 Specific attributes (e.g., drinking water supply intake, endangered species habitat)

q Recommendations on protective measures that may be employed

q	 Description of any proscribed tactics

q	 Contact information for operators, trustees and others with an interest in the sensitive area

q	 Other information relevant to the area, such as special access protocols, hazards to

responders or seasonal variations to be considered in developing response strategies and 

tactics
22

This information is organized at the discretion of the AC and is dependent on the available data.

Consideration should be given to assigning priority categories to sensitive areas, based on their

significance, or organizing them by type. Areas with especially difficult or complex issues should

be considered for development of specific Sub-area Plans or Geographic Response Plans.

The AC should consider whether certain types of information should preliminarily be designated

for restricted use only. Each AC must communicate with the “owner” of the information and

determine if their information falls in this category and if so, how the information will be

safeguarded but available during an emergency response. All records featuring such information

may ultimately be subject to public disclosure, however, in response to a FOIA request.

The ACP should ensure that the appropriate state, Federal, and tribal trustees for natural

resources are promptly notified of discharges and response activities are coordinated with

the with the affected natural resource trustees. Additional information on notification and

coordination with natural resource trustees is available at 

http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/nrd/trustees.htm.

Tools for identifying sensitive areas: See Appendix D: Tools.

Methods for organizing sensitive area data: See Appendix D: Tools.

Methods for display and accessing data: See Appendix D: Tools.

E. Hazard analysis

The AC should establish a sub-committee 

to identify potential sources of releases

within the defined area. These sources may

include fixed facilities or transportation

routes with high volumes of oil or hazardous

materials in transit. Consideration should 

also be given to potential sources outside 

the defined area of the ACP, which may

impact the area in the event of a release

The first task of the committee is to develop

working criteria to establish a cut-off point,

below which potential sources will not be 

addressed by the ACP. These need not be 

rigid; for example, if potential sources A and

B are otherwise identical, but A is within

a defined sensitive area, the ACP may

address A and leave B below the threshold.

For each potential source identified the ACP should document the following:

q Source location (to be mapped)
23

q	 Operator, with contact and access information

q	 Types and quantities of materials that may be released

q	 Special considerations for responders, including hazards

q	 Response capabilities of the operator

Tools for identifying potential sources:

q FRPs: EPA FRP Coordinators list posted at 

http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=3857.

q Pipelines: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials

Safety Administration (PHMSA) web site (http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/) includes a range of

pipeline safety resources, including a national pipeline mapping system.

q Railroads: The DOT Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) web site (http://www.fra.dot.gov/) 

includes passenger and freight railroad safety and environmental information. The FRA’s

GIS web site provides a web-based mapping application that permits users to map, view and

zoom to all rail grade crossings in the United States. Accident information for each grade

crossing is available.

q Highways: The DOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) maintains a

Hazardous Materials Routing Web Site that lists designated, preferred and restricted routes

(http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety-security/hazmat/hm-theme.htm). 

q Hazmat facilities: Facilities covered by EPCRA requirements must submit an Emergency 

and Hazardous Chemical Inventory Form to the LEPC, the State Emergency Response

Commission (SERC), and the local fire department annually. Facilities provide either a Tier I

or Tier II form. Most states require the Tier II form. Some states have specific requirements in

addition to the Federal Tier II requirements. The EPA web site includes a list of links to state

Tier II reporting sites: http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/content/epcra/tier2.htm. Tier II data 

for most states are also maintained on the E-Plan Emergency Response Information System:

https://erplan.net/eplan/login.htm.

	 EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is a database containing data on releases of over 600

toxic chemicals from thousands of U.S. facilities and information about how facilities manage

those chemicals through recycling, energy recovery, and treatment. One of TRI’s primary

purposes is to inform communities about toxic chemical releases to the environment. TRI

data are available at http://www.epa.gov/tri/.

	 The Facility Registry System (FRS) is a centrally managed database developed by EPA’s

Office of Environmental Information (OEI) that identifies facilities, sites or places subject to

environmental regulations or of environmental interest. FRS creates high-quality, accurate,

and authoritative facility identification records through rigorous verification and management

procedures that incorporate information from program national systems, state master

facility records, data collected from EPA’s Central Data Exchange registrations and data
24

management personnel. The FRS provides Internet access to a single integrated source of

comprehensive (air, water, and waste) environmental information about facilities, sites or

places. FRS data are available for query at http://www.epa.gov/enviro/html/fii/index.html.

	 Hazardous waste generators, transporters, treaters, storers and disposers of hazardous

waste are required to provide information on their activities to state environmental

agencies. These agencies then provide the information to EPA offices through the Resource

Conservation and Recovery Act Information (RCRAInfo) System (http://www.epa.gov/enviro/

facts/rcrainfo/search.html). Information on cleaning up after accidents or other activities

that result in a release of hazardous materials to the water, air or land must also be reported

through RCRAInfo.

	 Superfund is a program administered by the EPA to locate, investigate, and clean up

uncontrolled hazardous waste sites throughout the U.S. CERCLIS Search is available to 

retrieve Superfund data from the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,

and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) database in Envirofacts

(http://www.epa.gov/enviro/facts/cerclis/search.html).

q LEPC plans: Information on LEPCs can be found at

http://www.epa.gov/oem/content/epcra/epcra_plan.htm#LEPC.

q RMPs: The Right-To-Know Network maintains a Risk Management Plan (RMP) Database

on its web site (http://www.rtknet.org/db/rmp). RMP information may also be accessed at

Federal Reading Rooms: http://www.epa.gov/oem/content/rmp/readingroom.htm.

Natural Disaster-sensitive areas and facilities: The AC should also consider which significant

facilities may be vulnerable to impact by natural disasters, such as floods or earthquakes.

Methods of organizing potential source information: See Appendix D: Tools

Methods for displaying and accessing data: See Appendix D: Tools

F. Response strategies and worst-case discharges

After the AC has developed the initial inventory of sensitive areas and potential sources, it can

begin to consider the general response strategies with special consideration given to potential 

worst case discharges.

q Assessment strategies

The AC will have to identify methods to assess the extent and impact of a release and identify

the tools available to predict the behavior of released material. Remote sensing, modeling and

sampling strategies should be developed as needed. 

q Protection strategies

The AC should determine the most effective methods of preventing impact on sensitive areas.
25

q Response strategies

The ACP should identify the various response strategies that have proven to be effective in

controlling and mitigating the impact of a release. Consideration should be given to the most

likely release scenarios and the worst-case discharges.

q Oil-spill-specific strategies and plans (e.g., the NRT Subsea Dispersant Guidance) including 

counter-measures

Oil spill counter-measures include dispersants1, in-situ burning (including accelerants), bioremediation, surface washing agents, solidifiers and other methods for reducing the impact of

oil to the environment. While many of the countermeasure stipulations are included in the RCPs,

the ACP must also consider counter-measure use in the context of the defined ACP area. These

issues include:

l	 Areas where specific counter-measures may be proscribed

l	 Pre-approval of specific counter-measures in certain areas

l	 Protocols for monitoring use and effectiveness

l	 Assessment of potential impacts from counter-measure use in adjacent planning areas

(e.g., Coastal Zone areas)

q Facility-specific strategies and plans

Facilities with the potential for large-scale releases (such as pipelines and large storage and

manufacturing facilities and railroads) should be considered for focused strategy development.

If facilities are covered by FRPs, the plans will provide a base for the responding agencies to

develop strategies for most-likely and worst-case releases from these facilities.

G. Response management: roles and responsibilities

q NIMS compliance policy: The ACP should include a brief section that commits the AC to

NIMS compliance and references the Incident Management Handbooks and Field Operating

Guides that are used by participating agencies.

q Unified Command: One of the most important functions of the ACP is to address potential

jurisdictional conflicts and to provide solutions to these in advance of a response. This

section should identify the agencies that meet the criteria for participating in a UC, including

appropriate jurisdictional authority, ability to commit resources to the response, and

personnel that are trained and qualified to serve as Incident Commanders. Consideration

should also be given to the role of responsible parties in the UC. In areas where there are

multiple overlapping jurisdictions, this task may need to be broken down into scenario-based

organizations. 

1 Dispersants or other oil emulsifiers are not utilized in freshwater and other inland environments because of the limited dilution available in fresh 

waters, the use of freshwaters as a water supply, the limited toxicology information available for dispersants in fresh water, and the limited information 

available as to fresh water effectiveness of dispersants. As of 2012, there are no dispersants that are effective in freshwater environments (dispersants 

require salt as a catalyst).
26

q Response Organizations: This section should provide guidance on NIMS-compliant response 

organizations, identifying those entities with expertise relevant to specific positions and

providing models of organizational structures. The approach to this should be inclusive, by

defining appropriate roles for each AC participant. Particular attention should be paid to the

placement of resource trustees, technical experts and others that may be outside the normal

response community. 

q Personnel training and qualification requirements/recommendations: This section should 

address recommended levels of NIMS-ICS training for responders.

q Model Incident Action Plans: It may be appropriate for the ACP to include example IAPs for

specific scenarios (e.g., worst-case discharges).

q Mutual aid agreements: These exist at the federal, state and local levels. Federal

agreements (e.g., EPA-Coast Guard) and state agreements (e.g., EMAC) need not be

replicated in the ACP unless there are area-specific considerations which need to be

explained. Local agreements, particularly when they involve entities outside the bounds of

the ACP, should be referenced briefly.

q Public Information/JIC: The ACP should provide guidance to participants on the coordination 

of public messages during a response, including reinforcing the role of the UC’s PIO and

defining the relationship of the PIO to individual agencies’ public information operations.

q Response to substantial threats to public health or welfare; spills of national significance 

and worst case discharges: As described in 40 CFR 300.322 through 300.324, if the

investigation by the OSC shows that the discharge poses or may present substantial threat to 

public health or welfare of the United States, the OSC shall direct all federal, state or private

actions to remove the discharge or to mitigate or prevent the threat of such discharge, as

appropriate. 

	 The ACP, when used in conjunction with other provisions of the NCP, shall be adequate to

remove worst case discharges as described above. 
27

Section

6 Advanced Area Planning

A. NOAA Environmental Response Management Application 

(ERMA)

ERMA® is a web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) tool

designed to assist both emergency responders and environmental 

resource managers who deal with incidents that may adversely impact 

the environment. The application can assist in response planning and is 

accessible to both the command post and to assets in the field during

an actual response incident, such as an oil spill or hurricane. The data

within ERMA also assists in resource management decisions regarding 

hazardous waste site evaluations and restoration planning. 

ERMA supports environmental preparedness, response, and recovery

efforts by:

q	 Providing integrated and timely information to improve decisionmaking.

q	 Integrating and synthesizing various types of information on a single

map interface.

q	 Providing fast visualization of current information.

q Improving communication and coordination among responders and 

stakeholders.

Access information for ERMA is available at http://response.restoration.

noaa.gov/erma and is also included in Appendix D.

B. Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations 

(CAMEO)

CAMEO is a system of software applications used widely to plan for

and respond to chemical emergencies. It is one of the tools developed

by EPA’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Response

and Restoration to assist front-line chemical emergency planners

and responders. They can use CAMEO to access, store, and evaluate

information critical for developing emergency plans. In addition, CAMEO

supports regulatory compliance by helping users meet the chemical 

inventory reporting requirements of the Emergency Planning and

Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA, also known as SARA Title III).

CAMEO also can be used with a separate software application called

LandView to display EPA environmental data and demographic/economic 

information to support analysis of environmental justice issues.
28

The CAMEO system integrates a chemical 

database and a method to manage the 

data, an air dispersion model, and a

mapping capability. All modules work

interactively to share and display critical 

information in a timely fashion. The CAMEO

system is available in Macintosh and 

Windows formats.

CAMEO was initially developed because 

NOAA recognized the need to assist first

responders with easily accessible and 

accurate response information. Since

1988, EPA and NOAA have collaborated to

augment CAMEO to assist both emergency 

responders and planners. CAMEO has been 

enhanced to provide emergency planners 

with a tool to enter local information

and develop incident scenarios to better 

prepare for chemical emergencies. The

Bureau of Census and the U.S. Coast

Guard have worked with EPA and NOAA to

continue to enhance the system.

The software is available for download from EPA’s CAMEO web site:

http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/content/cameo/index.htm

C. LandView® 6

The LandView database system allows users to retrieve census demographic and housing data,

EPA Envirofacts data and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geographic Names Information System

(GNIS) information. The GNIS contains over 1.2 million records which show the official federally

recognized geographic names for all known places, features, and areas in the United States that

are identified by a proper name.

The LandView database software:

q	 Uses the Population Estimator function to calculate census demographic and housing

characteristics for user defined radii.

q	 Creates simple thematic maps of census data.

q	 Allows users to browse and query the census, EPA or USGS databases and show the query

results on the map. 

q Provides the capability to locate a street address or intersection on a map based on TIGER/

Line® road features and address ranges.
29

The MARPLOT mapping software:

q	 Creates large scale maps showing Census legal and statistical entities, EPA Envirofacts sites,

and USGS GNIS features. (A large scale map shows a small area with a large amount of

detail.) 

q Allows users to customize the maps by varying the scale and controlling which map layers are 

shown. 

q	 Provides a search capability for map objects based on radius or map layer.

q	 Includes tools that allow users to add information to the maps.

q	 Can automatically retrieve LandView database information for user selected map objects.

Additional information is available at: http://www.census.gov/geo/landview/

D. RMP*Comp

RMP*Comp is a free program that calculates vulnerable zone distances based on the Risk

Management Program (RMP) Guidance for Offsite Consequence Analysis (both worst case

scenarios and alternative scenarios). The RMP*Comp program guides users through the process 

of making an analysis.

The software is available for download from EPA’s RMP*Comp web site:

http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/content/rmp/rmp_comp.htm
30

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31

CERCLA and EPCRA

Under CERCLA, EPA established both an

emergency response program designed to 

stabilize or cleanup releases of hazardous

substances that pose a threat to human 

health or the environment, and a remedial

response program to take actions consistent

with a permanent remedy (instead of or in

addition to removal actions) in the event of a

release or threatened release of hazardous

substances posing a threat to human health 

or the environment. CERCLA also enabled 

the revision of the NCP. The NCP provides

the guidelines and procedures to respond 

to releases and threatened releases of

hazardous substances, pollutants, or

contaminants. The Emergency Planning 

and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) 

amendments to CERCLA included provisions 

to strengthen emergency response planning 

at the state and local levels by requiring local 

governments to prepare chemical emergency 

response plans (40 CFR Part 355) and to

make information more readily available to

the public on hazardous chemicals that are 

stored at facilities in their communities

(40 CFR Part 370).

Clean Water Act

Under 33 U.S.C. 1321 (j)(4) of the CWA, the

President is authorized to establish Area 

Committees comprised of qualified personnel

from federal, state, and local agencies. These

committees are to prepare ACPs that detail 

methods and procedures for responding to a

worst-case discharge, including the division of

Appendix A: 

Statutory and Regulatory Authorities

responsibilities among various authorities in 

a response. Each Area Committee is required 

to submit this plan to the President for review

and approval. The authorities assigned to the 

President under 33 U.S.C. 1321(j)(4) for the

inland zone have been delegated by Executive 

Order 12777 to the EPA Administrator, who

has in turn re-delegated these authorities 

to EPA Regional Administrators. Regional 

Administrators may further re-delegate the

authorities to the Division Director level.

Each Area Committee, under the direction of

the Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC) for

its area, has the following responsibilities:

q	 Prepare an ACP for its area;

q	 Work with state and local officials to

enhance the contingency planning of

those officials and to assure pre-planning

of joint response efforts, including

appropriate procedures for mechanical

recovery, application of countermeasures,

shoreline cleanup, protection of sensitive

environmental areas, and protection,

rescue, and rehabilitation of fisheries and

wildlife;

q	 Work with state and local officials

to expedite decisions for the use of

dispersants and other mitigating 

substances and devices; and

q Update the ACP periodically.
32

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90)

OPA 90 establishes mechanisms for the

federal government to prevent and respond

to oil spills. OPA 90 extensively amended the

CWA to provide enhanced capabilities for oil

spill response and natural resource damage 

assessment. 

Title IV, Section 4202, National Planning

and Response System, amended subsection

311(j) of the CWA with respect to the National

Planning and Response System. It defines

Area Committee and ACP requirements and 

deadlines for agencies. Pursuant to OPA

90 section 4202(b)(1)(A), the President

designates areas for which ACPs are

established. As stated above, the President

delegated to EPA the responsibility for

designating the areas and appointing the 

committees for the “inland zone”. Under the

CWA, ACPs are developed by Area Committees

under the direction of the FOSC for their area.

OPA 90 Section 4202(b)(1)(A) also requires

that in designating areas, the President will

ensure that all navigable waters, adjoining

shorelines, and waters of the exclusive

economic zone are subject to an ACP.

Under the National Oil and Hazardous 

Substances Contingency Plan (NCP) response 

and planning framework, the territory of the

United States is covered by thirteen Regional 

Response Teams (RRTs) and Regional 

Contingency Plans (RCPs). The zones of

the thirteen RRTs follow the ten standard

federal regions, except for the following three

subregional areas that have their own RRT: 

(1) Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands;

(2) Alaska; and (3) Hawaii, Guam, Northern

Mariana Islands, Pacific Island Governments,

and American Samoa (See Figure 1, next

page). The inland areas of the thirteen RRTs

serve as the designated areas for the inland

zone. The USCG designates areas for the

Coastal Zone. These coastal zone areas are

based on the 48 USCG Captains of the Port

(COTP) areas. The areas covered by COTPs are 

smaller than the RRT areas and include major 

river systems associated with the ports. 

Unless otherwise designated, the RRTs serve

as the Area Committees for the Inland Zone.

RRTs are composed of representatives from

federal, state, and Tribal governments.

See also the April 24, 1992 Federal Register

Notice (57 FR 15198): Designation of Areas

and Area Committees Under the Oil Pollution 

Act of 1990 (Document posted at

http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_profile.

aspx?site_id=3857)

The National Oil and Hazardous 

Substances Pollution Contingency Plan 

(NCP)

The National Oil and Hazardous Substances 

Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) provides for

the coordinated and integrated response by 

the federal government, as well as state and

local governments, to prevent, minimize, or

mitigate a threat to public health or welfare

posed by discharges of oil and releases

of hazardous substances, pollutants, and

contaminants. The NCP is authorized by 

CERCLA and the CWA as amended by OPA 90.

Section 300.210 of the NCP provides for three

levels of contingency plans under the NRS,

including: The NCP, Regional Contingency

Plans (RCPs), and ACPs. These plans are

available for inspection at EPA Regional

offices or USCG district offices.

Under the direction of a FOSC and subject

to approval by the lead agency, each

Area Committee, in consultation with the

appropriate RRTs, USCG District Response
33

Groups (DRGs), the USCG National Strike

Force Coordination Center (NSFCC),

Scientific Support Coordinators (SSCs), Local

Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs),

and State Emergency Response Commissions 

(SERCs), will develop an ACP for its designated

area. This plan, when implemented in

conjunction with other provisions of the

NCP, will be adequate to remove a worstcase discharge of the NCP, 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.

In developing the ACP, the FOSC will

coordinate with affected SERCs and LEPCs.

The ACP will provide for a well-coordinated

response that is integrated and compatible,

to the greatest extent possible, with all

appropriate response plans of state, local,

and non-federal entities, and especially with

Title III local emergency response plans.

The ACPs are required to include the following

elements:

q	 A description of the area covered by

the plan, including the areas of special

economic or environmental importance 

that might be damaged by a discharge;

q	 A detailed description of 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;

Figure 1

13 Regional Response Team Areas
34

q	 A list of equipment (including firefighting

equipment), dispersants, or other

mitigating substances and devices,

and 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 of a discharge (this

may be provided in an appendix or by 

reference to other relevant emergency

plans (e.g., state or LEPC plans), which

may include such equipment lists);

q	 A description of procedures to be followed

for obtaining an expedited decision

regarding the use of dispersants; and

q	 A detailed description of how the plan

is integrated into other ACPs and tank

vessel, offshore facility, and onshore

facility response plans approved by the

President, and into operating procedures

of the NSFCC.

Area Committees are required to incorporate 

into each ACP a detailed annex containing a 

Fish and Wildlife and Sensitive Environments

Plan that is consistent with the RCP and NCP. 

The annex will be prepared in consultation with 

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

(NOAA), and other interested natural resource

management agencies and parties. The annex 

will provide the necessary information and

procedures to immediately and effectively

respond to discharges that may adversely 

affect fish and wildlife and their habitat and

sensitive environments, including provisions

for a response to a worst-case discharge.

The Stafford Act

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and

Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act)

describes the programs and processes by 

which the federal government provides disaster

and emergency assistance to state and local 

governments, tribal nations, eligible private

nonprofit organizations, and individuals

affected by a declared major disaster or

emergency. The law establishes the process for

requesting and obtaining a Presidential disaster 

declaration, defines the type and scope of

assistance available under the Stafford Act, and

sets the conditions for obtaining assistance.

The Stafford Act covers all hazards, including

natural disasters and terrorist events. 

The NCP is an operational supplement to 

the National Response Framework (NRF).

The NRF was issued by the Department 

of Homeland Security (DHS) and is an

overarching guide that describes how the 

nation responds to all types of domestic

emergencies, including natural disasters and

terrorist incidents. It describes the roles of

federal, state, local, and tribal governments,

as well as non-governmental organizations 

and the private sector. Under the NRF, DHS

coordinates the federal response to incidents

requiring significant Federal coordination,

which includes incidents for which the

President issues a disaster declaration under 

the Stafford Act. FEMA may utilize Stafford Act

funds to reimburse EPA for specific emergency

response activities related to actual or 

potential hazardous materials (hazardous 

substances, pollutants, contaminants, and oil)

incidents through the NRF under Emergency 

Support Function (ESF #10) – Oil and

Hazardous Materials Response, when there is

an Emergency or Major Disaster Declaration. 
35

Response to oil and hazardous materials 

incidents is generally carried out in 

accordance with the NCP. NCP structures 

and response mechanisms remain in place 

when ESF #10 is activated, but coordinate

with NRF mechanisms. During Stafford Act

responses, some procedures in the NCP may

be streamlined or may not apply. 

ESF #10 may be activated by DHS for

incidents requiring a more robust coordinated 

Federal response, such as:

q A major disaster or emergency under the 

Stafford Act;

q	 A federal-to-federal support request (e.g.,

a federal agency, such as the Department

of Health and Human Services (HHS) or

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),

requests support from ESF #10 and

provides funding for the response

through the mechanisms described in the 

Financial Management Support Annex); or

q An actual or potential oil discharge or 

hazardous materials release to which 

EPA and/or USCG respond under CERCLA 

and/or CWA authorities and funding, for

which DHS determines it should lead the 

federal response.

As described in the NRF core document, some

federal responses do not require coordination

by DHS and are undertaken by other federal

departments and agencies consistent with 

their authorities. Federal responses to oil 

and hazardous materials incidents under the 

authorities of CERCLA and the CWA that do

not warrant DHS coordination are conducted 

under the NCP. EPA or USCG may also request 

DHS to activate other NRF elements for such

incidents, if needed, while still retaining

overall leadership for the federal response.

Homeland Security Presidential 

Directives (HSPD)/Presidential Policy 

Directives (PPD)

The Presidential Policy Directive on National 

Preparedness is effective as of March 30,

2011, and replaces Homeland Security

Directive (HSPD) 8 (National Preparedness) 

and HSPD-8 Annex I (National Planning). 

Plans developed under HSPD-8 and Annex I 

remain in effect until rescinded or otherwise

replaced.

EPA has also been directed to operate under 

the following Executive Branch directives:

Management of Domestic Incidents – HSPD-5

HSPD-5 was issued to improve management 

of domestic incidents by establishing a

single, comprehensive national incident

management system. The Homeland Security 

Act of 2002 created the Department of

Homeland Security (DHS) and assigned the 

Secretary of Homeland Security responsibility

for coordinating federal emergency operations

within the United States. Federal emergency 

operations include preparing for, responding

to, and recovering from terrorist attacks, major

disasters, and other emergencies. DHS has

the authority to coordinate federal resources

when any one of several conditions occurs: 1.

a federal department or agency requests their

assistance, 2. the resources of state and local

authorities are overwhelmed and they request 

federal assistance, 3. more than one federal

department or agency is substantially involved 

in responding to an incident, 4. the President

directs the Secretary to assume responsibility 

for managing the domestic incident.

HSPD-5 also recognizes the role that 

state, tribal, and local governments;

nongovernmental organizations; and the

private sector play in managing incidents. 
36

Initial responsibility for managing domestic

incidents generally falls on state and local

authorities. When their resources are 

overwhelmed, or when federal property is

involved, the federal government provides

assistance.

In order to provide a consistent, coordinated,

nation-wide approach for emergency

operations across all levels of government,

HSPD-5 directed DHS to develop and 

administer a National Incident Management 

System (NIMS) and a National Response 

Framework. Together, NIMS and the NRF

provide an approach for federal, state, and

local governments to effectively prepare

for, respond to, and recover from domestic

incidents, regardless of cause, size, or

complexity. 

Critical Infrastructure Identification,

Prioritization, and Protection - HSPD-7

HSPD-7 establishes a national policy for

federal departments and agencies to identify

and prioritize critical U.S. infrastructure

and key resources and to protect them

from terrorist attacks. Federal departments

and agencies will work with state and

local governments and the private sector 

to accomplish this objective. HSPD-7 also 

identifies Sector-Specific Agencies which,

under DHS’ overall coordination, lead efforts

to protect specific critical sectors and key

resources. 

In addition, HSPD-7 requires DHS to develop

a comprehensive, integrated National Plan

for Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources

Protection. 

Sector-Specific Agencies 

Sector-Specific Agencies are agencies

responsible for ensuring the protection of a

particular resource or part of the national

infrastructure. EPA is designated as the

Sector-Specific Agency for drinking water and

water treatment systems. In addition to being 

responsible for collaborating across all levels

of government, assessing vulnerabilities,

and promoting the use of risk-management

strategies, EPA must: 1. work with the water

sector to reduce the consequences of

catastrophic failures not caused by terrorism,

2. collaborate with the private sector to 

continue the development of information

sharing and analysis mechanisms, 3. report

to DHS on the Agency’s efforts to identify,

prioritize, and coordinate the protection of

critical infrastructure and key resources.

National Preparedness - PPD-8

National Preparedness Goal

PPD-8 calls for development and maintenance

of a National Preparedness Goal defining the

core capabilities necessary to prepare for the

specific types of incidents posing the greatest

risk to the security of the United States. The

Goal will establish concrete, measurable,

prioritized objectives to mitigate specific

threats and vulnerabilities – including regional

variations of risk – and emphasize actions

intended to achieve an integrated, layered,

accessible and all-of-Nation/whole community

preparedness approach while optimizing the 

use of available resources.

DHS, in coordination with other executive

departments and agencies, and in

consultation with state, local, tribal and

territorial governments, the private and

non-profit sectors and the general public,

submitted the first edition of the National

Preparedness Goal in September 2011. The

Goals defines success as:
37

A secure and resilient Nation with the 

capabilities required across the whole 

community to prevent, protect against,

mitigate, respond to, and recover from the

threats and hazards that pose the greatest 

risk.

The core capabilities contained in the goal 

are essential for the execution of each of the

five mission areas: Prevention, Protection,

Mitigation, Response, and Recovery. To

assess both preparedness capacity and 

gaps, each core capability includes capability

targets for which measures will be developed.

The Goal will be reviewed regularly to 

evaluate consistency with applicable policies,

evolving conditions and the National Incident 

Management System.

National Preparedness System

The Directive requires a description of

the National Preparedness System – an

integrated set of guidance, programs and

processes, enabling the Nation to meet

the National Preparedness Goal. Designed 

to guide domestic efforts of all levels of

government, the private and nonprofit sectors

and the public, the National Preparedness

System includes guidance for planning,

organization, equipment, training and

exercises needed to build and maintain 

domestic capabilities in support of the

National Preparedness Goal.

The System description identifies

six components to improve national 

preparedness for a wide range of threats

and hazards, such as acts of terrorism, cyber

attacks, pandemics and catastrophic natural

disasters. The system description explains 

how the nation will build on current efforts,

many of which are already established in the

law and have been in use for many years.

These six components include:

q	 Identifying and assessing risks;

q	 Estimating capability requirements;

q	 Building or sustaining capabilities;

q Developing and implementing plans to 

deliver those capabilities;

q Validating and monitoring progress 

made towards achieving the National 

Preparedness Goal; and

q	 Reviewing and updating efforts to

promote continuous improvement.

The System will include a series of

integrated national planning frameworks

covering prevention, protection, mitigation,

response and recovery and be built upon 

scalable, flexible and adaptable coordinating

structures. These frameworks are intended to

align key roles and responsibilities to deliver

capabilities and provide a unified, integrated,

accessible system with common terminology. 

The National Preparedness System includes 

interagency and departmental operational 

plans that support each national planning 

framework with corresponding planning

guidance for state, local, tribal and territorial

governments.

Other key aspects of the National

Preparedness System described in PPD-8 

include:

q	 Resource guidance, including

arrangements enabling the ability to 

share personnel;

q	 Equipment guidance, aimed at

nationwide interoperability;

q National training and exercise program 

guidance; and

q	 Recommendations and guidance for

businesses, communities, families and

individuals.
38

PPD-8 also calls for a comprehensive

approach to assess national preparedness. 

The approach involves measuring operational 

readiness against target capability levels 

identified in the Goal.

Campaign to Build and Sustain Preparedness

DHS is tasked with coordinating a

comprehensive campaign to build and sustain 

preparedness nationwide. The campaign will 

enhance national resilience, federal financial

assistance, federal preparedness efforts,

and national research and development 

through proactive public outreach and 

community-based and private sector 

programs. The campaign will also tap into 

existing preparedness efforts across all levels

of government and the private and non-profit

sectors for a unified approach.

National Preparedness Report

The first annual National Preparedness

Report was delivered to the President in early 

2012. The report will be based on progress

towards achieving the National Preparedness 

Goal and will serve as a tool to inform the

President’s budget annually.

Prepared and delivered by DHS, the report

requires close coordination with all executive 

departments and agencies having a role in 

national preparedness efforts and substantial

input from state, local, tribal and territorial

governments as well as the private and nonprofit sectors and the general public.

EPA’s Role Under PPD-8

EPA will participate in the development 

and execution of the Interagency Planning

Frameworks, response activities, training

and exercises and contribute to the National 

Preparedness Report annually.

Clean Water Act and NCP Area Plan Requirements

Requirement CWA NCP

When implemented in conjunction with the NCP, 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.

3 3

A description of the area covered by the plan, including the areas of special

economic or environmental importance that might be damaged by a 

discharge.

3 3

A detailed description of 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.

3 3
39

Requirement CWA NCP

A list of equipment (including firefighting equipment), dispersants, or other

mitigating substances and devices, and 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 of a discharge (this may be provided in an appendix or

by reference to other relevant emergency plans (e.g., state or LEPC plans),

which may include such equipment lists).

3 3

A description of procedures to be followed for obtaining an expedited

decision regarding the use of dispersants. 3 3

A detailed description of how the plan is integrated into other ACPs and tank

vessel, offshore facility, and onshore facility response plans approved by the

President, and into operating procedures of the NSFCC.

3 3

Compile a list of local scientists, both inside and outside the federal

government, with expertise in the environmental effects of spills of the types

of oil typically transported in the area, who may be contacted to provide

information or, where appropriate, participate in meetings of the scientific

support team convened in response to a spill, and describe the procedures

to be followed for obtaining an expedited decision regarding the use of

dispersants.

3

A detailed annex containing a Fish and Wildlife and Sensitive Environments

Plan that is consistent with the RCP and NCP. The annex will be prepared in 

consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other interested natural resource

management agencies. The annex will provide the necessary information

and procedures to immediately and effectively respond to discharges

that may adversely affect fish and wildlife and their habitat and sensitive

environments, including provisions for a response to a worst-case discharge.

3
40

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41

1. Example AC membership list

a. http://www.pwcgov.org/government/

dept/FR/Pages/Local-EmergencyPlanning-Committee-(LEPC).aspx

2. Example AC documents

a. U.S. EPA National Inland Area 

Contingency Planning Workgroup

Charter (January 2010) outlines the

vision, mission, objectives, goals,

organization, and function of EPA’s

Inland Area Contingency Planning 

Workgroup. (Document posted at

http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_

profile.aspx?site_id=3857)

b. U.S. EPA Inland Area Contingency 

Planning Brochure (document posted 

at http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_

profile.aspx?site_id=3857)

3. Example AC web sites

a. These Regional Response Team (RRT) 

web sites include Regional and Area 

Contingency Plans and other useful

planning information:

-	 RRT-1 (Maine, Vermont, New

Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode

Island and Connecticut): 

http://www.rrt1.nrt.org/production/

NRT/RRT1.nsf/AllPages/rrt1Plans.

html

Appendix B: 

Area Committees

-	 RRT-4 (Alabama, Georgia,

Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi,

North Carolina, South Carolina,

Tennessee): 

http://www.nrt.org/production/

NRT/RRTHome.nsf/Allpages/

newrrt_iv-opsmanual.htm

-	 RRT-5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,

Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin):

http://www.rrt5.org/SubAreas.aspx

-	 RRT-9 (Arizona, California, Nevada):

http://www.rrt9.org/go/site/2763/

-	 RRT-10 (Idaho, Oregon, Washington):

http://www.rrt10nwac.com/

NWACP/Default.aspx

b.	 EPA Region 8 (Colorado, Montana,

North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,

Wyoming) ACP: 

http://www2.epa.gov/region8/areacontingency-plan-acp
42

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43

1. EPA ACP Model

a.	 Model Area Contingency Plan, Volumes

I & II (March 1993): Document posted 

to http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_

profile.aspx?site_id=3857

2. EPA-only ACPs

a.	 EPA Region 1 (Connecticut, Maine,

Massachusetts, New Hampshire,

Rhode Island, Vermont) ACP:

http://www.epa.gov/region1/er/iacp/

index.html

b.	 EPA Region 3 (Delaware, District of

Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania,

West Virginia, Virginia):

Draft document posted to http://www.

epaosc.org/site/site_profile.aspx?site_

id=3857

c.	 EPA Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana,

New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas)ACP:

http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.

cgi?Dockey=500012JS.txt

d.	 EPA Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri,

Nebraska): ACP:

http://www.epa.gov/region7/cleanup/

superfund/integrated_plan.htm

3. EPA-USCG joint ACP-related

a. Region 5: 

http://www.rrt5.org/RCPACPMain.

aspx

b. Region 9: 

http://www.rrt9.org/external/content/

document/2763/495643/1/RRT-IX%20

Regional%20Contingency%20Plan.pdf

Appendix C: 

ACP Formats, Scope and Organization

c.	 Region 10 ACP:

http://www.rrt10nwac.com/NWACP/

Default.aspx

4. Sub-area plans

a. EPA Region 5 sub-area plans: 

- Minneapolis-St. Paul: 

http://www.umrba.org/hazspills/

twincitiesplan.pdf

- Northern Michigan: 

http://www.great-lakes.net/

partners/epa/northmi/

- Quad Cities: 

http://www.umrba.org/hazspills/

quadcitiesplan.pdf

- Upper Mississippi: 

http://www.umrba.org/hazspills/

umrplan.pdf

-	 Peoria, Illinois:

http://www.umrba.org/hazspills/

peoriaplan.pdf

b.	 Alaska Sub-area plans:

http://www.akrrt.org/plans.shtml

c. Open and Restricted sub-area plan 

example (Omaha-Council Bluffs)

(Documents posted at 

http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_

profile.aspx?site_id=3857)

5. Geographic response plans

a. Lower and Middle Columbia River:

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/

spills/preparedness/GRP/

ColumbiaRiver/ColumbiaRiver.htm
44

b.	 Recommendations for Geographic

Response Plan (GRP) Approaches 

(Document posted at 

http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_

profile.aspx?site_id=3857)

6. International contingency plan

a. Mexico-United States Joint Contingency 

Plan: http://www.epa.gov/oem/docs/

chem/ipmjcp-e.pdf

b. Canada-United States Joint Inland 

Pollution Contingency Plan: 

http://www.epa.gov/oem/docs/er/

us_can_jcp_eng.pdf

Canada-U.S. Joint Inland Pollution 

Contingency Plan Regional Annexes 

and the geographic areas they cover 

are listed below:

- Annex I - CANUSWEST (1998) -- 

includes the combined border of the

Yukon Territory and British Columbia

with U.S. EPA Regions 8 and 10

(Washington, Idaho, Montana, and

Alaska):

http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/

content/canada_border.html

-	 Annex II - CANUSPLAIN (2001)

-- includes the combined border 

of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and

Manitoba with U.S. EPA Regions 5 

and 8 (Minnesota, Montana, and

North Dakota):

http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/

content/canada_border.html

-	 Annex III - CANUSCENT (2001) --

includes the border of Ontario with

U.S. EPA Regions 2 and 5 (New York

and Minnesota): 

http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/

content/canada_border.html

- Annex IV - CANUSQUE -- includes 

the inland boundary of Quebec with

U.S. EPA Regions 1 and 2 (New 

Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and

New York):

http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/

content/canada_border.html

-	 Annex V - CANUSEAST (2005) --

includes the inland boundary of New

Brunswick with U.S. EPA Region 1

(Maine): 

http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/

content/canada_border.html

7.	 USCG ACP references

a. Commandant Instruction 16471.3: 

Area Contingency Plan Organization,

Content, Revision Cycle, and

Distribution (August 2000):

http://www.uscg.mil/directives/

ci/16000-16999/CI_16471_3.pdf

b. ACP Development Memo (February 

2005) (Document posted at http://

www.epaosc.org/site/site_profile.

aspx?site_id=3857)
45

1. Mapping tools

a.	 Minimum Essential Elements for GIS:

Document posted to 

http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_

profile.aspx?site_id=3857

b.	 Example map formats

- EPA Region 1: 

http://www.epa.gov/region1/er/

iacp/maps.html

-	 EPA Region 10 jurisdictional

boundary tool: 

http://gis1.ene.com/epar10/

c.	 Software:

- LandView® 6: 

http://www.census.gov/geo/

landview/

d. Web resources

- EPA OSC support site: 

http://www.epaosc.org/main/maps.

aspx

-	 Compendium of e-mapping

applications: 

http://www.ehssoftserve.com/geo_

mapsinfo.htm

(registration required)

-	 NOAA ERMA fact sheet:

http://archive.orr.noaa.gov/book_

shelf/1869_ORR-ERMA-07-11.pdf

- NOAA ERMA: 

http://response.restoration.noaa.

gov/erma

Appendix D: 

Tools

2. Example Sensitive Area inventories

a.	 EPA Region 5 Fish and Wildlife annex:

http://www.rrt5.org/

RCPACPReferences/FishWildlifeAnnex.

aspx

3. Hazard assessment examples

a. Natural disaster-related hazards

- Region 6 Natural Disaster 

Workgroup: http://www.epaosc.org/

site/site_profile.aspx?site_id=4907

4. Historical preservation resources

a.	 National Park Service list of historic

preservation officers:

http://www.nps.gov/nr/shpolist.htm

5. Riverine spill modeling

a. Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation 

Commission (ORSANCO)modeling tool: 

http://www.orsanco.org/emergencyresponse-program
46

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47

1. Example ACP contact list (Document 

posted to: 

http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_profile.

aspx?site_id=3857)

2.	 Example Incident Notification lists

a.	 Omaha-Council Bluffs notification list

(Document posted to: 

http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_

profile.aspx?site_id=3857)

b.	 Truckee River incident notification list

(Document posted to: 

http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_

profile.aspx?site_id=3857)

Appendix E: 

Contact/Notification Lists
48

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49

1. Example response resource inventories

a.	 EPA Region 10 equipment inventory:

http://www.rrt10nwac.com/

Equipment.aspx

b. EPA Environmental Response Team 

equipment inventory information:

-	 Two Turner C7 Fluorometers,

including one 50 Meter Cable:

Contains multi sensor array, but

primarily used for in-water detection

of crude or refined oil, could be

integrated into existing vessel CTD 

platform.

http://www.turnerdesigns.com/

products/submersible-fluorometer/

cyclops-7-submersible-fluorescenceand-turbidity-sensors

-	 Turner 10AU Flow Thru Fluorometer:

“Old Reliable” Model, has a pump

and internal lamp, bench top

application, can run individual

samples or pump/flow thru

continuous sampling, can use for

dye tracer studies also, could use to

monitor DW intakes or other water

intakes for oil contamination.

http://www.turnerdesigns.com/t2/

doc/manuals/10au_manual.pdf

Appendix F: 

Resource Inventory Development

-	 Site Lab UV3100 from CyberSense:

Recently acquired, for soil and water

samples, simple extraction required,

bench top portable application,

applies UV fluorescence to extract

yielding numeric concentration, can

analyze oil fractions for TPH, GRO,

DRO, and PCBs, purchase standards

for calibration. http://www.cysense.

com/images/upload/docum/

CTPN200518_UVF3100_PAH%20

TPH%20and%20PCB.pdf

- PhotoVac Voyager Portable GC: 

Analysis for VOCs, Chlorinated

solvents, benchtop and potentially

used over the shoulder for

compounds in air, can use heating

element to purge volatiles in water 

and analyze headspace, good

sensitivity, mostly spills or site

characterization applications, also

soil gas. 

http://www.equipcoservices.com/

pdf/manuals/photovac_voyager.pdf
50

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51

1. Oil spill counter-measure examples

a. Dispersant authorization

	 Subpart J of the National Oil and

Hazardous Substances Pollution 

Contingency Plan (NCP) directs EPA 

to prepare a schedule of dispersants,

other chemicals, and oil spill mitigating

devices and substances that may 

be used to remove or control oil 

discharges. 

-	 NCP Subpart J: Use of Dispersants

and Other Chemicals - 40 CFR

300.900 - 300.920 (current rule):

http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/

docs/oil/cfr/900_920.pdf

-	 September 15, 1994, National Oil

and Hazardous Substances Pollution 

Contingency Plan; Final Rule. 59 FR

47384 (current regulations): 

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR1994-09-15/html/94-22347.htm

b. Dispersant pre-approval examples

- RRT-6 FOSC Dispersant Pre-approval 

Guidelines and Checklist:

http://www.losco.state.la.us/

pdf_docs/RRT6_Dispersant_

Preapproval_2001.pdf

-	 Use of Dispersants in Region IV:

http://www.nrt.org/production/

NRT/RRTHome.nsf/Resources/

DUP/$file/1-RRT4DISP.PDF

c. Cleaning agents

- http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.

cgi?Dockey=30002UZK.txt

Appendix G: 

Response Strategy Development

d. Bioremediation

- epaosc.net: 

http://www.epaosc.org/site/doc_

list.aspx?site_id=ERTREAC016

-	 Literature Review on the Use of

Commercial Bioremediation Agents 

for Cleanup of Oil-Contaminated

Estuarine Environments: 

http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/

docs/oil/edu/litreviewbiormd.pdf

-	 Guidelines for the Bioremediation of

Oil-Contaminated Salt Marshes: 

http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/

docs/oil/edu/saltmarshbiormd.pdf

-	 Guidelines for the Bioremediation of

Marine Shorelines and Freshwater 

Wetlands: 

http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/

docs/oil/edu/bioremed.pdf

- National Response Team Fact Sheet 

on Bioremediation Technologies:

http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/

docs/oil/edu/biofact.pdf

e. In-Situ Burning

-	 Inland In-Situ Burning of Oil Spills:

Regulations and Authorizations: 

http://www.epa.gov/oem/docs/oil/

fss/fss09/dehaven.pdf

-	 NOAA guidance for monitoring in-situ

burning operations: 

http://response.restoration.noaa.

gov/ISB
52

f.	 Dispersant Monitoring System

-	 NOAA Special Monitoring of Applied

Response Technologies (SMART): 

http://response.restoration.noaa.

gov/smart

2. FRP-related response strategies

a. Example oil spill tactical response plan:

(Document posted at: 

http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_

profile.aspx?site_id=3857)

3. Sensitive resource-related response 

strategies

a.	 Examples can be found at:

- http://www.epa.gov/osweroe1/

content/fss/00table.htm

- http://www.epa.gov/swercepp/

web/content/fss/09table.htm

4. National Response Team Subsea and 

Surface Dispersant Guidance

a. The guidance is currently under 

development/review.

5.	 Memo from Mathy Stanislaus, OSWER

Assistant Administrator, dated Nov. 2,

2010, to the Regions requesting updates

to the ACPs.

a.	 Link to the memo can be found at:

http://www.epaosc.org/site/site_

profile.aspx?site_id=3857

6. Mechanical cleanup technologies

a.	 Examples can be found at:

- http://www.epa.gov/oem/docs/oil/

edu/oilspill_book/chap2.pdf

- http://www.epa.gov/oem/content/

learning/oiltech.htm
53

1.	 EPA Regional and Headquarters offices

contact information (contacts for ACP

matters): 

http://www.epa.gov/oem/content/

regional.htm

Appendix H: 

Resources for Assistance in ACP 

Development
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The National Response Team (NRT) has released the NRT Use of Volunteers Guidelines for

Oil Spills. The Guidelines can be found on the NRT Website (www.nrt.org; Guidance, Technical

Assistance & Planning; Use of Volunteers Guidelines for Oil Spills) or by clicking this link:

http://www.nrt.org/production/NRT/NRTWeb.nsf/AllAttachmentsByTitle/SA-1080NRT_Use_

of_Volunteers_Guidelines_for_Oil_Spills_FINAL_signatures_inserted_Version_28-Sept-2012.

pdf/$File/NRT_Use_of_Volunteers_Guidelines_for_Oil_Spills_FINAL_signatures_inserted_

Version_28-Sept-2012.pdf?OpenElement

Appendix I: 

Volunteers
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Appendix J: 

Acronyms

ACP Area Contingency Plan

CAMEO Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations

CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

CERCLIS Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability

Information System

COTP Captains of the Port

CWA Clean Water Act

DHS Department of Homeland Security

DoD Department of Defense

DOT Department of Transportation

DRG District Response Group (USCG)

EMAC Emergency Management Assistance Compact

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

EPCRA Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act

ERMA Environmental Response Management Application (NOAA)

ESA Endangered Species Act

ESF Emergency Support Function

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

FHWA Federal Highway Administration (DOT)

FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (DOT)
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FOSC Federal On-Scene Coordinator

FRA Federal Railroad Administration (DOT)

FRP Facility Response Plan

FRS Facility Registry System

GIS Geographic Information System

HHS Department of Health and Human Services

HSPD Homeland Security Presidential Directive

IC Incident Commander

ICS Incident Command System

JIC Joint Information Center

LEPC Local Emergency Planning Committee

MCP Mobile Command Post

NCP National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan

NEBA Net Environmental Benefits Analysis

NGO Non-Governmental Organization

NIMS National Incident Management System

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NRF National Response Framework

NRS National Response System

NSFCC National Strike Force Coordination Center (USCG)

OEI Office of Environmental Information (OEI)

OEM Office of Emergency Management (EPA)
59

OPA 90 Oil Pollution Act of 1990

OSC On-Scene Coordinator

PHMSA Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (DOT)

PPD Presidential Policy Directive

PPE Personal Protective Equipment

RCP Regional Contingency Plan

RMP Risk Management Plan

RRT Regional Response Team

SERC State Emergency Response Commission

SSC Scientific Support Coordinator

TRI Toxics Release Inventory

UC Unified Command

USCG United States Coast Guard

USDA United States Department of Agriculture

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

VRP Vessel Response Plan

61