Source: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&mc=true&r=SUBPART&n=sp33.2.155.i
Timestamp: 2020-02-17 23:53:14
Document Index: 532828729

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', 'art 7', '§80', 'art 7', '§80', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', '§155', 'art 155']

Title 33 → Chapter I → Subchapter O → Part 155 → Subpart I
§155.4010 Purpose of this subpart.
§155.4015 Vessel owners and operators who must follow this subpart.
§155.4020 Complying with this subpart.
§155.4025 Definitions.
§155.4030 Required salvage and marine firefighting services to list in response plans.
§155.4032 Other resource provider considerations.
§155.4035 Required pre-incident information and arrangements for the salvage and marine firefighting resource providers listed in response plans.
§155.4040 Response times for each salvage and marine firefighting service.
§155.4045 Required agreements or contracts with the salvage and marine firefighting resource providers.
§155.4050 Ensuring that the salvors and marine firefighters are adequate.
§155.4052 Drills and exercises.
§155.4055 Temporary waivers from meeting one or more of the specified response times.
Source: USCG-1998-3417, 73 FR 80649, Dec. 31, 2008, unless otherwise noted.
(a) The purpose of this subpart is to establish vessel response plan salvage and marine firefighting requirements for vessels, that are carrying group I-IV oils, and that are required by §§155.1015 and 155.5015 to have a vessel response plan.
(b) Salvage and marine firefighting actions can save lives and property, and prevent the escalation of potential oil spills to worst case discharge scenarios.
(c) A planholder must ensure by contract or other approved means that response resources are available to respond. However, the response criteria specified in the regulations (e.g., quantities of response resources and their arrival times) are planning criteria, not performance standards, and are based on assumptions that may not exist during an actual incident, as stated in 33 CFR 155.1010. Compliance with the regulations is based upon whether a covered response plan ensures that adequate response resources are available, not on whether the actual performance of those response resources after an incident meets specified arrival times or other planning criteria. Failure to meet specified criteria during an actual spill response does not necessarily mean that the planning requirements of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) (33 U.S.C. 1251-1376) and regulations were not met. The Coast Guard will exercise its enforcement discretion in light of all facts and circumstances.
[USCG-1998-3417, 73 FR 80649, Dec. 31, 2008, as amended by USCG-2008-1070, 78 FR 60123, Sept. 30, 2013]
You must follow this subpart if your vessel carries group I-IV oils, and is required by §155.1015 or §155.5015 to have a vessel response plan.
(a)(1) If you have an existing approved vessel response plan required by §155.1015, you must have your vessel response plan updated and submitted to the Coast Guard by February 22, 2011.
(2) All new or existing vessels operating on the navigable waters of the United States or transferring oil in a port or place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, that meet the applicability requirements of §155.1015, that do not have an approved vessel response plan, must comply with §155.1065.
(3) Your vessel may not conduct oil transport or transfer operations if—
(i) You have not submitted a plan to the Coast Guard in accordance with §155.1065 prior to February 22, 2011;
(ii) The Coast Guard determines that the response resources referenced in your plan do not meet the requirements of this subpart;
(iii) The contracts or agreements cited in your plan have lapsed or are otherwise no longer valid;
(iv) You are not operating in accordance with your plan; or
(v) The plan's approval has expired.
(b) If §155.5015 requires that you have a vessel response plan, you must have your vessel response plan submitted to the Coast Guard by January 30, 2014.
[USCG-1998-3417, 73 FR 80649, Dec. 31, 2008, as amended by USCG-2001-8661, 74 FR 45029, Aug. 31, 2009; USCG-2008-1070, 78 FR 60123, Sept. 30, 2013]
(1)(i) A written contractual agreement between a vessel owner or operator and resource provider. This agreement must expressly provide that the resource provider is capable of, and intends to commit to, meeting the plan requirements.
(ii) A written certification that the personnel, equipment, and capabilities required by this subpart are available and under the vessel owner or operator's direct control. If the planholder has personnel, equipment and capabilities under their direct control, they need not contract those items with a resource provider.
(iii) An alternative approved by the Coast Guard (Assistant Commandant for Response Policy (CG-5R)) and submitted in accordance with 33 CFR 155.1065(f) and 155.5067(a).
(2) As part of the contract or other approved means you must develop and sign, with your resource provider, a written funding agreement. This funding agreement is to ensure that salvage and marine firefighting responses are not delayed due to funding negotiations. The funding agreement must include a statement of how long the agreement remains in effect, and must be provided to the Coast Guard for VRP approval. In addition any written agreement with a public resource provider must be included in the planholder's Vessel Response Plan (VRP).
Inland area means the area shoreward of the boundary lines defined in 46 CFR part 7, except that in the Gulf of Mexico, it means the area shoreward of the lines of demarcation (COLREG lines) as defined in §§80.740 through 80.850 of this chapter. The inland area does not include the Great Lakes.
Nearshore area means the area extending seaward 12 miles from the boundary lines defined in 46 CFR part 7, except in the Gulf of Mexico. In the Gulf of Mexico, a nearshore area is one extending seaward 12 miles from the line of demarcation (COLREG lines) as defined in §§80.740 through 80.850 of this chapter.
Primary resource provider means a resource provider listed in the vessel response plan as the principal entity contracted for providing specific salvage and/or marine firefighting services and resources, when multiple resource providers are listed for that service, for each of the COTP zones in which a vessel operates. The primary resource provider will be the point of contact for the planholder, the Federal On Scene Coordinator (FOSC) and the Unified Command, in matters related to specific resources and services, as required in §155.4030(a).
Resource provider means an entity that provides personnel, equipment, supplies, and other capabilities necessary to perform salvage and/or marine firefighting services identified in the response plan, and has been arranged by contract or other approved means. The resource provider must be selected in accordance with §155.4050. For marine firefighting services, resource providers can include public firefighting resources as long as they are able, in accordance with the requirements of §155.4045(d), and willing to provide the services needed.
[USCG-1998-3417, 73 FR 80649, Dec. 31, 2008, as amended by USCG-2008-1070, 78 FR 60124, Sept. 30, 2013; USCG-2016-0498, 82 FR 35082, July 28, 2017]
(a) You must identify, in the geographical-specific appendices of your VRP, the salvage and marine firefighting services listed in Table 155.4030(b)—Salvage and Marine Firefighting Services and Response Timeframes. Additionally, you must list those resource providers that you have contracted to provide these services. You may list multiple resource providers for each service, but you must identify which one is your primary resource provider for each Captain of the Port (COTP) zone in which you operate. A method of contact, consistent with the requirements in §§155.1035(e)(6)(ii), 155.1040(e)(5)(ii), and 155.5035(e)(6)(ii) must also be listed, in the geographical-specific appendices of your VRP, adjacent to the name of the resource provider.
Service Location of incident response activity timeframe
(1) Salvage CONUS: nearshore area; inland waters; Great Lakes; and OCONUS: <or = 12 miles from COTP city (hours) CONUS: offshore area; and OCONUS: <or = 50 miles from COTP city (hours)
(A) Remote assessment and consultation 1 1
(B) Begin assessment of structural stability 3 3
(C) On-site salvage assessment 6 12
(D) Assessment of structural stability 12 18
(E) Hull and bottom survey 12 18
(A) Emergency towing 12 18
(B) Salvage plan 16 22
(C) External emergency transfer operations 18 24
(D) Emergency lightering 18 24
(E) Other refloating methods 18 24
(F) Making temporary repairs 18 24
(G) Diving services support 18 24
(A) Special salvage operations plan 18 24
(B) Subsurface product removal 72 84
(C) Heavy lift1 Estimated Estimated
(2) Marine firefighting At pier (hours) CONUS: Nearshore area; inland waters; Great Lakes; and OCONUS: <or = 12 miles from COTP city (hours) CONUS: Offshore area; and OCONUS: <or = 50 miles from COTP city (hours)
(A) Remote assessment and consultation 1 1 1
(B) On-site fire assessment 2 6 12
(A) External firefighting teams 4 8 12
(B) External vessel firefighting systems 4 12 18
1Heavy lift services are not required to have definite hours for a response time. The planholder must still contract for heavy lift services, provide a description of the heavy lift response and an estimated response time when these services are required, however, none of the timeframes listed in the table in §155.4030(b) will apply to these services.
(c) Integration into the response organization. You must ensure that all salvage and marine firefighting resource providers are integrated into the response organizations listed in your plans. The response organization must be consistent with the requirements set forth in §§155.1035(d), 155.1040(d), 155.1045(d), and 155.5035(d).
(d) Coordination with other response resource providers, response organizations and OSROs. Your plan must include provisions on how the salvage and marine firefighting resource providers will coordinate with other response resources, response organizations, and OSROs. For example, you will need to identify how salvage and marine firefighting assessment personnel will coordinate response activity with oil spill removal organizations. For services that, by law, require public assistance, there must be clear guidelines on how service providers will interact with those organizations. The information contained in the response plan must be consistent with applicable Area Contingency Plans (ACPs) and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan as found in §§155.1030(h) and 155.5030(f).
(e) Ensuring the proper emergency towing vessels are listed in your VRP. Your VRP must identify towing vessels with the proper characteristics, horsepower, and bollard pull to tow your vessel(s). These towing vessels must be capable of operating in environments where the winds are up to 40 knots.
(f) Ensuring the proper type and amount of transfer equipment is listed in your VRP. Your salvage resource provider must be able to bring on scene a pumping capability that can offload the vessel's largest cargo or fuel tank, whichever is greater, in 24 hours of continuous operation. This is required for both emergency transfer and lightering operations.
(g) Ensuring firefighting equipment is compatible with your vessel. Your plan must list the proper type and amount of extinguishing agent needed to combat an oil fire involving your vessel's cargo fuel, other contents, and superstructure. If your primary extinguishing agent is foam or water, you must identify resources in your plan that are able to pump, for a minimum of 20 minutes, at least 0.016 gallons per minute per square foot of the deck area of your vessel, or an appropriate rate for spaces that this rate is not suitable for and if needed, an adequate source of foam. These resources described are to be supplied by the resource provider, external to the vessel's own firefighting system.
(h) Ensuring the proper subsurface product removal. You must have subsurface product removal capability if your vessel(s) operates in waters of 40 feet or more. Your resource provider must have the capability of removing bulk liquid cargo and fuel from your sunken vessel to a depth equal to the maximum your vessel operates in up to 150 feet.
(a) Use of resource providers not listed in the VRP. If another resource provider, not listed in the approved plan for the specific service required, is to be contracted for a specific response, justification for the selection of that resource provider needs to be provided to, and approved by, the FOSC. Only under exceptional circumstances will the FOSC authorize deviation from the resource provider listed in the approved vessel response plan in instances where that would best affect a more successful response.
(b) Worker health and safety. Your resource providers must have the capability to implement the necessary engineering, administrative, and personal protective equipment controls to safeguard their workers when providing salvage and marine firefighting services, as found in 33 CFR 155.1055(e) and 29 CFR 1910.120(q).
(a) You must provide the information listed in §§155.1035(c), 155.1040(c), and 155.5035(c) to your salvage and marine firefighting resource providers.
(b) Marine firefighting pre-fire plan. (1) You must prepare a vessel pre-fire plan in accordance with NFPA 1405, Guide for Land-Based Firefighters Who Respond to Marine Vessel Fires, Chapter 9 (Incorporation by reference, see §155.140). If the planholder's vessel pre-fire plan is one that meets another regulation, such as SOLAS Chapter II-2, Regulation 15, or international standard, a copy of that specific fire plan must also be given to the resource provider(s) instead of the NFPA 1405 pre-fire plan, and be attached to the VRP.
(3) If a marine firefighting resource provider subcontracts to other organizations, each subcontracted organization must also receive a copy of the vessel pre-fire plan.
(a) You must ensure, by contract or other approved means, that your resource provider(s) is capable of providing the services within the required timeframes.
(1) If your vessel is at the pier or transiting a COTP zone within the continental United States (CONUS), the timeframes in Table 155.4030(b) apply as listed.
(2) If your vessel is at the pier or transiting a COTP zone outside the continental United States (OCONUS), the timeframes in Table 155.4030(b) apply as follows:
(i) Inland waters and nearshore area timeframes apply from the COTP city out to and including the 12 mile point.
(ii) Offshore area timeframes apply from 12 to 50 miles outside the COTP city.
(3) If your vessel transits within an OCONUS COTP zone that is outside the areas described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, but within the inland waters or the nearshore or offshore area, you must submit in writing, in your plan, the steps you will take to address salvage and marine firefighting needs in the event these services are required.
(b) The timeframe starts when anyone in your response organization receives notification of a potential or actual incident. It ends when the service reaches the ship, the outer limit of the nearshore area, the outer limit of the offshore area, the 12 or 50-mile point from the COTP city, or a point identified in your response plan for areas OCONUS.
(c) Table 155.4040(c) provides additional amplifying information for vessels transiting within the nearshore and offshore areas of CONUS or within 50 miles of an OCONUS COTP city.
(i) Remote assessment and consultation Salvor is in voice contact with Qualified Individual (QI)/Master/Operator.
(ii) Begin assessment of structural stability A structural assessment of the vessel has been initiated.
(iii) On-site salvage assessment Salvor on board vessel.
(iv) Assessment of structural stability Initial analysis is completed. This is a continual process, but at the time specified an analysis needs to be completed.
(v) Hull and bottom survey Survey completed.
(vi) Emergency towing Towing vessel on scene.
vii) Salvage plan Plan completed and submitted to Incident Commander/Unified Command.
(viii) External emergency transfer operations External pumps on board vessel.
(ix) Emergency lightering Lightering equipment on scene and alongside.
(x) Other refloating methods Salvage plan approved & resources on vessel.
(xi) Making temporary repairs Repair equipment on board vessel.
(xii) Diving services support Required support equipment & personnel on scene.
(xiii) Special salvage operations plan Plan completed and submitted to Incident Commander/Unified Command.
(xiv) Subsurface product removal Resources on scene.
(xv) Heavy lift1 Estimated.
(i) Remote assessment and consultation Firefighter in voice contact with QI/Master/Operator.
(ii) On-site fire assessment Firefighter representative on site.
(iii) External firefighting teams Team and equipment on scene.
(iv) External vessel firefighting systems Personnel and equipment on scene.
1 Heavy lift services are not required to have definite hours for a response time. The planholder must still contract for heavy lift services, provide a description of the heavy lift response and an estimated response time when these services are required, however, none of the timeframes listed in the table in §155.4030(b) will apply to these services.
(d) How to apply the timeframes to your particular situation. To apply the timeframes to your vessel's situation, follow these procedures:
(1) Identify if your vessel operates CONUS or OCONUS.
(2) If your vessel is calling at any CONUS pier or an OCONUS pier within 50 miles of a COTP city, you must list the pier location by facility name or city and ensure that the marine firefighting resource provider can reach the locations within the specified response times in Table 155.4030(b).
(3) If your vessel is transiting within CONUS inland waters, nearshore or offshore areas or the Great Lakes, you must ensure the listed salvage and marine firefighting services are capable of reaching your vessel within the appropriate response times listed in Table 155.4030(b).
(4) If your vessel is transiting within 12 miles or less from an OCONUS COTP city, you must ensure the listed salvage and marine firefighting services are capable of reaching a point 12 miles from the harbor of the COTP city within the nearshore area response times listed in Table 155.4030(b).
(5) If your vessel is transiting between 12 and 50 miles from an OCONUS COTP city, you must ensure the listed salvage and marine firefighting services are capable of reaching a point 50 miles from the harbor of the COTP city within the offshore area response times listed in Table 155.4030(b).
(6) If your vessel transits inland waters or the nearshore or offshore areas OCONUS, but is more than 50 miles from a COTP city, you must still contract for salvage and marine firefighting services and provide a description of how you intend to respond and an estimated response time when these services are required, however, none of the time limits listed in Table 155.4030(b) will apply to these services.
(a) You may only list resource providers in your plan that have been arranged by contract or other approved means.
(b) You must obtain written consent from the resource provider stating that they agree to be listed in your plan. This consent must state that the resource provider agrees to provide the services that are listed in §§155.4030(a) through 155.4030(h), and that these services are capable of arriving within the response times listed in Table 155.4030(b). This consent may be included in the contract with the resource provider or in a separate document.
(c) This written consent must be available to the Coast Guard for inspection. The response plan must identify the location of this written consent, which must be:
(1) On board the vessel; or
(2) With a qualified individual located in the United States.
(d) Public marine firefighters may only be listed out to the maximum extent of the public resource's jurisdiction, unless other agreements are in place. A public marine firefighting resource may agree to respond beyond their jurisdictional limits, but the Coast Guard considers it unreasonable to expect public marine firefighting resources to do this.
(a) You are responsible for determining the adequacy of the resource providers you intend to include in your plan.
(b) When determining adequacy of the resource provider, you must select a resource provider that meets the following selection criteria to the maximum extent possible:
(4) Resource provider has personnel with documented training certification and degree experience (Naval Architecture, Fire Science, etc.).
(6) Resource provider has on-going continuous training program. For marine firefighting providers, they meet the training guidelines in NFPA 1001, 1005, 1021, 1405, and 1561 (Incorporation by reference, see §155.140), show equivalent training, or demonstrate qualification through experience.
(9) Resource provider has membership in relevant national and/or international organizations.
(12) Resource provider has equipment and experience to work in the specific regional geographic environment(s) that the vessel operates in (e.g., bottom type, water turbidity, water depth, sea state and temperature extremes).
(c) A resource provider need not meet all of the selection criteria in order for you to choose them as a provider. They must, however, be selected on the basis of meeting the criteria to the maximum extent possible.
(d) You must certify in your plan that these factors were considered when you chose your resource provider.
(a) A vessel owner or operator required by §§155.1035, 155.1040, 155.5035 to have a response plan shall conduct exercises as necessary to ensure that the plan will function in an emergency. Both announced and unannounced exercises must be included.
(b) The following are the minimum exercise requirements for vessels covered by this subpart:
(1) Remote assessment and consultation exercises, which must be conducted quarterly;
(3) Shore-based salvage and shore-based marine firefighting management team tabletop exercises, which must be conducted annually;
(4) Response provider equipment deployment exercises, which must be conducted annually;
(5) An exercise of the entire response plan, which must be conducted every three years. The vessel owner or operator shall design the exercise program so that all components of the response plan are exercised at least once every three years. All of the components do not have to be exercised at one time; they may be exercised over the 3-year period through the required exercises or through an area exercise; and
(6) Annually, at least one of the exercises listed in §155.4052(b)(2) and (4) must be unannounced. An unannounced exercise is one in which the personnel participating in the exercise have not been advised in advance of the exact date, time, or scenario of the exercise.
(7) Compliance with the National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) Guidelines will satisfy the vessel response plan exercise requirements. These guidelines are available on the Internet at https://Homeport.uscg.mil/exercises. Once on that Web site, select the link for “Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP)” and then select “Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) Guidelines”. Compliance with an alternate program that meets the requirements of 33 CFR 155.1060(a) and 155.5061, and has been approved under 33 CFR 155.1065 and 155.5065 will also satisfy the vessel response plan exercise requirements.
[USCG-1998-3417, 73 FR 80649, Dec. 31, 2008, as amended by USCG-2008-1070, 78 FR 60124, Sept. 30, 2013]
(a) You may submit a request for a temporary waiver of a specific response time requirement, if you are unable to identify a resource provider who can meet the response time.
(b) Your request must be specific as to the COTP zone, operating environment, salvage or marine firefighting service, and response time.
(c) Emergency lightering requirements set forth in §155.4030(b) will not be subject to the waiver provisions of this subpart.
(d) You must submit your request to the Assistant Commandant for Response Policy (CG-5R), via the local COTP for final approval. The local COTP will evaluate and comment on the waiver before forwarding the waiver request, via the District, to the Assistant Commandant (CG-5R) for final approval.
(e) Your request must include the reason why you are unable to meet the time requirements. It must also include how you intend to correct the shortfall, the time it will take to do so, and what arrangements have been made to provide the required response resources and their estimated response times.
(f) Assistant Commandant for Response Policy (CG-5R), will only approve waiver requests up to a specified time period, depending on the service addressed in the waiver request, the operating environment, and other relevant factors. These time periods are listed in Table 155.4055(g).
(g) Table 155.4055(g) lists the service waiver time periods.
Table 155.4055(g)—Service Waiver Time Periods
Maximum waiver time
(1) Remote salvage assessment & consultation 0
(2) Remote firefighting assessment & consultation 0
(3) On-site salvage & firefighting assessment 1
(4) Hull and bottom survey 2
(5) Salvage stabilization services 3
(6) Fire suppression services 4
(7) Specialized salvage operations 5
(h) You must submit your waiver request 30 days prior to any plan submission deadlines identified in this or any other subpart of part 155 in order for your vessel to continue oil transport or transfer operations.
[USCG-1998-3417, 73 FR 80649, Dec. 31, 2008, as amended by USCG-2014-0410, 79 FR 38437, July 7, 2014; USCG-2016-0498, 82 FR 35082, July 28, 2017]