2023 Oregon Revised Statutes › Volume : 13 - Housing, Games, Environment › Chapter 468B - Water Quality › Section 468B.350 - Standards for contingency plans; oil spill response zones; rules.

(1) The Environmental Quality Commission shall adopt rules defining:
(a) Standards for the preparation of contingency plans for facilities and covered vessels; and
(b) Oil spill response zones within the navigable waters of the state and the amount of equipment identified in an oil spill contingency plan that is required to be regularly located in those zones.
(2) The rules adopted under subsection (1) of this section shall be coordinated with rules and regulations adopted by the State of Washington and the United States Coast Guard and shall require contingency plans that at a minimum meet the following standards. The plan shall:
(a) Include complete details concerning the response to oil spills of various sizes from any covered vessel or facility covered by the contingency plan.
(b) To the maximum extent practicable, be designed, in terms of personnel, materials and equipment, to:
(A) Remove oil and minimize any damage to the environment resulting from a maximum probable spill; and
(B) Remove oil and minimize any damage to the environment resulting from a worst case spill.
(c) Consider the nature and number of facilities and marine terminals in a geographic area and the resulting ability of a facility to finance a plan and pay for department review.
(d) Describe how the contingency plan relates to and is coordinated with the response plan developed by the Department of Environmental Quality under ORS 468B.495 and 468B.500 and any relevant contingency plan prepared by a cooperative, port, regional entity, the state or the federal government in the same area of the state covered by the plan.
(e) Provide procedures for early detection of an oil spill and timely notification of appropriate federal, state and local authorities about an oil spill in accordance with applicable state and federal law.
(f) Demonstrate ownership of or access to an emergency response communications network covering all locations of operation or transit by a covered vessel. The emergency response communications network also shall provide for immediate notification and continual emergency communications during cleanup response.
(g) State the number, training preparedness and fitness of all dedicated, pre-positioned personnel assigned to direct and implement the plan.
(h) Incorporate periodic training and drill programs to evaluate whether the personnel and equipment provided under the plan are in a state of operational readiness at all times.
(i) State the means of protecting and mitigating the effects of a spill on the environment, including fish, marine mammals and other wildlife, and insuring that implementation of the plan does not pose unacceptable risks to the public or to the environment.
(j) Provide a detailed description of equipment, training and procedures to be used by the crew of a vessel, or the crew of a tugboat involved in the operation of a nonself-propelled tank vessel, to minimize vessel damage, stop or reduce spilling from the vessel and only when appropriate and the vessel’s safety is assured, contain and clean up the spilled oil.
(k) Provide arrangements by contract or other approved means for pre-positioning oil spill containment equipment, cleanup equipment, dedicated response vessels and trained personnel at strategic locations from which the personnel and equipment can be deployed to the spill site to promptly and properly remove the spilled oil.
(L) Provide arrangements for enlisting the use of qualified and trained cleanup personnel to implement the plan.
(m) Provide for disposal of recovered oil in accordance with local, state and federal laws.
(n) State the measures that have been taken to reduce the likelihood a spill will occur, including but not limited to design and operation of a vessel or facility, training of personnel, number of personnel and backup systems designed to prevent a spill.
(o) State the amount and type of equipment and the dedicated response vessels available by contract or other approved means to respond to a spill, where the equipment and vessels are located and the extent to which other contingency plans rely on the same equipment and vessels.
(p) If the commission has adopted rules permitting the use of dispersants, describe the circumstances and the manner for the application of dispersants in conformance with the rules of the commission.
(3) As used in this section:
(a) "Contract or other approved means" means:
(A) A written contract between a covered vessel or facility owner or operator and an oil spill removal organization that identifies and ensures the availability of specified personnel and equipment within stipulated response times in specified oil spill response zones;
(B) Certification by the vessel or facility owner or operator that specified personnel and equipment are owned, operated or under the direct control of the vessel or facility owner or operator and are available within stipulated response times in specified oil spill response zones;
(C) Active membership in a local or regional oil spill removal organization that has identified specified personnel and equipment that are available to respond to an oil spill within stipulated response times in specified oil spill response zones; or
(D) A written document that:
(i) Identifies personnel, equipment and services capable of being provided by the oil spill removal organization within stipulated response times in specified oil spill response zones;
(ii) Acknowledges that the oil spill removal organization intends to commit the identified resources in the event of an oil spill;
(iii) Permits the commission to verify the availability of the identified oil spill removal resources through tests, inspections and exercises; and
(iv) Is referenced in an oil spill contingency plan for the vessel or facility.
(b) "Dedicated response vessel" means a vessel that limits service exclusively to recovering and transporting spilled oil, tanker escorting, deploying oil spill response equipment, supplies and personnel, spill response related training, testing, exercises and research, or other oil spill removal and related activities. [1991 c.651 §5; 2001 c.688 §2]