Regional Response Team X NW Area Committee and Regional Response Team X We represent the interagency coordinating body at the regional level. The RRT and NWAC. These two groups are required under the NCP and OPA. This slide shows all the agencies that we count as our members.

Interagency Spill Coordination MODE 1: When operating under FEMA umbrella as Emergency Support Function #10 after a large disaster Allows for broader scope, requires State or Tribal cost share, Mission Assigned by FEMA MODE 2: When operating under National Contingency Plan after a significant oil or hazmat incident Limited to statutory authority to protect human health and the environment, funded by federal money, self-deploy We use the interagency structure and plan that I’m going to talk about under two different response types, a disaster and an oil or hazmat spill. The mechanics by which we coordinate remain the same. In Mode 1 – ESF #10, our work is assigned by FEMA and partially funded by state or tribal cost shares. In Mode 2 – oil or hazmat event, we self-deploy based on our regulatory responsibility, and we rely entirely on federal funds.

What is an Area Committee? Interagency group charged with pre-planning for oil spills Comprised of any player who has a role in oil spill response Spatial boundaries defined by EPA/USCG Mandated by OPA 90 Section 4202(4)(A) Chairs: Coast Guard FOSCs, EPA FOSC Vice Chairs: SOSCs from WA, OR and ID

Who is on an Area Committee? Fire Department Industry State Police Tribes Local Health Dist. State Health Department State Env. Reg. USCG EPA NOAA DOI DoD, DOE, etc. Env. Advocacy Groups Private Citizens Area committees are open to anyone who wants to join. First responders – fire, police, industry Secondary responders – State and Federal regulators, Tribes, NOAA Stakeholders – private citizens, environmental advocacy groups such as Friends of the Columbia River. Area Committee members include anyone who has a role in oil spill response. 4

Preparedness Components of the National Response System Managing Organization Level Plans Local LEPC Plans LEPCs Area Committees /SERCs Area/State ACP Emergency Response planning happens at multiple levels. The National Contingency Plan, in the red triangle, is written into federal regulation, and mandates how the federal government will respond to oil and hazardous material spills. The National Contingency Plan also mandates that planning for oil and hazmat spills occurs at the regional level, and establishes Regional Response Teams to ensure that planning happens. Regional plans outline how federal agencies, states and locals will interact during a response, and generally lay out policies and available resources. Local plans have significantly more detail and focus on a small geographic area, or a single facility or vessel. All levels of plans should work together during a response. National Contingency Plan (NCP; CERCLA/OPA) Governs how EPA and USCG will respond to releases of hazardous materials and discharges of oil Designates the federal On Scene Coordinator (OSC) as the lead responder Requires FOSC to direct responses to oil discharges posing “substantial” threat Requires RRT to develop a “Regional Contingency Plan” and FOSCs to develop “Area Contingency Plan(s)” Regional RCP RRTs National NCP NRT

Regional Response Team What is Regional Response Team Mandated by National Contingency Plan Conduct pre-planning for oil and hazmat spills to ensure coordinated federal support Support On-Scene Coordinator during incident Co-Chaired by EPA and USCG Membership from agencies; federal, state and tribal representatives. Two bodies share regional planning responsibilities. The first I’ll talk about is the Regional Response Team. The NCP mandates the formation of Regional Response Teams. These regional response teams are charged with contingency planning prior to incidents, and during incidents they can be called together to muster resources to assist the on-scene coordinator, or approve specific response strategies.

The National Response System – plans in the Northwest Managing Organization Level Plans LEPC Plans Local LEPCs NWACP = Combined RCP+ACP Emergency Response planning happens at multiple levels. The National Contingency Plan, in the red triangle, is written into federal regulation, and mandates how the federal government will respond to oil and hazardous material spills. The National Contingency Plan also mandates that planning for oil and hazmat spills occurs at the regional level, and establishes Regional Response Teams to ensure that planning happens. Regional plans outline how federal agencies, states and locals will interact during a response, and generally lay out policies and available resources. Local plans have significantly more detail and focus on a small geographic area, or a single facility or vessel. All levels of plans should work together during a response. National Contingency Plan (NCP; CERCLA/OPA) Governs how EPA and USCG will respond to releases of hazardous materials and discharges of oil Designates the federal On Scene Coordinator (OSC) as the lead responder Requires FOSC to direct responses to oil discharges posing “substantial” threat Requires RRT to develop a “Regional Contingency Plan” and FOSCs to develop “Area Contingency Plan(s)” Area/State + Regional Area Committee + RRT National NCP NRT

Steering Committee In R10, these groups meet together. Northwest Area Committee Federal State Tribal Local Non-Profit Industry Members are any entity with response interest in region. This includes all RRT members as well as county and city agencies and the private sector. Regional Response Team 10 Federal State Tribal Member agencies are identified in NCP. Each of 15 Federal Agencies and State Lead Agency have one vote when the RRT assembles during a response. NW Area Committee US EPA, R10 OSC USCG, Sector Puget Sound USCG, Sector Columbia River RRT 10 US EPA, R10 USCG, D-13 In the region, you often see the NWAC mentioned in concert with the RRT. The regional response team is also an interagency body that coordinates for spill response. It pre-dates area committees. RRTs were mandated by the NCP. The must ensure planning happens. OPA put a finer point on that mandate through area committees. RRTs are the federal agencies with resources or authorities. During spills, they can cascade resources to the FOSC, and must approve certain response techniques such as dispersant application and burning agent application. Steering Committee

Regional Response Team NW Area Committee The pre-planning done by the RRT and NWAC is contained in the NWACP. This plan outlines how the federal and state agencies will coordinate during a response. If Idaho requests assistance, we will provide it within the structure and policies that are agreed to in this plan. Regional Response Team

What is an Area Contingency Plan? A local/regional blueprint for oil (and hazmat) response Contact information Policy decisions Sensitive resource information Local/Regional response resources Mandated by OPA 90 Section 4202(C) 10

Response Ramp Up Local Fire/Hazmat Team responses, generally rely on mutual aid from nearby jurisdictions; State responders provide secondary response support, if needed; Federal responders provide the backstop by providing response support to the locals and State, if resources and funding is exhausted or unavailable So now I’ve talked about the pieces of our group that are required by law, but how do they actually function? During an actual response, specific State and Federal agencies are available as secondary responders. Their requirement is to: Support local responders as requested Fulfill statutory requirements to protect human health and the environment When do we turn to the NWACP?

Response Support When local capabilities and/or funds are overwhelmed, NWAC agencies could provide surge capacity and expertise When federally protected natural resources are impacted, NWAC agencies may be obligated to respond RRT/NWAC Goal: Strong relationships and understanding of roles/responsibilities ahead of time to ensure good coordination during the incident How does it work, really? State and Federal resources provide surge capacity and funding when local resources are overwhelmed. We come in and integrate with existing incident management. Ideally we enter into unified command with the other primary response entities. We all know that strong relationships and accurate expectations are key to good coordination during the incident. The NWAC works to build those two features. We document that work in the NWACP. Another way we support response is to enable “local capacity building” by funding training for locals. Let us know if you have specific needs.

NCP Basics: 40 CFR 300 The National Contingency Plan (NCP) provides for “efficient, coordinated, and effective response to discharges”. The NCP: Requires spillers notify the National Response Center. Outlines the capabilities and responsibilities of different Federal agencies during oil spill response. Empowers On-Scene Coordinators to make final response decisions with appropriate input. Sets for the organizational structure and procedures that guide oil spill planning and response actions. The National Contingency Plan (NCP), a regulation that implements important parts of the Clean Water Act, calls for agency representatives to work together to prepare for, respond to, and remove spills (discharges) in or adjacent to US waters. The NCP sets forth the organizational structure and procedures that guide oil spill planning and response actions, including coordination in the planning stage, notification of a oil spill event, and setting up response options.

On Scene Coordinator Actions Go to the incident scene and coordinate resources/decisions Have immediate access to technical and cleanup contractors Can approve necessary actions to mitigate impacts from oil and hazmat incidents Ensure notification of Tribal/State agencies and notification of Fed/Tribal/State trustees Prioritize human health and natural/cultural resources EPA FOSCs meeting with BNSF contractors during derailment in Galena, IL, 2015.

Unified Command Diagram Directly from NWACP, Page 2000-2 FOSC – EPA inland USCG coastal Note: The timeframe for this structure will follow the initial response by first responders. FOSC This is how we anticipate Local Incident Commanders and Tribal Incident Commanders being included. Please note: we realize that this structure does not apply to the initial response conducted by first responders. I’d also mention that the reason the FOSC is at the top is because statutorily, we are responsible for “managing” NCP responses. SOSC RPIC Tribal/ other OSC LOSC

Getting the right inputs Unified Command Making good decisions requires having the right people with the right information at the response Mandatory Consultation with tribes and resource trustees (DOI, NOAA, ESA, CHPA) Ops, Liaison, Logs, Finance, Safety, Public Affairs Endangered cave salamander in OH, 2014.

Geographic Response Plans Geographic Specific Response Strategies for Oil Spills to Water Federal and State On-Scene Coordinators’ Orders during the Emergency/Initial Phase of a Response Developed to minimize injury to Natural, Cultural, and certain Economic Resources at Risk during an oil spill Initial Direction but not everything that could, should, or might be done during a response Typically the 3rd objective after: Safety of Public and Responders Source Control/Containment Source control and containment of the spill at the source is always the number one priority. Beyond that, we have Geographic Response Plans (GRPs) to help us navigate through the emergency/initial phase of a response, until the Unified Command is formed and the first Incident Action Plan is produced. GRPs provide initial direction during a response, but information in other plans (VRP, FRP, SPCC, etc.) also hold value and should not be discounted.

Spokane River GRP, starts at Post Falls

What Information do GRPs Contain? Overview of Coverage Area Tactical Response Strategies & Priorities Shoreline Info and Countermeasures Resources at Risk/Sensitive Resources Risk Assessment Key Response Partners Protection Techniques The bulk of every GRP is contained in Chapter 4 – Response Strategies & Priorities. Tables in that chapter provide the order of which response strategies will be deployed first based off of various (potential) Spill Origin Points and resources at risk nearby. It’s important to remember, that response (booming) strategies provided in Chapter 4 are either meant to remove oil from the water before it impacts a sensitive resource (diversion & collection strategies) or prevent it from directly impacting a sensitive resource (deflection & exclusion strategies). GRPs are designed to minimize damage to natural, cultural, and certain economic resources at risk, not to protect every square foot of shoreline in the Pacific Northwest during the emergency phase of an oil spill.

Direct input route: Steering Committee Task Forces 2017 Task Forces: Gov. Agencies NW Area Committee US EPA, R10 USCG, Sector Puget Sound USCG, Sector Columbia River Non-Profits Contractors Industry Public Steering Committee Task Forces RRT 10 US EPA, R10 USCG, D-13 2017 Task Forces: Tribal Outreach and Technical Training Non-Floating Oils Fire to Environmental Response 96 Hour Plan Toolkit In Situ Burn Update Due to overlapping missions and the shared NWACP, the 2 groups work through one steering committee and one set of workgroups.

NWAC Plan Evolves and Responders are Informed “Integration with Reality” GRP Workshops NW Area Committee US EPA, R10 OSC USCG, Sector Puget Sound USCG, Sector Columbia River Exercises Drills Outreach RRT 10 US EPA, R10 USCG, D-13 The success of the NWACP is based upon testing the plan and feedback. NWAC Meetings Annual Plan Review

How to get the plan, and connect with the NWAC http://www.rrt10nwac.com/ Josie Clark Elizabeth Petras RRT10 Coordinator, EPA RRT10 Coordinator, USCG 206-553-6239 206-220-7284 clark.josie@epa.gov elizabeth.j.petras@uscg.mil