§ 155.1052 - Response plan development and evaluation criteria for vessels carrying group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo.

§ 155.1052 Response plan development and evaluation criteria for vessels carrying group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo.

(a) Owners and operators of vessels that carry group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo must provide information in their plan that identifies -

(1) Procedures and strategies for responding to discharges up to a worst case discharge of group V petroleum oils to the maximum extent practicable; and

(2) Sources of the equipment and supplies necessary to locate, recover, and mitigate such a discharge.

(b) Using the criteria in Table 1 of Appendix B of this part, an owner or operator of a vessel carrying group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo must ensure that any equipment identified in a response plan is capable of operating in the conditions expected in the geographic area(s) in which the vessel operates. When evaluating the operability of equipment, the vessel owner or operator must consider limitations that are identified in the Area Contingency Plans for the COTP zones in which the vessel operates, including -

(1) Ice conditions;

(2) Debris;

(3) Temperature ranges; and

(4) Weather-related visibility.

(c) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo must identify in the response plan and ensure, through contract or other approved means, the availability of required equipment, including -

(1) Sonar, sampling equipment, or other methods for locating the oil on the bottom or suspended in the water column;

(2) Containment boom, sorbent boom, silt curtains, or other methods for containing oil that may remain floating on the surface or to reduce spreading on the bottom;

(3) Dredges, pumps, or other equipment necessary to recover oil from the bottom and shoreline; and

(4) Other appropriate equipment necessary to respond to a discharge involving the type of oil carried.

(d) Response resources identified in a response plan under paragraph (c) of this section must be capable of being deployed within 24 hours of discovery of a discharge to the port nearest the area where the vessel is operating. An oil spill removal organization may not be listed in the plan unless the oil spill removal organization has provided written consent to be listed in the plan as an available resource.

(e) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo shall identify in the response plan and ensure the availability of the following resources through contract or other approved means -

(1) A salvage company with appropriate expertise and equipment; and

(2) A company with vessel firefighting capability that will respond to casualties in the area(s) in which the vessel is operating.

(f) Vessel owners or operators must identify intended sources of the resources required under paragraph (e) of this section capable of being deployed to the areas in which the vessel will operate. A company may not be listed in the plan unless the company has provided written consent to be listed in the plan as an available resource. To meet this requirement in a response plan submitted for approval or reapproval on or after February 18, 1998, the vessel owner or operator must identify both the intended sources of this capability and demonstrate that the resources are capable of being deployed to the port nearest to the area where the vessel operates within 24 hours of discovery of a discharge.

(g) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo shall identify in the response plan and ensure the availability of certain resources required by §§ 155.1035(c)(5)(ii) and 155.1040(c)(5)(i), as applicable, through contract or other approved means.

(1) Resources must include -

(i) Fendering equipment;

(ii) Transfer hoses and connection equipment; and

(iii) Portable pumps and ancillary equipment necessary to offload the vessel's largest cargo tank in 24 hours of continuous operation.

(2) Resources must be capable of reaching the locations in which the vessel operates within the stated times following notification:

(i) Inland, nearshore, and Great Lakes waters - 12 hours.

(ii) Offshore waters and rivers and canals - 18 hours.

(iii) Open ocean waters - 36 hours.

(3) For barges operating in rivers and canals as defined in this subpart, the requirements of this paragraph (g)(3) may be met by listing resources capable of being deployed in an area within the response times in paragraph (g)(2) of this section. A vessel owner or operator may not identify such resources in a plan unless the response organization has provided written consent to be identified in a plan as an available resource.