Appendix A to Part 194 - Guidelines for the Preparation of Response Plans

Appendix A to Part 194 - Guidelines for the Preparation of Response Plans

This appendix provides a recommended format for the preparation and submission of the response plans required by 49 CFR Part 194. Operators are referenced to the most current version of the guidance documents listed below. Although these documents contain guidance to assist in preparing response plans, their use is not mandatory:

(1) The “National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) Guidelines” (PREP), which can be found using the search function on the USCG's PREP Web page, http://www.uscg.mil;

(2) The National Response Team's “Integrated Contingency Plan Guidance,” which can be found using the search function at the National Response Center's Web site, http://www.nrt.org and;

(3) 33 CFR Part 154, Appendix C, “Guidelines for Determining and Evaluating Required Response Resources for Facility Response Plans.”

Response Plan: Section 1. Information Summary

Section 1 would include the following:

(a) For the core plan:

(1) The name and address of the operator; and

(2) For each response zone which contains one or more line sections that meet the criteria for determining significant and substantial harm as described in § 194.103, a listing and description of the response zones, including county(s) and state(s).

(b) For each response zone appendix:

(1) The information summary for the core plan;

(2) The name and telephone number of the qualified individual, available on a 24-hour basis;

(3) A description of the response zone, including county(s) and state(s) in which a worst case discharge could cause substantial harm to the environment;

(4) A list of line sections contained in the response zone, identified by milepost or survey station number or other operator designation.

(5) The basis for the operator's determination of significant and substantial harm; and

(6) The type of oil and volume of the worst case discharge.

(c) The certification that the operator has obtained, through contract or other approved means, the necessary private personnel and equipment to respond, to the maximum extent practicable, to a worst case discharge or a substantial threat of such a discharge.

Response Plan: Section 2. Notification Procedures

Section 2 would include the following:

(a) Notification requirements that apply in each area of operation of pipelines covered by the plan, including applicable State or local requirements;

(b) A checklist of notifications the operator or qualified individual is required to make under the response plan, listed in the order of priority;

(c) Names of persons (individuals or organizations) to be notified of a discharge, indicating whether notification is to be performed by operating personnel or other personnel;

(d) Procedures for notifying qualified individuals;

(e) The primary and secondary communication methods by which notifications can be made; and

(f) The information to be provided in the initial and each follow-up notification, including the following:

(1) Name of pipeline;

(2) Time of discharge;

(3) Location of discharge;

(4) Name of oil involved;

(5) Reason for discharge (e.g., material failure, excavation damage, corrosion);

(6) Estimated volume of oil discharged;

(7) Weather conditions on scene; and

(8) Actions taken or planned by persons on scene.

Response Plan: Section 3. Spill Detection and On-Scene Spill Mitigation Procedures

Section 3 would include the following:

(a) Methods of initial discharge detection;

(b) Procedures, listed in the order of priority, that personnel are required to follow in responding to a pipeline emergency to mitigate or prevent any discharge from the pipeline;

(c) A list of equipment that may be needed in response activities on land and navigable waters, including -

(1) Transfer hoses and connection equipment;

(2) Portable pumps and ancillary equipment; and

(3) Facilities available to transport and receive oil from a leaking pipeline;

(d) Identification of the availability, location, and contact telephone numbers to obtain equipment for response activities on a 24-hour basis; and

(e) Identification of personnel and their location, telephone numbers, and responsibilities for use of equipment in response activities on a 24-hour basis.

Response Plan: Section 4. Response Activities

Section 4 would include the following:

(a) Responsibilities of, and actions to be taken by, operating personnel to initiate and supervise response actions pending the arrival of the qualified individual or other response resources identified in the response plan;

(b) The qualified individual's responsibilities and authority, including notification of the response resources identified in the plan;

(c) Procedures for coordinating the actions of the operator or qualified individual with the action of the OSC responsible for monitoring or directing those actions;

(d) Oil spill response organizations available, through contract or other approved means, to respond to a worst case discharge to the maximum extent practicable; and

(e) For each organization identified under paragraph (d) of this section, a listing of:

(1) Equipment and supplies available; and

(2) Trained personnel necessary to continue operation of the equipment and staff the oil spill removal organization for the first 7 days of the response.

Response Plan: Section 5. List of Contacts

Section 5 would include the names and addresses of the following individuals or organizations, with telephone numbers at which they can be contacted on a 24-hour basis:

(a) A list of persons the plan requires the operator to contact;

(b) Qualified individuals for the operator's areas of operation;

(c) Applicable insurance representatives or surveyors for the operator's areas of operation; and

(d) Persons or organizations to notify for activation of response resources.

Response plan: Section 6. Training Procedures

Section 6 would include a description of the training procedures and programs of the operator.

Response plan: Section 7. Drill Procedures

Section 7 would include a description of the drill procedures and programs the operator uses to assess whether its response plan will function as planned. It would include:

(a) Announced and unannounced drills;

(b) The types of drills and their frequencies. For example, drills could be described as follows:

(1) Manned pipeline emergency procedures and qualified individual notification drills conducted quarterly.

(2) Drills involving emergency actions by assigned operating or maintenance personnel and notification of the qualified individual on pipeline facilities which are normally unmanned, conducted quarterly.

(3) Shore-based spill management team tabletop drills conducted yearly.

(4) Oil spill removal organization field equipment deployment drills conducted yearly.

(5) A drill that exercises the entire response plan for each response zone, would be conducted at least once every 3 years.

Response plan: Section 8. Response Plan Review and Update Procedures

Section 8 would include the following:

(a) Procedures to meet § 194.121; and

(b) Procedures to review the plan after a worst case discharge and to evaluate and record the plan's effectiveness.

Response plan: Section 9. Response Zone Appendices.

Each response zone appendix would provide the following information:

(a) The name and telephone number of the qualified individual;

(b) Notification procedures;

(c) Spill detection and mitigation procedures;

(d) Name, address, and telephone number of oil spill response organization;

(e) Response activities and response resources including -

(1) Equipment and supplies necessary to meet § 194.115, and

(2) The trained personnel necessary to sustain operation of the equipment and to staff the oil spill removal organization and spill management team for the first 7 days of the response;

(f) Names and telephone numbers of Federal, state and local agencies which the operator expects to assume pollution response responsibilities;

(g) The worst case discharge volume;

(h) The method used to determine the worst case discharge volume, with calculations;

(i) A map that clearly shows -

(1) The location of the worst case discharge, and

(2) The distance between each line section in the response zone and -

(i) Each potentially affected public drinking water intake, lake, river, and stream within a radius of 5 miles (8 kilometers) of the line section, and

(ii) Each potentially affected environmentally sensitive area within a radius of 1 mile (1.6 kilometer) of the line section;

(j) A piping diagram and plan-profile drawing of each line section, which may be kept separate from the response plan if the location is identified; and

(k) For every oil transported by each pipeline in the response zone, emergency response data that -

(1) Include the name, description, physical and chemical characteristics, health and safety hazards, and initial spill-handling and firefighting methods; and

(2) Meet 29 CFR 1910.1200 or 49 CFR 172.602.

[58 FR 253, Jan. 5, 1993, as amended by Amdt. 194-3, 63 FR 37505, July 13, 1998; Amdt. 194-4, 70 FR 8748, Feb. 23, 2005]