Presentation
Geographic Response Plans: Preparing for Inland Oil Spills in California Waterways
DescriptionEmergency regulations governing the development of oil spill contingency plans in California, along with financial responsibility for inland facilities, pipelines, refineries and railroads, became effective in 2015, with final regulations being adopted in 2019. With the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW’s) Office of Spill Prevention and Response’s (OSPR’s) authority for oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response being extended to inland waters of the state, the need to develop Geographic Response Plans (GRPs) for priority watersheds with higher risk of an oil spill became a top priority. Given the successful history with developing, implementing, and maintaining the California marine Area Contingency Plans, OSPR has implemented a similarly effective GRP program.
GRPs are driven primarily by access to sites along river systems where response activities are feasible. The process of developing GRPs for the state has consisted of: 1) developing a consistent document framework based on existing GRPs developed by federal agency and industry partners, 2) implementing a Statewide GRP Steering Committee consisting of state, federal and local agencies, industry, oil spill response organizations, an environmental Non-Governmental Organization, and a tribal representative; and 3) developing partnerships with industry representatives, and federal, state and local agencies to ensure critical local expertise and information is incorporated in each GRP.
During the summer of 2021, a new legislative mandate was implemented, adding renewable fuels to OSPRs repertoire of prevention, preparedness and response to spills. Developing response strategies will include understanding renewable fuel behavior in and on the water, its volatility, ecotoxicity, persistence in the environment, and ecological threats.
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the efforts to produce GRPs to provide oil spill response strategies for inland waters throughout the state of California and how renewable fuels will be addressed and incorporated into the inland GRPs.
GRPs are driven primarily by access to sites along river systems where response activities are feasible. The process of developing GRPs for the state has consisted of: 1) developing a consistent document framework based on existing GRPs developed by federal agency and industry partners, 2) implementing a Statewide GRP Steering Committee consisting of state, federal and local agencies, industry, oil spill response organizations, an environmental Non-Governmental Organization, and a tribal representative; and 3) developing partnerships with industry representatives, and federal, state and local agencies to ensure critical local expertise and information is incorporated in each GRP.
During the summer of 2021, a new legislative mandate was implemented, adding renewable fuels to OSPRs repertoire of prevention, preparedness and response to spills. Developing response strategies will include understanding renewable fuel behavior in and on the water, its volatility, ecotoxicity, persistence in the environment, and ecological threats.
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the efforts to produce GRPs to provide oil spill response strategies for inland waters throughout the state of California and how renewable fuels will be addressed and incorporated into the inland GRPs.
Author
Event Type
Paper
TimeThursday, May 16th1:10pm - 1:30pm CDT
Location288-290
Prevention