The Stakeholder Workgroup Review of Planning and Response
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The Stakeholder Workgroup Review of Planning and Response Capabilities for a Marine Oil Spill on the U.S./Canadian Transboundary Areas of the Pacific Coast Project Report Sponsored by the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force April 2011 The Stakeholder Workgroup Review of Planning and Response Capabilities for a Marine Oil Spill on the U.S./Canadian Transboundary Areas of the Pacific Coast Project Report TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE Forward 2 Executive Summary 3 Introduction 7 Section 1: Command 23 Section 2: Planning 72 Section 3: Operations 133 Section 4: Logistics 159 Section 5: Finance 184 Appendix I: Recommendations 206 Appendix II: Project Work Plan 226 Appendix III: Project Workgroup 230 Appendix IV: Descriptions of the CANUSDIX and CANUSPAC Transboundary Areas 232 Appendix V: Glossary 246 Appendix VI: Reference Documents 249 Cover art: The cover graphic on this report was originally designed for the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force by Sutton Design Ventures in 1996. Native art and Orcas are common to both U.S./Canadian borders addressed in this report. 1 The Stakeholder Workgroup Review of Planning and Response Capabilities for a Marine Oil Spill on the U.S./Canadian Transboundary Areas of the Pacific Coast Project Report FORWARD Eighty-eight (88) trustees and stakeholders who live and work along the two Pacific Coast marine borders between Canada and the United States have worked together for the last three years to document “who’s who” and “what’s what” when it comes to oil spill response planning and preparedness for those transboundary areas. The work of these individuals – either as members of the Project Workgroup or chartered subcommittees, invited reviewers or others who submitted comments on drafts of this Project Report – was supported by the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force. Member agencies of the Oil Spill Task Force are the spill prevention, preparedness and response authorities in the States of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii, and in the Province of British Columbia. The Task Force was created in 1989 as a result of a transboundary oil spill from the T/B Nestucca and provides a forum for multi-jurisdictional collaboration and coordination (see www.oilspilltaskforce.org). Most of the recommendations in this Project Report are directed at state, provincial, or U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, many of which must already balance mission overload with limited, even reduced funding. This is a formula for priority setting and we feel that improving oil spill response capacities in these transboundary areas is worth prioritizing for action. Not only are there irreplaceable natural resources at stake, but there is also a potential for significant economic impacts in both areas. However, no one agency or constituency should bear all the responsibility for improving oil spill response in these transboundary areas. Local governments, Tribal and First Nations, environmental NGOs, oil spill response organizations and industry must all share the load. A February 17, 2011 letter from Vice Admiral Manson K. Brown, Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area, notes that, “the countless hours invested by this workgroup in the preparation of this study are evident in the solid, well thought-out conclusions and recommendations detailed in your report.” He commits to forward this Project Report to the CANUSDIX and CANUSPAC Joint Response Teams “for review and incorporation into their existing planning cycles.” VADM Brown concludes, “I recognize the unique challenges affecting operations within the transboundary areas. Strengthening of existing international partnerships will enhance preparedness to ensure the safety and security of the maritime environment.” On behalf of the many stakeholders involved in this Project, we thank VADM Brown for his acknowledgement and commitment to follow through on the Recommendations in this Report. On behalf of the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force, we thank all the dedicated stakeholders who worked with us on this Project. David Byers, Project Workgroup Chair and Command Subcommittee Chair Response Section Manager, Washington Department of Ecology Graham Knox, Planning Subcommittee Chair Manager, Environmental Emergencies, British Columbia Ministry of Environment Kevin Gardner, Operations Subcommittee Chair President & General Manager, Western Canada Marine Response Corporation Bob Mattson, Logistics Subcommittee Chair Statewide Logistics Manager, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation David R. Owings, Finance Subcommittee Chair General Manager, SE Alaska Petroleum Resource Organization (SEAPRO) Jean R. Cameron, Project Manager Executive Coordinator, Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force 2 The Stakeholder Workgroup Review of Planning and Response Capabilities for a Marine Oil Spill on the U.S./Canadian Transboundary Areas of the Pacific Coast Project Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Need for this Project When a significant spill occurs, many people have a stake in a successful response and cleanup, including the federal, state, or provincial responding agencies, the Responsible Party and their Incident Management Team, natural resource trustees, response organizations, wildlife experts, the media and the public. When a significant spill occurs in a transboundary area, the number of these stakeholders is at least doubled; consequently, the potential for miscommunication and conflict – as well as public scrutiny – also escalates. Thus, the need for proper prior planning in order to improve coordination during a transboundary response is critical. This report identifies a number of response topics which could benefit from advanced and coordinated planning between the U.S. and Canadian government agencies at all levels, trustees and key stakeholders. Risk is calculated as a function of probability multiplied by potential impact. On the borders of British Columbia with Alaska (referred to as the CANUSDIX area) and British Columbia with Washington (referred to as the CANUSPAC area) the probabilities of an oil spill have been ameliorated by a number of regulatory requirements as well as safety initiatives by the oil handling and shipping industries. On the other hand, predicted increases in vessel traffic in both areas may increase the probability of an incident resulting in an oil spill. The potential impacts to local economies and the environment would be very significant. The Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force was created in 1989 as a result of two major oil spill events: the Nestucca fuel barge spill in December, 1988 and the Exxon Valdez spill of March, 1989. The Nestucca spill was a transboundary event that began on December 23rd, 1988 when the tow cable between a tug and the full tank barge Nestucca broke off Grays Harbor, Washington; 231,000 gallons (875,000 liters) of intermediate fuel oil eventually spilled into the northerly offshore coastal current. In the U.S., oiling impacted beaches from northern Oregon to Dungeness Spit in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and tens of thousands of oiled sea birds died. Shoreline impacts in British Columbia eventually extended over 300 miles; estimates of birds impacted in Canada ranged from 3,100 to 56,000 birds. The final cleanup costs incurred by Canadian government agencies were estimated to be $4.6 million. As demonstrated by the Nestucca incident, spills to marine waters do not respect interstate or international boundaries. Transboundary pollution incidents will impact resources that are shared by the U.S. and Canada, the States and the Province of British Colombia. Water, fish, birds and other natural resources also do not recognize international boundaries and environmental impacts will likely be experienced by both nations regardless of where the pollution originated. In addition to the fact that there are two Transboundary areas within the Oil Spill Task Force’s region (CANUSDIX and CANUSPAC), a comprehensive review of the elements of a transboundary response – where efficient coordination is essential – is seen by the Task Force Members as appropriate to their Mission to “strengthen State and Provincial abilities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to oil spills.” Project and Report Organization The Task Force Members agreed in their 2007-2008 Annual Work Plan to initiate a review of the status of preparedness and response for a U.S./Canadian transboundary spill on both border areas within their region of concern: the Alaska/British Columbia border and the British Columbia/Washington border. The Task Force Coordinating Committee was tasked with developing a Scope of Work for the project. 3 The Oil Spill Task Force invited key stakeholders and trustees from Alaska, British Columbia and Washington to meet in June of 2008 to review that Scope of Work, be briefed on key background issues and draft a Project Work Plan. As part of that Work Plan, they adopted the following Project Goal: To review and document existing U.S./Canadian transboundary oil spill response plans and capabilities for the British Columbia/Alaska and British Columbia/Washington borders, acknowledging existing authorities and response management systems; and to recommend improvements as needed for both joint response and planning efforts, as well as for planning and capacity building within each jurisdiction. More information on how the Project was organized and the 88 stakeholders and trustees who participated on the Project Workgroup