NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF
 FEDERAL OIL AND GAS LEASES
IN THE PACIFIC OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF REGION

Oil Spill Response Plans

On March 25, 1997, the Minerals Management Service published its final rule (see Federal Register, Vol. 62, No. 57, pages 13991-14003) governing Oil Spill Response Plans (OSRP) and related requirements for facilities located seaward of the coastline, including those located in both State and Federal offshore waters. These new regulations became effective on June 23, 1997. This notice and the attached guidelines provide clarification, guidance, and information on submitting an OSRP in the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf Region that will meet or exceed the OSRP requirements.

The guidelines are effective July 15, 1999. They will be updated to incorporate experience gained from evaluating OSRP’s and to give additional clarification as needed. We will publish the revised guidelines on our website and reissue this NTL as appropriate. Please be sure that you use the most recent edition of these guidelines when developing or revising your plan.

Your OSRP should give highest priority to protecting human health and safety, and the environment. You should write your plan in a format that is easy for your response personnel to use. It must include the use of the "Best Available and Safest Technologies" as stated in 30 CFR 250, subpart A. Also as described in 30 CFR 250, subpart A, nothing in this notice will preclude you from using new or alternative techniques, procedures, equipment, or activities other than those prescribed if they afford a degree of protection, safety, or performance equal or to better than that which currently exists.

This NTL and the attached guidelines do not supersede any agreements you have with other Federal, State, or local agencies, or any other responsibilities that you may have. As the OSRP was originally supporting information for the Development and Production Plan for your facility(ies), we suggest that any agreements or responsibilities applicable to oil spill response should be reflected in the OSRP. We have also written the guidelines to be consistent with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, the Marine Safety Office Los Angeles/Long Beach Area Contingency Plan, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Manual, and other applicable documents and requirements.

The regulations under 30 CFR 254.3 allow operators to submit a regional OSRP that "covers multiple facilities or leases ... which are located in the same MMS Region" as defined at 30 CFR 254.6. To implement the requirement at 30 CFR 254.1(a) in an expedient manner, we encourage eligible lease operators to submit a regional OSRP that covers all of your existing OCS oil handling, storage, or transportation facilities and leases in the POCSR. The definition of oil includes "(1) oil, (2) condensate that has been injected into a pipeline; or (3) gas and naturally occurring condensate." We will not require owners or operators of OCS facilities, including pipelines, that handle, store, or transport only "dry" gas to submit a regional OSRP.

For oil handling, storage, or transportation facilities and leases located in State waters seaward of the coastline, you may choose one of three methods to comply with the OSRP requirement. As described in 30 CFR 254.51, one of these options is for you to modify an existing OSRP covering an OCS facility to include facilities in State offshore waters seaward of the coastline.

The Regional Supervisor, Office of Field Operations, will notify you by letter when you must submit your new OSRP or revisions to us for review. If you have filed, and are currently operating under, an Oil Spill Contingency Plan that has not received POCSR approval by the effective date of this NTL, you must submit an OSRP according to this NTL before September 1, 1999.

Once we approve your OSRP, you must submit updates every two years according to 30 CFR 254.30(a), or sooner if any of the conditions of 30 CFR 254.30(b) become applicable.

Under 30 CFR 254.2(c), you must submit all new and revised OSRP's for approval to:

Regional Supervisor, Office of Field Operations
Attention: Plans, Platforms, and Pipelines Section
Pacific OCS Region
Minerals Management Service
770 Paseo Camarillo
Camarillo, California 93010

You must submit copies of your OSRP or any subsequent revisions as requested by the Regional Supervisor for your biennial update for review and approval. When you submit revisions to your OSRP, please provide instructions that clearly indicate how to revise the plan.

If you have any questions regarding this NTL, please contact the Plans, Platforms, and Pipelines Section, Office of Field Operations, POCSR office, at (805) 389-7568.

Attachment -- Guidelines