ALCOAST 022/09 COMDTNOTE 16450 SUBJ: COAST GUARD MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE DOCTRINE - INCIDENT SPECIFIC PREPAREDNESS REVIEW (ISPR) UPDATE A. AREA CONTINGENCY PLAN DEVELOPMENT MEMO DATED 22FEB05, LOCATED ON HOMEPORT.USCG.MIL B. DISTRICT RESPONSE GROUPS/DISTRICT RESPONSE ADVISORY TEAMS, COMDTINST 16465.41(SERIES) 1. THIS MESSAGE PROVIDES A STATUS UPDATE ON CHANGES IMPLEMENTED FOLLOWING THE COSCO BUSAN OIL SPILL INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED NOVEMBER 2007 IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY. THE COMPLEXITY OF THE INCIDENT, PUBLIC INTEREST, AND INTERAGENCY INVOLVEMENT LED THE COAST GUARD TO CHARTER AN INCIDENT SPECIFIC PREPAREDNESS REVIEW (ISPR). THE ISPR WAS COMPLETED IN MAY 2008 AND IS AVAILABLE WITHOUT RESTRICTION ON THE USCG HOMEPORT WEBSITE: HOMEPORT.USCG.MIL (MISSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL > POLLUTION > OIL). 2. THE ISPR DETAILS 190 RECOMMENDATIONS INTENDED TO IMPROVE PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE THROUGHOUT THE NATIONAL RESPONSE SYSTEM. ALTHOUGH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE ORIGINALLY FOCUSED ON THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, MANY APPLY TO AREA COMMITTEE EFFORTS NATIONWIDE. 3. DUE TO SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE 190 RECOMMENDATIONS WE CONSOLIDATED THEM INTO 82 IMPROVEMENT CONCEPTS THAT REPRESENT FOUR MAJOR PROGRAM FOCUS AREAS: A. AREA CONTINGENCY PLANS B. AREA COMMITTEES C. NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND POLICIES D. EXERCISES, DRILLS, AND TRAINING THESE IMPROVEMENT CONCEPTS ARE FURTHER SUB-DIVIDED INTO 59 BEST PRACTICES AND 23 ACTIONABLE/MEASURABLE ITEMS. 4. THE COAST GUARD RECENTLY POSTED A DOCUMENT LISTING THE 59 BEST PRACTICES ON USCG HOMEPORT. ALL MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE (MER) PROGRAM COMPONENTS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO REVIEW THEM FOR APPLICABILITY AT THE VARIOUS AREA COMMITTEES OR IN REGIONAL RESPONSE TEAM FORUMS. THIS REVIEW/DISCUSSION BY THE AREA COMMITTEES WILL COMPLETE 60% OF THE ISPR RECOMMENDATIONS. 5. THE 23 MEASURABLE IMPROVEMENTS REPRESENT 40% OF THE ISPR RECOMMENDATIONS. SOME OF THESE ITEMS ARE CALIFORNIA STATE SPECIFIC AND WILL NOT BE TRACKED BY THE USCG. THEY INCLUDE STATE ASSET ALLOCATION, SENSITIVE SITE STRATEGY UPDATES, AND AN UPDATE TO THE CA VOLUNTEER PROGRAM. THROUGH THE HARD WORK OF DEDICATED STAKEHOLDERS WORKING IN LOCAL AREA COMMITTEES, DISTRICT RESPONSE GROUPS, REGIONAL RESPONSE TEAMS, AND THE NATIONAL RESPONSE TEAM, 22% OF THE ISPR RECOMMENDATAIONS ARE COMPLETE, 44% ARE IN PROGRESS, AND 34% ARE AWAITING ACTION. 6. THE FOLLOWING ISPR RELATED INITIATIVES ADDRESS SOME OF THE MORE PROMINENT LESSONS LEARNED: A. AREA CONTINGENCY PLANS (ACP) 1. WE ARE CURRENTLY ASSESSING THE STATE OF ALL COASTAL ZONE ACPS FOR A REPORT TO CONGRESS DUE JANUARY 2009. THIS REPORT WILL PROVIDE CRITICAL INFORMATION TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR ACP IMPROVEMENTS. 2. THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA COMMITTEE UPDATED THEIR ACP INCORPORATING PRIORITY ISPR RECOMMENDATIONS AND OTHER INFLUENCES INCLUDING THE REQUIRED UPDATES IN REF (A), FOUND ON HOMEPORT.USCG.MIL. THESE RECENTLY PROMULGATED UPDATES INCLUDE PRE- IDENTIFIED COMMAND POSTS, PARAMETERS FOR VOLUNTEER USE, UPDATED SITE STRATEGIES, PLANNING FOR THE OPTION TO HAVE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT OSC IN THE UNIFIED COMMAND, AND CATEGORIZED LOCAL RESPONSE RESOURCES. 3. SECTOR SAN FRANCISCO, D11 DRAT AND THE PACIFIC STRIKE TEAM RECENTLY PARTNERED WITH THE STATE OF CA TO COMPLETE BOOMING STRATEGY TESTS IN CHALLENGING AREAS. THESE RESULTS WILL BE REPRESENTED IN THE ACP. B. AREA COMMITTEES (AC) 1. SECTOR SAN FRANCISCO AREA COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE HAS SUSTAINED AN INCREASE IN PARTICIPATION AND DIVERSITY SINCE THE COSCO BUSAN INCIDENT, NOTABLY NEW REPRESENTATION FROM ALL THE BAY COUNTIES. 2. IN ADDITION, CA OFFICE OF SPILL PREVENTION AND RESPONSE NOW PRESENTS STATE SPECIFIC DRILL REPORTS AT AC MEETINGS. 3. AN AC SUBCOMMITTEE INCLUDING REPRESENSTATION OF NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IS ADDRESSING CALIFORNIA VOLUNTEER PLANNING. C. NEW TECHNOLOGY, PROCESS, AND POLICIES 1. THE NATIONAL RESPONSE TEAM (NRT) IS CURRENTLY DRAFTING A VOLUNTEER PROGRAM TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE DOCUMENT. 2. IN ADDITION, THE COAST GUARD HAS DRAFTED A MESSAGE PROVIDING INTERIM USE OF VOLUNTEERS POLICY WHILE THE NRT GUIDANCE IS IN PROGRESS. THIS INTERIM GUIDANCE IS EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED EARLY IN CY09. 3. THE NRT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE IS IDENTIFYING AND EVALUATING LOW VISIBILITY AND REMOTE SENSING TECHNOLOGIES. THEY ARE ALSO CREATING A NEW INFORMATION SHARING WEBPAGE TO SHARE THEIR EVALUATIONS. 4. THE NATIONAL STRIKE FORCE COORDINATION CENTER IS FINALIZING A NEW RESPONSE RESOURCE INVENTORY DATABASE FOR RELEASE WITHIN THE SECOND QUARTER. 5. SECTOR SAN FRANCISCO ALSO RECENTLY ATTENDED A MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE AND CA STATE THERMAL IMAGERY DEMONSTRATION THAT IDENTIFIED POTENTIAL OPTIONS TO IMPROVE RESPONSE CAPABILITIES. D. EXERCISES, DRILLS, AND TRAINING 1. THE SONS NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND 2010 EXERCISE IS ON THE NATIONAL EXERCISE CALENDAR AS A TIER II EXERCISE AND WILL INCLUDE ISPR RECOMMENDED TRAINING. THIS EXERCISE WILL REINFORCE 13% OF ALL ISPR RECOMMENDATIONS. 2. THE COAST GUARD PLANS TO RELEASE A NEW INCIDENT MANAGEMENT MANUAL (IMM) THAT WILL REPLACE APPLICABLE MARINE SAFETY MANUAL (MSM) CHAPTERS AND CONSOLIDATE MER PROGRAM POLICIES IN TIME FOR THE SONS 2010 EXERCISE. 7. THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL MER PROGRAM INITIATIVES SUPPORT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE SYSTEM: A. IN FY09, THE COAST GUARD WILL INCREASE STAFFING FOR DISTRICT RESPONSE ADVISORY TEAMS (DRATS) AND PROVIDE A DEDICATED AND RECURRING BUDGET FOR EACH DISTRICT TO STRENGTHEN AND SUPPORT PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE CAPABILITIES FOR THE AREAS AND REGIONS. REF (B) APPLIES. B. MER REGULATORY ACTIONS ARE NEARING FINAL APPROVAL INCLUDING: THE UPDATED NATIONAL RECOVERY CAPABILITY STANDARDS, NEW SALVAGE AND MARINE FIREFIGHTING CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS, AND NON-TANK VESSEL RESPONSE PLAN REQUIREMENTS. C. WE CONTINUE TO CONDUCT OUTREACH EFFORTS TO INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS. THE COMMANDANT OF THE COAST GUARD MET WITH MARITIME INDUSTRY LEADERS IN MAY 2008 AT THE INTERNATIONAL OIL SPILL CONFERENCE (IOSC) IN SAVANNAH, GA TO DISCUSS A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES. OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS USED THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE ISSUES MOST IMPORTANT TO THEIR BUSINESSES, OPERATIONS, AND THE ENVIRONMENT. FEDERAL ON SCENE COORDINATORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTINUE SIMILAR ENGAGEMENTS WITH LOCAL RESPONSE PARTNERS. 8. THE GUIDANCE IN ALCOAST 541/07, CG ENVIRONMENTAL INCIDENT RESPONSE DOCTRINE, REMAINS IN EFFECT AND IS SUMMARIZED BELOW. A. DO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCURATE AND TIMELY SPILL VOLUME QUANTIFICATION BASED ON MAXIMUM POTENTIAL VOLUME DURING INITIAL RESPONSE ACTIONS. SECTORS SHOULD SEND QUALIFIED RESPONDERS ON SCENE WHILE REMAINING PARTICULARLY AWARE OF THE DIFFICULTY IN DETECTING OIL DURING RESTRICTED VISIBILITY. REQUESTS FOR SPECIAL TEAMS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL STRIKE FORCE AND THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ASSIST TEAM (PIAT) SHOULD BE MADE AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE IN A RESPONSE. AS DEMONSTRATED DURING THE COSCO BUSAN INCIDENT, A SUCCESSFUL RESPONSE INCLUDES AN EFFECTIVE AND ESTABLISHED COMMUNICATION/OUTREACH PROGRAM. FINALLY, REMAIN VIGILANT WITH REGARD TO TRAINING AND QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS TO ENSURE A ROBUST RESPONSE CAPABILITY IS IN PLACE AT ALL TIMES AND AT ALL LEVELS. B. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSES ARE COMPLEX AND CHALLENGING, REQUIRING THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF VIGILANCE, DEDICATION, FORESIGHT AND INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SKILLS. DISTRICTS AND SECTORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REVIEW THE CONOP DEVELOPED TO GUIDE CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM IN SUPPORT OF THE NATIONAL RESPONSE FRAMEWORK (NRF) ON HOMEPORT AT HOMEPORT.USCG.MIL (MISSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL > POLLUTION > OIL) 9. THE COSCO BUSAN ISPR HIGHLIGHTS THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS AMONG FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS AND OTHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN PREPARING FOR AND RESPONDING TO OIL SPILLS. AS A SERVICE, WE MUST REMAIN AGGRESSIVE IN OUR RESPONSE AND PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS AND FOCUS ON SERVING THE NEEDS OF THE PUBLIC, INCLUDING PROVIDING TIMELY AND ACCURATE INFORMATION. 10. THROUGH EFFORTS LIKE THE ISPR, WE CONTINUE TO MAKE OUR PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE SYSTEMS BETTER AND DEMONSTRATE THE BEST QUALITIES OF A LEARNING ORGANIZATION. IT IS AN ALL-HANDS EFFORT TO REMAIN SEMPER PARATUS IN AN ALL HAZARDS, ALL THREATS ENVIRONMENT. 11. RDML J. CASTILLO, DIRECTOR RESPONSE POLICY, SENDS. 12. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.