UNITED
STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE
PACIFIC OCS REGION
NTL No. 99-P01 |
Effective Date: July 15, 1999 |
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 OSRPs 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.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Statement: The collection of
information referred to in this NTL provides clarification, description, or interpretation
of requirements in 30 CFR 254 and 30 CFR 250, Subpart B. The Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) approved the information collection requirements in these regulations under
OMB control numbers 1010-0091 and 1010-0049, respectively. This NTL does not impose
additional information collection requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995.
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.
/s/ Thomas W. Dunaway |
July 7, 1999 |
Thomas W. Dunaway |
Date |
Regional Supervisor |
Office of Field Operations |
Attachment -- Guidelines
Web Master:
Nollie
Gildow-Owens
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