§312 Western Alaska Oil Spill Planning Criteria Program

Summary

Create a Western Alaska Oil Spill Planning Criteria Program inside the Coast Guard to write and run the oil-spill planning rules for Western Alaska. Within 1 year after the law is passed, the Commandant must pick a permanent civilian Program Manager by competitive search. That person must serve for at least 5 years, make the Program their main job, not be moved around often, and must not have conflicts of interest with entities the Coast Guard regulates. The Manager must make guidance for approving plans, drills, and tests, get input from Federal, State, local, Tribal, industry, and nonprofit groups, check at least once every 5 years whether the criteria meet vessel needs and find ways to improve response so vessels meet national planning criteria, and do more onsite checks of providers named in vessel response plans in the Coast Guard Arctic District. The Commandant must also create formal training about the national planning criteria (part 155 of title 33), alternative and Western Alaska criteria, Captain of the Port and Federal On‑Scene Coordinator authorities, vessel owner/operator and Area Committee duties, approval processes for alternative or Western Alaska plans, and how to carry out the actions in paragraphs (9)(D) and (9)(F) of section 311(j) (33 U.S.C. 1321(j)) generally and in the Arctic District, and give that training to all Coast Guard staff involved in the Program. Definitions: Alternative planning criteria — criteria submitted under 33 C.F.R. 155.1065 or 155.5067 for vessel response plans; Tribe — the term “Indian Tribe” as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304; Vessel response plan — a plan owners/operators of tank or nontank vessels must submit under 33 U.S.C. 1321(j)(5); Western Alaska oil spill planning criteria — the criteria required by paragraph (9) of 33 U.S.C. 1321(j).