§323 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. The Commandant must pick a permanent civilian employee as Program Manager within 1 year. That manager must be hired through competition, serve at least 5 years, focus on running the Program, not be moved around often, and have no conflicts of interest with regulated groups. The manager must make guidance for approving plans, drills, and tests, and collect input from federal, state, local, Tribal, industry, and nonprofit groups. At least once every 5 years the manager must check whether the planning rules work for vessels in the area and find ways to improve response ability so vessels meet national standards. The manager must also increase how often Coast Guard staff verify, on site in the Seventeenth Coast Guard District, the providers named in vessel response plans. The Commandant must also create formal training about the Program and give it to all involved Coast Guard staff. Training must cover the national criteria in part 155 of title 33 (as of the law’s enactment), alternative criteria, the Western Alaska criteria, Captain of the Port and Federal On-Scene Coordinator roles for activating a vessel response plan, vessel owner/operator duties, Area Committee duties, how approval works for alternative or Western Alaska criteria, and how to carry out the actions in paragraphs (9)(D) and (9)(F) of section 311(j) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(j)), both nationwide and in the Seventeenth Coast Guard District. Definitions: alternative planning criteria — criteria submitted under 33 CFR 155.1065 or 155.5067; Tribe — meaning of “Indian Tribe” in 25 U.S.C. 5304; vessel response plan — plan required for tank or nontank vessels under section 311(j)(5); Western Alaska oil spill planning criteria — the criteria required under paragraph (9) of section 311(j).