The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) published a notice in the Federal Register yesterday inviting public comment on the updated National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) Guidelines. This notice is being published by BSEE on behalf of the National Schedule Coordination Committee (NSCC), a collaborative effort comprised of representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) under the Department of Transportation, and BSEE under the Department of Interior.
The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) requires that industry representatives and government officials conduct oil spill response exercises to ensure that personnel and equipment are ready to respond to oil spills. The PREP is a voluntary program developed to provide a mechanism for compliance with the OPA 90 exercise requirements. The first PREP Guidelines were published in August 1994 and provide useful information, including the Federal government's plan to conduct six government led and 14 industry led large scale exercises annually. They also communicate the federal government's plans to ensure that at least one exercise is conducted in each of the 42 USCG Captain of the Port zones and each of EPA's 10 Regions every three years.
Click here for the Federal Register Notice.
Click here for the draft PREP Guidelines document, available on the BSEE website.
Comments will be accepted now through April 24, 2014 and may be submitted online at www.regulations.gov with docket ID: BSEE-2014-0003 or by emailing them to oilspillresponsedivision@bsee.gov. Comments can also be hand-carried or mailed to:
BSEE, OSRD
381 Elden Street
HE 3327
Herndon, Virginia
20170
ATTN: Ms. Kelly Schnapp
(Comments should reference National Preparedness for Response Exercise Planning Guidelines and include the submitters name and return address.)
