The Navy, as required by a National Contingency Plan, has established a rapid response capability at each of its major naval bases to clean up oil spills emanating from naval vessels or shore facilities. At many naval activities, these capabilities include contractors, other Federal agencies, and municipal, civic, and other local and volunteer organizations. To provide adequate equipment for this purpose, the Navy, under the direction of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, is pursuing a multi-year technical development and procurement program at the Naval Construction Battalion Center, Pt. Hueneme, CA. This program has already resulted in significant improvements in equipment and cleanup techniques. As new methods of improvements are developed, this information is used in equipment procurement and operator training programs.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) issued OPNAVINST 6240.3E, which assigned specific responsibilities to the fleet commanders, area coordinators, the Chief of Naval Material, and other major claimants with respect to oil spill cleanup.

Area Coordinator

Area Coordinators assume the role of, or designate, on-scene coordinators and on-scene commanders for navy oil spills. They are respon-sible for planning contingency operations and for coordinating, with local commands and ap-propriate local, state, and federal agencies, the implementation of these contingency plans. They are also responsible for coordinating and im-plementing the development of effective and com-prehensive contingency plans for naval activities within their areas.

On-Scene Coordinator

The on-scene coordinator (OSC), person predesignated by the Area Coordinator, is respon-sible for making all reports required by OP-NAVINST 6240.3E and by any local instruction pertaining to reporting oil spills. Final message reports must be submitted within 24 hours after securing a cleanup operation.

When a report of a navy polluting incident is received, OSC must obtain full information concerning,

(1) Ship or activity involved;

(2) The location of the spill;

(3) The time and date of the spill, if known;

(4) The amount (in gallons) and type of oil spills, or the amount (pounds/kilograms) and type of hazardous substance(s) spilled;

(5) The primary and secondary causes of the spill, if known;

(6) The corrective action taken to stop, contain, and prevent recurrence by the reporting ship or activity, if any;

(7) The assessment of the help required (con-tainment equipment and/or clean up equipment).

The OSC must also (1) designate an on-scene commander (OSCDR), (2) notify the personnel concerned with cleaning up the pollutant, and (3) take charge at the scene until the arrival of the OSCDR.