§ 300.175 Federal agencies: additional responsibilities and assistance.

(a) During preparedness planning or in an actual response, various federal agencies may be called upon to provide assistance in their respective areas of expertise, as indicated in paragraph (b) of this section, consistent with agency legal authorities and capabilities.

(b) The federal agencies include:

(1) USCG, as provided in 14 U.S.C. 1-3, is an agency in DOT, except when operating as an agency in the United States Navy (USN) in time of war. The USCG provides the NRT vice chair, co-chairs for the standing RRTs, and predesignated OSCs for the coastal zone, as described in § 300.120(a)(1). The USCG maintains continuously manned facilities which can be used for command, control, and surveillance of oil discharges and hazardous substance releases occurring in the coastal zone. The USCG also offers expertise in domestic and international fields of port safety and security, maritime law enforcement, ship navigation and construction, and the manning, operation, and safety of vessels and marine facilities. The USCG may enter into a contract or cooperative agreement with the appropriate state in order to implement a response action.

(2) EPA chairs the NRT and co-chairs, with the USCG, the standing RRTs; provides predesignated OSCs for all inland areas for which an ACP is required under CWA section 311(j) and for discharges and releases occurring in the inland zone and RPMs for remedial actions except as otherwise provided; and generally provides the SSC for responses in the inland zone. EPA provides expertise on human health and ecological effects of oil discharges or releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants; ecological and human health risk assessment methods; and environmental pollution control techniques. Access to EPA's scientific expertise can be facilitated through the EPA representative to the Research and Development Committee of the National Response Team; the EPA Office of Research and Development's Superfund Technical Liaisons or Regional Scientists located in EPA Regional offices; or through EPA's Office of Science Planning and Regulatory Evaluation. EPA also provides legal expertise on the interpretation of CERCLA and other environmental statutes. EPA may enter into a contract or cooperative agreement with the appropriate state in order to implement a response action.

(3) FEMA provides guidance, policy and program advice, and technical assistance in hazardous materials, chemical, and radiological emergency preparedness activities (including planning, training, and exercising). FEMA's primary point of contact for administering financial and technical assistance to state and local governments to support their efforts to develop and maintain an effective emergency management and response capability is the Preparedness, Training, and Exercises Directorate.

(4) DOD has responsibility to take all action necessary with respect to releases where either the release is on, or the sole source of the release is from, any facility or vessel under the jurisdiction, custody, or control of DOD. In addition to those capabilities provided by SUPSALV, DOD may also, consistent with its operational requirements and upon request of the OSC, provide locally deployed USN oil spill equipment and provide assistance to other federal agencies on request. The following two branches of DOD have particularly relevant expertise:

(i) The United States Army Corps of Engineers has specialized equipment and personnel for maintaining navigation channels, for removing navigation obstructions, for accomplishing structural repairs, and for performing maintenance to hydropower electric generating equipment. The Corps can also provide design services, perform construction, and provide contract writing and contract administrative services for other federal agencies.