Agencies update unified spill response plan

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency are updating the federal and state unified plan for oil spill response in Alaska. The plan provides a basis for oil spill contingency planning in the state.

Updates to the plan better define the process for making plan changes and define the role of a newly formed steering committee for the plan, ADEC said May 5. The steering committee consists of representatives of the three state and federal agencies that maintain the plan. The plan changes are designed to simplify the process for making plan updates and to provide a better mechanism for resolving differences of opinion over the updates, ADEC said.

A draft version of the revised plan is available for review on the ADEC website. Comments on the changes are required by June 15.

- Alan Bailey