(a) Subject to the exceptions provided for in paragraph (b) and (c) of this section, this part applies to each ship that:

(b) This part does not apply to:

(c) Section 155.480 applies to each tank vessel with a cargo capacity of 1,000 or more cubic meters (approximately 6,290 barrels), loading oil or oil reside as cargo that is operated under the authority of the United States, wherever located, or operated under the authority of a country other than the United States while in the navigable waters of the United States, or while at a port or terminal under the jurisdiction of the United States.

Merchant mariner credential or MMC means the credential issued by the Coast Guard under 46 CFR part 10. It combines the individual merchant mariner's document, license, and certificate of registry enumerated in 46 U.S.C. subtitle II part E as well as the STCW endorsement into a single credential that serves as the mariner's qualification document, certificate of identification, and certificate of service.

(a) For ships required to be surveyed under § 151.17 of this chapter, the Commandant may, upon receipt of a written request, allow any fitting, material, appliance or apparatus to be fitted in a ship as an alternative to that required by both MARPOL 73/78 and subpart B of this part if such fitting, material, appliance, or apparatus is at least as effective as that required by subpart B. Substitution of operational methods to control the discharge of oil in place of those design and construction features prescribed by MARPOL 73/78 that are also prescribed by subpart B of this part is not allowed.

(b) Any equivalent to a feature prescribed by MARPOL 73/78 that is authorized for a ship having an IOPP Certificate is noted on that Certificate.

(c) For tank vessels required to have overfill devices installed under parts 155 and 156 of this chapter, the Commandant may, upon receipt of a written request, allow any fitting, material, appliance, or apparatus to be fitted in a tank vessel as an alternative to the required overfill device(s) that are specified in these parts if the proposed alternative device is at least as effective as that required in the regulations.

(a) The Commandant grants an exemption or partial exemption from compliance with any requirement in this part if:

(b) If requested, the applicant must submit any appropriate information, including an environmental and economic assessment of the effects of and the reasons for the exemption and proposed procedures, methods, or equipment standards.

(c) The exemption may specify the procedures, methods, or equipment standards that will apply.

(d) An oceangoing ship is not given an exemption from the requirements of subpart B of this part unless the ship is a hydrofoil, air cushion vehicle or other new type of ship (near-surface craft, submarine craft, etc.) whose constructional features are such as to render the application of any of the provisions of subpart B relating to construction and equipment unreasonable or impractical. The construction and equipment of the ship must provide protection equivalent to that afforded by subpart B of this part against pollution, having regard to the service for which the ship is intended.

(e) An exemption is granted or denied in writing. The decision of the Commandant is a final agency action.

(a) Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. To enforce any edition other than that specified in this section, the Coast Guard must publish notice of change in the Federal Register and the material must be available to the public. All approved material is available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030 or go to http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. Also, it is available for inspection at Coast Guard Headquarters. Contact Commandant (CG-CVC), Attn: Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7501, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20593-7501, 202-372-1251. Approved material is available from the sources indicated in this section.

(b) American National Standards Institute, Inc. (ANSI) , 25 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036, 212-642-4980, http://www.ansi.org/:

(c) ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, 877-909-2786, http://www.astm.org:

(d) International Maritime Organization (IMO) , 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR, United Kingdom, http://www.imo.org/:

(e) National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) , 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269-7471, 617-770-3000, http://www.nfpa.org/:

(f) Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) , 29 Queen Anne's Gate, London, SW1H 9BU England, http://www.ocimf.com/:

Inland oil barge means a tank barge carrying oil in bulk as cargo certificated by the Coast Guard under 46 CFR chapter I, subchapter D for river or canal service or lakes, bays, and sounds service.

On-deck spill means a discharge of oil on the deck of a vessel during loading, unloading, transfer, or other shipboard operations. An on-deck spill could result from a leaking fitting, an overfill, a bad connection, or similar operational mishap. The term on-deck spill is used to differentiate these operational discharges from those caused by collision or grounding where the hull is punctured and a tank is ruptured, resulting in an uncontrolled discharge of oil into the marine environment.

Offshore oil barge means a tank barge carrying oil in bulk as cargo, including dual-mode integrated tug-barges, certificated by the Coast Guard under 46 CFR chapter I, subchapter D, for navigation in waters outside the Boundary Lines, as defined in 46 CFR part 7, in any ocean or the Gulf of Mexico; any tank barge in Great Lakes service; or any foreign flag tank barge.

Oil tanker means a self-propelled vessel carrying oil in bulk as cargo, including integrated tug-barges designed for push-mode operation.

Vessel carrying oil as secondary cargo means a vessel carrying oil pursuant to a permit issued under 46 CFR 30.01-5, 46 CFR 70.05-30, or 46 CFR 90.05-35 or pursuant to an International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) or Noxious Liquid Substance (NLS) certificate required by § 151.33 or § 151.35 of this chapter; or any uninspected vessel that carries oil in bulk as cargo.

(a) Oil tankers and offshore oil barges with an overall length of 400 feet or more must carry appropriate equipment and supplies for the containment and removal of on-deck oil cargo spills of at least 12 barrels.

(b) The equipment and supplies must include—

(c) During cargo transfer operations, the equipment and supplies must remain ready for immediate use.

(a) Oil tankers and offshore oil barges with an overall length of less than 400 feet must carry appropriate equipment and supplies for the containment and removal of on-deck oil spills of at least 7 barrels.

(b) The equipment and supplies must include—

(c) During cargo transfer operations, the equipment and supplies must remain ready for immediate use.

(a) During cargo transfer operations, inland oil barges must have appropriate equipment and supplies ready for immediate use to control and remove on-deck oil cargo spills of at least one barrel.

(b) The equipment and supplies must include—

(c) The oil barge owner or operator may rely on equipment available at the transfer facility receiving from or discharging to the barge, provided the barge owner or operator has prearranged for the use of the equipment by contract or other means approved by the Coast Guard.

(a) Vessels carrying oil as secondary cargo must carry appropriate equipment and supplies for the containment and removal of on-deck oil cargo spills of at least one-half barrel.

(b) The equipment and supplies must include—

(c) The equipment and supplies must be ready for immediate use during cargo transfer operations.

(a) Application. This section does not apply to foreign vessels engaged in innocent passage (that is, neither entering nor leaving a U.S. port); it applies to tank barges and vessels towing them on the following waters:

(b) Safety program. If you are the owner or operator of a single-hull tank barge or of a vessel towing it, you must adequately man and equip either the barge or the vessel towing it so the crew can arrest the barge by employing Measure 1, described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section. Moreover, the crew must be able to arrest or retrieve the barge by employing either Measure 2 or Measure 3, described in paragraphs (b)(2) and (3) of this section, respectively. If you are the owner or operator of a double-hull tank barge, you must adequately equip it and train its crew or, if it is unmanned, train the crew of the vessel towing it, so the crew can retrieve the barge by employing Measure 2 described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

(a) Owners or operators of oil tankers and offshore oil barges shall ensure that their vessels have prearranged, prompt access to computerized, shore-based damage stability and residual structural strength calculation programs.

(b) Vessel baseline strength and stability characteristics must be pre-entered into such programs and be consistent with the vessel's existing configuration.

(c) Access to the shore-based calculation program must be available 24 hours a day.

(d) At a minimum, the program must facilitate calculation of the following:

(a) Owners or operators of inland oil barges shall ensure that the vessel plans necessary to perform salvage, stability, and residual hull strength assessments are maintained at a shore-based location.

(b) Access to the plans must be available 24 hours a day.

(a) A tank vessel with a capacity of 250 or more barrels that is carrying oil or hazardous material as cargo must have—

(b) An offshore tank barge with a cargo capacity of 250 or more barrels that is carrying hazardous material as cargo and an inland tank barge with the capacity of 250 or more barrels that is carrying oil or a hazardous material as cargo must meet paragraph (a) of this section or be equipped with—

(c) All oil tankers and offshore oil barges with a cargo capacity of 250 or more barrels must have peripheral coamings, including port and starboard coamings and forward and aft athwartships coamings, completely enclosing the cargo deck area, cargo hatches, manifolds, transfer connections, and any other openings where cargo may overflow or leak.

(d) In addition to the requirements of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, an offshore oil barge with a cargo capacity of 250 or more barrels must have—

(a) A ship of 300 gross tons or more constructed after June 30, 1974 must have a fixed container or enclosed deck area under or around each fuel oil or bulk lubricating oil tank vent, overflow, and fill pipe, that:

(b) A ship of 100 gross tons or more constructed before July 1, 1974, and a ship of 100 or more but less than 300 gross tons constructed after June 30, 1974 must:

(c) This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.

(a) No person may operate a U.S. non-oceangoing ship in the navigable waters of the United States, unless it has the capacity to retain on board all oily mixtures and is equipped to discharge these oily mixtures to a reception facility.

(b) A U.S. non-oceangoing ship may retain all oily mixtures on board in the ship's bilges. An oil residue (sludge) tank is not required.

(c) This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.

(a) No person may operate an oceangoing ship of less than 400 gross tons, unless it either:

(b) An oceangoing ship of less than 400 gross tons may retain all oily mixtures on board in the ship's bilges. An oil residue (sludge) tank is not required.

(c) This section does not apply to a barge that is not equipped with an installed bilge pumping system for discharge into the sea.

(d) This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.

(a)

(b) No person may operate a ship under this section unless it is fitted with an oil residue (sludge) tank or tanks of adequate capacity to receive the oil residue that cannot be dealt with otherwise.

(c) No person may operate a ship unless it is equipped with a pipeline to discharge oily mixtures to a reception facility.

(d) This section does not apply to a barge that is not equipped with an installed bilge pumping system for discharge into the sea.

(e) This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform, except as specified in § 155.400(a)(2).

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(5) of this section, no person may operate an oceangoing ship of 10,000 gross tons and above, or any oceangoing ship of 400 gross tons and above, that carries ballast water in its fuel oil tanks, unless it has—

(b) No person may operate a ship under this section unless it is fitted with an oil residue (sludge) tank or tanks of adequate capacity to receive the oil residue that cannot be dealt with otherwise.

(c) No person may operate a ship under this section unless it is equipped with a pipeline to discharge oily mixtures to a reception facility.

(d) This section does not apply to a barge that is not equipped with an installed bilge pumping system for discharge into the sea.

(e) This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform, except as specified in § 155.400(a)(2).

(a) On U.S. inspected ships, oily water separating equipment and bilge alarms must be approved under 46 CFR 162.050.

(b) On U.S. uninspected ships and foreign ships, oily water separating equipment and bilge alarms must be approved under either 46 CFR 162.050 or MARPOL 73/78 Annex I.

(c) A ship that is required to have a bilge alarm may defer installment and use a previously installed bilge monitor provided the bilge monitor met Coast Guard approval requirements at the time of its installation and it does not allow more than a 15 ppm oil content in water discharge.

(d) The accuracy of the bilge alarms must be checked at IOPP Certificate renewal surveys according to the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively, the unit may be replaced by a calibrated bilge alarm. The calibration certificate for the bilge alarm, which certifies the date of the last calibration check, should be retained onboard for inspection purposes. The accuracy checks can only be done by the manufacturer or persons authorized by the manufacturer.

(e) Ship staff training must include familiarization in the operation and maintenance of the equipment.

(f) The routine maintenance of the oily water separating equipment and the bilge alarm must be clearly defined by the manufacturer in the associated operating and maintenance manuals. All routine and repair maintenance must be recorded.

(a) No person may operate an oceangoing fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform unless it either—

(b) When an oceangoing fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform is in a special area, is not proceeding en route, or is within 12 nautical miles of the nearest land; it must either—

(c) Paragraph (b) of this section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform that is operating under an NPDES permit.

(a) No person may operate a non-oceangoing ship of 100 gross tons and above that is fitted with main or auxiliary machinery spaces in the navigable waters of the United States unless:

(b) Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to a ship that has approved oily-water separating equipment for the processing of oily mixtures from bilges or fuel oil tank ballast.

(c) This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.

(a) No person may operate an oceangoing ship of 100 gross tons and above but less than 400 gross tons that is fitted with main or auxiliary machinery spaces unless:

(b) Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to a ship that has approved oily-water separating equipment for the processing of oily mixtures from bilges or fuel oil tank ballast.

(c) This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.

(a) All oceangoing ships of 400 gross tons and above must have a standard shore connection for reception facilities to discharge oily mixtures from machinery space bilges or ballast water containing an oily mixture from fuel oil tanks. The discharge connection must have the following dimensions:

(b) A portable adapter that meets the specifications of paragraph (a) of this section and that fits the discharge shore connection, for the discharge of oily wastes from machinery space bilges may be substituted for the standard discharge connection requirement of paragraph (a) of this section.

(c) The flange must be designed to accept pipes up to a maximum internal diameter of 125 mm and shall be of steel or other equivalent material having a flat face. This flange, together with a gasket of oilproof material, must be suitable for a service pressure of 6 kilograms/square centimeters (kg/cm²).

(a) Except as provided for in paragraph (b) of this section, in new oceangoing ships of 4,000 gross tons and above other than oil tankers, and in new oceangoing oil tankers of 150 gross tons and above, ballast water must not be carried in any fuel oil tank.

(b) Where abnormal conditions or the need to carry large quantities of fuel oil render it necessary to carry ballast water that is not a clean ballast in any fuel oil tank, that ballast water must be discharged to reception facilities or into the sea in compliance with part 151 of this chapter using the equipment specified in § 155.370, and an entry shall be made in the Oil Record Book to this effect.

(a) A ship, except a ship of less than 26 feet in length, must have a placard of at least 5 by 8 inches, made of durable material fixed in a conspicuous place in each machinery space, or at the bilge and ballast pump control station, stating the following:

(b) Existing stocks of placards may be used for the life of the placard.

(c) The placard required by paragraph (a) or (b) of this section must be printed in the language or languages understood by the crew.

(a) In a ship of 400 gross tons and above, for which the building contract is placed after January 1, 1982 or, in the absence of a building contract, the keel of which is laid or which is at a similar stage of construction after July 1, 1982, oil or hazardous material must not be carried in a forepeak tank or a tank forward of the collision bulkhead.

(b) A self-propelled ship of 300 gross tons and above, to which paragraph (a) of this section does not apply, may not carry bulk oil or hazardous material in any space forward of a collision bulkhead except:

(a) For the purposes of this section, “oil” has the same definition as provided in § 151.05 of this chapter.

(b) Each tank vessel with a cargo capacity of 1,000 or more cubic meters (approximately 6,290 barrels), loading oil or oil residue as cargo, must have one overfill device that is permanently installed on each cargo tank and meets the requirements of this section.

(c) Each cargo tank of a U.S. flag tank vessel must have installed on it an overfill device meeting the requirements of this section at the next scheduled cargo tank internal examination performed on the vessel under 46 CFR 31.10-21.

(d) Each cargo tank of a foreign flag tank vessel must have installed on it an overfill device—

(e) This section does not apply to a tank vessel that does not meet the double hull requirements of § 157.10d of this chapter and, under 46 U.S.C. 3703a(c), may not operate in the navigable waters or Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States after January 1, 2000.

(f) This section does not apply to tank vessels that carry asphalt, animal fat, or vegetable oil as their only cargo.

(a) On each tankship required to be documented under the laws of the United States, the operator or agent of the vessel, or the person who arranges and hires a person to be in charge either of a transfer of liquid cargo in bulk or of cargo-tank cleaning, shall verify to his or her satisfaction that each person designated as a PIC—

(b) On each tank barge required to be inspected under 46 U.S.C. 3703, the operator or agent of the vessel, or the person who arranges and hires a person to be in charge of a transfer of fuel oil, of a transfer of liquid cargo in bulk, or of cargo-tank cleaning, shall verify to his or her satisfaction that each PIC—

(c) On each foreign tankship, the operator or agent of the vessel shall verify to his or her satisfaction that each PIC either of a transfer of liquid cargo in bulk or of cargo-tank cleaning—

(d) On each foreign tank barge, the operator or agent of the vessel shall verify to his or her satisfaction that each PIC either of the transfer of liquid cargo in bulk or of cargo-tank cleaning—

(e) The operator or agent of each vessel to which this section applies must verify to his or her satisfaction that the PIC of any transfer of fuel oil requiring a Declaration of Inspection—

(f) Except as provided in paragraph (g) of this section, the operator or agent of each self-propelled tank vessel carrying oil or hazardous material in bulk shall verify to his or her satisfaction that the PIC of the transfer of oil or hazardous material in bulk to or from a vessel, or of cargo-tank cleaning, holds a Tankerman-PIC endorsement on his or her MMD or merchant mariner credential and either a license, officer endorsement, or a Certificate issued by a flag state party to STCW authorizing service as a master, mate, pilot, engineer, or operator aboard that vessel.

(g) The PIC of a cargo-tank cleaning on a vessel at a tank-cleaning facility or shipyard need not hold any of the merchant mariner credentials, licenses, documents, certificates, or endorsements required in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, if he or she is a National Fire Protection Association Certificated Marine Chemist.

(a) To or from the vessel; and

(b) From tank to tank within the vessel.

(a) Available for inspection by the COTP or OCMI whenever the vessel is in operation;

(b) Legibly printed in a language or languages understood by personnel engaged in transfer operations; and

(c) Permanently posted or available at a place where the procedures can be easily seen and used by members of the crew when engaged in transfer operations.

(a) The transfer procedures required by § 155.720 must contain, either in the order listed or by use of a cross-reference index page:

(b) Exemptions or alternatives granted must be placed in the front of the transfer procedures.

(c) The vessel operator shall incorporate each amendment to the transfer procedures under § 155.760 in the procedures with the related existing requirement, or at the end of the procedures if not related to an existing requirement.

(d) If a vessel is fitted with a vapor control system, the transfer procedures must contain a description of the vapor collection system on the vessel which includes:

(e) If a cargo tank of a tank vessel is fitted with an overfill device, the transfer procedures must contain a description of the overfill device, including:

(a) The COTP or OCMI may require the vessel operator of any vessel that is required to have transfer procedures under § 155.720 to amend those procedures if the COTP or OCMI finds that the transfer procedures do not meet the requirements of this part.

(b) The COTP or OCMI shall notify the vessel operator in writing of any inadequacies in the oil transfer procedures. The vessel operator may submit written information, views, and arguments on and proposals for amending the procedures within 14 days from the date of the COTP or OCMI notice. After considering all relevant material presented, the COTP or OCMI shall notify the vessel operator of any amendment required or adopted, or the COTP or OCMI may rescind the notice. The amendment becomes effective 30 days after the vessel operator receives the notice, unless the vessel operator petitions the Commandant to review the COTP or OCMI notice, in which case its effective date is delayed pending a decision by the Commandant. Petitions to the Commandant must be submitted in writing via the COTP or OCMI who issued the requirement to amend.

(c) If the COTP or OCMI finds that there is a condition requiring immediate action to prevent the discharge or risk of discharge that makes the procedure in paragraph (b) of this section impractical or contrary to the public interest, he or she may issue an amendment effective on the date the vessel operator receives notice of it. In such a case, the COTP or OCMI includes a brief statement of the reasons for the findings in the notice, and the vessel operator may petition the Commandant, in any manner, to review the amendment. The petition does not postpone the amendment.

(a) For the purposes of this section, “oil” has the same meaning as provided in § 151.05 of this chapter.

(b) A cargo tank on a tank vessel may not be filled with oil higher than—

(a) A tank vessel with a capacity of 250 or more barrels that is carrying oil or hazardous material as cargo must have on board an emergency means to enable the person in charge of a transfer operation to a facility, to another vessel, or within the vessel to stop the flow of oil or hazardous material.

(b) The means to stop the flow may be a pump control, a quick-acting, power actuated valve, or an operating procedure. If an emergency pump control is used, it must stop the flow of oil or hazardous material if the oil or hazardous material could siphon through the stopped pump.

(c) The means to stop the flow must be operable from the cargo deck, cargo control room, or the usual operating station of the person in charge of the transfer operation.

(a) During vessel to vessel transfers, each tank vessel with a capacity of 250 or more barrels of cargo that is carrying oil or hazardous material must have a means that enables continuous two-way voice communication between the persons in charge of the transfer operations on both vessels.

(b) Each vessel must have a means, which may be the communication system itself, that enables a person on board each vessel to effectively indicate his desire to use the means of communication required by paragraph (a) of this section.

(c) The means required by paragraph (a) of this section must be usable and effective in all phases of the transfer operation and all conditions of weather.

(d) Portable radio devices used to comply with paragraph (a) of this section during the transfer of flammable or combustible liquids must be intrinsically safe, as defined in 46 CFR 110.15-100(i), and meet Class I, Division I, Group D requirements as defined in 46 CFR 111.80.

(a) A self-propelled vessel with a capacity of 250 or more barrels of oil or hazardous material that is conducting transfer operations between sunset and sunrise must have deck lighting that adequately illuminates—

(b) Where the illumination is apparently inadequate the OCMI or COTP may require verification by instrument of the levels of illumination. On a horizontal plane 3 feet above the deck the illumination must measure at least:

(c) Lighting must be located or shielded so as not to mislead or otherwise interfere with navigation on the adjacent waterways.

(a) Each end of each transfer hose on board which is not connected for the transfer of oil or hazardous material must be blanked off with butterfly valves, wafer-type resilient seated valves, blank flanges, or other means acceptable to the COTP or OCMI.

(b) New, unused hose is exempt from the requirement in paragraph (a) of this section.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, a tank vessel underway or at anchor must have all closure mechanisms on the following openings properly closed:

(b) No person may open any of the closure mechanisms in paragraph (a) of this section while the tank vessel is underway or at anchor except when authorized and supervised by a licensed or credentialed officer or the tankerman required by 46 CFR 31.15-5(a).

(a) The name of each person currently designated as a person in charge of transfer operations.

(b) The date and result of the most recent test and inspection of each item tested or inspected as required by § 156.170 of this chapter;

(c) The hose information required by § 154.500(e) and (g) of this chapter unless that information is marked on the hose; and

(d) The Declaration of Inspection as required by § 156.150(f) of this chapter.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, this subpart applies to each vessel that is constructed or adapted to carry, or that carries, oil in bulk as cargo or oil cargo residue, and that—

(b) This subpart also applies to vessels which engage in oil lightering operations in the marine environment beyond the baseline from which the territorial sea is measured, when the cargo lightered is destined for a port or place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

(c) This subpart does not apply to the following types of vessels:

(d) Vessels covered by this subpart that are not operating within the navigable waters or the exclusive economic zone of the United States must meet all requirements of this subpart except for—

Adverse weather means the weather conditions that will be considered when identifying response systems and equipment in a response plan for the applicable operating environment. Factors to consider include, but are not limited to, significant wave height, ice, temperature, weather-related visibility, and currents within the Captain of the Port (COTP) zone in which the systems or equipment are intended to function.

Animal fat means a non-petroleum oil, fat, or grease derived from animals and not specifically identified elsewhere in this part.

Average most probable discharge means a discharge of the lesser of 50 barrels of oil or 1 percent of the cargo from the vessel during cargo oil transfer operations to or from the vessel.

Bulk means any volume of oil carried in an integral tank of the vessel and oil transferred to or from a marine portable tank or independent tank while on board a vessel.

Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone means a zone specified in 33 CFR part 3 and, for coastal ports, the seaward extension of that zone to the outer boundary of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Cargo means oil that is transported to and off-loaded at a destination by a vessel. It does not include—

Contract or other approved means includes—

Dedicated response vessel means a vessel of which the service is limited exclusively to oil and hazardous substance spill response-related activities, including spill recovery and transport, tanker escorting, deployment of spill response equipment, supplies, and personnel, and spill response-related training, testing, exercises, and research.

Dispersant-application platform means the vessel or aircraft outfitted with the dispersant-application equipment acting as the delivery system for the dispersant onto the oil spill.

Effective daily application capacity or EDAC means the estimated amount of dispersant that can be applied to a discharge by an application system, given the availability of supporting dispersant stockpiles, when operated in accordance with approved standards and within acceptable environmental conditions.

Estimated Dispersant System Potential Calculator (EDSP) means an internet-accessible application that estimates EDAC for different dispersant response systems. The NSFCC will use EDSP for evaluating OSRO dispersant classification levels.

Exclusive economic zone means the zone contiguous to the territorial sea of United States extending to a distance up to 200 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

Great Lakes means Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, their connecting and tributary waters, the Saint Lawrence River as far as Saint Regis, and adjacent port areas.

Gulf Coast means for the purposes of dispersant application requirements, the regions encompassing the following Captain of the Port Zones:

Higher volume port area means the following areas, including any water area within 50 nautical miles seaward of the entrance(s) to the specified port:

Inland area means the area shoreward of the boundary lines defined in 46 CFR part 7, except that in the Gulf of Mexico, it means the area shoreward of the lines of demarcation (COLREG lines) as defined in §§ 80.740 through 80.850 of this chapter. The inland area does not include the Great Lakes.

Maximum extent practicable means the planned capability to respond to a worst case discharge in adverse weather, as contained in a response plan that meets the criteria in this subpart or in a specific plan approved by the Coast Guard.

Maximum most probable discharge means a discharge of—

Nearshore area means the area extending seaward 12 miles from the boundary lines defined in 46 CFR part 7, except in the Gulf of Mexico. In the Gulf of Mexico, a nearshore area is one extending seaward 12 miles from the line of demarcation (COLREG lines) as defined in §§ 80.740 through 80.850 of this chapter.

Non-persistent or Group I oil means a petroleum-based oil that, at the time of shipment, consists of hydrocarbon fractions—

Non-petroleum oil means oil of any kind that is not petroleum-based. It includes, but is not limited to, animal fats and vegetable oils.

Ocean means the open ocean, offshore area, and nearshore area as defined in this subpart.

Nontank vessel means a vessel meeting the description provided in 33 CFR 155.5015(a).

Offshore area means the area up to 38 nautical miles seaward of the outer boundary of the nearshore area.

Oil field waste means non-pumpable drilling fluids with possible trace amounts of metal and oil.

Oil spill removal organization (OSRO) means an entity that provides oil spill response resources.

On-scene coordinator or OSC means the Federal official predesignated by the Coast Guard or Environmental Protection Agency to coordinate and direct Federal removal efforts at the scene of an oil or hazardous substance discharge as prescribed in the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (National Contingency Plan) as published in 40 CFR part 300.

Open ocean means the area from 38 nautical miles seaward of the outer boundary of the nearshore area, to the seaward boundary of the exclusive economic zone.

Operating in compliance with the plan means operating in compliance with the provisions of this subpart, including ensuring the availability of the response resources by contract or other approved means and conducting the necessary training and exercises.

Operational effectiveness monitoring means monitoring concerned primarily with determining whether the dispersant was properly applied and how the dispersant is affecting the oil.

Operator means person who is an owner, a demise charterer, or other contractor, who conducts the operation of, or who is responsible for the operation of a vessel. For the purposes of this subpart only, the operator of a towing vessel is not, per se, considered the operator of a vessel being towed.

Other non-petroleum oil means an oil of any kind that is not a petroleum oil, an animal fat, or a vegetable oil.

Owner or vessel owner means any person holding legal or equitable title to a vessel; provided, however, that a person holding legal or equitable title to a vessel solely as security is not the owner. In a case where a Certificate of Documentation has been issued, the owner is the person or persons whose name or names appear on the vessel's Certificate of Documentation provided, however, that where a Certificate of Documentation has been issued in the name of a president or secretary of an incorporated company, such incorporated company is the owner.

Persistent oil means a petroleum-based oil that does not meet the distillation criteria for a non-persistent oil. For the purposes of this subpart, persistent oils are further classified based on specific gravity as follows:

Petroleum oil means petroleum in any form, including but not limited to, crude oil, fuel oil, sludge, oil residue, and refined products.

Pre-authorization for dispersant use means an agreement, adopted by a regional response team in coordination with area committees, that authorizes the use of dispersants at the discretion of the Federal On-Scene Coordinator without the further approval of other Federal or State authorities. These pre-authorization areas are generally limited to particular geographic areas within each region.

Primary dispersant staging site means a site designated within a Captain of the Port zone which is identified as a forward staging area for dispersant-application platforms and the loading of dispersant stockpiles. Primary staging sites would normally be the planned location where the platform would load or reload dispersants prior to departing for application at the site of the discharge and may not be the location where dispersant stockpiles are stored or application platforms are home based.

Qualified individual and alternate qualified individual means a shore-based representative of a vessel owner or operator who meets the requirements of 33 CFR 155.1026.

Response activity means the containment and removal of oil from the water and shorelines, the temporary storage and disposal of recovered oil, or the taking of other actions as necessary to minimize or mitigate damage to public health or welfare or the environment.

Response resources means the personnel, equipment, supplies, and other capability necessary to perform the response activities identified in a response plan.

Rivers and canals mean bodies of water confined within the inland area, including the Intracoastal Waterways and other waterways artificially created for navigation, that have a project depth of 12 feet or less.

Secondary Cargo (see Vessels Carrying Oil as a Secondary Cargo)

Specific gravity means the ratio of the mass of a given volume of liquid at 15 degrees C (60 degrees F) to the mass of an equal volume of pure water at the same temperature.

Spill management team means the personnel identified to staff the organizational structure identified in a response plan to manage response plan implementation.

Substantial threat of such a discharge means any incident involving a vessel that may create a significant risk of discharge of cargo oil. Such incidents include, but are not limited to, groundings, strandings, collisions, hull damage, fire, explosion, loss of propulsion, flooding, on-deck spills, or other similar occurrences.

Tanker means a self-propelled tank vessel constructed or adapted primarily to carry oil or hazardous material in bulk in the cargo spaces.

Tier means the combination of required response resources and the times within which the resources must arrive on scene. Appendix B of this part, especially Tables 5 and 6, provide specific guidance on calculating the response resources required by each tier. Sections 155.1050(g), 155.1135, 155.1230(d), and 155.2230(d) set forth the required times within which the response resources must arrive on scene. Tiers are applied in three categories:

Vegetable oil means a non-petroleum oil or fat not specifically identified elsewhere in this part that is derived from plant seeds, nuts, kernels or fruits.

Vessel of opportunity means a vessel engaged in spill response activities that is normally and substantially involved in activities other than spill response and not a vessel carrying oil as a primary cargo.

Vessels carrying oil as a primary cargo means all vessels except dedicated response vessels carrying oil in bulk as cargo or cargo residue that have a Certificate of Inspection issued under 46 CFR Chapter I, subchapter D.

Vessels carrying oil as a secondary cargo means vessels, other than vessels carrying oil as a primary cargo, carrying oil in bulk as cargo or cargo residue pursuant to a permit issued under 46 CFR 30.01-5, 70.05-30, or 90.05-35, an International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) or Noxious Liquid Substance (NLS) certificate required by 33 CFR § 151.33 or § 151.35; or any uninspected vessel that carries oil in bulk as cargo or cargo residue.

Worst case discharge means a discharge in adverse weather conditions of a vessel's entire oil cargo.

(a) Vessels subject to this subpart may not perform the following functions, unless operating in compliance with a plan approved under § 155.1065:

(b) Vessels subject to this subpart may not transfer oil in a port or place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, where the oil to be transferred was received from another vessel subject to this subpart during a lightering operation referred to in § 155.1015(b), unless both vessels engaged in the lightering operation were operating at the time in compliance with a plan approved under § 155.1065.

(c)

(d) With respect to paragraph (b) of this section, a vessel may not continue to handle, store, transport, transfer, or lighter oil if—

(e) An owner or operator of a vessel may be authorized by the applicable COTP to have that vessel make one voyage to transport or handle oil in a geographic specific area not covered by the vessel's response plan. All requirements of this subpart must be met for any subsequent voyages to that geographic specific area. To be authorized, the vessel owner or operator shall certify to the COTP in writing, prior to the vessel's entry into the COTP zone, that—

(a) The response plan must identify a qualified individual and at least one alternate who meet the requirements of this section. The qualified individual or alternate qualified individual must be available on a 24-hour basis.

(b) The qualified individual and alternate must—

(c) For Canadian flag vessels while operating on the Great Lakes or the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, WA, the qualified individual may be located in Canada if he or she meets all other requirements in paragraph (b) of this section.

(d) The owner operator shall provide each qualified individual and alternate qualified individual identified in the plan with a document designating them as a qualified individual and specifying their full authority to—

(e) The owner or operator of a vessel may designate an organization to fulfill the role of the qualified individual and alternate qualified individual. The organization must then identify a qualified individual and at least one alternate qualified individual who meet the requirements of this section. The vessel owner or operator is required to list in the response plan the organization, the person identified as the qualified individual, and the person or persons identified as the alternate qualified individual(s).

(f) The qualified individual is not responsible for—

(g) The liability of a qualified individual is considered to be in accordance with the provisions of 33 U.S.C. 1321(c)(4).

(a) The plan must cover all geographic areas of the United States in which the vessel intends to handle, store, or transport oil, including port areas and offshore transit areas.

(b) The plan must be written in English and, if applicable, in a language that is understood by the crew members with responsibilities under the plan.

(c) A vessel response plan must be divided into the following sections:

(d) A vessel owner or operator with multiple vessels may submit one plan for each class of vessel (i.e., manned vessels carrying oil as primary cargo, unmanned vessels carrying oil as primary cargo, and vessels carrying oil as secondary cargo) with a separate vessel-specific appendix for each vessel covered by the plan and a separate geographic-specific appendix for each COTP zone in which the vessel(s) will operate.

(e) The required contents for each section of the plan are contained in §§ 155.1035, 155.1040, and 155.1045, as applicable to the type or service of the vessel.

(f) The response plan for a barge carrying nonhazardous oil field waste may follow the same format as that for a vessel carrying oil as a secondary cargo under § 155.1045 in lieu of the plan required under § 155.1035 or § 155.1040.

(g) A response plan must be divided into the sections described in paragraph (c) of this section unless the plan is supplemented with a cross-reference table to identify the location of the information required by this subpart.

(h) The information contained in a response plan must be consistent with the—

(i) Copies of the submitted and approved response plan must be available as follows:

(j) If an owner or operator of a United States flag vessel informs the Coast Guard in writing at the time of the plan submission according to the procedures of § 155.1065, the owner or operator may address the provisions of Regulation 37 of MARPOL 73/78 if the owner or operator—

(k) A vessel carrying oil as a secondary cargo may comply with the requirements of § 155.1045 by having a response plan approved under Regulation 37 of MARPOL 73/78 with the addition of the following—

(l) For plans submitted prior to the effective date of this final rule, the owner or operator of each vessel may elect to comply with any or all of the provisions of this final rule by amending or revising the appropriate section of the previously submitted plan.

(a) General information and introduction. This section of the response plan must include—

(b) Notification procedures. This section of the response plan must include the following notification information:

(c) Shipboard spill mitigation procedures. This section of the response plan must include—

(d) Shore-based response activities. This section of the response plan must include the following information:

(e) List of contacts. The name, location, and 24-hour contact information for the following key individuals and organizations must be included in this section of the response plan or, if more appropriate, in a geographic-specific appendix and referenced in this section of the response plan:

(f) Training procedures. This section of the response plan must address the training procedures and programs of the vessel owner or operator to meet the requirements in § 155.1055.

(g) Exercise procedures. This section of the response plan must address the exercise program to be carried out by the vessel owner or operator to meet the requirements in § 155.1060.

(h) Plan review, update, revision, amendment, and appeal procedure. This section of the response plan must address—

(i) Geographic-specific appendices for each COTP zone in which a vessel operates. A geographic-specific appendix must be included for each COTP zone identified. The appendices must include the following information or identify the location of such information within the plan:

(j) Appendices for vessel-specific information. This section must include for each vessel covered by the plan the following information:

(a) General information and introduction. This section of the response plan must include—

(b) Notification procedures. This section of the response plan must include the following notification information:

(c) Shipboard spill mitigation procedures. This section of the response plan must include—

(d) Shore-based response activities. This section of the response plan must include the following information:

(e) List of contacts. The name, location, and 24-hour contact information for the following key individuals and organizations must be included in this section or, if more appropriate, in a geographic-specific appendix and referenced in this section:

(f) Training procedures. This section of the response plan must address the training procedures and programs of the barge owner or operator to meet the requirements in § 155.1055.

(g) Exercise procedures. This section of the response plan must address the exercise program carried out by the barge owner or operator to meet the requirements in § 155.1060.

(h) Plan review, update, revisions amendment, and appeal procedure. This section of the response plan must address—

(i) On board notification checklist and emergency procedures. This portion of the response plan must be maintained in the documentation container aboard the unmanned barge. The owner or operator of an unmanned tank barge subject to this section shall provide the personnel of the towing vessel, fleeting area, or facility that the barge may be moored at with the information required by this paragraph and the responsibilities that the plan indicates will be carried out by these personnel. The on board notification checklist and emergency procedures must include—

(j) Geographic-specific appendices for each COTP zone in which a tank barge operates. A geographic-specific appendix must be included for each COTP zone identified. The appendices must include the following information or identify the location of such information within the plan:

(k) Appendices for barge-specific information. Because many of the tank barges covered by a response plan may be of the same design, this information does not need to be repeated provided the plan identifies the tank barges to which the same information would apply. The information must be part of the response plan unless specifically noted. This section must include for each barge covered by the plan the following information:

(a) General information and introduction. This section of the response plan must include—

(b) Notification procedures. This section of the response plan must include the following notification information:

(c) Shipboard spill mitigation procedures. This section of the response plan must identify the vessel's total volumes of oil carried in bulk as cargo and meet the applicable requirements of this paragraph as in paragraph (a)(6) of this section.

(d) Shore-based response activities. This section of the response plan must include the following information:

(e) List of contacts. The name, location, and 24-hour contact information for the following key individuals or organizations must be included in this section or, if more appropriate, in a geographic-specific appendix and referenced in this section:

(f) Training procedures.

(g) Exercise procedures. This section of the response plan must address the exercise program carried out by the vessel owner or operator to evaluate the ability of vessel and shore-based personnel to perform their identified functions in the plan. The required exercise frequency for each category of vessel is as follows:

(h) Plan review, update, revision, amendment, and appeal procedures. This section of the response plan must address—

(i) Geographic-specific appendices for each COTP zone in which a vessel operates. A geographic-specific appendix must be included for each COTP zone identified. The appendix must include the following information or identify the location of such information within the plan:

(j) Appendices for vessel-specific information. This section must include for each vessel covered by the plan the following information:

(a) The following criteria must be used to evaluate the operability of response resources identified in the response plan for the specified operating environment:

(b) The COTP may reclassify a specific body of water or location within the COTP zone. Any reclassifications will be identified in the applicable Area Contingency Plan. Reclassifications may be to—

(c) Response equipment must—

(d) The owner or operator of a vessel that carries groups I through IV petroleum oil as a primary cargo shall identify in the response plan and ensure the availability of, through contract or other approved means, the response resources that will respond to a discharge up to the vessel's average most probable discharge.

(e) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying groups I through IV petroleum oil as a primary cargo must identify in the response plan and ensure the availability of, through contract or other approved means, the response resources necessary to respond to a discharge up to the vessel's maximum most probable discharge volume.

(f) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying groups I through IV petroleum oil as a primary cargo must identify in the response plan and ensure the availability of, through contract or other approved means, the response resources necessary to respond to discharges up to the worst case discharge volume of the oil cargo to the maximum extent practicable.

(g) Response equipment identified to respond to a worst case discharge must be capable of arriving on scene within the times specified in this paragraph for the applicable response tier in a higher volume port area, Great Lakes, and in other areas. Response times for these tiers from the time of discovery of a discharge are—

(h) For the purposes of arranging for response resources through contract or other approved means, response equipment identified for Tier 1 plan credit must be capable of being mobilized and enroute to the scene of a discharge within 2 hours of notification. The notification procedures identified in the plan must provide for notification and authorization for mobilization of identified Tier 1 response resources—

(i) Response resources identified for Tier 2 and Tier 3 plan credit must be capable of arriving on scene within the time listed for the applicable tier.

(j) Salvage (including lightering) and marine firefighting requirements are found in subpart I of this part.

(k) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying groups II through IV petroleum oil as a primary cargo that operates in any inland, nearshore, or offshore area with pre-authorization for dispersant use must identify in their response plan, and ensure availability through contract or other approved means, of response resources capable of conducting dispersant operations within those areas.

(l) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying groups I through IV petroleum oil as a primary cargo must identify in the response plan, and ensure their availability through contract or other approved means, response resources necessary to provide aerial oil tracking to support oil spill assessment and cleanup activities. Vessels operating on inland rivers are not required to comply with this paragraph.

(m) [Reserved]

(n) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying groups I through IV petroleum oil as a primary cargo must identify in the response plan and ensure the availability of, through contract or other approved means, response resources necessary to perform shoreline protection operations.

(o) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying groups I through IV petroleum oil as a primary cargo must identify in the response plan and ensure the availability of, through contract or other approved means, an oil spill removal organization capable of effecting a shoreline cleanup operation commensurate with the quantity of emulsified petroleum oil to be planned for in shoreline cleanup operations.

(p) Appendix B of this part sets out caps that recognize the practical and technical limits of response capabilities for which an individual vessel owner or operator can contract in advance. Table 6 in appendix B lists the contracting caps that are applicable, as of February 18, 1993, and that are slated to apply on February 18, 1998. The owner or operator of a vessel carrying groups I through IV petroleum oil as a primary cargo, whose required daily recovery capacity exceeds the applicable contracting caps in table 6, shall identify commercial sources of additional equipment equal to twice the cap listed for each tier or the amount necessary to reach the calculated planning volume, whichever is lower, to the extent that this equipment is available. The equipment so identified must be capable of arriving on scene no later than the applicable tier response times contained in § 155.1050(g) or as quickly as the nearest available resource permits. A response plan must identify the specific sources, locations, and quantities of this additional equipment. No contract is required.

(q) The Coast Guard will continue to evaluate the environmental benefits, cost efficiency and practicality of increasing mechanical recovery capability requirements. This continuing evaluation is part of the Coast Guard's long term commitment to achieving and maintaining an optimum mix of oil spill response capability across the full spectrum of response modes. As best available technology demonstrates a need to evaluate or change mechanical recovery capacities, a review of cap increases and other requirements contained within this subpart may be performed. Any changes in the requirements of this section will occur through a public notice and comment process. During this review, the Coast Guard will determine if established caps remain practicable and if increased caps will provide any benefit to oil spill recovery operations. The review will include and evaluation of:

(a) Owners and operators of vessels that carry group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo must provide information in their plan that identifies—

(b) Using the criteria in Table 1 of Appendix B of this part, an owner or operator of a vessel carrying group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo must ensure that any equipment identified in a response plan is capable of operating in the conditions expected in the geographic area(s) in which the vessel operates. When evaluating the operability of equipment, the vessel owner or operator must consider limitations that are identified in the Area Contingency Plans for the COTP zones in which the vessel operates, including—

(c) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo must identify in the response plan and ensure, through contract or other approved means, the availability of required equipment, including—

(d) Response resources identified in a response plan under paragraph (c) of this section must be capable of being deployed within 24 hours of discovery of a discharge to the port nearest the area where the vessel is operating. An oil spill removal organization may not be listed in the plan unless the oil spill removal organization has provided written consent to be listed in the plan as an available resource.

(e) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo shall identify in the response plan and ensure the availability of the following resources through contract or other approved means—

(f) Vessel owners or operators must identify intended sources of the resources required under paragraph (e) of this section capable of being deployed to the areas in which the vessel will operate. A company may not be listed in the plan unless the company has provided written consent to be listed in the plan as an available resource. To meet this requirement in a response plan submitted for approval or reapproval on or after February 18, 1998, the vessel owner or operator must identify both the intended sources of this capability and demonstrate that the resources are capable of being deployed to the port nearest to the area where the vessel operates within 24 hours of discovery of a discharge.

(g) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying group V petroleum oil as a primary cargo shall identify in the response plan and ensure the availability of certain resources required by §§ 155.1035(c)(5)(ii) and 155.1040(c)(5)(i), as applicable, through contract or other approved means.

(a) A response plan submitted to meet the requirements of § 155.1035 or § 155.5035 must identify the training to be provided to persons having responsibilities under the plan, including members of the vessel crew, the qualified individual, and the spill management team. A response plan submitted to meet the requirements of § 155.1040 must identify the training to be provided to the spill management team, the qualified individual, and other personnel in § 155.1040 with specific responsibilities under the plan including tankermen and members of the towing vessel crew. The training program must differentiate between that training provided to vessel personnel and that training provided to shore-based personnel. Appendix C of this part provides additional guidance regarding training.

(b) A vessel owner or operator shall ensure the maintenance of records sufficient to document this training and make them available for inspection upon request by the Coast Guard. Records must be maintained for 3 years following completion of training. The response plan must identify the location of training records, which must be—

(c) A vessel owner or operator may identify equivalent work experience which fulfills specific training requirements.

(d) The vessel owner or operator shall ensure that any oil spill removal organization identified in a response plan to meet the requirements of this part maintains records sufficient to document training for the organization's personnel. These records must be available for inspection upon request by the Coast Guard. Records must be maintained for 3 years following completion of training.

(e) Nothing in this section relieves the vessel owner or operator from the responsibility to ensure that all private shore-based response personnel are trained to meet the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for emergency response operations in 29 CFR 1910.120.

(f) A training plan may be prepared in accordance with Training Elements for Oil Spill Response to satisfy the requirements of this section.

(a) A vessel owner or operator required by § 155.1035, § 155.1040, or § 155.5035 to have a response plan shall conduct exercise as necessary to ensure that the plan will function in an emergency. Both announced and unannounced exercises must be included. The following are the minimum exercise requirements for vessels covered by this subpart:

(b) Annually, at least one of the exercises listed in § 155.1060(a) (2) and (4) must be unannounced. An unannounced exercise is one in which the personnel participating in the exercise have not been advised in advance of the exact date, time, and scenario of the exercise.

(c) A vessel owner or operator shall participate in unannounced exercises, as directed by the Coast Guard COTP. The objectives of the unannounced exercises will be to evaluate notifications and equipment deployment for responses to average most probable discharge spill scenarios outlined in vessel response plans. The unannounced exercises will be limited to four per area per year, an area being that geographic area for which a separate and distinct Area Contingency Plan has been prepared, as described in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. After participating in an unannounced exercise directed by a COTP, the owner or operator will not be required to participate in another unannounced exercise for at least 3 years from the date of the exercise.

(d) A vessel owner or operator shall participate in area exercises as directed by the applicable on-scene coordinator. The area exercises will involve equipment deployment to respond to the spill scenario developed by the exercise design team, of which the vessel owner or operator will be a member. After participating in an area exercise, a vessel owner or operator will not be required to participate in another area exercise for at least 6 years.

(e) The vessel owner or operator shall ensure that adequate exercise records are maintained. The following records are required:

(f) Records described in paragraph (e) of this section must be maintained and available to the Coast Guard for 3 years following completion of the exercises.

(g) The response plan submitted to meet the requirements of this subpart must specify the planned exercise program. The plan shall detail the exercise program, including the types of exercises, frequencies, scopes, objectives, and the scheme for exercising the entire response plan every 3 years.

(h) Compliance with the National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) Guidelines will satisfy the vessel response plan exercise requirements. These guidelines are available from the TASC DEPT Warehouse, 33141Q 75th Avenue, Landover, MD 20875 (fax: 301-386-5394, stock number USCG-X0241). Compliance with an alternative program that meets the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section and has been approved under § 155.1065 will also satisfy the vessel response plan exercise requirements.

(a) The owner or operator of a vessel required to submit a response plan under this part must ensure that—

(b) For equipment which must be inspected and maintained under this section the Coast Guard may—

(c) This section does not apply to containment booms, skimmers, vessels, and other major equipment listed or referenced in the plan and ensured available through the written consent of an oil spill removal organization, as described in the definition of “contract or other approved means” at § 155.1020.

(a) An owner or operator of a vessel to which this subpart applies shall submit one complete English language copy of a vessel response plan to Commandant electronically by using the Vessel Response Plan Electronic Submission Tool available at http://homeport.uscg.mil/vrpexpress or by mail to Commandant (CG-MER), Attn: Vessel Response Plans, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7501, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20593-7501 or vrp@uscg.mil. The plan must be submitted at least 60 days before the vessel intends to handle, store, transport, transfer, or lighter oil in areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

(b) The owner or operator shall include a statement certifying that the plan meets the applicable requirements of subparts D, E, F, G, and J of this part and shall include a statement indicating whether the vessel(s) covered by the plan are manned vessels carrying oil as a primary cargo, unmanned vessels carrying oil as a primary cargo, or vessels carrying oil as a secondary cargo. For plans submitted in paper format, CG Form “Application for Approval/Revision of Vessel Pollution Response Plans” (CG-6083) located at: http://www.uscg.mil/forms/CG/CG_6083.pdf meets the requirement for a vessel response plan certification statement as required by this paragraph.

(c) If the Coast Guard determines that the plan meets all requirements of this subpart, the Coast Guard will notify the vessel owner or operator with an approval letter. The plan will be valid for a period of up to 5 years from the date of approval.

(d) If the Coast Guard reviews the plan and determines that it does not meet all of the requirements, the Coast Guard will notify the vessel owner or operator of the response plan's deficiencies. The vessel owner or operator must then resubmit the revised plan, or corrected portions of the plan, within the time period specified in the written notice provided by the Coast Guard.

(e) For those vessels temporarily authorized under § 155.1025 to operate without an approved plan pending formal Coast Guard approval, the deficiency provisions of § 155.1070(c), (d), and (e) will also apply.

(f) When the owner or operator of a vessel believes that national planning criteria contained elsewhere in this part are inappropriate to the vessel for the areas in which it is intended to operate, the owner or operator may request acceptance of alternative planning criteria by the Coast Guard. Submission of a request must be made 90 days before the vessel intends to operate under the proposed alternative and must be forwarded to the COTP for the geographic area(s) affected.

(g) An owner or operator of a United States flag vessel may meet the response plan requirements of Regulation 37 of MARPOL 73/78 and subparts D, E, F, and G of this part by stating in writing, according to the provisions of § 155.1030(j), that the plan submitted is intended to address the requirements of both Regulation 37 of MARPOL 73/78 and the requirements of subparts D, E, F, and G of this part.

(h) Within 21 days of notification that a plan is not approved, the vessel owner or operator may appeal that determination to the Director of Incident Management and Preparedness Policy (CG-5RI). This appeal must be submitted in writing to Commandant (CG-5RI), Attn: Director of Incident Management and Preparedness Policy, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7516, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20593-7516.

(a) A vessel response plan must be reviewed annually by the owner or operator.

(b) The vessel owner or operator subject to subparts D, E, F, G, or J of this part must resubmit the entire plan to the Coast Guard for approval—

(c) Revisions or amendments to an approved response plan must be submitted for approval by the vessel's owner or operator whenever there is—

(d) Thirty days in advance of operation, the vessel owner or operator must submit any revision or amendments identified in paragraph (c) of this section. The certification required in § 155.1065(b) or § 155.5065(b) must be submitted along with the revisions or amendments.

(e) The Coast Guard may require a vessel owner or operator to revise a response plan at any time if it is determined that the response plan does not meet the requirements of this subpart. The Coast Guard will notify the vessel owner or operator in writing of any deficiencies and any operating restrictions. Deficiencies must be corrected and submitted for acceptance within the time period specified in the written notice provided by the Coast Guard or the plan will be declared invalid and any further storage, transfer, handling, transporting or lightering of oil in areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States will be in violation of section 311(j)(5)(E) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) (33 U.S.C. 1321(j)(5)(E)).

(f) A vessel owner or operator who disagrees with a deficiency determination may submit a petition for reconsideration to Commandant (CG-MER), Attn: Vessel Response Plans, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7516, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20593-7516 or vrp@uscg.mil within the time period required for compliance or within 7 days from the date of receipt of the Coast Guard notice of a deficiency determination, whichever is less. After considering all relevant material presented, the Coast Guard will notify the vessel owner or operator of the final decision.

(g) Within 21 days of notification that a plan is not approved, the vessel owner or operator may appeal that determination to the Director of Incident Management and Preparedness Policy (CG-5RI). This appeal must be submitted in writing to Commandant (CG-5RI), Attn: Director of Incident Management and Preparedness Policy, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7516, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20593-7516.

(h) Except as required in paragraph (c) of this section, amendments to personnel and telephone number lists included in the response plan do not require prior Coast Guard approval.

(i) The Coast Guard and all other holders of the response plan shall be advised of any revisions to personnel and telephone numbers and provided a copy of these revisions as they occur.

(a) This subpart establishes oil spill response planning requirements for an owner or operator of a tanker loading cargo at a facility permitted under the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act (TAPAA) (43 U.S.C. 1651 et seq.) in Prince William Sound, Alaska, in addition to the requirements of subpart D of this part. The requirements of this subpart are intended for use in developing response plans and identifying response resources during the planning process, they are not performance standards.

(b) The information required in this subpart must be included in a Prince William Sound geographic-specific appendix to the vessel response plan required by subpart D of this part.

Prince William Sound means all State and Federal waters within Prince William Sound, Alaska, including the approach to Hinchinbrook Entrance out to and encompassing Seal Rock.

(a) The owner or operator of a tanker subject to this subpart shall include the requirements of this section in the Prince William Sound geographic-specific appendix required by subpart D of this part.

(b) The owner or operator shall submit to the COTP for approval, no later than September 30th of each calendar year, a schedule for the training and exercises required by the geographic-specific appendix for Prince William Sound for the following calendar year.

(c) All records required by this section must be available for inspection by the Coast Guard and must be maintained for a period of 3 years.

(a) On-water recovery equipment with a minimum effective daily recovery capacity of 30,000 barrels, capable of being on scene within 6 hours of notification of a discharge.

(b) On-water storage capacity of 100,000 barrels, capable of being on scene within 6 hours of notification of a discharge.

(c) Additional on-water recovery equipment with a minimum effective daily recovery capacity of 40,000 barrels capable of being on scene within 18 hours of notification of a discharge.

(d) On-water storage capacity of 300,000 barrels for recovered oily material, capable of being on scene within 24 hours of notification of a discharge.

(e) On-water oil recovery devices and storage equipment located in communities and at strategic locations.

(f) For sufficient protection of the environment in the locations identified in § 155.1125(a)(1)(ii)—

(g) For each oil-laden tanker, an escorting response vessel which is fitted with skimming and on board storage capabilities practicable for the initial oil recovery planned for a cleanup operation, as identified by the oil spill removal organization.

(h) Lightering resources required in subpart I of this part capable of arriving on scene within 6 hours of notification of a discharge.

(a) Owners and operators of vessels that carry animal fats or vegetable oils as a primary cargo must provide information in their plan that identifies—

(b) An owner or operator of a vessel carrying animal fats or vegetable oils as a primary cargo must ensure that any equipment identified in a response plan is capable of operating in the conditions expected in the geographic area(s) in which the vessel operates using the criteria in Table 1 of Appendix B of this part. When evaluating the operability of equipment, the vessel owner or operator must consider limitations that are identified in the Area Contingency Plans for the COTP zones in which the vessel operates, including—

(c) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying animal fats or vegetable oils as a primary cargo must identify in the response plan and ensure, through contract or other approved means, the availability of required equipment including—

(d) Response resources identified in a response plan under paragraph (c) of this section must be capable of arriving on-scene within the applicable Tier 1 response times specified in this paragraph. An oil spill removal organization may not be listed in the plan unless the organization has provided written consent to be listed in the plan as an available resource. Response times from the time of discovery of a discharge are as follows:

(e) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying animal fats or vegetable oils as a primary cargo must identify in the response plan and ensure the availability of the following resources through contract or other approved means:

(f) Vessel owners or operators must identify intended sources of the resources required under paragraph (e) of this section capable of being deployed to the areas in which the vessel will operate. A company may not be listed in the plan unless the company has provided written consent to be listed in the plan as an available resource. To meet this requirement in a response plan submitted for approval or reapproval on or after February 18, 1998, the vessel owner or operator must identify both the intended sources of this capability and demonstrate that the resources are capable of being deployed to the port nearest to the area where the vessel operates within 24 hours of discovery of a discharge.

(g) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying animal fats or vegetable oils as a primary cargo must identify in the response plan, and ensure the availability of, through contract or other approved means, certain resources required by subpart D, § 155.1035(c)(5)(ii) and § 155.1040(c)(5)(i), as applicable.

(h) The response plan for a vessel that is located in any environment with year-round preapproval for use of dispersants suitable for animal fats and vegetable oils and that handles, stores, or transports animal fats or vegetable oils may request a credit for up to 25 percent of the worst case planning volume set forth by subpart D of this part. To receive this credit, the vessel owner or operator must identify in the plan and ensure, by contract or other approved means, the availability of specified resources to apply the dispersants and to monitor their effectiveness. To extent of the credit will be based on the volumes of the dispersant available to sustain operations at the manufacturers' recommended dosage rates. Other spill mitigation techniques, including mechanical dispersal, may be identified in the response plan, provided they are in accordance with the NCP and the applicable ACP. Resources identified for plan credit should be capable of being on scene within 12 hours of a discovery of a discharge. Identification of these resources does not imply that they will be authorized for use. Actual authorization for use during the spill response will be governed by the provisions of the NCP and the applicable ACP.

(a) Owners and operators of vessels that carry other non-petroleum oil as a primary cargo must provide information in their plan that identifies—

(b) An owner or operator of a vessel carrying other non-petroleum oil as a primary cargo must ensure that any equipment identified in a response plan is capable of operating in the conditions expected in the geographic area(s) in which the vessel operates using the criteria in Table 1 of Appendix B of this part. When evaluating the operability of equipment, the vessel owner or operator must consider limitations that are identified in the Area Contingency Plans for the COTP zones in which the vessel operates, including—

(c) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying other non-petroleum oil as a primary cargo must identify in the response plan and ensure, through contract or other approved means, the availability of required equipment including—

(d) Response resources identified in a response plan under paragraph (c) of this section must be capable of arriving on-scene within the applicable Tier 1 response times specified in this paragraph. An oil spill removal organization may not be listed in the plan unless the organization has provided written consent to be listed in the plan as an available resource. Response times from the time of discovery of a discharge are as follow:

(e) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying other non-petroleum oil as a primary cargo must identify in the response plan and ensure the availability of the following resources through contract or other approved means:

(f) Vessel owners or operators must identify intended sources of the resources required under paragraph (e) of this section capable of being deployed to the areas in which the vessel will operate. A company may not be listed in the plan unless the company has provided written consent to be listed in the plan as an available resource. To meet this requirement in a response plan submitted for approval or reapproval on or after February 18, 1998, the vessel owner or operator must identify both the intended sources of this capability and demonstrate that the resources are capable of being deployed to the port nearest to the area where the vessel operates within 24 hours of discovery of a discharge.

(g) The owner or operator of a vessel carrying other non-petroleum oil as a primary cargo must identify in the response plan, and ensure the availability of, through contract or other approved means, certain resources required by subpart D of this part, § 155.1035(c)(5)(ii) and § 155.1040(c)(5)(i) of this part, as applicable.

(h) The response plan for a vessel that is located in any environment with year-round preapproval for use of dispersants and that handles, stores, or transports other non-petroleum oils may request a credit for up to 25 percent of the worst case planning volume set forth by subpart D of this part. To receive this credit, the vessel owner or operator must identify in the plan and ensure, by contract or other approved means, the availability of specified resources to apply the dispersants and to monitor their effectiveness. The extent of the credit will be based on the volumes of the dispersant available to sustain operations at the manufacturers' recommended dosage rates. Identification of these resources does not imply that they will be authorized for use. Actual authorization for use during a spill response will be governed by the provisions of the NCP and the applicable ACP.

(a) The purpose of this subpart is to establish vessel response plan salvage and marine firefighting requirements for vessels, that are carrying group I-IV oils, and that are required by §§ 155.1015 and 155.5015 to have a vessel response plan.

(b) Salvage and marine firefighting actions can save lives and property, and prevent the escalation of potential oil spills to worst case discharge scenarios.

(c) A planholder must ensure by contract or other approved means that response resources are available to respond. However, the response criteria specified in the regulations (e.g., quantities of response resources and their arrival times) are planning criteria, not performance standards, and are based on assumptions that may not exist during an actual incident, as stated in 33 CFR 155.1010. Compliance with the regulations is based upon whether a covered response plan ensures that adequate response resources are available, not on whether the actual performance of those response resources after an incident meets specified arrival times or other planning criteria. Failure to meet specified criteria during an actual spill response does not necessarily mean that the planning requirements of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) (33 U.S.C. 1251-1376) and regulations were not met. The Coast Guard will exercise its enforcement discretion in light of all facts and circumstances.

(a)

(b) If § 155.5015 requires that you have a vessel response plan, you must have your vessel response plan submitted to the Coast Guard by January 30, 2014.

Assessment of structural stability means completion of a vessel's stability and structural integrity assessment through the use of a salvage software program. The data used for the calculations would include information collected by the on-scene salvage professional. The assessment is intended to allow sound decisions to be made for subsequent salvage efforts. In addition, the assessment must be consistent with the conditions set forth in 33 CFR 155.240 and 155.245, as applicable.

Boundary lines are lines drawn following the general trend of the seaward, highwater shorelines and lines continuing the general trend of the seaward, highwater shorelines across entrances to small bays, inlets and rivers as defined in 46 CFR 7.5(c).

Captain of the Port (COTP) city means the city which is the geographical location of the COTP office. COTP city locations are listed in 33 CFR part 3.

Continental United States (CONUS) means the contiguous 48 States and the District of Columbia.

Contract or other approved means is any one of the following:

Diving services support means divers and their equipment to support salvage operations. This support may include, but not be limited to, underwater repairs, welding, placing lifting slings, or performing damage assessments.

Emergency lightering is the process of transferring oil between two ships or other floating or land-based receptacles in an emergency situation and may require pumping equipment, transfer hoses, fenders, portable barges, shore based portable tanks, or other equipment that circumstances may dictate.

Emergency towing, also referred to as rescue towing, means the use of towing vessels that can pull, push or make-up alongside a vessel. This is to ensure that a vessel can be stabilized, controlled or removed from a grounded position. Towing vessels must have the proper horsepower or bollard pull compatible with the size and tonnage of the vessel to be assisted.

External emergency transfer operations means the use of external pumping equipment placed on board a vessel to move oil from one tank to another, when the vessel's own transfer equipment is not working.

External firefighting teams means trained firefighting personnel, aside from the crew, with the capability of boarding and combating a fire on a vessel.

External vessel firefighting systems mean firefighting resources (personnel and equipment) that are capable of combating a fire from other than on board the vessel. These resources include, but are not limited to, fire tugs, portable fire pumps, airplanes, helicopters, or shore side fire trucks.

Funding agreement is a written agreement between a resource provider and a planholder that identifies agreed upon rates for specific equipment and services to be made available by the resource provider under the agreement. The funding agreement is to ensure that salvage and marine firefighting responses are not delayed due to funding negotiations. This agreement must be part of the contract or other approved means and must be submitted for review along with the VRP.

Great Lakes means Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, their connecting and tributary waters, the Saint Lawrence River as far as Saint Regis, and adjacent port areas.

Heavy lift means the use of a salvage crane, A-frames, hydraulic jacks, winches, or other equipment for lifting, righting, or stabilizing a vessel.

Inland area means the area shoreward of the boundary lines defined in 46 CFR part 7, except that in the Gulf of Mexico, it means the area shoreward of the lines of demarcation (COLREG lines) as defined in §§ 80.740 through 80.850 of this chapter. The inland area does not include the Great Lakes.

Making temporary repairs means action to temporarily repair a vessel to enable it to safely move to a shipyard or other location for permanent repairs. These services include, but are not limited to, shoring, patching, drill stopping, or structural reinforcement.

Marine firefighting means any firefighting related act undertaken to assist a vessel with a potential or actual fire, to prevent loss of life, damage or destruction of the vessel, or damage to the marine environment.

Marine firefighting pre-fire plan means a plan that outlines the responsibilities and actions during a marine fire incident. The principle purpose is to explain the resource provider's role, and the support which can be provided, during marine firefighting incidents. Policies, responsibilities and procedures for coordination of on-scene forces are provided in the plan. It should be designed for use in conjunction with other state, regional and local contingency and resource mobilization plans.

Nearshore area means the area extending seaward 12 miles from the boundary lines defined in 46 CFR part 7, except in the Gulf of Mexico. In the Gulf of Mexico, a nearshore area is one extending seaward 12 miles from the line of demarcation (COLREG lines) as defined in §§ 80.740 through 80.850 of this chapter.

Offshore area means the area up to 38 nautical miles seaward of the outer boundary of the nearshore area.

On-site fire assessment means that a marine firefighting professional is on scene, at a safe distance from the vessel or on the vessel, who can determine the steps needed to control and extinguish a marine fire in accordance with a vessel's stability and structural integrity assessment if necessary.

On-site salvage assessment means that a salvage professional is on scene, at a safe distance from the vessel or on the vessel, who has the ability to assess the vessel's stability and structural integrity. The data collected during this assessment will be used in the salvage software calculations and to determine necessary steps to salve the vessel.

Other refloating methods means those techniques for refloating a vessel aside from using pumps. These services include, but are not limited to, the use of pontoons, air bags or compressed air.

Outside continental United States (OCONUS) means Alaska, Hawaii, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and any other territory or possession of the United States.

Primary resource provider means a resource provider listed in the vessel response plan as the principal entity contracted for providing specific salvage and/or marine firefighting services and resources, when multiple resource providers are listed for that service, for each of the COTP zones in which a vessel operates. The primary resource provider will be the point of contact for the planholder, the Federal On Scene Coordinator (FOSC) and the Unified Command, in matters related to specific resources and services, as required in § 155.4030(a).

Remote assessment and consultation means contacting the salvage and/or marine firefighting resource providers, by phone or other means of communications to discuss and assess the situation. The person contacted must be competent to consult on a determination of the appropriate course of action and initiation of a response plan.

Resource provider means an entity that provides personnel, equipment, supplies, and other capabilities necessary to perform salvage and/or marine firefighting services identified in the response plan, and has been arranged by contract or other approved means. The resource provider must be selected in accordance with § 155.4050. For marine firefighting services, resource providers can include public firefighting resources as long as they are able, in accordance with the requirements of § 155.4045(d), and willing to provide the services needed.

Salvage means any act undertaken to assist a vessel in potential or actual danger, to prevent loss of life, damage or destruction of the vessel and release of its contents into the marine environment.

Salvage plan means a plan developed to guide salvage operations except those identified as specialized salvage operations.

Special salvage operations plan means a salvage plan developed to carry out a specialized salvage operation, including heavy lift and/or subsurface product removal.

Subsurface product removal means the safe removal of oil from a vessel that has sunk or is partially submerged underwater. These actions can include pumping or other means to transfer the oil to a storage device.

Underwater vessel and bottom survey means having salvage resources on scene that can perform examination and analysis of the vessel's hull and equipment below the water surface. These resources also include the ability to determine the bottom configuration and type for the body of water. This service can be accomplished through the use of equipment such as sonar, magnetometers, remotely operated vehicles or divers. When divers are used to perform these services, the time requirements for this service apply and not those of diving services support.

(a) You must identify, in the geographical-specific appendices of your VRP, the salvage and marine firefighting services listed in Table 155.4030(b)—Salvage and Marine Firefighting Services and Response Timeframes. Additionally, you must list those resource providers that you have contracted to provide these services. You may list multiple resource providers for each service, but you must identify which one is your primary resource provider for each Captain of the Port (COTP) zone in which you operate. A method of contact, consistent with the requirements in §§ 155.1035(e)(6)(ii), 155.1040(e)(5)(ii), and 155.5035(e)(6)(ii) must also be listed, in the geographical-specific appendices of your VRP, adjacent to the name of the resource provider.

(b) Table 155.4030(b) lists the required salvage and marine firefighting services and response timeframes.

(c) Integration into the response organization. You must ensure that all salvage and marine firefighting resource providers are integrated into the response organizations listed in your plans. The response organization must be consistent with the requirements set forth in §§ 155.1035(d), 155.1040(d), 155.1045(d), and 155.5035(d).

(d) Coordination with other response resource providers, response organizations and OSROs. Your plan must include provisions on how the salvage and marine firefighting resource providers will coordinate with other response resources, response organizations, and OSROs. For example, you will need to identify how salvage and marine firefighting assessment personnel will coordinate response activity with oil spill removal organizations. For services that, by law, require public assistance, there must be clear guidelines on how service providers will interact with those organizations. The information contained in the response plan must be consistent with applicable Area Contingency Plans (ACPs) and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan as found in §§ 155.1030(h) and 155.5030(f).

(e) Ensuring the proper emergency towing vessels are listed in your VRP. Your VRP must identify towing vessels with the proper characteristics, horsepower, and bollard pull to tow your vessel(s). These towing vessels must be capable of operating in environments where the winds are up to 40 knots.

(f) Ensuring the proper type and amount of transfer equipment is listed in your VRP. Your salvage resource provider must be able to bring on scene a pumping capability that can offload the vessel's largest cargo or fuel tank, whichever is greater, in 24 hours of continuous operation. This is required for both emergency transfer and lightering operations.

(g) Ensuring firefighting equipment is compatible with your vessel. Your plan must list the proper type and amount of extinguishing agent needed to combat an oil fire involving your vessel's cargo fuel, other contents, and superstructure. If your primary extinguishing agent is foam or water, you must identify resources in your plan that are able to pump, for a minimum of 20 minutes, at least 0.016 gallons per minute per square foot of the deck area of your vessel, or an appropriate rate for spaces that this rate is not suitable for and if needed, an adequate source of foam. These resources described are to be supplied by the resource provider, external to the vessel's own firefighting system.

(h) Ensuring the proper subsurface product removal. You must have subsurface product removal capability if your vessel(s) operates in waters of 40 feet or more. Your resource provider must have the capability of removing bulk liquid cargo and fuel from your sunken vessel to a depth equal to the maximum your vessel operates in up to 150 feet.

(a) Use of resource providers not listed in the VRP. If another resource provider, not listed in the approved plan for the specific service required, is to be contracted for a specific response, justification for the selection of that resource provider needs to be provided to, and approved by, the FOSC. Only under exceptional circumstances will the FOSC authorize deviation from the resource provider listed in the approved vessel response plan in instances where that would best affect a more successful response.

(b) Worker health and safety. Your resource providers must have the capability to implement the necessary engineering, administrative, and personal protective equipment controls to safeguard their workers when providing salvage and marine firefighting services, as found in 33 CFR 155.1055(e) and 29 CFR 1910.120(q).

(a) You must provide the information listed in §§ 155.1035(c), 155.1040(c), and 155.5035(c) to your salvage and marine firefighting resource providers.

(b) Marine firefighting pre-fire plan.

(a) You must ensure, by contract or other approved means, that your resource provider(s) is capable of providing the services within the required timeframes.

(b) The timeframe starts when anyone in your response organization receives notification of a potential or actual incident. It ends when the service reaches the ship, the outer limit of the nearshore area, the outer limit of the offshore area, the 12 or 50-mile point from the COTP city, or a point identified in your response plan for areas OCONUS.

(c) Table 155.4040(c) provides additional amplifying information for vessels transiting within the nearshore and offshore areas of CONUS or within 50 miles of an OCONUS COTP city.

(d) How to apply the timeframes to your particular situation. To apply the timeframes to your vessel's situation, follow these procedures:

(a) You may only list resource providers in your plan that have been arranged by contract or other approved means.

(b) You must obtain written consent from the resource provider stating that they agree to be listed in your plan. This consent must state that the resource provider agrees to provide the services that are listed in §§ 155.4030(a) through 155.4030(h), and that these services are capable of arriving within the response times listed in Table 155.4030(b). This consent may be included in the contract with the resource provider or in a separate document.

(c) This written consent must be available to the Coast Guard for inspection. The response plan must identify the location of this written consent, which must be: