Contact Us. Federal facility activities subject to OPA requirements include: Storing or handling petroleum, fuel oil, sludge oil, and oil mixed with waste Transferring oil by using motor vehicles or rolling stocks; Supporting maritime vessel activities or other water-related activities where fuels are used.
Criminal Enforcement Individual employees of federal facilities may have criminal sanctions brought against them for violations of OPA. Citizen Enforcement OPA contains no citizen enforcement provisions. Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
The Oil Pollution Act amended the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and outlines how companies are required to prevent, respond to, and pay for oil spills. Prior to the Oil Pollution Act, the average discharge from tankers carrying oil in U. The Oil Pollution Act placed additional restrictions on companies that ship oil in the United States.
A ship or facility carrying oil must provide documentation showing how they plan on preventing an oil spill. Additionally, the party must have a comprehensive emergency response plan on board or on site that details how a spill will be cleaned up if it does occur. Documentation needs to be approved by the U. Coast Guard before a vessel can embark on its route or a facility can handle the movement of oil. OPA also mandated a double hull requirement for U. The act created a phase-out schedule for existing tankers; single hull tankers began being phased out in Additionally, OPA established the U.
Coast Guard as the group responsible for enforcing the act. The Coast Guard is supposed to consistently enforce the law, encourage related businesses and communities to comply with OPA, use resources effectively that will help with the enforcement of OPA, and must train their personnel on the best ways to handle all OPA-related queries and situations.
The fund was created to compensate the victims of oil spills and is managed by the federal government. Federal, state, tribal, and claimant oil spill removals and damage assessments could qualify for use of the fund.
OPA was created to lay out penalties for companies responsible for oil spills, as well as to establish more detailed guidelines on what needs to be done if a spill occurs. These actions are supposed to help reduce the number of oil spills, and if they do occur, companies have clear rules to follow to help minimize the impact of the spill. Like most laws, OPA has been amended over time to reflect modern day best practices.
OPA is just one of the many statutes and regulations relevant to oil spills, which is why vessel pollution insurance, and choosing the right partner as your underwriter, is a crucial decision. You should not base your decision solely on longevity of the company, but on who has the resources and expertise needed to act quickly and minimize any resulting damages if a spill does occur. A best-in-class insurance policy will aim to lessen your liability and the related costs of the accident while minimizing damage.
Texas 1. Tank vessels and non tank vessels must register online with the Texas General Land Office Database prior to operating in Texas State waters. Washington 1. Vessels over gross tons operating in Washington state waters carrying oil as fuel or cargo must have an approved Washington State Oil Spill Contingency Plan.
This enrollment also provides the required oil spill removal organization coverage through the cooperative as well. Coverage by WSMC is arranged on a per-voyage basis, normally by the vessel's local agent upon appointment. There is a fee attached to the coverage by WSMC. The vessel will also be provided with a video and a placard. The placard must be posted on the Bridge. It is recommended that the video be shown to the crew. Washington State Ballast Water Management Requirements: In addition to complying with the federal BWM requirements, vessels are required to file a ballast water management report 24 hours prior to discharging ballast in state waters.
There are 31 points that must be incorporated into your ISM Manuals to participate in this program. Louisiana 1. Pollution Prevention Every oil tanker of tons gross tonnage or more and every other ship of tons gross tonnage or more that carries oil as fuel or cargo shall: 1.
Oil Record Book Part I for all vessels ; 3. Certificate of Compliance where the Pollution Convention does not apply Ships in waters south of the sixtieth parallel of north latitude must: 6. Ships in waters north of the sixtieth parallel of north latitude must: 8. Panama Canal requirements 1. The amended regulations in Advisory to Shipping No.
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