Summary Notes, Oil Spil R&D Workgroup Conference Call
December 18, 2012
(pdf, 143k)

Summary Notes, Oil Spill R&D Workgroup Conference Call
December 5, 2011 (pdf, 537k)

Summary Notes, Oil Spill R&D Workgroup Conference Call
December 14th, 2010
(zipped docx file, 436k)

Summary Notes, Oil Spill R&D Workgroup Conference Call
December 16th, 2009
(pdf, 272k)

2009 Facility And Vessel C-Plan Table
This updated table compares the contingency planning requirements for facilities and vessels of our member agencies as well as US and Canadian federal agencies.
(pdf, 840k)

Planning for Volunteer Management
These volunteer management planning guidelines have been developed by a Work Group sponsored by the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force for the benefit of Area Committees endeavoring to develop Convergent Volunteer Management Plans. They are not intended to be used as a template, since statutes and regulations governing volunteer management vary among states or provinces. Instead, they should serve as guidelines for topics/issues/strategies to consider as the Convergent Volunteer Management component of an Area Plan is developed.
(pdf, 440k)

Five-Year Implementation Status Review of the West Coast Offshore Vessel Trafic Risk Management Project Recommendation
A thorough review and analysis of the status of implementation of the 2002 recommendations made by the West Coast Offshore Vessel Trafic Risk Management Project workgroup has generated new recommendations to reduce the risk of oil spills from coastwise vessel traffic.
(pdf, 692k)

Summary Notes - Roundtable 2006
Expanding Response Options
A Roundtable Discussion Sponsored by the
Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force
To explore Low-Visibility & Night-time Oil Spill Response Operations
April 11, 2006
San Rafael, California
(pdf file, 98kb...)

Pipeline Definitions
The Task Force is compiling information on regulations applying to pipeline oil spill prevention as well as pipeline oil spill preparedness and response. In the first phase, we collected information on the DEFINITIONS used by various state, provincial, and federal agencies to govern pipelines.
(pdf file, 110kb...)

Summary Notes from the Roundtable on Spills from Trucks
Summary notes of the March, 2005 Roundtable on Spills from Trucks include photos, speaker presentations, and comments from Roundtable participants.
(pdf file, , 10 MB... very large!)
Based on this Roundtable, Task Force member agencies have compiled Recommendations for State/Provincial Actions which can improve truck spill prevention, preparedness, and response.
(pdf file, , 44kb)

West Coast Oil Transfer Regulations Table
A compilation of West Coast and US Coast Guard oil transfer regulations.
(pdf file, 129)

Summary Notes of the Cruise Ship Roundtable
Summary Notes - On Board with Cruise Ship Pollution Prevention - A Public Roundtable Discussion sponsored by the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force, January 21 2004, San Diego California (pdf file, 882k)

Summary Notes, Places Of Refuge Workshop
For Pacific Area Contingency Planners
February 6, 2007
(pdf, 164k)

Area Plan Annex for Places of Refuge
(pdf file, 87k)

Places of Refuge Final Report, January 2005:
Executive Summary: After the T/V Prestige incident off the coast of Spain in late 2002, the Members of the Pacific States/BC Oil Spill Task Force recognized the possibility that a Place of Refuge incident could happen on the US/Canadian West Coast as well...
(pdf file, 224k)

Places of Refuge Project Charter:
Project Charter drafted by the Workgroup and signed by the Co-Chairs
(pdf file, 96k)

Places of Refuge Roundtable Discussion
July 23 2003

Recommended Contingency Plan Elements
The Task Force has adopted this list of "essential elements" of any contingency plan. These elements are organized under the headings of Planning Procedures, Plan Contents, Response Planning Standards, and Prevention Plans.
(pdf file, 212k)

West Coast Oil Spill Financial Responsibility Requirements
This table describes current Certificate of Financial Responsibility requirements for vessels, tank barges, and facilities as set by the Task Force member agencies.
read entire article  (pdf file, 64k)

Best Industry Practices for Vessels and Tank Barges  (2003)
Operators of large commercial vessels and tank barges agreed to rank a set of "best industry practices" on the basis of which practices they considered most effective in preventing oil spills for both large vessels and tank barges. This report outlines the results. The Task Force will now focus this project on promoting dialogue on these practices across a broad range of maritime operators on the West Coast.
(pdf file, 120k)

2002 West Coast Offshore Vessel Traffic Risk Management Project  (2002)
The West Coast Offshore Vessel Traffic Risk Management (WCOVTRM) Project was initiated by the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force in response to concerns that both tank and non-tank vessels transiting the Pacific Coast could pose a risk to sensitive coastal resources from oil or hazardous cargo spills caused by collisions or drift groundings.

Oil Spill Research & Development Projects  (2002)
Oil Spill Research and Development Projects Recommended by the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force February, 2002.
(pdf file, 120k)

How NRDA Really Works: Industry and Trustee Perspectives  (2002)
This Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Roundtable was sponsored by the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force, in February of 2002 and moderated by Roger Helm, Chief, NRDA & Spill Response, USFW Region 1. Linda Burlington, Senior Counselor for Damage Assessment at NOAA provided the keynote address. Trustee/industry panels discussed injury assessment and damage determination, plus settlements and restoration.
(pdf file, 448k)

Project Summary Report on the Oil Spill Field Operations Guide (FOG) Update Project  (2000)
Following the 1998 Spill of National Significance (SONS) drill in Valdez, Alaska, the States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force facilitated a national effort focused on updating the 1996 Oil Spill Field Operations Guide (FOG). The FOG Update Project Workgroup included state representatives, the US Coast Guard, Minerals Management Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and EPA. Numerous oil industry representatives, contractors, and transporters also participated. The Workgroup produced this report and a revised Oil Spill FOG in 2000.
(pdf file, 508k)

Oil Spill Response Readiness Roundtable  (2000)
Two panels of experts focused on Spill Response Equipment Inventories and Response Equipment Mobility. Key points from the Roundtable discussion are presented here.
(pdf file, 340k)

Pipeline Spill Prevention Project  (1999)
The project report includes matrices outlining regulatory gaps and redundancies between state and federal authorities governing spill prevention during construction, operation, and maintenance of both inter- and intra-state petroleum product pipelines in the Task Force jurisdictions. The Project Report also recommends guidelines for interagency coordination efforts.
(pdf file, 3.9m)

Integrated Vessel Response Plan Project  (1997)
The Integrated Vessel Response Planning Project was proposed by representatives of the oil shipping industry to the States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force in June of 1996. The Task Force Members agreed to participate and adopted the project as Spill Preparedness and Response Task #1 in their 1996/97 workplan. The project workgroup included industry representatives, representatives of the Task Force member agencies, and representatives of the US Coast Guard. In October of 1997 the Workgroup adopted a voluntary Integrated Vessel Response Plan (IVRP) format based on the key elements of the US Coast Guard Vessel Response Plan. This format allows correlation with state planning requirements as well as the Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP) required by the Canadian Coast Guard.
(pdf file, 276k)

Integrated Vessel Response Plan Format Guidelines for Tank Vessels  (updated 2004)
This Integrated Format is provided as a voluntary option. Use of this guidance matrix does not relieve a plan holder from ensuring that all agency requirements are complied with in developing an oil spill contingency plan. It is important that plan holders provide clear and accurate cross-references which demonstrate compliance with all applicable contingency planning regulations.
(pdf file, 108k)

Status Review of Alternative Response Technology Policies and Issues  (1997)
This report reviews the status of ISB and dispersant-use policies on the West Coast and identifies barriers - if any - to implementation of the 1995 Recommendations regarding use of alternative response recommendations.
(pdf file, 516k)

Spill & Incident Data Collection Project Report  (1997)
This project report describes efforts and recommendations focused on identifying a set of spill reporting factors and terms to be used consistently among our member agencies to generate compatible information describing the what? when? and where? of spill incidents as well as in-depth knowledge of spill causes (the how? and why?). It also includes recommendations on developing a training program to assure consistent information collection.
(pdf file, 188k)

The Pacific States/BC Oil Spill Task Force Data Dictionary (Revised 2012)
(pdf file, 393k)

Marine Pilots and Vessel Safety on the West Coast  (1997)
In the first phase of this project a survey was sent to 28 pilot organizations and governing boards/authorities on the West Coast. In the second phase of the project, a diverse set of stakeholders assisted the Task Force in reviewing the survey responses, discussing the issues raised, and drafting recommendations to improve the safety of pilotage.
(pdf file, 640k)

Recommendations to Prevent Oil Spills Caused by Human Error  (1995)
This report to the States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force compiles recommendations to prevent human error oil spills from oil-handling facilities, marinas and boatyards, tankers and tank barge tow vessels, and bunkering operations.
(pdf file, 496k)

Alternative Response Technologies In Situ Burning and Dispersants  (1995)
Two workgroups sponsored by the States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force produced a joint report to the Task Force Members in 1995 on the issues surrounding the use of dispersants and in situ burning as spill response tools. The report discussed environmental trade-offs and related concerns, and described the status of dispersant-use and in-situ burn policies in place at that time in Task Force jurisdictions.
(pdf file, 484k)

Drills and Exercises - Project Report and Recommendations  (1995)
The Drills and Exercises Project Workgroup reviewed individual drill and exercise program requirements and found them consistent with one another and with the U.S. National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (NPREP).The workgroup also developed guidelines for granting credits to contingency plan holders for drills conducted in one Task Force Member jurisdiction which could satisfy a portion of their drill/exercise obligations in another Member's jurisdiction.
(pdf file, 144k)

Project Reports Available in Hard Copy only:
The 1990 Final Report of the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force is available in hardcopy only.
Please contact the Task Force Executive Coordinator for copies.