DNR Responsibility

• Introduction
• Prevention
• Preparedness
• Response
• Essential Function and Services
• Natural Resources Damage Assessment and Restoration - Restricted Access
• Related Alaska Statutes
• Adoption of Emergency Regulations
• Contingency Plan Review

Preparedness:

Callout
DNR participates in DEC's Callout System for mobilizing and responding to a significant spill at any time and any location in the state. DNR's toll-free 24-hour spill reporting number is 907-451-2678; The DEC spill report number is 800-478-9300.

Training and Drills
DNR participates in industry and government-led, training, drills and exercises. After-action reviews of spill responses and training drills are done to identify areas for further improvement.

Response Planning
The Alaska Federal-State Preparedness Plan for Responses to Oil and Hazardous Substance Discharge/Releases (Unified Plan) provides the blueprint for government response to oil and hazardous substance spills. DNR is actively involved in the development of the Unified Plan's ten Subarea Contingency Plans, each covering a different geographic region of the State. Site-specific response strategies can provide a valuable aid to responders and spill managers during the initial and subsequent phases of the response. These site-specific response strategies, commonly referred to as Geographic Response Strategies, are an integral part of the Subarea Contingency Plans. The Unified and Subarea Plans are used to coordinate an effective response to spills.

Alaska Contingency Planning Regulations (18 AAC 75.400) requires all oil terminal facilities, pipelines, exploration or production facilities, tank vessels or oil barges (AS 46.04.030) submit an oil discharge prevention and contingency plan for approval. DNR reviews industry contingency plans and has responsibility for five basic areas regarding oil and hazardous substances spill planning and response. The attached guidelines will assist contingency plan (c-plan) holders in addressing these issues.

1. Land status: The c-plan should identify major landowners of areas that could be impacted by a spill in order to confer with them regarding protection and/or cleanup activities. The State of Alaska owns the majority of tide and submerged lands within the state. Tide and submerged lands are those areas located between the mean high tide line and three miles distance offshore. Submerged lands are those located beneath the line of ordinary high water along navigable water bodies. It is important that the plan-holder contact ADNR as soon as possible to solicit Information regarding natural resource values located along those lands. Any proposed shoreline cleanup plan should incorporate the comments and/or authorization of ADNR, and the department should be part of the Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Teams (SCAT).

2. Areas of Public Concern: The c-plan should identify public and private use areas that could be impacted by a spill. These areas include state or federal parks, camping areas, harbors or anchorage locations, commercial leases, mariculture/aquaculture sites, shore fishery sites, fish processing facilities, and other areas that involve water-related uses. Include these areas in preplanning response strategies.

3. Cultural Resources: The c-plan should follow the guidelines developed by the Alaska Regional Response Team when they are finalized. In the meantime, utilize the Office of History and Archaeology information attached to this memo.

4. Temporary Water Use Permits: The c-plan should include a process for acquiring permits as necessary. Permits are required when response activities use fresh water for dust abatement, material compaction, flushing, or hydrostatic testing or when the operator must divert or recover surface or groundwater, perform remediation with mobile thermal desorption unit, or conduct hydroseeding.

5. Temporary Land Use Permits: The c-plan should include a process for acquiring the necessary authorizations that might be appropriate during a spill response. Situations that might require a permit are shoreline cleanup activities that involve intrusive measures such as tilling, gravel washing for flushing, excavation, and other activities that require intrusion on the shorelands of personnel and/or equipment; chemical treatment measure (i.e. bioremediation), the placement or storage of equipment, waste material, support facilities, etc. on state lands, boom deployment, the anchorage of support vessels on state tidelands in the same location or area for extended periods of time. Resource agencies determine the need for permits on a site/event basis.

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