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News Release USDL: 96-216
Monday, June 5, 1996
Contact: Lola Degroff (202) 219-8151

Faster and better coordinated emergency response to oil and hazardous substance leaks will now be possible under a plan coordinated by several federal agencies.

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Joseph A. Dear today announced an agreement to implement one-plan guidance for oil and hazardous substance release. The agreement was signed by the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Research and Special Programs Administration, the Minerals Management Service in the Department of the Interior and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

"President Clinton directed agencies to remove duplication. Emergency response plans were identified as a problem area. This plan should make it easier for businesses to do what's necessary to deal with an emergency. And what is more important, complying with one plan will ultimately save lives," Dear said.

The Integrated Contingency Plan was developed under the auspices of the National Response Team. It includes a core response plan for reacting to releases of oil and hazardous substances under existing federal laws and regulations. The core plan tells responders what they should do to begin the initial stages of the response. Information needed to meet specific federal regulatory requirements, such as a description of the facility's incident command system and data on specific facility hazards, will be attached to the core plan. Facility plans prepared in accordance with the guidance will satisfy facility emergency response planning requirements of the five federal agencies and will be the federally preferred method of such planning.

Industry, labor, environmental groups and state agencies participated in developing the plan. The one-plan approach is designed to minimize duplication of effort and unnecessary paperwork burdens. It provides flexibility to accommodate state and local requirements.

The guidance is scheduled to be published in the June 5 Federal Register. Additionally it is available on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov/ under "What's New" and will be available on an upcoming issue of the OSHA CD-ROM.