Prevention and Emergency Response Program

To prevent and mitigate oil and hazardous substance releases through government planning and rapid response.

The Prevention and Emergency Response Program is Alaska's primary response organization for oil and hazardous substance releases. Program staff implement state law to protect public health and the environment from direct or indirect effects of spills, guard the safety of persons involved, undertake or confirm the satisfactory cleanup and mitigation of spill effects and restoration of damages, and recover state-incurred costs to the Oil and Hazardous Substance Release Prevention and Response Fund.

Primary services

• Lead the state's response to spills of oil and hazardous substances. Area response teams in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau also work as one team under the Incident Command System for large events.
• Oversee spill cleanup by the responsible party or take over cleanup when a responsible party is not found or is incapable.
• Evaluate spill impact, ensure containment and cleanup, and recover cleanup and restoration costs from the responsible party.
• Develop and enhance in-state hazardous materials response team capability.
• Participate in government and industry response drills and exercises.
• Maintain the Federal/State Unified Plan and the ten Subarea/Regional Contingency Plans for Alaska.
• Develop spill reporting and notification procedures.
• Manage term contracts with spill response organizations.
• Train local personnel in at-risk areas throughout the state.
• Keep timely and accurate spill information.  

  Industry Preparedness and Pipeline Program

  Program mission

  To prevent and mitigate oil releases by encouraging industry to institute prevention measures, ensuring that industry response plans are complete, and ensuring that industry has adequate response resources for rapid response.

  Alaska law requires oil spill prevention, financial responsibility, and oil discharge prevention and contingency planning for the oil industry. It also requires oil spill response action contractors to register with the state. The requirements apply to terminals and distributors of crude and refined oil products, marine tankers and barges that transport crude and refined oil products, oil pipelines and onshore and offshore oil exploration and production facilities.

  Primary services

• Assist the crude oil and refined oil industry in spill prevention, assuring that they have the personnel, equipment and financial resources to quickly respond to any spill and remediate its environmental damage.
• Review and approve about 140 oil discharge prevention and contingency plans for installations or operations across the state.
• Inspect facilities, pipelines and marine vessels to provide assistance and ensure compliance with requirements.
• Participate in oil spill drills with the regulated industries to exercise and demonstrate response readiness.
• Administer the statewide Financial Responsibility Program to ensure that oil operators maintain the financial resources to respond to any spill and mitigate environmental damage.
• Provide technical assistance and information to contingency plan applicants and the general public on spill prevention and response requirements.
• Services are provided from Anchorage, Fairbanks, Valdez and Juneau offices.

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