Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) staff attended the Regional Response Team 9 (RRT9) meeting and Statewide Area Committee Meeting in San Diego, Calif. this week. BSEE Senior Preparedness Analyst Craig Ogawa and Preparedness Analyst Jason Langteau, both from the Bureau's Oil Spill Preparedness Division, updated attendees on the division's equipment verification and Government-Initiated Unannounced Exercise (GIUE) activities in the Pacific Region. During Wednesday's RRT meeting, Ogawa also participated in a federal agency roundtable.
A federal component of the National Response System, RRTs plan, prepare, and respond to oil spills and releases of hazardous substances within their area of responsibility. Each RRT maintains a Regional Contingency Plan (RCP) and includes representatives from both state and federal government agencies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard co-chair the RRTs. Topics discussed during this week's meetings included the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, updates to the RCP, remote sensing capabilities for sensing oil, and spill information management.
RRT 9 includes representatives from state emergency response agencies in Arizona, Nevada, and California (e.g., California Office of Spill Prevention and Response) as well as regional representatives from federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of the Interior. For more information, visit BSEE's Oil Spill Preparedness Division.
Craig Ogawa providing update to RRT9 on OSPD activities
Craig Ogawa (right) with RRT 9 Co-Chair, Tim Holmes, USCG District 11, and Jill Lemon, USCG Sector Los Angeles - Long Beach Contingency Planner