Environmental Protection Agency July 27, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is amending the requirements in Subpart J of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) that govern the use of dispersants, other chemicals and other spill mitigating substances when responding to oil discharges into waters of the United States. Specifically, this action establishes monitoring requirements for dispersant use in response to major oil discharges and/or certain dispersant use situations in the navigable waters of the United States and adjoining shorelines, the waters of the contiguous zone, and the high seas beyond the contiguous zone in connection with activities under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, activities under the Deepwater Port Act of 1974, or activities that may affect natural resources belonging to, appertaining to, or under the exclusive management authority of the United States, including resources under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 (``navigable waters of the United States and adjoining shorelines''). These new monitoring requirements are anticipated to better target dispersant use, thus reducing the risks to the environment. Further, the amendments are intended to ensure that On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) and Regional Response Teams (RRTs) have relevant information to support response decision-making regarding dispersant use.