The Eastern Ohio/Upper Ohio River Inland Planning Sub-Area was formed to best prepare for oil and hazardous substance spills in Trumbull, Mahoning,
Columbiana, Jefferson, Belmont, Noble, and Monroe counties in Ohio and all
waterbodies therein, and along the right descending bank (RDB) of the Ohio
River (including its tributaries) between Ohio River mile marker 40.1 and 127.2.
This Inland Sub-Area Contingency Plan (SACP) will assist federal, state, local, and private responders coordinate their operations and resources to make effective and efficient use of their personnel, supplies, and time when planning or responding to a discharge or substantial threat of discharge of oil, or a release or
substantial threat of release of hazardous substance(s).
An interagency team comprised of representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Ohio Valley, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), and other federal, state, local agencies, and the private sector, identified the need for a specialized planning document that will:
1) Describe the roles that agencies and other entities would likely play in an incident, and
2) Give responders a mechanism to help organize both in advance and during a response.
For spills and releases originating from the RDB
of the Ohio River in Ohio, EPA Region 5 will provide the OSC. For spills and
releases originating from the LDB of the Ohio River in West Virginia, EPA Region
3 will provide the OSC. Certain releases may occur within the main stem of the
river, such as a pipeline break, or a discharge from a pleasure vessel. In these instances, the state boundaries will
be used to determine within what Region the spill has occurred, and which Region
provides the OSC.
The SACP was developed in 2021 and has been tailored to identify the Incident Command System (ICS) forms most likely to be initially used in a response and includes potential objectives; a detailed emergency contact list; procedures for the
mechanical recovery and/or dispersal of oil or hazardous substances; shoreline
cleanup; and protection of economic interests, sensitive environmental areas, historical and cultural sites, and critical infrastructure. The plan provides a concise and coherent means of capturing and communicating the overall incident priorities, objectives, and strategies in the context of planning, operational, and support activities.
The SACP was developed to be consistent with, and support, existing plans and procedures including the:
- National Contingency Plan;
- EPA Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan/Area Contingency Plan;
- EPA Region 5/USCG District 8 Memorandum of Agreement;
- EPA/USCG Ohio River Umbrella Plan;
- EPA Region 3 Northwest Pennsylvania Inland SACP;
- EPA Region 3 Southwest Pennsylvania/Wheeling, West Virginia Inland SACP; and
- State, county, local, and industry response plans.
