Northern Michigan Sub-area Contingency Plan

The Northern Michigan Sub-area Contingency Plan (Sub-ACP), when implemented in conjunction with other local, state, and federal government and private contingency plans, is designed to effectively facilitate the removal of a worst-case discharge from a facility, vessel, or pipeline operating in or near the area covered in the plan. This plan includes a description of the geographic area; the environmental, economic, and cultural resources that might be negatively impacted by a discharge and for which protection is planned; descriptions of the responsibilities of the stakeholders in the plan; a listing of available equipment to an owner/operator and government agencies to ensure effective and immediate removal of a discharge; a description of the procedures for approval and use of dispersants; and a description of how the plan is integrated with other local, state, and federal agency and private sector plans.

The Sub-ACP is an annex to the U.S. EPA Region 5 Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan and Area Contingency Plan (RCP-ACP) which covers the States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

To accomplish the coordinated planning structure envisioned under OPA, Area Committees, under the direction of the predesignated federal On-scene Coordinator (FOSC), are established to develop an ACP. The ACP, in conjunction with the NCP, should be adequate to remove a "worst case discharge" from a facility or vessel operating in or near the Area and to mitigate or prevent a substantial threat of such a discharge in the Area.

The Area Committee is required to develop ACPs that:

1. Describe areas of special environmental, economic or cultural significance;
2. Outline the responsibilities of federal, state, local, and tribal agencies and facility and vessel operators in planning and response; and
3. Detail procedures on the coordination of response plans and equipment.

The plan has been developed to maintain consistency with the following plans:

• Region 5 Regional Response Team (RRT) Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan and Area Contingency Plan (RCP-ACP)
• NCP
• USCG Marine Safety Office (MSO) Sault Ste. Marie Area Contingency Plan
• Canada-United States Joint Marine Pollution Contingency Plan
• Canada-United States Joint Inland Pollution Contingency Plan
• Michigan Emergency Management Plan (MEMP)
• County and municipal plans of the Northern Michigan Sub-area.

The plan applies to and is in effect for:

1. Discharges of oil into or upon the navigable waters, on the adjoining shorelines to the navigable waters, or that may affect natural resources belonging to, appertaining to, or under the exclusive management authority of the United States (Section 311(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act); and
2. Releases into the environment of hazardous substances and pollutants or contaminants that may present an imminent and substantial danger to public health or welfare in the Sub-Area.

This plan expands upon the contingency and response requirements set forth in the NCP, augments coordination with state and local authorities, and integrates existing state, local, and private sector plans for the Sub-area. It is intended to set forth procedures to mitigate or prevent a worst-case discharge or the substantial threat of a worst-case discharge.