"September 1968." "This National Multi-Agency Contingency Plan, prepared at the direction of President Lyndon B. Johnson, provides a mechanism for coordinating the Federal response to a spill of oil or other hazardous materials. Agencies signatory to this Plan are: Department of the Interior, Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Office of Emergency Planning." "The first National Contingency Plan was developed and published in 1968 in response to a massive oil spill from the oil tanker Torrey Canyon off the coast of England the year before. More than 37 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the water, causing massive environmental damage. To avoid the problems faced by response officials involved in this incident, U.S. officials developed a coordinated approach to cope with potential spills in U.S. waters. The 1968 plan provided the first comprehensive system of accident reporting, spill containment, and cleanup, and established a response headquarters, a national reaction team, and regional reaction teams..." http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/ncpover.htm Includes bibliographical references.