Abstract |
In response to the Exxon Valdez oil disaster, President Bush directed the National Response Team (NRT) to take a fresh look at America's readiness to respond to oil spills of national significance in the countries' major ports and inland waterways. The report was done in a compressed timeframe to provide a representative picture of oil spill planning and preparedness across the country. To accomplish this task, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Environmental Protection Agency provided a leadership role for the NRT which directed federal, regional, and local offices to evaluate the effectiveness of their oil spill contingency plans. The report represents the combined efforts of hundreds of individuals, including Coast Guard and EPA On-Scene Coordinators. |