Local Authorities' Guide: What to do in the event of a spill

When an accidental water pollution inci­dent occurs, the local authority, acting in France as Director of Emergency Operations for the municipality, is suddenly propelled into a role as the decision-maker, in a field it knows little of, amidst a crisis situation.

This guide aims to give this authority keys to decision-making in the event or threat of a spill of pollutant liable to reach the banks or shoreline of his municipa­lity: crude or refined oil, hazardous and noxious substances, drums, containers, or stranded mammals, oiled birds, waste etc.

The guide addresses some general issues and provides many examples of the French organisation. It is divided into two parts:

- The first is intended for local authori­ties. A series of Questions and Answers describes the regulatory context of res­ponse. It is followed by a series of "What to do?" reflex cards, operational reference sheets on the initial actions to be taken to respond to the most com­mon types of spills.

- The second part is intended for the various crisis actors: councillors, muni­cipal agents and officers. This section, composed of practical datasheets on each aspect of response - alert, assess­ment, safety, clean-up, communica­tion, finance, feedback -, constitutes a "toolbox" to enable these actors to successfully carry out their role. It is concluded with a reference section.

Contents

PART 1: A Local Authority's Guide 

A - Regulatory context
 
B - Reflex cards: What to do

PART 2: Practical Datasheets for Responders

- Alert (sheets 1 and 2)
 
 - Assessment (sheets 3 to 7)
 
 - Safety (sheets 8 to 12)
 
 - Response (sheets 13 to 20)
 
 - Communication (sheets 21 to 22)
 
 - Compensation (sheets 23 to 27)
 
 - Feedback (sheet 28)
 
 - Reference

Another key to using this document: helping to establish the Oil Spill Contingency Plan

In order to be ready to respond the day a spill occurs, municipalities should prepare themselves in advance. To do so, they have a tool, the Oil Spill Contingency Plan (OSCP).

The datasheets presented in this guide are designed to be adapted by each municipality to integrate this plan:

• The "What to do?" reflex cards specify the initial emergency actions.
 
 • The assignment sheets outline the aims, actors, equipment and successive actions to be taken for each of the key stages of response.
 
 • Finally, the tool sheets, forms and reference sheets, are intended to be duplicated to constitute practical field materials.

"The OSCP" boxes specify the actions that can be taken by municipalities, for each theme addressed, to anticipate spill response.