DEVELOPING GUIDELINES FOR JOINT TRANS-BOUNDARY RESOURCE AGENCY INPUT TO DISPERSANT USE, IN-SITUBURNING, AND PLACES OF REFUGE DECISION-MAKING: THE CANADA/UNITED States Dixon Entrance Example

Abstract

ABSTRACT Papers presented at the 2001 and 2005 International Oil Spill Conferences (IOSCs) discussed the development of the first-of-its-kind trans-boundary wildlife response guidelines, which were completed for the area known as Dixon Entrance between British Columbia (BC) in Canada and Alaska in the United States (U.S.). This work was conducted within the framework of Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and United States Coast Guard (USCG) joint contingency planning as outlined in the Annex 5 Canada-United States Dixon Entrance-Geographical Annex to the Canada-United States Joint Marine Pollution Contingency Plan (Canada-U.S. Joint Marine Pollution Contingency Plan CANUSDIX Annex). Along with other topics, the 2005 IOSC paper described a number of unanticipated benefits resulting from the development of the guidelines. This included establishing stakeholder partnerships which facilitated additional joint trans-boundary pre-incident planning. Following the completion of the Canada-U.S. Dixon Entrance (CANUSDIX) wildlife response guidelines in September 2003, attention was turned to examining trans-boundary decision-making associated with dispersant use, in-situ burning, and places of refuge identification. Subsequently, a joint CANUSDIX Resource Agency Working Group was established to address resource-related topics for activities supporting dispersant use, in-situ burning, and places of refuge decision-making in the Dixon Entrance trans-boundary area. Over the next 2.5 years, working group members prepared draft guidelines for resource agency input to those response activities. In March 2006, the Canadian and U.S. Federal, Canadian Provincial, and State of Alaska resource agencies with jurisdiction in the Dixon Entrance area, finalized the CANUSDIX Guidelines for Resource Agency Input to Dispersant Use, In-Situ Burning, and Places of Refuge Decision-Making (CANUSDIX Resource Agency Guidelines) and submitted the document to the CCG and USCG for inclusion in the Canada-U.S. Joint Marine Pollution Contingency Plan CANUSDIX Annex. This paper provides an overview of the development of the CANUSDIX Resource Agency Guidelines; a description of the information included in the guidelines; and how the guidelines fit within the CCG and USCG incident management structures. Together, this information will allow other parties in trans-boundary areas around the world to use the CANUSDIX Resource Agency Guidelines, and the process undertaken to develop the document, as a model for conducting similar pre-incident planning.