Temporary Suspension of Certain Oil Spill Response Time Requirements To Support Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill of National Significance (SONS) Response

This joint Coast Guard and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) temporary interim rule will suspend oil spill response time requirements, and certain identification and location requirements, for facilities and vessels whose response resources are relocated in support of the Deepwater Horizon SONS response. By providing oil spill removal organizations (OSROs), and facilities and vessels with their own response resources, with the temporary opportunity to relocate response resources from current locations to the Gulf of Mexico, this rule directly assists in the urgently needed immediate relocation of nationwide oil spill response resources to the Gulf of Mexico to aid in the response to the Deepwater Horizon SONS. The rule also provides notice that the Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon SONS has requested the Armed Forces to relocate Armed Forces oil spill response resources, in particular those of the Navy, from their current locations to the Gulf of Mexico to aid in the response to the Deepwater Horizon SONS.