NOAAs Emergency Response Program Successes and Challenges in a PPBES World

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NOAAs Emergency Response ProgramSuccesses and
Challenges in a PPBES World
NOAA Office of Response and Restoration Capt. Ken
Barton, Acting Director August 29, 2007
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Purpose of Presentation

• Highlight successful evolution of an idea though
  PPBES
• Lessons Learned in PPBES
• Better understanding of how a proposal gets
  funded in PPBES

DBL 152 spill offshore of Port Arthur Texas
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NOAAs Emergency Response Program

• Consists of NOSs Office of Response and
  Restorations Emergency Response Division, and
  NESDISs SARSAT Program
• Commerce and Transportation (CT) Goal Team
• Collaborates with other NOAAs IMET, NRT, RSD,
  Protected Species, Marine Debris Program
• External partners include US Coast Guard,
  American Petroleum Institute, University of New
  Hampshire

DBL 152 spill offshore of Port Arthur Texas
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Responsibility to Respond

• Mission
• Planning and Preparedness
• Response
• Recovery
• The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA90) and the
  National Contingency Plan (NCP) mandate NOAA to
  provide scientific support at oil spills
• As the lead federal trustee, OPA requires NOAA to
  assess damages and restore harm caused by oil
  spills
• NOAA responds to approximately 75 oil spills each
  year

DBL 152 spill offshore of Port Arthur Texas
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Lack of Capacity

• Funding for EMRs Emergency Response Division has
  decreased annually since FY04. The current
  program does not provide enough resources to
  fulfill NOAAs mandates related to oil spills

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FY 2009 Proposed Program Increase

• An 8.4M annual appropriation from the Oil Spill
  Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) to supplement NOAA
  Base funds
• Enhances capacity for responding to oil spills
• Develops innovative tools and techniques to
  increase effectiveness of spill response
• Provides a coordinated research and development
  capability
• OSLTF is administered by the USCG
• There is precedent to seek an appropriation from
  OSLTF

DBL 152 spill offshore of Port Arthur Texas
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Benefits to the Nation

• Increases spill capacity (ability to respond to
  two simultaneous major oil spills)
• Reduce Costs to Industry
• Improve Consistency of National Response and
  Assessment
• Develop Innovative Tools for Responders
• Increase Government-Industry Cooperative Outreach
• Develop coordinated oil spill research program
• Supports one major NOAA cross-agency drill every
  other year

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Where are we now?

• PPBES Steps (its not as easy as it looks)
• Develop alternative for Program Operating Plan
  (POP)
• POP reviewed by PAE
• Goal Team Strategic Portfolio Analysis to report
  to NOAA Leadership
• NOAA Budget
• DOC Budget
• Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
• Congress

DBL 152 spill offshore of Port Arthur Texas
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Lessons Learned in PPBES

• A good idea is not enough
• Must clearly identify specific need, what money
  will buy, benefit to nation, and how performance
  will be measured
• Must also demonstrate what will happen without
  program increase
• Be creative
• Coordinate with internal and external partners
• Be persistent
• .

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Present EMR Program Challenges

• Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund
• SARSAT IT Requirements
• Large reoccurring gap
• Changing IT requirements
• NOAA as a Response Agency
• Interagency coordination
• Revision to NRP and NIMS
• .