U.S. Navy Ship Salvage Manual Volume 6 - Oil Spill Response

S0300-A6-MAN-060response procedures. The Army Corps of Engineers operates vessels of similar size andconfiguration at a number of ports throughout the U.S.• Heavy landing craft (LCM, LCU, LSV). Large mechanized landing craft are handy,maneuverable workboats, with large working decks suitable for embarking equipment,vans or vehicles. Landing craft are effective platforms for supporting skimmer operations,transporting personnel, equipment, vehicles or oily debris, monitoring spillmovement and as general-purpose workboats. Because of their beaching capacity andshallow draft, landing craft are well suited to operations in shallow water and for transportingpersonnel and equipment to and from remote beaches. Landing craft are operatedby Navy assault craft units, Army water transportation units and may be embarkedon amphibious warfare ships. Modified landing craft are also operated by naval stations,Mobile Diving and Salvage Units and certain other units as workboats or divingtenders.For Navy-originated spills, Navy ships and craft may be assigned support duties under fleet orshoreside NOSC contingency operations. Vessel assignments may be defined in NOSC contingencyplans or made on request of the NOSC/NOSCDR following a spill. The Navy’s Environmentaland Natural Resources Program Manual (OPNAVINST 5090.1A) states that fleet salvageunits should be assigned as fleet NOSCDRs, so it is likely that salvage ships will attend spills towhich the fleet NOSC organization responds, as well as spills originating from vessel casualties.For non-Navy spills, Navy ships and craft may be assigned to support FOSC requirementsthrough regional response team agreements or through the USN-USCG interagency agreement.Commercial vessels may be hired by the spiller or various state and federal agencies as part of thecontingency operations.3-7 SUPSALV ON-SCENE SPILL RESPONSE ORGANIZATION3-7.1 Command and Control. NAVSEA contracts for maintenance of SUPSALV oil pollutionresponse equipment within the Emergency Ship Salvage Material (ESSM) system. When directedby SUPSALV full-time ESSM operations, maintenance, support and subcontractor personnelmobilize to the spill site. This mechanism enables NAVSEA to carry out Navy responsibilities foroil spill response.Deployed SUPSALV resources are under the control and direction of the Supervisor of SalvageRepresentative (SUPSALVREP). The SUPSALVREP reports to the NOSC, NOSCDR or, whenESSM resources mobilize under the interagency agreement, to the predesignated FOSC. TheSUPSALVREP is the personal representative of the Supervisor of Salvage and is responsible for:• Liaison with the customer• Liaison with government agencies• Administration of the ESSM contract throughout the operation3-26