Summary: The Federal Water Pollution Control Act requires the Coast Guard to contain and clean up oil spills in coastal waters, minimize the environmental damages, and prepare regional and local contingency plans for responding to oil spills.
Although the Coast Guard has tried to meet its responsibilities in responding to oil pollution, it could have been more effective in about 38 percent of cases in terms of response time, monitoring and cleanup operations, action when spills occurred, attempts at removing spills, and investigations of minor spills. Because of staff shortages, some spills have not been investigated, and personnel performing investigations have sometimes been diverted from other marine safety responsibilities. There are also needs for: better equipment for marine safety offices and strike teams, improved research and development on oil spill containment, immediate first aid action to contain and clean up spills, improved regional and local contingency plans, and reporting requirements and dissemination of information on major oil spills.
