WAC 173-182-710   Type and frequency of drills.  The following drills shall be conducted within each triennial cycle.

Type of Drill	Frequency Within the Triennial Cycle	Special Instructions	Scheduling Instructions
Tabletop drills	3 - one in each year of the cycle	One of the three shall involve a worst case discharge scenario. The worst case discharge scenario drill shall be conducted once every three years.	Must be scheduled at least 60 days in advance, except the worst case discharge scenario at least 90 days in advance.
Deployment drills	6 - done two per year	These drills shall include, GRP deployments, testing of each type of equipment to demonstrating compliance with the planning standards.	Scheduled at least 30 days in advance.
Ecology initiated unannounced drills	As necessary	This drill may involve testing any component of the plan, including notification procedures, deployment of personnel, boom, recovery and storage equipment.	No notice.

     (1) Tabletop drills:

     (a) Tabletop drills are intended to demonstrate a plan holder's capability to manage a spill using the ICS. Role playing shall be required in this drill.

     (b) Once during each three year cycle, the plan holder shall ensure that key members of the regional/national "away" team as identified in the plan shall be mobilized in state for a drill, except that: At ecology's discretion, away team members may be evaluated in out-of-state tabletop drills if ecology has sufficient notice, an opportunity to participate in the drill planning process, and that the out-of-state drills are of similar scope and scale to what would have occurred in state. In this case, key away team members shall be mobilized in this state at least once every five years.

     (2) Equipment deployment drills:

     (a) During the triennial cycle, deployment drills shall include a combination of owned and contracted assets.

     (b) Plan holders should ensure that each type of equipment listed in the plan and personnel responsible for operating the equipment are tested during each triennial cycle. Plan holders must design drills that will demonstrate the ability to meet the planning standards, including recovery systems and system compatibility. Drills shall be conducted in all operating environments that the plan holder could impact from spills.

     (c) At least twice during a triennial cycle, plan holders shall deploy a GRP strategy identified within the plan. If no GRPs exist for the operating area, plan holders will consult with ecology to determine alternative sensitive areas to protect.

     (d) Plan holders may request credit for the prebooming of an oil transfer.

     (3) Plan holders may receive credit for GRP deployment drills conducted by PRCs if:

     (a) The PRC is listed in the plan; and

     (b) The plan holder operates in the area, schedules and participates in the drill.

     (4) Ecology initiated scheduled inspections and unannounced deployment and tabletop drills.

     (a) In addition to the drills listed above, ecology will implement a systematic scheduled inspection and unannounced drill program to survey, assess, verify, inspect or deploy response equipment listed in the plan. This program will be conducted in a way so that no less than fifty percent of the resources will be confirmed during the first triennial cycle, and the remaining fifty percent during the subsequent triennial cycle.

     (b) Unannounced drills may be called when specific problems are noted with individual plan holders, or randomly, to strategically ensure that all operating environments, personnel and equipment readiness have been adequately tested.

     (c) Unannounced notification drills are designed to test the ability to follow the notification and call-out process in the plan.

     (d) Immediately prior to the start of an unannounced deployment or tabletop drill, plan holders will be notified in writing of the drill objectives, expectations and scenario.

     (e) Plan holders may request to be excused if conducting the drill poses an unreasonable safety or environmental risk, or significant economic hardship. If the plan holder is excused, ecology will conduct an unannounced drill at a future time.



[Statutory Authority: Chapters 88.46, 90.56, and 90.48 RCW. 06-20-035 (Order 00-03), § 173-182-710, filed 9/25/06, effective 10/26/06.]