The National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) was developed to establish a workable exercise program that meets the intent of section 4202(a) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), amending section 311 (j) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA), by adding subsection (6) and subsection (7) for spill response preparedness (33 United States Code (U.S.C.) § 1321 (j)). PREP was developed to provide a mechanism for compliance with the exercise requirements, while being economically feasible for the U.S. Government and oil industry to adopt and sustain.

PREP is a unified federal effort and satisfies the exercise requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Completion of the exercises described in the PREP Guidelines is one option for maintaining compliance with OPA 90-mandated federal oil pollution response exercise requirements.

The latest version of the National PREP guidelines 2016.1 can be found here.

Additional resources:

PHMSA developed a video overview of oil spill exercise and response. This introduction video covers the history, authorities, and complexities of oil spill response and outlines how the oil spill response community works together on planning. It also provides an overview of oil spill exercises and response.

Overview of Oil Spill Exercise & Response

The follow-on to this video provides examples of roles and responsibilities during oil spill exercises and events. It highlights the Unified Command and Incident Command System functions and how the Planning P is utilized during an exercise or incident.

Anatomy of Oil Spill Exercise & Response

If you have connectivity limitations and would like a digital copy of these videos, please call (202) 366-2448.