Geographic Response Plans (GRPs)

The illustration above shows how a boom might be deployed to reduce oil spill impacts in a cove. The photograph on the right shows a boom being deployed across a river. Boom can also be used to contain or collect spilled oil.

Geographic Response Plans (GRPs) are site-specific response plans for oil spills to water. They include response strategies tailored to a specific beach, shore, or waterway and meant to minimize impact on sensitive areas threatened by the spill. Each GRP has two priorities, which are to:

• Identify sensitive natural, cultural or significant economic resources; and
• Describe and prioritize response strategies.

GRPs are developed in partnership with Washington State Department of Ecology, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, USCG and EPA as part of the Region 10 Response Team (RRT) and Northwest Area Committee (NWAC). Currently, all coastal and some selected inland water areas in Washington are covered by 19 GRP regions. 

Marine GRP updates:

New! The Grays Harbor GRP will be updated this fall-winter.  GRP Trustees will make field visits to the strategy areas and evaluate public comments in mid- to late fall. To learn more about GRPs and the update process, Ecology and the Coast Guard held a workshop at the Timberland Library in Aberdeen on August 25th, 2009.  The 30-day public comment period for the GRP closed on September 25, 2009.

Inland GRP updates:

The 30-day comment period for the Spokane River GRP update ended on July 9, 2009.  Trustees and interested stakeholders are now preparing to do field work to support the update effort.

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The final revised Chapter 4 for the Snohomish segment (73Mb pdf) of the Snohomish River Watershed (WRIA 7). The next two inland areas to be updated will be the Skykomish segment and Snoqualmie segment of WRIA 7. Further WRIAs will be undertaken dependent upon funding, contractor and stakeholder participation and the number of strategies that are developed.