33 CFR 155.1010: Purpose of oil spill response plan requirements
Last reviewed: October 14, 2026
This section states the purpose of this subpart: to establish requirements for oil spill response plans for certain vessels. The planning criteria are for developing response plans and identifying resources for the prescribed oil spill scenarios. The criteria for response resources and arrival times are not performance standards.
What it says
This subpart establishes requirements for oil spill response plans for certain vessels.
“The purpose of this subpart is to establish requirements for oil spill response plans for certain vessels.”
The planning criteria in this subpart are intended for developing response plans and identifying the resources needed to respond to the oil spill scenarios prescribed during the planning process.
“The planning criteria in this subpart are intended for use in response plan development and the identification of resources necessary to respond to the oil spill scenarios prescribed during the planning process.”
Developing a response plan prepares the vessel owner or operator and the vessel's crew to respond to an oil spill.
“The development of a response plan prepares the vessel owner or operator and the vessel's crew to respond to an oil spill.”
The specific criteria for response resources and their arrival times are not performance standards.
“The specific criteria for response resources and their arrival times are not performance standards.”
The criteria are planning criteria based on a set of assumptions that may not exist during an actual oil spill incident.
“They are planning criteria based on a set of assumptions that may not exist during an actual oil spill incident.”
Common questions
What is the purpose of the oil spill response plan subpart?
Its purpose is to establish requirements for oil spill response plans for certain vessels.
“The purpose of this subpart is to establish requirements for oil spill response plans for certain vessels.”
Are response resource and arrival time criteria performance standards?
No. They are planning criteria based on assumptions that may not exist during an actual oil spill incident.
“They are planning criteria based on a set of assumptions that may not exist during an actual oil spill incident.”
Who does developing a response plan prepare for an oil spill?
It prepares the vessel owner or operator and the vessel's crew to respond to an oil spill.
“The development of a response plan prepares the vessel owner or operator and the vessel's crew to respond to an oil spill.”
The text of 33 CFR 155.1010
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR
Purpose
The purpose of this subpart is to establish requirements for oil spill response plans for certain vessels. The planning criteria in this subpart are intended for use in response plan development and the identification of resources necessary to respond to the oil spill scenarios prescribed during the planning process. The development of a response plan prepares the vessel owner or operator and the vessel's crew to respond to an oil spill. The specific criteria for response resources and their arrival times are not performance standards. They are planning criteria based on a set of assumptions that may not exist during an actual oil spill incident.
The plain-English explanation on this page was written with AI from the regulation text above and checked automatically before publishing: every quote appears in the text, every number comes from it, and a second model confirmed each statement adds nothing the text doesn't say. Regulation text current as of April 16, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.