| - The first NCP – called the “National Multi-Agency Oil and Hazardous Materials Contingency Plan (1968)” – was developed and published in response to a massive oil spill from the oil tanker Torrey Canyon off the coast of England. More than 37M gallons of crude oil spilled into the water and eventually washed ashore on English and French beaches, causing massive environmental and economic damage and concern for public health.
- To address the problems faced by response officials involved in this incident, under President Lyndon B. Johnson’s direction, the US developed a coordinated approach to cope with potential spills in US waters. The 1968 plan, applicable to oil spills in navigable waters of the US, provided the first comprehensive national system for oil spill reporting and response.
- The original NCP was just a federal plan, not a regulation, and was not developed under any legislative mandate.
Full description (alt text) of the Torrey Canyon Oil Spill Map. |
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