This ERTP course is open to our Federal, State, Local and Tribal partners, with On-Scene Coordinators (OSC’s) and U.S. Coast Guard Staff having priority registration preference.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This 4-day course is designed for On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  The goal of this course, which covers portions of the legislation in the National Contingency Plan and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, is to introduce new OSCs and refresh current OSCs on the regulations, funding, and methodology for responding to oil spills.  

This course may be delivered in-person (at the EPA ERT Warehouse in Erlanger, KY) or virtually.

Topics that are covered in this course include the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, National Contingency Plan, understanding oil spill basics, accessing and using the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, oil spill response, alternative technologies, preparedness and prevention, case studies, and exercises.  Instructional methods include lectures, problem sessions, and interactive exercises that emphasize the practical and problem-solving skills related to spill control and cleanup.

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Discuss how major legislation relates to oil spill containment and cleanup activities.

• Identify basic technical issues associated with inland oil spills.

• Access and use the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.

• Identify the basics of spill prevention control and countermeasure.

• Understand the use of basic containment and recovery methods.

• Discuss various agencies’ roles when responding to inland oil spills.

Course instructors may include current and former federal and state OSCs who may also serve as technical advisors in oil spill control and cleanup along with U.S. Coast Guard representatives.  Other instructors include experienced oil spill responders from the public and private sectors.

Class is limited to 30 students.

Continuing Education Units: 3.2

Participants must complete all modules for all days of the course to receive the course completion certificate.

COURSE MATERIALS

In compliance with Executive Order 13589 - Promoting Efficient Spending, Section 5; the ERTP will not be regularly printing or providing students hard copies of the course materials. The general course agenda is found at ertpvu.org.

QUESTIONS

For general information, contact the Shelly Norland/ERTP by telephone at 702-715-4969 or via e-mail at norland.shelly@epa.gov. 

For technical details related to course content, contact the EPA Oil Course Technical Lead – Fred Stroud by telephone at 702-784-8007 or via e-mail at stroud.fred@epa.gov. 

For all other details related to ERTP contractual matters, courses, as well as EPA's 5170 processing & approvals for this course, etc. contact ERTP staff at:

• Shelly Norland at 702-784-8004, norland.shelly@epa.gov, and
• Sean Gavlas at 702-784-8004, gavlas.sean@epa.gov

Unless otherwise specified, THIS COURSE, AND OTHER ERTP COURSES, IS NOT OPEN TO CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS, OR ANY PRIVATE ENTITIES.
*This course is offered free of charge to all registrants who are confirmed to attend.*

IMPORTANT NOTICES – Applicable to all ERTP courses :

1. ERTP’s receipt of a Trainex course registration is a Registration Request, it is not a Guaranteed Enrollment in the Course. All ERTP training courses require applicant registration thru the Trainex system. Last minute course arrivals without prior ERTP Trainex course registration approval is not permitted. Before ERTP issues final approval to deliver any course and/or any EPA offices incurring expenses for the training event (including but not limited to EPA staff travel TA’s and/or ERTP training contractor expenses incurred), all EPA mandatory pre-approvals must all be met. The pre-approvals include (but are not limited to) the following:
   
   • Training location’s availability;
   • COVID status and/or other COVID Guidelines in effect for the location, as well as staff;
   • Agency limitations, scrutiny, and approvals of ‘Conference Spending Requirements (known as the “5170”)’ for the specific training course(s) scheduled delivery timeframe;
   • Weather (blizzard, hurricane, etc);
   • Contractual number of available course training slots;
   • EPA training location staff having priority registration over all other registrations; and/or
   • Hosting site Training Coordinator approval.
   
   In the event a course is subsequently postponed or canceled, or notification of registration cancellation is received, all EPA travel arrangements (airline/car rental/hotel) should be canceled in a timely manner. Registered students will receive a notification via email if/when a course is postponed and/or cancelled.
    
2. For in-person course deliveries, confirmed course registered participants must abide by all facility physical access requirements for the location (examples: check-in at the security gate, Federal ID, Government PIV/CAC cards, photo id’s, etc.). If applicable for the course or location, restrictions may apply to non-citizens and acceptable identification may be required for facility entry.

**IMPORTANT please carefully review all course prerequisite pre-registration details:  

Erlanger, Kentucky – May 14-17, 2024, Training course times:  Daily from 0800 through 1700 hours Eastern**

HOTEL INFORMATION

EPA Staff  - It is ok to initiate 'planning' Travel Authorizations. 

• Lodging**:  Block of Rooms is planned -- TBD

**IMPORTANT Notices to EPA staff

• Because we are required to manage all EPA costs to ensure EPA’s costs will not exceed the 5170 approved $ threshold, please make every effort to reduce transportation costs and lodging costsby using the hotel identified above for lodging, and avoid use of car rentals whenever possible.  To ensure all staff pre-registered for the course can attend, we must ensure all of us “together collectively” minimize travel related controllable/variable costs wherever possible.  Ride-sharing and GOV use is preferred whenever possible.

• Ensure the unique funding line conference code/project code specific to this course is used on the TA and subsequent travel voucher:  ME0404PA

To achieve the goal of providing an equitable distribution of training to the U.S. EPA Regions, one or two training course slots are provided to each U.S. EPA region.  Therefore, at this time all course registrations received will be automatically "Waitlisted" until registrations are vetted with the Region Oil and/or other Managers collectively to ensure equitable distribution for this training opportunity across all 10 EPa Regions.  The ERTP Contracting Officer Representatives (COR’s) will provide for final approval to adjust the final enrolled participant roster, from among both approved registrations and waitlisted applicants. Formal enrollment decisions will be confirmed with the registered participants by email 2-3 weeks prior to course delivery.  Additionally, the required pre-requisites below are applicable to this training course:

1)   THIS COURSE IS FOR U.S. EPA ONLY, with On-Scene Coordinators (OSC’s) having priority registration preference for this course.

2)  WAITLISTED Pre-registrations are now accepted for this course.  The intent is for participation in this course to be equitable across all EPA Regions.  Therefore, preference is for Region Oil and/or other managers collectively at Regions 1 through 10 to identify one or two Regional staff (preferably OSC’s) to be pre-registered for the course.  Regions may identify need for additional “to be waitlisted” staff names to be on standby (in the event the primary staff selected cannot attend).

Alternative to staff self waitlisted pre-registrations, Region oil or other manages may consolidate and submit one or two Region pre-registration staff names by emailing the ERTP COR’s at: norland.shelly@epa.gov and gerard.henry@epa.gov as soon as possible.  As needed, substitutions can be made later.

Note: Soon after registration waitlisted pre-registration receipt, through Trainex or as received from the Region Oil Manager, pre-registrants will receive a subsequent “HOLD the TRAINING DATE” Outlook Calendar event in their inbox that contains the required prerequisite pre-registration details.

3)   Although there are no training/tuition costs for this course, all EPA Regions, EPA Program Offices, EPA Partner Federal or other agencies are responsible for participant travel & per diem costs.

4)   IMPORTANT for EPA Staff:  Travel Authorizations, Vouchers & Training SF-182 forms -  The EPA OCFO approved 'unique' Project Code for this training event is: ME0404PA.  This code must be entered on the travel authorization (TA) and/or travel voucher prior to travel document approval and funding.  An approved group training fform (SF-182) will also be available upon request.

IMPORTANT NOTICE – Actions required by EPA staff for the items that are specific to this training event/course:

Conference Spending Requirements (known as the “5170”) -Applicable to all ERTP in-person courses & training dates– All EPA staff travel spending will be closely monitored/scrutinized for 5170 cost-monitoring requirements.  Travel spending includes all funds to be paid for by EPA. The 5170 conference spending requirement is not applicable to participants external to EPA, where EPA is not funding travel.

****Participants are responsible for ensuring this code, once it is assigned, is used in the Site Project field under the Accounting tab in Concur. This code must be used for all travel authorizations, travel vouchers, and local travel vouchers related to this specific training course event. When  the code is shown as “TBD”, upon receipt of OCFO’s approval this webpage will be updated to add the approved code. For TA’s approved in advance, it is the traveler’s responsibility to ensure the TA is amended to add the correct project code(s) and/or MUST be added to the final Travel Voucher.  For some back-to-back separately delivered courses where travel occurs on a single TA/Voucher, then two different OCFO-approved unique project codes will be required at a flat 50%/50% split.  If needed, your FCO/Funds Certifying Official can provide assistance to ensure project code(s) are entered correctly in Concur.

****Note: ERTP’s training contractors are NOT involved in EPA’s internal 5170 conference spending processes or approvals, or at the current time involved with the registration for this course offering. All 5170 related questions are to be forwarded to the Region course POC, or Region Training Coordinator, and/or the EPA ERTP Contracting Officer Representatives (COR’s).

QUESTIONS

For general information, contact the Shelly Norland/ERTP by telephone at 702-784-8004 or via e-mail at norland.shelly@epa.gov. 

For technical details related to course content, contact the EPA Oil Course Technical Lead – Fred Stroud by telephone at 702-784-8007 or via e-mail at stroud.fred@epa.gov. 

For all other details related to ERTP contractual matters, courses, and the EPA 5170 approval process through ERTP, etc. contact ERTP staff at:

• Shelly Norland at 702-784-8004, norland.shelly@epa.gov, and
• Henry Gerard at 732-321-6685,gerard.henry@epa.gov