This 4-day course can be designed to meet the requests of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Federal On-Scene Coordinators (FOSCs) in their regions, including exercising Geographic Response Plans (GRPs). The goal of this course is to have participants learn, then demonstrate, containment and recovery techniques for an inland oil spill in either a fast or slow water environment. Participants will typically learn boater safety; operate boats and deploy containment boom on lakes or rivers; provide protection to shorelines and sensitive areas; establish an oil recovery site; and install weirs, underflow dams and filter fences on streams. The course can be tailored to a three- to five-day delivery depending on the time allotted and select portions have been delivered in an even shorter timeframe.

This course will be delivered in-person. Instructional methods include: classroom instruction, case studies, and primarily on-water field work.

After completion of the course, the participants will be able to demonstrate or discuss small boat safety and operations, various methods of containment boom deployment and anchoring, recovery site selection and operations, and health and safety issues relevant to oil spill response and recovery operations. All this will be based on the topics selected to be presented, situations to be covered, and suitability of the selected location(s) for delivery.

Course instructors may include current and former federal and state OSCs who currently serve as technical advisors in oil spill control and cleanup, and experienced oil spill responders from the private sector.

This course includes hands-on field activities that can be strenuous. *Attendees will need to wear appropriate attire for fieldwork and on-water operations. This includes appropriate work gloves, eye protection, footwear, and outerwear for foul weather. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own sunscreen, insect repellant, and Personal Flotation Device (PFD) since supplies will be limited.*

Class is limited to 30 students.

Continuing Education Units: 2.4 to 4.0

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

This course 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.

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 manual. Students may obtain an electronic copy of the student manual for personal printing or e-reading by contacting the ERTP Registrar (ertp-registrar2@tetratech.com).

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:  

LOCATION - High Banks Campground – August 26-29, 2024, Training course times:  Daily from 0800 through 1700 hours Eastern**

Formal enrollment decisions will be confirmed with the registered participants prior to course delivery.  Additionally, the required pre-requisites below are applicable to this training course:

THIS COURSE IS FOR U.S. EPA and Invited Personnel.

Note: Upon receipt from the Region POC, all pre-registrations will occur through Trainex & pre-registrants will receive a subsequent “HOLD the TRAINING DATE” Outlook Calendar event in their inbox that contains the required prerequisite pre-registration details.

QUESTIONS

For general information, contact the Registrar by telephone at 513-251-7669 or via e-mail at ertp-registrar2@tetratech.com. 

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

FOR EPA  ATTENDEES ONLY
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. All EPA staff registering for the above course registration links are requested to notify the EPA/Region staff identified at the bottom of this webpage in advance and provide the preliminary cost estimate details in writing via email. The Region POC and/or other EPA staff are responsible for tracking EPA 5170 spending for this training event. 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.

EPA travel spending “Project Code for this training event: The unique project code for this training event is ME0202OR.****

****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. For the code 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 delivered courses, two different unique travel codes may be required. If needed, your FCO/Funds Certifying Official can provide assistance to ensure the code is entered correctly in Concur.

****Note: ERTP’s training contractors are NOT involved in EPA’s internal 5170 conference spending processes or approvals. 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).