Coast Guard to test large oil spill response capabilities on Lake Superior

HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Coast Guard is leading a large-scale spill response exercise at Michigan Technological University this week, bringing together partner agencies and private entities to test oil spill response readiness.

The exercise, designed to test the Area Contingency Plan, will simulate two ships colliding in the vicinity of Isle Royale, subsequently spilling their cargos. Participants from the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards will establish a unified command with representatives from the state of Michigan, Houghton County, tribal leaders, and private industry.

Overseeing the exercise is Marine Safety Unit Duluth’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Frances Smith.

“The remote nature of Isle Royale certainly presents the team with some unique challenge,” but she says she’s confident in the team’s abilities. “We work with our partners throughout the year to refine the Area Contingency Plan. This exercise will give us all an opportunity to demonstrate what we’ve learned together and

identify any potential gaps that may exist. The responsibility that we all share is not lost on anyone.”

After the 1990 Exon Valdez spill in Alaska, the federal government charged the Coast Guard and Environmental

Protection Agency to run exercises that simulate oil spill and hazardous material releases into the varying environments throughout the country. Including maritime stakeholders in the area being tested has become a staple of simulated and real-world responses.