Section 173-186-510. Type and frequency of drills.

To receive the credit from ecology for performing a required drill, the plan holder shall conduct the following drills within each triennial cycle.

(1) Tabletop drills: Tabletop drills are intended to demonstrate a rail plan holder's capability to manage a spill using the ICS. Role playing shall be required in this drill.

(a) During all required tabletop drills rail plan holders shall provide a master list of equipment and personnel identified to fill both command post and field operations roles.

(b) Once during each three year cycle, the rail plan holder shall ensure that key members of the regional/national "away" team as identified in the plan shall be mobilized in state for a tabletop drill. However, at ecology's discretion, team members that are out-of-state may be evaluated in out-of-state tabletop drills if ecology has sufficient notice, an opportunity to participate in the drill planning process, and provided that the out-of-state drills are of similar scope and scale to what would have occurred in state. In this case, key away team members shall be mobilized in this state at least once every six years.

(2) Deployment drills: Rail plan holders shall use deployment drills to demonstrate the actions they would take in a spill, including: Notifications, safety actions, environmental assessment, land-based tactics and equipment deployment.

(a) During the triennial cycle, deployment drills shall include a combination of rail plan holder owned assets, contracted PRC assets, and nondedicated assets.

(b) Rail plan holders should ensure that each type of dedicated equipment listed in the plan and personnel responsible for operating the equipment are tested during each triennial cycle.

(c) Rail plan holders shall design drills that will demonstrate the ability to meet the planning standards, including recovery systems and system compatibility and the suitability of the system for the operating environment. Drills shall be conducted in all operating environments that the rail plan holder could impact from spills.

(d) At least twice during a triennial cycle, rail plan holders shall deploy a GRP or sensitive area strategy identified within the plan.

(e) Rail plan holders may receive credit for deployment drills conducted by PRCs if:

(i) The PRC is listed in the plan; and

(ii) The rail plan holder operates in the area, schedules on the drill calendar, and participates in or observes the drill.

(3) Unannounced drills: Unannounced drills may be initiated by ecology when specific problems are noted with individual rail plan holders, or randomly, to strategically ensure that all operating environments, personnel and equipment readiness have been adequately tested.

(a) Immediately prior to the start of an unannounced drill, rail plan holders will be notified in writing of the drill objectives, expectations and scenario.

(b) Rail plan holders may request to be excused from an unannounced drill if conducting the drill poses an unreasonable safety or environmental risk, or significant economic hardship. If the rail plan holder is excused, ecology will conduct an unannounced drill at a future time.

(4) Wildlife deployment drills: Once every three years rail plan holders shall deploy regional mobile wildlife rehabilitation equipment and personnel necessary to set up the wildlife rehabilitation system found in the plan.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 90.56.210. WSR 16-18-052 (Order 15-14), § 173-186-510, filed 8/31/16, effective 10/1/16.]

RCW 90.56.210. WSR 16-18-052 (Order 15-14), § 173-186-510, filed 8/31/16, effective 10/1/16.