About UMRBA

River Facts

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              Ecosystem Restoration

Hazardous Spills

          Water Quality

Spill Response Plans

Spill response plans, also known as contingency plans, allow for responders to implement coordinated protection efforts in response to a spill event.  A number of spill response plans are in effect for various portions of the Upper Mississippi River basin.

Upper Mississippi River Spill Response Plan

The Upper Mississippi River Hazardous Spills Coordination Group has developed a specific response plan for the interstate UMR, called the Upper Mississippi River Spill Response Plan and Resource Manual.  The plan includes notification protocols, response protocols, and a resource manual listing a variety of river resources critical to spill response. This plan is updated and maintained by the Spills Coordination Group in conjunction with UMRBA.

Area and Sub-Area Contingency Plans

Under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, plans have also been developed on the scale of the U.S. EPA Regions (also known as “area contingency plans”) and for specific metropolitan/geographic areas within U.S. EPA Regions 5 and 7.  These more specific local plans are referred to as “sub-area contingency plans.”  UMRBA has participated in the development and updating of sub-area plans for Minneapolis-St. Paul, the Quad Cities, St. Louis, Peoria, and the Red River.

Public Access vs. Restricted Versions

Note that the plans available on this website are all “public access” versions that do not provide information regarding certain sensitive resources and infrastructure elements.  Please consult each individual plan for instructions in obtaining “restricted access” versions. 

The Inland Sensitivity Atlas

The Inland Sensitivity Atlas was developed in the U.S. EPA Region 5 area as a tool to be used in conjunction with the contingency plans.  This map product provides detailed information about potential spill sources and sensitive resources throughout the Region and is intended for use by emergency responders and planners.  UMRBA has developed and updates portions of the Inland Sensitivity Atlas in cooperation with U.S. EPA Region 5 and the Great Lakes Commission.