The following is a listing of available oil response resources specific to the Great Lakes Region. It is not comprehensive, but is intended to evolve as more resources become known. Should you have any resources to offer or note a broken link, please contact us at info@emsics.com.
Great Lakes Oil Spill Response Capabilities Evaluation (RAND, 17 Apr 2024)
CANADA
Canada-United States Joint Marine Pollution Contingency Plan: 2022 CANUS JCP
Canada: Response Organizations Regulations (SOR/95-405)
Canadian Coast Guard: Marine Spills Contingency Plan – National Chapter
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Transport Canada: National Oil Spill Preparedness and Response Regime
UNITED STATES
US National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) Overview
2025 US Coast Guard Incident Management Handbook
EPA Region 5 Inland Sensitivity Atlas (Geographic Information System (GIS) based products)
NOAA Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps (summary of coastal resources that are at risk)
NOAA Shoreline Assessment Manual (Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique or SCAT)
NOAA FOSC’s Guide to NOAA Scientific Support Guidebook (2015)
NOAA Managing Seafood Safety after an Oil Spill (2002)
Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Oil Spill Response Job Aid
Open Water Oil Identification Job Aid for Aerial Observation
Dispersant Application Observer Job Aid
Characteristics of Response Strategies: A Guide for Spill Response Planning in Marine Environments
Ice Operations Guidance
Alaska Clean Seas Volume_1_Tactics_Descriptions
API Ops Guide Sunken Oil Detection and Recovery
API Report Sunken Oil Detection and Recovery
API Winter Oil Spill Recovery Tactical Guidance Document
Arctic Council and EPPR Guide to Oil Spill Response in the Arctic
BSEE ROSI User Manual v15 final
Detecting Oil in Sea Ice using Ground-Penetrating Radar, 2012. (BSEE)
Enbridge Inland Spill Response Tactics Guide
Exxon Oil Spill Response Field Manual
Federal On Scene Coordinators Guide
Final Report to the IOGP Arctic Oil Spill Response Technology Joint Industry Programme
Great Lakes Oil in Ice Response Guide 9-5-25
NOAA Characteristic_Coastal_Habitats
Remote Sensing Guide to Oil Spill Detection in Ice Covered Waters
Report-5.2 – Capabilitiies for Detection of Oil Spills Under Sea Ice
Report-7.1.1-OGP_State_of_Knowledge_ISB_Ice_Oct_14_2013
Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment
Tech Report FOSC Guide_4-Sep-2025
USEPA Understanding Oil Spills
2021 Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan: Appendix XIII: Subarea Plans
Chicago Planning Area
• Greater Chicago Sub-Area Contingency Plan
• Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan Area Contingency Plan
• Will County Initial Incident Action Plan
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
Cincinnati Planning Area
• Ohio River – Cincinnati Sub-Area Spill Response Plan
• Ohio River Valley Umbrella Plan
• Region 4 Regional Area Contingency Plan (RACP)
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
Cleveland/East Lake Erie Planning Area
• Sector Lake Michigan Area Contingency Plan
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
Detroit/SE Michigan Planning Area
• Northwest Ohio & Southeast Michigan Area Contingency Plan
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
• Joint Contingency Plans between the U.S. and Canada
Great Black Swamp Inland Planning Area
• Northwest Ohio & Southeast Michigan Area Contingency Plan
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
Great Lakes Planning Area
• Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan Area Contingency Plan
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
Great Rivers Planning Area
• Great Rivers Sub-Area Contingency Plan
• Paducah/Metropolis IAP (DRAFT)
• Upper Mississippi River Spill Response Plan & Resource Manual
• Ohio River Valley Umbrella Plan
• Region 4 Regional Area Contingency Plan (RACP)
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
• Region 6 Regional Contingency Plan
• Region 7 Regional Integrated Contingency Plan
Green Bay / Horicon Marsh Planning Area
• Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan Area Contingency Plan
• Horicon Marsh IAP May 2015
• Horicon Marsh GRP Response Strategies
• Horicon Marsh GRP Tables
• Horicon Marsh Response Strategies Download
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
Milwaukee Planning Area
• Sector Lake Michigan Area Contingency Plan; Southeast Wisconsin Sub-Area Plan
• Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan Area Contingency Plan
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
Minneapolis / St Paul Planning Area
• Inland Zone Sub-Area Contingency Plan (SACP) for Minneapolis/St. Paul
• Minneapolis/St. Paul Inland Zone Sub-Area Incident Action Plan
• Upper Mississippi River Spill Response Plan & Resource Manual
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
North Lower W. Michigan Planning Area
• Western Michigan Sub-Area Plan
• Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan Area Contingency Plan
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
North Michigan Planning Area
• Northern Michigan Sub-Area Plan
• Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan Area Contingency Plan
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
NW Indiana Planning Area
• Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan Area Contingency Plan
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
Ohio River Umbrella Plan Planning Area
• Ohio River Response Map
• Ohio River Valley Umbrella Plan
• Region 3 RCP
• Region 4 Regional Area Contingency Plan (RACP)
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
Patoka Planning Area
• Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge Story Map
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
Quad Cities Planning Area
• Quad Cities Sub-Area Contingency Plan
• Quad Cities Response Strategies
• Upper Mississippi River Spill Response Plan & Resource Manual
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
• Region 7 Regional Integrated Contingency Plan
Red River Planning Area
• Red River Valley Sub-Area Support Document
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
• Region 8 RCP
St. Croix National Scenic Riverway Planning Area
• NPS St. Croix National Scenic Riverway IAP (2020)
• St. Croix National Scenic Riverway IAP
• Minneapolis/St. Paul Sub-Area ICP/ACP, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway Annex
• Response Strategy Tables
• GRP Download
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
Greater St. Louis Planning Area
• Greater St. Louis Sub-Area Contingency Plan
• St. Louis Geographic Response Plan and Response Strategies
• Upper Mississippi River Spill Response Plan & Resource Manual
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
• Region 7 Regional Integrated Contingency Plan
Siouxland Planning Area
• Siouxland Sub-Area Contingency Plan
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
• Region 7 Regional Integrated Contingency Plan
• Region 8 RCP
South Lower W. Michigan Planning Area
• Western Michigan Sub-Area Plan
• Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan Area Contingency Plan
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
SE Ohio/Huntington River Planning Area
• Huntington/Ohio River Sub-Area Contingency Plan (DRAFT)
• Ohio River Valley Umbrella Plan
• Region 3 RCP
• Region 4 Regional Area Contingency Plan (RACP)
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
SE Ohio/Upper Ohio River Planning Area
• SE Ohio Sub-Area Spill Response Place
• Ohio River Valley Umbrella Plan
• Region 3 RCP
• Region 4 Regional Area Contingency Plan (RACP)
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
Upper Mississippi River Planning Area
• Upper Mississippi River Spill Response Plan & Resource Manual
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
• Region 7 Regional Integrated Contingency Plan
Upper Mississippi River (Pools) Planning Area
Pools 5, 5a, and 6
• Overview
• Incident Action Plan (IAP)
• Geographic Response Plan (GRP) Download
• GRP Tables
Pool 7
• Overview
• IAP
• GRP Download
• GRP Tables
Pool 8
• Overview
• Initial IAP
• GRP Download
• GRP Tables
Pool 9
• Overview
• Initial IAP
• GRP Download
• GRP Tables
Pool 10
• Overview
• Initial IAP
• GRP Download
Pools 11 and 12
• Overview
• Initial IAP
• GRP Download
• GRP Tables
Pool 13
• Overview
• Initial IAP
• GRP Download
• GRP Tables
Pools 14 – 16
• Response Strategies, Quad Cities
Pool 19
• Overview
• IAP
• GRP Download
St. Louis
• Overview
• St. Louis Response Strategies Download
Additional Area Plans
• Horicon Marsh Response Strategies Download
• Upper Mississippi River Spill Response Plan & Resource Manual
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
• Region 7 Regional Integrated Contingency Plan
Western Lake Superior Planning Area
• MSU Duluth/Western Lake Superior Area Contingency Plan (ACP)
• A link to the MSU Duluth/Western Lake Superior Area Contingency Plan (ACP) above can be found in the Safety and Security section as ‘Western Lake Superior Area Contingency Plan (ACP).
• Strategic Protection Plan Response Considerations: Isle Royale National Park
• Isle Royale Protection Strategies
• Sector Lake Michigan Area Contingency Plan
• Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
White River Planning Area
Region 5 Regional Contingency Plan / Area Contingency Plan
Michigan
• Michigan Government Viewer
Ohio
• Ohio Mapping Project