In accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Panama Canal Authority and the U.S. National Response Team, an annual exercise known as EcoCanal and associated training took place in Panama City, Panama, during the week of June 23, 2014.

The presentations and training covered the review of Panama Canal Authority and government of Panama contingency plans, governmental agency capabilities, legislative responsibilities, an overview of international trends in pollution incidents, an executive review of the Incident Command System and the Incident Response Guide relating to the MOA, and risk communications training. Presenters for these activities represented numerous Panamanian governmental agencies, International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation, U.S. Coast Guard, EPA, NOAA, and Panama Canal Authority personnel.

The scenario for the EcoCanal '14 exercise involved the collision of a gas tanker with a cargo carrier at the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. The cargo carrier sustained damage to its fuel tanks resulting in an oil spill. The gas ship ran aground and was in danger of releasing a poisonous gas which would have threatened the population of the city of Colon. The functional exercise allowed the participants to form a Unified Command under the Incident Command System among the Panama Canal Authority and government of Panama agencies, use the Incident Response Guide for notifications to the National Response Team and to request personnel and materials to help support the incident, establish a Joint Information Center to produce press releases, prepare an Incident Action Plan, and coordinate the development of an evacuation strategy and plan.

In addition to the exercise, the Panama Canal Authority arranged a tour of the current Panama Canal Expansion project for the U.S. and International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation representatives. It is an amazing project and this was a wonderful opportunity to see and understand the scope of the project prior to its opening in 2016. The opening of this canal expansion will have world-wide repercussions on shipping patterns and economic growth.

For further information contact Ed.Levine@noaa.gov.

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