Date of Award

Summer 4-2003

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Abstract

On June 25, 2000, the Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard and the Secretary of the Mexican Navy signed the Joint Contingency Plan between the United Mexican States and the United States of America regarding Pollution of the Marine Environment by Discharges of Hydrocarbons or other Hazardous Substances, or more commonly referred to as the MEXUSPLAN. The MEXUSPLAN establishes necessary cooperative response assistance between the United States and Mexico in the event that one signatory nation's response capabilities are overwhelmed by a catastrophic oil spill in their territorial waters. MEXUSPLAN also provides for notification procedures from one nation to the other in the event of such a spill posing a threat to the other nation's marine waters and natural marine resources. Although this agreement is a significant step forward in the realm of international oil pollution response cooperation between the two nations, the plan fails of fully address all aspects of a joint international marine oil spill response operation at the response manager level of both governments.

The purpose of this research is to formally identify any potential shortfalls of this important joint marine oil spill response plan. By doing so, response managers from both the United States and Mexico will be better prepared to respond in a cooperative manner to an international marine oil spill incident within the coastal border region. Upon completion of my study, the results ofmy findings and a series ofrecommended changes shall be presented to both the United States Coast Guard and the Secretary of the Mexican Navy to encourage an amendment to the MEXUSPLAN reflecting the proposed changes in an effort to improve the level of joint marine oil spill response preparedness.

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