The Environmental Protection Agency has begun conducting full scale exercises to test Geographic Response Strategies (GRS) developed under this project.  The primary goal of these exercises will be to train first responders to use oil spill response equipment and to test and validate GRS.  Additional training objectives will include assembling a spill response organization using Incident Command (ICS) principles and demonstrating the ability to effectively communicate during an oil spill response.

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These GRS exercises are consistent with the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) and will follow standard planning, conduct and evaluation processes.