The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA-90) and the international treaty, MARPOL 73/78, require owners/operators of certain vessels to prepare Vessel Response Plans (VRP) and/or Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plans (SOPEP) approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. In addition, for certain vessels carrying noxious liquid substances, MARPOL 73/78 requires owner/operators to prepare and submit Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plans (SMPEP), effective January 1, 2003. Access to information and key elements contained in those plans is available below.