the needs of its customers, MSRC restructured to meet these changing needs. MSRC's annual budget was
reduced from US $96 million (1995) to US $42 million and the member of employees dropped from 441 to 177
nationwide. All of this while still maintaining the same level of dedicated response equipment.
Regional Approach
MSRC's 5 regional concept was reduced to 3: Eastern, Southern and Western. Each region was uniquely designed to allow for MSRC to alter operations to satisfy regional customer requirements. MSRC decentralized and placed more authority with the Regional Vice Presidents. The office which was previously known as MSRC's“Headquarters” now became the Virginia Group. The Virginia Group's responsibilities include:
・ Oversight
・ Quality Assurance
・ Services
The President, Chief Financial Officer, corporate attorneys, and others necessary to run a company are located within this group. This office also serves the regions by ensuring that such administrative services as payroll and accounts payable do not have to be duplicated by the regional offices.
Spill Team Area Responders (STARs)
MSRC also established an enhanced network of environmental response contractors known better as Spill Team Area Responders, or STARs. These 60+/- companies represent environmental contractors recognized leaders in the response industry. They provide such services as:
・ Personnel
・ Response Equipment
・ Local Knowledge
・ Logistical Support
New Services
MSRC also established a number of new services to provide its customers with the range of services they desired. MSRC now can provide the following services:
・ Response to Spills of All Sizes
・ “Average Most Probable Discharge”
・ Shoreline Cleanup
・ International Response (if certain criteria are met)
・ Hazardous Materials (if certain criteria are met)
Business Opportunities/Customer Service
MSRC has also established other activities in the customer service and business development areas. MSRC has refocused to become more customer service oriented. The company presently is reviewing partnering opportunities with other OSROs, to provide our customers with a more cost-effective approach to maintaining dedicated response capability. Other areas of opportunity which MSRC focuses on include: international shipowner marketing, international business opportunities, as well as other business opportunities.
Alternative Technologies
MSRC continues to recognize alternative response technologies such as insitu burning and dispersants as a viable alternative, in some cases, to mechanical recovery operations. As U.S. federal and state authorities have pre-approved the use of insitu burn capability in certain geographic areas, MSRC has purchased and located insitu burn systems in those areas of pre-approval. At this time 6 of these systems are in place in MSRC's area of service. With respect to dispersants, MSRC continues to review, in conjunction with industry, an appropriate infrastructure for this capability.
In Summary: The MSRC of Today
The MSRC of today has changed substantially in some regards, and minimally others, to the organization formed in 1990. Still committed to provide a dedicated, stand-by response capability, the organization has increasingly embraced a customer-oriented approach.
