In the State of Alaska, spill response tactics manuals serve as key execution documents in the event of an oil or hazardous substance release. The regulated oil industry has developed several different tactics manuals in order to meet State contingency planning requirements. These include tactics manuals that have been developed by the major Alaskan spill response organizations. On the national and international scale, response tactics and guidance manuals have also been developed by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Arctic Council (Emergency Prevention, Preparedness & Response Program), response agencies in all other U.S. and West Coast states, and National Response Team agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The purpose of this project is to coordinate the development of a statewide spill response tactics manual for use by the spill response community, including federal, state, local, industry, and spill cooperatives throughout Alaska. The end product would be available for general use by the spill response community in Alaska, and may also serve as a means for meeting contingency planning requirements. The manual is intended to become the standard tactical reference for oil spill planning and response activities in Alaska. The standardized tactical descriptions contained in the manual can be referenced in contingency plans, making them simpler, and will facilitate mutual aid among response organizations. The manual may eventually become part of the Alaska Federal and State Preparedness Plan for Response to Oil and Hazardous Substance Discharges/Releases (Unified Plan).

The manual is not meant to be a prescriptive document,
and the spill response community in Alaska may choose to either use/reference the document, or elect not to use the manual to satisfy their C-plan requirements.