United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of bmergency
and Remedial Response
Washington DC 20460
2nd Edition
April 1984
HW-3
EPA's Emergency
Response Program
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EPA's Emergency
Response Program
Train derailments can re-
lease hazardous sub-
stances over large areas,
possibly requiring evacua-
tion of nearby residents.
In satisfying the American
public's demand for sophisti-
cated products, modern
technology's response is in-
genious and complex.
Sometimes that technology
generates toxic by-products
as well—hazardous wastes.
Effective and safe handling
of such wastes has im-
proved tremendously under
rapidly-advancing disposal
technology. In 1976, the Re-
source Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) was
enacted, for the first time
establishing controls for the
generation, transportation,
and disposal of hazardous
wastes.
Although it provided the
tools to track and regulate
the handling of such sub-
stances, RCRA did not deal
with existing hazardous sites
that had become trouble-
some as a result of past
improper disposal practices.
These sites, as well as
accidents in handling or
transporting hazardous
substances, can present
emergency situations requir-
ing an immediate cleanup or
removal.
Federal authority to respond
to releases of oil and hazard-
ous substances into the na-
tion's navigable waters is
found under Section 311 of
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Emergency Response Program
Super-fund
the Clean Water Act. This
authority, which is assigned
to the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency and the Coast
Guard, has existed for over a
decade The Clean Water
Act also established a fund
to finance these responses
However, it provided only
limited authority and limited
funds to tackle the variety of
problems caused by release
of hazardous substances into
land, ground water, and air
The swollen bottom on this
drum indicates a serious
threat of leakage.
To provide a more effective
and comprehensive re-
sponse to the foregoing
problems. Congress enacted
the Comprehensive Environ-
mental Response, Compen-
sation, and Liability Act of
1980- Popularly referred to
as "Superfund," CERCLA
and Section 311 of the
Clean Water Act permit the
Federal government to work
with State and local govern-
ments to provide an immedi-
ate and comprehensive re-
sponse to accidental release
of hazardous substances.
Superfund cleanups are
financed by a $1.6 billion
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Emergency Response Program
Barges carrying large car-
goes of hazardous materi-
als may break loose and
strike bridges and other
structures. This barge was
secured in time, preventing
potentially serious damage
to the waterway.
trust fund. The fund can be
used to provide both emer-
gency and longer-term
cleanup of releases of haz-
ardous substances and in-
active waste sites. It is col-
lected through taxes paid by
manufacturers, producers,
and exporters and importers
of oil and 42 chemical sub-
stances.
In 1968 the Federal govern-
ment established the first
National Contingency Plan
to respond to emergencies
caused by oil spills and
releases of hazardous sub-
stances in navigable waters.
CERCLA required EPA to re-
vise and republish the Plan
to cover all of the actions
which can now be taken un-
der both Superfund and the
Clean Water Act. The Plan
details the responsibilities of
14 Federal agencies and
State and local governments
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Emergency Response Program
When a hazardous sub-
stance ignites, it not only
presents the immediate
dangers of heat and smoke
but it can spread hazardous
particles and vapors over
wide areas.
for cleaning up releases of
hazardous substances to all
media (land, air, surface wa-
ter and ground water) and
discharges of oil into naviga-
ble waters of the U.S.
In general the Plan:
• Encourages coordina-
tion of Federal, State
and local government
involvement in re-
sponse actions;
• Allows State and local
governments to be
reimbursed by the Fed-
eral government for
allowable response
costs; and
• Authorizes the Federal
government to under-
take cleanup when the
responsible party or
the State cannot or
will not do so.
Primary responsibility for
dealing with accidental
releases in or near coastal
waters and the Great Lakes
is with the Coast Guard.
The lead responsibility for
other emergencies occurring
inland or in inland waters
belongs to EPA, as specified
by an agreement between
EPA and the Coast Guard.
EPA responses are coordi-
nated by its Emergency Re-
sponse Division with the
assistance of the Hazardous
Response Support Division.
Both are a part of the Of-
fice of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response.
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Emergency Response Program
Emergency
Response
Program
Two types of removal ac-
tions are carried out by EPA
in its emergency response
program: immediate remov-
als and planned removals.
Immediate Removals
Immediate removals are
triggered by immediate and
significant emergencies
involving hazardous sub-
Chemical foams are often
used to prevent evapora-
tion of hazardous sub-
stances or to extinguish
fires resulting from acci-
dents. Response personnel
wear protective clothing
while handling these
chemicals.
stances. Such emergencies
might include:
• Fires or explosions;
• Direct human contact
with a hazardous sub-
stance;
• Human, animal, or
food-chain exposure to
such a substance, or
• Contamination of a
drinking water supply.
An immediate removal is a
first-aid approach to an
emergency. It involves
cleaning up the hazardous
site as necessary to protect
life and human health,
stopping the hazardous re-
lease, and minimizing dam-
age or threat of damage to
the environment. If there
has been a spill (from a
truck, derailed train or
barge, for example) the re-
sponse will continue until
the spill is cleaned up.
Inactive hazardous waste
sites will be stabilized but
the cleanup may continue
beyond stabilization if this
course appears less expen-
sive than stopping and
returning later for final
cleanup or remedial action.
Specifically, immediate
removal responses may
include:
• Collecting and analyz-
ing samples;
• Controlling the release;
• Removing hazardous
substances from the
site and storing, treat-
ing, or disposing of
them;
• Providing alternate wa-
ter supplies;
• Installing security
fencing;
• Deterring the spread of
the pollutants; and
• Evacuating threatened
individuals.
Planned Removals
A planned removal occurs
when the hazard is sub-
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Emergency Response Program
•*•
Above: Workers with pro-
tective suits and self-
contained breathing units
extract samples from
drums. Samples are sent
to a chemical laboratory
for analysis.
stantial and imminent but
constitutes something less
than an immediate emer-
gency. Such a removal
assumes that, while the sit-
uation is deteriorating, time
is available to plan an
appropriate response before
reaching the site. Under
Superfund, a planned
removal may be initiated if:
• The action will mini-
mize damages or risks
and preclude future
emergency response
actions;
• Removal is consistent
with the most effective
long-term solution to
the problem;
• The responsible party
is unknown, cannot be
found, or cannot or
will not take timely
and appropriate action;
• The State agrees to
pay at least 10 percent
of the costs of the
removal action; and
• The State agrees to
nominate the site to
the National Priority
List for remedial ac-
tion, if further action
at the site is consid-
ered appropriate once
the removal is com-
pleted.
The planned removal re-
sponse will be chosen only
after analysis of removal al-
ternatives to determine the
quickest and least costly
approach. The selected
course of action also must
be reliable and effective,
and consistent with the
probable long-term solution.
The planned removal ends
when the situation is stabi-
lized and the imminent dan-
ger has been abated. The
operation may continue,
however, if the cleanup can
be completed within a short
time and at a low cost.
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Emergency Response Program
Hazardous
Substance
Cleanup: An
Industry-
Government
Partnership
In practice, many emergency
cleanups and removals are
handled by the responsible
party—usually the generator,
transporter, or disposer of
the waste. The remainder
are cleaned up by an
industry-government part-
nership. If government
resources are called upon,
a variety of local, State, and
Emergency situations in-
volving hazardous sub-
stances require specific
techniques, equipment and
personal safety protection.
Above: Firefighters respond
to a night emergency.
Federal agencies may be
called into action.
Superfund and Section 311
of the Clean Water Act
require that EPA, the Coast
Guard, the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency,
the Department of Health
and Human Services, the
Department of the Interior,
and nine other Federal
agencies cooperate as
members of the National
and Regional Response
Teams to coordinate activi-
ties in cases of emergency.
Additional Federal agencies
that may be involved are
the Departments of Agricul-
ture, Commerce, Defense,
Energy, Justice, Labor,
State, and Housing and Ur-
ban Development; and the
Small Business Administra-
tion. In the event Federal
services are called upon:
• The Coast Guard or
EPA assumes primary
responsibility to re-
spond, depending
upon the location of
the emergency;
• The Federal Emergency
Management Agency
is responsible for
evacuations;
• The Fish and Wildlife
Service in the Depart-
ment of the Interior
and the National Ma-
rine Fisheries Service
in the Department of
Commerce conduct re-
search into the effects
of the disaster on ma-
rine, aquatic and ter-
restrial life;
• The Public Health
Service in the Depart-
ment of Health and
Human Services inves-
tigates incidents of
hazardous substance
exposure to humans
and threats to the
public welfare; and
• Other agencies play
roles related to their re-
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Emergency Response Program
spective authorities if the
emergency requires it.
When To Notify the
Government
When release of a hazard-
ous substance creates an
emergency situation, local
police and fire departments
probably will be the first
agencies involved. While
they are taking initial pro-
tective actions, however,
local officials may be calling
upon State and Federal
agencies for assistance.
The responsible party—such
as a generator, transporter
or disposer of hazardous
waste—must also notify the
National Response Center
(NRC) as soon as (s)he has
knowledge that a hazardous
substance was released in a
Reportable Quantity (RQ)
into the environment. Sec-
tion 102 of CERCU\ desig-
nates almost 700 sub-
stances as hazardous and
assigns RQs that trigger
notification requirements.
To request Federal assist-
ance under Superfund, a
State or local government
should contact its nearest
EPA Regional Office.
When the National Re-
sponse Center is notified,
the duty officer immediately
relays the release informa-
tion to an EPA or Coast
Guard On-Scene Coordina-
tor (OSC), depending upon
the location and nature of
the emergency. The OSC
coordinates and monitors all
protective and precautionary
activities to ensure that
everything possible is done
to protect public health,
welfare, and the en-
vironment.
The Federal Role
The response process be-
gins with the OSC's deci-
sion to initiate response
measures. This decision
is based on a preliminary
assessment of notification
information and on follow-
up data gathered from the
responsible party or officials
at the release site. The OSC
must decide whether the
Federal government is the
appropriate response
agency. Alternatively, State
agencies may take the lead
in cleaning up a release
site, or the party responsible
for the release may have
the capability to provide
mitigation actions. In both
cases, however, the Federal
OSC will retain the authority
for oversight or monitoring
of the cleanup operations to
ensure that the threat is
mitigated. At times, the ex-
pertise of other Federal
-------
The grappler's specially-
designed pickup arm helps
remove hazardous waste
drums from an active dis-
posal site.
agencies and other States
can be brought to a re-
sponse action through the
Regional Response Team
(RRT) established by the
National Contingency Plan.
The Federal OSC, either in
consultation with other
agencies or on the spot,
must decide what type of
response to make: whether
the release should be con-
tained to prevent migration,
whether the release should
be treated in situ, or
whether a federally-funded
removal to a treatment,
storage or disposal (TSD)
facility should be un-
dertaken.
The OSC seeks assistance
from the EPA Regional
Emergency Reponse Offices
and the special Environmen-
tal Response Teams based
in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Edi-
son, New Jersey.
As part of EPA's policy of
keeping the public accur-
ately informed, the OSC
may also seek assistance
from the Agency in coor-
dinating information for the
media and providing liaison
with citizens organizations
as necessary.
According to CERCLA, an
official Federal removal ac-
tion may be considered in
cases where:
• The discharger is
unknown;
• The discharge is
caused by an act of
God or war; or
• The responsible party
cannot or will not re-
spond adequately.
Under Superfund, govern-
mental emergency response
is able to achieve the
highest degree of inter-
agency and inter-govern-
mental teamwork. If Federal
authorization is provided,
State and local govern-
ments may conduct the
cleanups and reimburse-
ment will be made by
Superfund. The Federal
government itself may con-
duct the removal if the
State or local government
requests assistance.
In either case, the Federal
government retains its im-
portant advisory and coordi-
nation role. EPA's scientific
resources and its specialized
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Emergency Response Program
monitoring, sampling and
safety equipment will sup-
port State and local efforts.
Superfund will be the key
source of cleanup money.
To help keep the fund sol-
vent, Superfund also pro-
vides that the responsible
party may be liable for
punitive damages of up to
three times the cost of the
Federal removal for failure
to respond properly to the
emergency.
Prevention
The containments
around the storage
tanks are designed to
prevent any leakage of
oil products into adja-
cent waters.
Oil Pollution Prevention
For more than a decade,
EPA has been concerned
about the discharge of oil
into the navigable waters of
the United States. To prevent
such oil discharges by non-
transportation-related (NTR)
onshore and offshore facili-
ties, EPA promulgated the oil
pollution prevention regula-
tion in December 1973. The
regulation establishes re-
quirements for the develop-
ment and implementation of
Spill Control and Counter-
measure Plans (SPCC
Plans). This regulation is ap-
plicable to all owner/opera-
tors of NTR onshore and
offshore facilities engaged in
drilling, producing, gather-
ing, storing, processing,
refining, transferring, dis-
tributing, or consuming oil
and oil products and who,
because of their location,
could reasonably be ex-
pected to discharge oil into
or upon the navigable
waters of the United States.
The EPA Regional Offices
implement this regulation by
routinely visiting facilities and
reviewing their SPCC Plan.
All transportation-related fa-
cilities are regulated by the
Department of Transporta-
tion in accordance with an
agreement with EPA.
Hazardous Substance
Prevention
EPA's Hazardous Substance
Prevention Program estab-
lishes guidelines for industry
to prevent hazardous sub-
stance releases into the en-
vironment. The guidelines
focus on protection of public
health, welfare, and the en-
vironment.
10
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Emergency Response Program
Superfund
in Action
The Emergency
Response at Cecil
County, Maryland
She workers wearing
protective suits placed
leaking drums into over-
packs. In all, more than
1,300 drums and 5 million
pounds of contaminated
soil were removed and
disposed of at authorized
facilities.
In the late 1960s, approxi-
mately 1,300 drums of haz-
ardous wastes were stacked
in a clay quarry and covered
over in the small Cecil
County, Maryland, commu-
nity of North East. When the
new owners of the land be-
gan an expansion of a mo-
bile home community into
the former quarry area, they
discovered chemical odors
and several surfacing drums.
After receiving complaints in
April 1981, the county and
the Maryland Office of En-
vironmental Programs tested
drinking water wells and sur-
face water in the area. The
property owner also con-
ducted geological studies.
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Emergency Response Program
The drums were
stacked up to 15 layers
deep. To speed up the
removal action, EPA
combined compatible
chemicals so they
could be either treated
at the site or bulk
shipped to a disposal
facility.
The analyses showed safe
drinking water, but the sur-
face water and soil samples
contained organic solvents,
including several known and
suspected carcinogens. The
State then requested as-
sistance from Superfund.
From February to April 1982,
EPA conducted a site investi-
gation, including additional
sampling. The on-scene in-
vestigators discovered drums
of hazardous organic wastes
located a few hundred feet
from a 300-unit trailer park.
These wastes were contami-
nating soil, two small ponds,
and a creek running through
the trailer park. A joint State
and EPA emergency re-
sponse team evaluated the
site in May. EPA approved a
removal action under Super-
fund in June 1982.
EPA began an immediate
removal action costing
$110,000 on Wednesday,
June 16, 1982. This in-
cluded erecting a fence
around the site to secure the
area, installing filter fences
on the stream, removing
four drums of ignitable
materials found on the sur-
face, overpacking eight leak-
ing drums, conducting mag-
netometer and ground-
penetrating radar surveys to
determine where additional
drums were buried, and
continuing air, water, and
soil sampling.
Based on these studies,
EPA estimated that there
were approximately 125
drums at the site. Because
of the potential danger
these posed to the
neighboring community,
EPA decided to undertake a
planned removal action. In-
stead of the expected 125
drums, however, in
November, 1982, on-scene
personnel discovered that
there were 1,300 drums
stacked up to 15 layers
deep.
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Emergency Response Program
At (to completion of the
removal action, the site
was fUed. capped with
day. covered w*fi top soi.
and seeded.
The discovery changed the
scope of the planned re-
moval action, ER\ State
and local agencies, and con-
tractors increased personnel
to complete the action with-
in the statutory limit of six
months—a deadline of De-
cember 16, 1982, EF&
changed the removal strat-
egy to combine compatible
chemicals together and dis-
pose of them as bulked li-
quids rather than in drums
This and other innovative
strategies lowered the per
drum cost of cleanup, so
that the planned removal ac-
tion cost $960,000, only
about $300,000 more than
anticipated when the num-
ber of drums was thought to
be a tenth of how many
were found.
In all, EF& removed 50,000
gallons of contaminated li-
quids, 5 million pounds of
contaminated soil, and
treated 100,000 gallons of
contaminated water. Site
workers refilled the hole with
clean fill material, installed a
clay cap to prevent water
seepage into the former
drum area and the leaching
out of any contaminants
possibly left in the deeper
ground, and covered the
surface with topsoil seeded
with grass to prevent ero-
sion. The State pledged to
maintain the air and water
monitoring stations. To date,
all environmental samples
have been free of the con-
tamination that prompted
this Superfund removal
action,
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Emergency Response Program
Research
and
Develop-
ment
Controlling and cleaning up
hazardous substances is a
relatively new field. New
equipment and new tech-
niques are required to re-
spond quickly and effec-
tively to emergencies, and
to dispose of the materials
in a way that is environ-
mentally safe. Both industry
and EPA are working dili-
gently to learn more about
controlling such substances
and to develop new
ERA'S "Blue Magoo" can
be moved quickly to
hazardous waste sites to
remove hazardous sub-
stances from contaminated
water.
cleanup techniques and
equipment.
Much of the development
and testing related to the
Emergency Response Pro-
gram occurs at EPA's
Environmental Emergency
Response Unit (EERU) in
Edison, New Jersey. EERU
is a cooperative effort
among emergency response
research personnel at Edi-
son, the Environmental
Response Team, other EPA
operational personnel, and
contractors from private
industry. As new equipment
is developed and tested
satisfactorily, it is utilized by
EERU in actual emergen-
cies; it is also used in train-
ing courses and in develop-
ment of emergency
response assistance man-
uals. Additional R&D sup-
port is provided at other
EPA research installations.
Chemical Cleanups
A number of special clean-
up equipment designs are
under development at Edi-
son. One, designed for
cleanup of chemical sub-
stances, is a fully-
operational Physical-
Chemical Treatment Trailer
nicknamed the "Blue Ma-
goo." A combination of
treatment units mounted on
a flatbed trailer truck, the
Blue Magoo is capable of
being transported to an
emergency site.
The treatment technology
was adapted from equip-
ment currently used for
conventional water pollution
control treatment. The
physical-chemical treatment
14
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Emergency Response Program
Oil is released into the EPA
OHMSETT tank at Edison,
New Jersey, to test spill
cleanup methods and
equipment.
concept for hazardous sub-
stances has now been
adopted by at least two
commercial cleanup equip-
ment manufacturers.
Still in the testing stage is a
mobile hazardous waste in-
cineration system. This unit
will be capable of on-site
thermal detoxification of
many hazardous materials
such as PCBs, kepone,
malathion, and TCDD. '"The
system is mounted on three
over-the-road semi-trailers to
facilitate transportation to
operating sites. Trial burn-
ings of liquid hazardous and
toxic substances have been
completed successfully. This
is to be followed by trial
burnings on contaminated
solids.
Oil Cleanups
EPA also conducts a wide-
ranging oil spills research
program under Section 311
of the Clean Water Act.
Major research and de-
velopment efforts for oil
spills include:
• Construction and oper-
ation of a Spill Clean-
up Testing Facility at
Leonardo, New Jersey.
The testing facility,
called the Oil and Haz-
ardous Materials Simu-
lated Environmental
Test Tank (OHMSETT),
is a large concrete
tank with a mobile
bridge. It permits
environmentally-safe
testing of spill cleanup
methods and equip-
ment. Oil spill contain-
ment booms, skimmers
and dispersing agents
can be tested repeat-
edly to insure reliability
and efficiency.
• Evaluation of chemical
dispersants developed
1R
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Emergency Response Program
by industry, and tech-
niques for applying
them from ships and
aircraft in rough seas.
Techniques for cleaning
up and protecting
shorelines and
beaches. The Edison
facility, for example, is
emergencies involving con-
tamination of ground water,
surface water and drinking
water by spills of hazardous
substances and oils. The
unit also has provided
emergency responses to
uncontrolled waste sites.
EERU activities during these
EPA's mobile hazardous
waste incineration system
is mounted on three semi-
trailers to facilitate trans-
portation to hazardous sub-
stance sites.
investigating use of
chemical agents which
could be applied be-
fore an oil slick arrives.
These agents form a
thin film that prevents
the oil from adhering
to the beach.
Emergency Assistance
During the past several
years, the EERU has
responded to a variety of
emergencies included:
• Evaluation of the
severity and extent of
contamination;
• On-site analytical
support;
• Recommendation of
safe, effective treat-
ment and disposal
options; and
• Supervision of spill
cleanup operations.
16
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Emergency Response Program
Training
In order to disseminate the
latest knowledge on new
emergency techniques and
equipment, EERU has
designed a comprehensive
one-week training course for
emergency response per-
sonnel from Federal, State
and local organizations and
private industry.
The course, entitled "Haz-
ardous Materials Incident
Response Operations," is
offered at EERU's Edison
facility. Its goal is to train
response officials in the
latest emergency proce-
dures, team organization
and functioning, and safety.
The course consists of lec-
tures followed by problem-
solving sessions in the
classroom or outdoor ex-
ercises.
Subjects include those con-
cepts and principles as-
sociated with all response
activities:
• Recognizing the haz-
ards associated with
specific materials;
• Determining the risks
to the public and the
environment;
• Developing methods to
reduce or prevent the ef-
fects of an incident; and
• Insuring protection and
safety of response per-
sonnel.
The course is limited to 18
participants per session.
During the first part of the
instruction, students are
divided into small work
groups which study and
practice problem-solving
and decision-making in-
volved in the foregoing con-
cepts. Participants are next
instructed in the use of pro-
tective clothing and breath-
ing equipment, after which
they actually use the equip-
ment in a smoke-filled en-
vironment, on obstacle
courses and while operating
field instruments.
Final exercises are designed
to test students' ability to
utilize the information
presented to them in a full-
scale environmental episode.
They are confronted with
two simulated exercises,
both based upon actual
emergencies, which require
practical application of the
techniques learned earlier.
The course has proven to
be one of EERU's most ef-
fective means of involving
emergency response per-
sonnel in the complexities
of such a response and
ensuring informed, well-
coordinated teamwork to
resolve the problem.
17
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Emergency Response Program
EPA S/IJMTSWS nationwiili'
li.uninti lot it>i>ntstmlalivirfi
of industry, tiiti depart
ini.vif.s-, and Stal<> and local
(lovnmmtfnts. Rif/ht and Iw
low: Tiaiiwos lomn how to
don ant I tiso t ho salt
contained hmithini/,-(/)
paniltis ofton ttHjiiitad lot
rospirtitory piotoclion.
Several hundred emergency
response personnel have
completed the course since
it was inaugurated in 1981,
Graduates include all mem-
bers of EPA's Emergency
Response Division, other
Federal officials with emer-
gency responsibilities, and
response personnel from
State, local and private
organizations,
IB
-------
Emergency Response Program
The course currently is
being offered once each
month. Further information
is available from:
Thomas Sell
Training Coordinator, ERT
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
26 West St. Clair Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
513-684-7537
FTS-684-7537
Inside this EPA mobile
laboratory, scientists and
technicians test sot and
water samples for hazard-
ous substances.
Manuals
In connection with its de-
velopmental testing and
training functions, EPA pub-
lishes an extensive series of
manuals to assist emergency
response personnel in plan-
ning and conducting cleanup
operations. In an effort to
achieve a uniform and cohe-
sive national response pro-
gram, the Agency develops
manuals in emergency
response methodology,
adaptation of latest cteanup
techniques, uniform commu-
nications terminology and
administrative procedures,
guidance on decision-
making, and instructional
and reference manuals for
students in the ERT training
courses
Recently published manuals
deal with pesticide disposal,
contingency planning (in
cooperation with the Federal
Emergency Management
Agency), and control of haz-
ardous materials spills. Cur-
rently available manuals on
emergency response to spills
include:
• Manual of Practice for
Protection and Cleanup
of Shorelines
• Manual for Control of
Hazardous Material
Spills
• Hazardous Materials
Incident Response
Operations
All emergency response
manuals are published and
made available through the
National Technical Informa-
tion Service, Springfield,
Virginia 22161. Further infor-
mation may be obtained
19
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Emergency Response Program
from NTIS, from EPA's
Emergency Response Team
or any EPA Regional Office.
Identification
Each hazardous substance
has special properties that
dictate its handling and dis-
position. A substantial por-
tion of EPA's hazardous
substance research is de-
signed to develop methods
of identifying these proper-
ties. These programs are
conducted at EPA's Environ-
mental Monitoring Systems
Laboratory in Las Vegas,
Nevada. Major research ef-
forts there include:
• Evaluation of proposed
sampling, analysis and
classification pro-
cedures;
• Improvement of
monitoring procedures
at disposal and
cleanup sites; and
• Development of a
quality assurance pro-
gram to guarantee the
reliability of data.
EPA files document many
cases of damage to life and
the environment from im-
proper disposal of hazard-
ous substances or acciden-
tal spills. Dangers also
develop from release of
such substances into rivers,
lakes and other surface
waters, from air pollution,
fire, explosions and soil
contamination.
Although the responsible
party may satisfactorily
clean up the release of a
hazardous substance,
Superfund and Section 311
of the Clean Water Act
now permit the highest de-
gree of inter-governmental
coordination and effective-
ness whenever private in-
dustry requests emergency
assistance.
This inter-governmental
coordination, together with
constantly improving tech-
nology and a growing en-
vironmental awareness by
industries which generate,
transport and dispose of
hazardous waste, is being
translated daily into in-
creased environmental pro-
tection and safety for the
American public.
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EPA Regional
Emergency
Response
Offices
Region I
Chief, Oil and Hazardous Materials
Section
Surveillance and Analysis Division
60 Westview Street
Lexington, MA 02173
(617) 861-6700
Region II
Chief, Emergency Response Branch
Office of Emergency and Remedial
Response
Edison, NJ 08837
(201) 321-6657
Region III
Chief, Superfund Branch
Curtis Building 3HW-20
6th and Walnut Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 597-9492
Region IV
Chief, Emergency Remedial and
Response Branch
345 Courtland Street, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30365
(404) 881-3931
Region V
Chief, Spill Response Section
Environmental Services Division
5-SEES
536 South Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 353-2102
Region VI
Chief, Emergency Response Branch
6ES-E
1201 Elm Street
Interfirst-Two Building
Dallas, TX
(214) 767-2720
Region VII
Chief, Emergency Planning and
Response Branch
Environmental Services Division
25 Funston Road
Kansas City, KS 66115
(913) 236-3888
Region VIII
Chief, Emergency Response Branch
Environmental Services Division
1860 Lincoln Street
Denver, CO 80295
(303) 234-6069
Region IX
Chief, Emergency Response Section
T 3-3
Field Operations Branch
Toxic and Waste Management
Division
215 Fremont Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 974-7511
Region X
Chief, Environmental Emergency
Response Team
Environmental Services Division
1200 6th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 442-1263
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