United State*
Environmental
Protection Agency
Office of SoUd Waste
and Emergency
Response
Publication 9360.0-22FS
April 1992
Oil Notifications
Emergency Response Notification System (ERNS)
Fact Sheet
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
Emergency Response Division OS-210
Quick Reference Fact Sheet
The Emergency Response Notification System (ERNS) is a national computer database which provides the only
centralized mechanism for documenting and verifying incident notification information as initially reported to the
National Response Center (NRG), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and to a limited extent, the U.S.
Coast Guard (USCG). This initial notification data may be followed up with updated information from various
Federal, State and local response authorities, as appropriate. ERNS contains data that can be used to analyze
release notifications, support emergency planning efforts, and assist decision makers in developing spin prevention
programs. This fact sheet provides summary information on notifications of releases of oil reported in accordance
with the Clean Water Act (CWA). Under Section 311 of the CWA, discharges of oil which: 1) cause a sheen to appear
on the surface of the water; 2) violate applicable water quality standards; or 3) cause sludge or emulsion to be
deposited beneath the surface of the water or adjoining shoreline, must be reported to the NRC.
In the ERNS database, notifications involving the release of oil products are divided into two categories. The
first category, "Petroleum," refers to all releases of materials that are petroleum or its by-products. ERNS specifies
64 different petroleum products. These products include: crude oil, heating oil, jet fuel, kerosene, automotive
gasoline, and motor oil Releases involving these 64 types of petroleum-based oil products account for approximately
41% of all the releases reported to ERNS, and 78% of oil and petroleum notifications, made in compliance with the
CWA. The second category of oil products in ERNS contains all of the non-petroleum types of oil There are 156
different non-petroleum types of "OiT in ERNS. These materials include substances ranging from coconut, °
sunflower and other edible oils, to anthracene oil and coal The non-petroleum oil notifications account for
approximately 12% of all releases reported to ERNS.
NUMBER OF OIL AND PETROLEUM NOTIFICATIONS RECEIVED ANNUALLY*
Type of Release
-Petroleum- Notifications
"Oil" Notifications
Total Oil/Petroleum Notifications
Total Number of ERNS Notifications
1987
12.550
3.027
15.577
28.677
1968
12.399
2.768
15.167
29,874
198©
12.567
3.507
16.074
34.104
1990
14.085
4,761
18.846
34,259
1991
14.520
4,744
19,264
35,653
The following chart is a graphical representation of
the distribution of oil and petroleum releases among the
six "causes of release" in ERNS. The six causes are
transportation accident, equipment failure, operator
error, natural phenomenon, dumping, and unknown.
As the chart reveals, petroleum releases outnumber
oil releases in all categories, by more than 2 to 1.
Additionally, petroleum releases caused by equipment
failure represent the largest number of recorded
releases in ERNS.
NuiTfcw of OVPeMeum NoMcalton by Cmim"
(1M7-1M1)
TRANSPORT
EOUFUBfT
OP ERROR
NATPtCN
OUUPNQ
UNKNOWN
•All number* are baaed on initial notification* to the Federal government and may not have been verified.
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The map below shows the number of oil and petroleum releases for each of the ten EPA regions. Hie largest
numbers of reported oil/petroleum releases occurred in Regions 6 and 9. The data used in the map are cumulative,
from 1987-1991.
Oil / Petroleum Notifications (1987-1991)
by U.S. EPA Region*
REGION 10
Petroleum: 3,256
Oil : 814
REGION 1
Petrotoun: 4,112
Oil: 1.266
REGION 5
Petroleum: 4,336
Oil: 2.016
REGION 7
Petroleum: 2.233
Oi: 596
REGION 8
Petroleum: 1,720
at- 318
REGION 9
Petroleum: 12.183
Oil: 2,043
REGION 3
Petroleum: 6,
Oil: 2336
REGION 4
Petrotoum: 7.282
01: 2,064
REGION 6
Petroleum: 19,151
OK: 5585
The following table shows the size distribution of oil and petroleum notifications. ERNS data reveal that the
largest number of notifications for both categories involve releases less than 1,000 (gallons. Notifications involving
releases in quantities greater than 100,000 gallons represent an average of .2% and .1%, for petroleum and oil
respectively.
NUMBER OF (XL/PETROLEUM NOTIFICATIONS BY SIZE *
No Quantity Reported
Less than 1 ,000 gallons
1,000- 9,999 gallons
10,000- 99399 gallons
100,000 gallons or greater
Oil
Petroleum
Oil
Petroleum
Oil
Petroleum
Oil
Petroleum
Oil
Petroleum
1987
1,230
1,364
1,662
10,001
102
980
26
177
7
28
1968
1,189
1,283
1,432
10,052
119
878
17
163
11
23
1969
0
3
3.372
11,424
109
938
22
170
4
32
1990
0
2
4.635
12.895
95
980
23
184
8
24
1991
0
0
4,636
13.321
83
998
23
181
2
20
For further information regarding ERNS, call the ERNS information line at (202) 260-2342, or write the ERNS
Manager, U.S. EPA, at OS-210, 401 MSt., SW, Washington, DC 20460.
•All numbers are baaed on initial notification* to the Federal government and may not have been verified.
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