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(800) 424-8802
(202) 267-2675
FOB- further information eaSI the EPA
Emergency Office in yaw region:
EPA Region 6. Dallas. TX
(214) 655-2270
EPA Region 7. Kansas City, KS
(913)551-5000
EPA Region 8. Denver. CO
(303) 293-1238
EPA Region 9. San Francisco, CA
(415) 744-1500
EPA Region 10, Seattle. WA
(206)442-1263
EPA Region 1, Lexington, MA
(617)860-4361
EPA Region 2. Edison. NJ
(908)321-6657
EPA Region 3. Philadelphia. PA
(215) 597-0992
EPA Region 4. Atlanta. GA
(404) 347-3931
EPA Region 5. Chicago. IL
(312)886-6236
If you detect the release of a hazardous substance or oil:
• Call local authorities:
or the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) in your area.
• Call the National Response Center (800) 424-8802.
• Stay clear of the area.
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T
he accidental release of a hazardous substance or an
oil spill can pose a significant threat to public health
and the environment. To reduce this threat, timely
response is critical. This brochure describes what to do
when a hazardous substance is released to the envi-
ronment, or an oil spill occurs, and how the National
Response System is activated.
When the person in charge of a facility or vessel con-
taining a hazardous substance becomes aware that a
release in a reportable quantity (RQ)* is occurring, that
person must notify the National Response Center
(NRC). Similarly, a discharge of oil must be immedi-
ately reported to the NRC if it causes a discoloration
or "sheen" on the surface of the water, violates water
quality standards, or causes a sludge or emulsion to be
deposited beneath the surface or on the adjoining
shorelines.
* RQs luive been established for 779 hazirdous substances. They
apply to releases to air, land, groundwater and surface miter.
A list of RQs may be found in Vol. 40 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) in part 302.
REPORTING
The NRC, located at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in
Washington, DC, is a 24-hour facility which acts as the singli
point of contact for all pollution inddent reporting.
To notify the NRC call:
(800) 424-8802 (toll-free)
(202) 267-2675 (in Washington, IX)
Calls to the NRC trigger The National Response System, a net-
work of federal, state, local and private sector groups respon-
sible for responding to oil spills or hazardous substance releases.
Upon notification, the NRC immediately alerts the appropriate
federal On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) to respond. If the spill or
release is in coastal waters, the regional Coast Guard OSC is
notified. If inland, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) OSC in the appropriate region is notified. (See map of
EPA Regions.)
Local response teams often are first to arrive at the scene of an
environmental emergency. They initiate action to mitigate the
immediate threat and maintain authority until the federal OSC
arrives to assess the situation.
ORGANIZATION
The National Contingency Plan coordinates the activities of the
federal, state and local government agencies potentially respon-
sive to a hazardous substance release or oil discharge.
In some cases, the party responsible for the release will take
responsibility for cleanup actions. If the responsible party is
financially unable, or unwilling to conduct the cleanup, then
EPA encourages state and local governments to step in. EPA has
established a reimbursement program which provides state and
local governments with up to $25,000 in funds to help cope with
cleanup costs. For information on state and local government
reimbursement call the RCRA Superfund Hotline toll free at
(800) 424-9346, or in Washington, DC, (202) 260-3000. EPA
EPA Samples Transformers for PCBs
monitors responsible party, or state and local cleanup
actions to ensure adequate protection of public health
and the environment.
If neither the responsible party nor the state or local
government can manage the cleanup, the federal
government takes responsibility. The EPA or Coast
Guard OSC directs all cleanup activities, calling in
various federal, local and state agencies, as well as the
responsible party, as appropriate. The Superfund
Trust Fund, derived from taxes on petroleum and the
production of a number of commercial chemicals,
financially supports federal response to releases of
hazardous substances. Whenever possible, the EPA
seeks to recover cleanup costs from responsible
parties. Federal response to oil spills is supported by
the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, supplied by a five-
cent domestic fee per barrel of oil.
Booms Contain Spilled Oil
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