HISTORY

The National Oil and Hazardous Substances
Pollution Plan, more commonly called the National
Contingency Plan or NCP (40 Code of Federal
Regulations, CFR, Part 300), is the federal
government's blueprint for responding to both oil
spills and hazardous substance releases. The NCP
is the result of our country's effort to develop
national response capabilities and promote
coordination among the hierarchy of responders.

The first NCP was developed and published in 1968
in response to a massive oil spill from the oil tanker
Torrey Canyon off the coast of England in 1967.
More than 37 million gallons of crude oil spilled into
the ocean, causing massive environmental damage.
To avoid the problems faced by response officials
involved in this incident, U.S. officials developed a
coordinated approach to cope with potential spills in
U.S. waters. The 1968 plan provided the first
comprehensive system of accident reporting, spill
containment,  and cleanup, and established a
response headquarters, a national reaction team,
and regional reaction teams  (precursors to the
current National Response Team and Regional
Response Team).

Congress has broadened the scope of the National
Contingency Plan over the years. As Required by
the Clean Water Act of 1972, the NCP was revised
the following year to include  a framework for
responding to hazardous substance spills as well as
oil discharges. Following the passage of Superfund
legislation in 1980, the NCP was broadened to
include releases at hazardous waste sites requiring
emergency removal actions. The latest revisions to
the NCP were finalized in 1994 to reflect the oil spill
provisions of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.

       For additional information
          contact the Region 6
       Environmental Protection
        Agency Response and
          Prevention Branch at
             (214) 665-2270
EMERGENCY
RESPONSE
  TEAM
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency

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                      Visit our Web site at www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/er
NATIONAL  RESPONSE

  SYSTEM  ELEMENTS

The National Oil and Hazardous Substances
Response System is the federal government's
mechanism for emergency response to discharges
of oil into navigable waters of the United States,
and releases of chemicals into the environment.
The system provides a framework for coordination
among federal, state and local responders and
responsible parties.

The National Response System is described in the
National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution
Contingency Plan (NCP), found in Title
40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 300.
The NCP establishes three organizational levels:
The National Response Team (NRT),
Regional Response Teams (RRTs), and On-Scene
Coordinators (OSCs).
              REGIONAL
              RESPONSE
                TEAM
                (RRT)    FEDERAL
      AREA             ON-SCENE
  COMMITTEES       COORDINATOR
                            STATE
    FACILITIES/           EMERGENCY
    VESSELS             RESPONSE
               LOCAL   COMMISSIONS
            EMERGENCY   (SERCs)
             PLANNING
            COMMITTEES
              (LEPCs)
          NATIONAL

   RESPONSE  TEAM

             (NRT)
Consists of 16 Federal agencies: EPA, USCG,
FEMA, HHS, GSA, DOD, DOE, DOI, DOT, USDA,
DOJ, DOS, NRC, DOC, DOL, Treasury

EPA chaired, United States Coast Guard co-chaired
 • During activation chaired by agency
   providing OSC

Planning
 • Recommend changes to the NCP
 • Provide policy and program direction  to RRTs
 • Publish guidance documents
 • Develop procedures to ensure coordination of
   federal, state, and local governments and
   private response
 • Monitor response related research

Preparedness
 • Evaluate methods of responding to
   discharges or releases
 • Make recommendations on appropriate
   equipping, training, and protection of
   response teams
 • Monitor response-related research and
   developments
 • Review regional responses

Response
 • Coordinate the supply of equipment,
   personnel, or technical advice to the affected
   region from other regions or districts
                  National
                  Response
                  Center
          J.8OO42488O2
          REGIONAL

  RESPONSE TEAMS

              (RRT)
 Consist of local, State and 15 Federal agencies
 on the National Response Team

 Co-Chaired by USCG and EPA
 Planning
   • Develop and maintain Regional
    Contingency Plan (RCP)
   • Review local emergency plans at request
    of LEPC

 Preparedness
   • Conduct drills/exercises of RCP
   • Participate in LEPC exercises
   • Revise RCP as necessary

 Response
   • Provide assistance and support as
    requested by OSC

FEDERAL  DN-SCENE

     COORDINATOR

            (FDSC)
 Planning
   • As RRT member, participates in
    development of Regional Contingency Plan
   • Oversees development of Area Contingency
    Plan (ACPs) for assigned areas

 Preparedness
   • Participates in drills and exercises
    conducted by industry, LEPCs, Area
    Committees, RRT, and NRT

 Response
   • During an incident directs all federal
    containment, removal, and disposal efforts
    and coordinates all other efforts at scene
   • Point of contact for coordination of federal
    efforts with the private, local, and state
    response communities

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