How EPA Helps During Disasters

EPA at Work During major disasters, EPA may be called upon by FEMA to offer assistance to state and local governments in response to a release of hazardous materials from a major disaster or emergency. In addition, EPA manages responses to emergencies involving the release of oil or hazardous substances. Each year thousands of oil and chemical spills are reported. Most of these are handled by local police, firefighters and industry first responders. EPA responds to several hundred large spills a year.

EPA background information
EPA's emergency response managers
EPA's emergency response program
Federal emergency response and recovery
The National Response System
Regional Emergency Operations Centers

The National Response System

The National Response System is a comprehensive approach towards managing oil and hazardous substances releases. The plan incorporates resources from public and private organizations to assure timely and effective response to hazardous spills.

Providing the operational framework for the system is the National Contingency Plan. The plan ensures local and state responders have immediate access to federal resources in order to quickly and efficiently address spills in their area.

Snapshot of National Response System
Key components
How the system works

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Federal emergency response and recovery

First response to a disaster is the job of local government's emergency services with help from nearby municipalities, the state and volunteer agencies. In a catastrophic disaster, and if the governor requests, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency can mobilize federal resources for search and rescue, electrical power, food, water, shelter and other basic human needs.

The Major Disaster Process
A major disaster could result from a hurricane, earthquake, flood, tornado or major fire which the president determines warrants supplemental federal aid. A disaster declaration normally follows these steps:

Local government responds, supplemented by neighboring communities and volunteer agencies. If overwhelmed, the local government turns to the state for assistance;
The state responds with state resources, such as the National Guard and state agencies;
Damage assessment by local, state, federal and volunteer organizations determines losses and recovery needs;
A major disaster declaration is requested by the governor, based on the damage assessment. It includes an agreement to commit state funds and resources to the long-term recovery;
FEMA evaluates the request and recommends action to the White House based on the disaster, the local community's and the state's ability to recover;
The president approves the request or FEMA informs the governor it has been denied. This decision process could take a few hours or several weeks, depending on the nature of the disaster.

Learn more about the disaster process

Audio: Phases of a disaster response | Audio: Major disaster process | Brochure

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EPA's emergency response program

EPA’s primary role in the National Response Plan is mandated by Emergency Support Function 10, which establishes the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, or NCP. Under the NCP, EPA assists the Department of Homeland Security’s response activities related to hazardous materials, including chemical, biological and radiological substances. DHS reimburses EPA for these activities with funds released in the disaster declaration process.

Each year, more than 20,000 emergencies involving the release or threatened release of oil and hazardous substances are reported in the U.S. The NCP’s primary objectives are to take reasonable steps to prevent such emergencies; to prepare emergency response personnel at the federal, state and local levels for such events; and to respond quickly and decisively to such emergencies whenever and wherever they occur within our national borders.

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EPA's emergency response managers

The On-Scene Coordinator is the EPA employee in charge of monitoring or directing responses to oil spills and hazardous substance releases reported to the federal government. The coordinator pulls together federal efforts with local, state and regional response.

An On-Scene Coordinator is an agent of either EPA or the U.S. Coast Guard, depending on where the release occurs. EPA coordinators are responsible for spills and releases to inland areas and waters, while the U.S. Coast Guard coordinators have responsibility for coastal waters and the Great Lakes.

Learn more about On-Scene Coordinators

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Regional Emergency Operations Centers

EPA Regional office response personnel have access to a wide range of resources and technologies centralized in one location to help them assess and respond in the event of a chemical spill, weather emergency or other incident.

The Regional Emergency Operations Center contains state-of-the-art equipment that allows staff to communicate continuously with field workers as well as local, state and federal agencies so they can quickly evaluate an incident and formulate an effective and efficient response. The space also has several secure conference rooms, screens, overhead projectors, and wireless Internet that can quickly accommodate staff for meetings and presentations.

The center is used as a staging area for emergency team members to address the early phases of an event—such as a chemical spill or natural disaster—while the on-scene coordinators decide whether to establish a field office closer to the incident. Since the team is comprised of EPA employees from departments like human resources or management, the center provides a quiet place for them to concentrate on the incident without everyday work interruptions. The resources available at the Regional Emergency Operations Center allow EPA Regional offices to respond quickly and effectively to a wide variety of incidents.

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA s the agency of the federal government charged with protecting human health and safeguarding the natural environment - the air, water and land. It was established by President Richard Nixon on December 2, 1970, and is led by an Administrator who is appointed by the president.

EPA provides leadership in the nation's environmental science, research, education and assessment efforts. The Agency works closely with other federal agencies, state and local governments and Native American tribes to develop and enforce regulations under existing environmental laws.

EPA is responsible for researching and setting national standards for a variety of environmental programs. The Agency delegates the responsibility for issuing permits, and monitoring and enforcing compliance to states and recognized Indian tribes.

Where national standards are not met, EPA can issue penalties and take other steps to help states and tribes reach the desired levels of environmental quality. The Agency also works with industries and all levels of government in a wide variety of voluntary pollution prevention programs and energy conservation efforts.

About 17,000 people work in EPA's headquarters in Washington, D.C., 10 regional offices and 17 laboratories across the country. EPA employs a highly educated, technically trained staff, more than half of whom are engineers, scientists and environmental protection specialists. Other professions include legal, public affairs, financial and computer specialists. EPA's annual budget is about $7.2 billion.

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Emergencies phone number 800-424-8802