National Response System

Our National Response System routinely and effectively responds to a wide range of oil and hazardous substance releases. It is a multi-layered system of individuals and teams from local, state, and federal agencies, industry, and other organizations that share expertise and resources to ensure that oil spill control and cleanup activities are timely and efficient, and that they minimize threats to human health and the environment.

At the heart of the system is the National Contingency Plan (NCP) (see the National Contingency Plan Overview), a regulation developed to ensure that the resources and expertise of the federal government are available immediately for oil or hazardous substance releases that are beyond the capabilities of local and state responders. The NCP provides the framework for the National Response System and establishes how it works.