Each year the U.S. uses over 250 billion gallons of petroleum oil products and millions more of non-petroleum oils. With billions of gallons of oil being constantly transported and stored throughout the country, the potential for oil spills is significant, and the effects of spilled oil can pose serious threats to the environment. Through its Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures program, EPA has worked at several hundred thousand oil storage facilities to prevent the discharge of all kinds of oil into the waters of the United States. In addition to prevention planning and enforcement measures, EPA stands poised to lead local and industrial responses to oil spills through its extensive contingency planning, emergency training and experience in containment and cleanup.
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