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EPA Emergency Response: Basic Information
EPA's Emergency Response Program coordinates and implements a wide range of activities to ensure that adequate and timely response measures are taken in communities affected by hazardous substances and oil releases where state and local first responder capabilities have been exceed or where additional support is needed.
EPA Region 9's Superfund Emergency Response Program provides quick response to immediate threats from hazardous substances, wherever and whenever they occur.
While the first priority is to eliminate any danger to the public -- to make the site safe for those who live and work nearby — EPA's on-scene coordinators also respond to environmental threats that may seriously affect natural or economic resources.
Regardless of the circumstances, each emergency response action can quickly prevent or eliminate threats to the public and the environment.
EPA stands ready 24 hours a day to respond quickly to protect the public and the environment whenever a hazardous substance is released.
Hazardous substances are all around us — in active and abandoned disposal sites, in trucks and trains, and in industrial production and use. Hazardous substances are found in paints, batteries, dry cleaning agents, and hundreds of other common industrial and consumer products and processes. If any of these substances gets into the environment, it may contaminate our soils, lakes and rivers, the water we drink, and the air we breathe.
The first responders at the scene of an emergency response action are usually firefighters or state or local police. They are the first to assess the situation and take emergency measures such as fighting a fire, securing the area, or rerouting traffic. EPA supports direct State and local government involvement in response efforts through financial and technical support.
Frequent Questions
Who pays for the Cleanup?
EPA's goal is to make the responsible party clean up their own hazardous substance or oil releases. However, in an emergency situation where human health and the environment is threatened and those responsible cannot be found or are recalcitrant, EPA responds without delay.
What does an emergency response involve?
In general:
- Assess environmental impact
- Sample water, air, soil as needed
- Publish findings as they are verified (where are they published)
More specifically:
- removing hazardous substances in soil or containers;
- burning or otherwise treating hazardous substances;
- draining waste ponds or repairing leaky waste disposal pits so that hazardous substances do not seep into the ground;
- using chemicals to stop the spread of the hazardous substance release;
- encasing a hazardous substance in place or otherwise ensuring that winds or rain do not move it around;
- providing a safe supply of drinking water;
- moving residence temporarily while cleanup activities take place;
- installing fences to prevent direct contact with hazardous substances.