The Environmental Response Team’s mission is to:

• Support the nation's response, cleanup, and renewal of its contaminated land, water, and air.
• Provide high-quality service and consultation to those requiring assistance around the world.
• Promote the development of technology and procedures in relevant science and engineering areas.
• Support EPA programs within the Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM).
• Disseminate relevant environmental information.

Nationwide, ERT deploys rapid-response, comprehensive services that protect healthy communities and advance environmental protection.  ERT’s offices in Edison (New Jersey), Cincinnati (Ohio), Las Vegas (Nevada), and Research Triangle Park (North Carolina) maintain around-the-clock readiness to provide expertise at the scene of a hazardous substance release or a long-term environmental cleanup.

ERT can provide support for the full range of emergency response actions, including unusual or complex emergency incidents such as an underwater release. In such cases, the team can bring in special equipment with technically adept responders providing the on-site coordinator or remedial project manager with experience and advice.

ERT is also recognized as a vehicle for the rapid generation of topic-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), technical bulletins, fact sheets, and analytical method development and evaluation.