There is a complex system of responsibilities for these types of emergencies because there are many parts to them. In general, responsibilities are spread across the federal, state and local sectors, depending upon the size and type of the emergency and involve the environmental, emergency management, public safety, and public health agencies of the three levels of government. In addition, industry has a very important role to play in preparing for and responding to such emergencies.

• Prevention and Preparedness - In response to the public concern about chemical spills and accidents, EPA created its Chemical Emergency Preparedness Program (CEPP) as a voluntary program to encourage State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCs) and Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) to identify hazards in their areas and to plan for potential chemical emergencies. This local planning complements emergency response planning carried out at the national and regional levels by the National Response Team and Regional Response Teams.

• Chemical Spills - This page provides information on how EPA works with other partners to respond to Superfund emergencies.

• Oil spills - This Web site provides information about the U.S. EPA's program for preventing, preparing for, and responding to oil spills that occur in and around inland waters of the United States.

• Homeland Security - This page provides links to information on an infrastructure that has been established to prepare and respond to acts and potential acts of terrorism.

• The National Response Team  is made up of fifteen federal agencies with responsibilities for preparing for, or responding to, major oil or hazardous chemical emergencies. EPA is the chair with the U.S Coast Guard as vice-chair, and corresponding regional teams are in each of the ten federal regions.

• Area Contingency Committees are made up of regional representatives which specifically plan for oil spills.

• The Federal Response Disaster Group is made up of over 30 federal agencies with responsibilities for preparing for or responding to major national disasters.

• The Federal Radiological Preparedness Group is made up of 17 federal Departments and Agencies. They respond to radiological emergencies under the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP).

• The American Red Cross is America's largest humanitarian organization, helping people each year prevent, prepare for and cope with emergencies.

• National Response Center  - The primary function of the National Response Center is to serve as the sole national point of contact for reporting all oil, chemical, radiological, biological, and etiological discharges into the environment anywhere in the United States and its territories. In addition to gathering and distributing spill data for Federal On-Scene Coordinators and serving as the communications and operations center for the National Response Team, the NRC maintains agreements with a variety of federal entities to make additional notifications regarding incidents meeting established trigger criteria.

• The Resource Recovery & Conservation Act (RCRA), Superfund, & Emergency Planning & Community Right to Know (EPCRA) Hotline - is a publicly accessible service that provides up-to-date information on several EPA programs including the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Underground Storage Tank (UST) program, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA or Superfund), The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) and section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act.

• Chemicals in Your Community - This pamphlet provides basic information for the public on the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). The purpose is to provide a better understanding of roles for members of the community relative to EPCRA.

• The National Response Team  - consists of 16 federal agencies with interests and expertise in various aspects of emergency response to pollution incidents. The NRT is primarily a national planning, policy and coordinating body and does not respond directly to incidents.

• The 1996 North American Emergency Response Guidebook (NAERG96)  - It is primarily a guide to aid first responders in quickly identifying the specific or generic hazards of the material(s) involved in the incident, and protecting themselves and the general public during the initial response phase of the incident.

• RTK-Net  - A network funded by several philanthropic and government agencies (including EPA) and jointly operated by two nonprofit organizations: Unison Institute and OMB Watch. Includes information on many EPA programs, regulations and tools and is the site for the RTK-Net LEPC/SERC Network.

• Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA)  - FEMA is an independent agency of the federal government, reporting to the President. It's mission is to reduce loss of life and property and protect our nation's critical infrastructure from all types of hazards through a comprehensive, risk-based, emergency management program of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

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