Oil spills and hazardous substances releases pose a threat to human health and safety and frequently result in significant impacts to natural and cultural resources. The Federal Government has the responsibility to respond to oil spills and hazardous substances releases pursuant to the Clean Water Act, the Oil Pollution Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (National Contingency Plan or NCP).
DOI’s Roles in Emergency Response to Oil Spill and Hazardous Substances Releases
DOI’s roles in emergency response to oil spills and hazardous substance releases, including the roles of the DOI bureaus, are specifically listed by regulation in the National Contingency Plan (NCP). DOI has the following roles and responsibilities in oil spill and hazardous substance release response: