Frequently Asked Questions

Environmental Emergencies
Report Chemical Spills, Emergencies, and Accidents
Links to Additional Information

Environmental emergencies involve the release, or threatened release, of hazardous materials, radioactive materials, or oil to the soil, water, or air. Releases can be accidental, deliberate, or caused by natural disasters.

If your business has an emergency response plan that is required by any regulation, be sure to follow it in the case of an environmental emergency.

Environmental emergency response responsibilities are spread across local, state, and federal agencies depending on the size and type of emergency. In addition to environmental agencies, emergency management, public safety, and public health organizations may be involved. If your business and the government agencies work together, the situation can be handled quickly and responsibly to minimize threats to the public and environment. By reporting an environmental emergency, you will also gain access to needed assistance such as specially trained hazardous materials responders.

How do I Report Chemical Spills, Emergencies, and Accidents?

Reporting environmental emergencies only takes a few minutes. You are required to contact:

1. Local emergency personnel by calling 911 immediately, if appropriate.
   
   
2. The National Response Center (NRC) at 1-800-424-8802 or report on-line. The NRC, which is staffed 24 hours a day by U.S. Coast Guard personnel, has federal jurisdiction of all chemical and oil spills.
   
   If an extremely hazardous substance is spilled or released, you must also contact the state emergency response commission (SERC) or the local emergency planning committee (LEPC). To identify the appropriate SERC or LERC, call the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Hotline at 1-800-535-0202. The NRC may also make this call for you. Approximately 360 substances are considered “extremely hazardous”, as listed in 40 CFR Part 355.
   
   
3. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP’s) Emergency Response Program (ERP) by calling the statewide number at 1-800-541-2050 or the ERP Manager in your region. DEP prefers that the regional ERP Manager be notified if possible.

Spilled materials are generally cleaned up with absorbent materials and the absorbent materials are then disposed as hazardous waste. It is illegal to flush spilled materials into a storm sewer, roadside ditch, or other Commonwealth waters. While certain spilled materials can be neutralized (e.g., acids), because they may still contain other contaminants, DEP must be consulted prior to flushing any neutralized spilled materials.

Not sure if you should contact the NRC?

You are required to notify the NRC if:

• The quantity of spilled material is in excess of established reportable quantities (RQs). RQs range from 1 pound for some extremely hazardous substances to 5,000 pounds for less hazardous materials.
  
  
• A sheen on water resulted from an oil spill.

For additional information on reporting requirements, contact the NRC.

There are also a small number of exemptions from reporting.

Not sure if you should contact DEP?

You are required to notify DEP if:

• The pollutant, no matter what quantity, is discharged to surface or groundwater.
  
  
• The quantity of spilled material is in excess of established RQs. DEP indicates that a conservative assumption is to contact them if the spill of hazardous material is above 5 gallons.
  
  
• The pollutant is released from an underground or aboveground storage tank.

DEP also encourages voluntary reporting in the following situations:

1. The spill of hazardous material or petroleum is in excess of 5 gallons.
   
2. The air pollution release may be toxic or the smoke may cause a public nuisance.
3. The incident involved illegal or improper disposal of any material.

Links to Additional Information

National Response Center

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) – PEMA administers the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council, which is Pennsylvania’s SERC.

Pennsylvania Local Emergency Planning Committees

Pennsylvania DEP Emergency Response Program – The PA DEP Emergency Response Program responds to emergencies resulting from spills, accidents, and other releases of hazardous substances and contaminants. The contact in each of DEP’s regional offices is the Regional Emergency Response Program Manager (ERPM). The team that responds can include the ERPM, assistant ERPM, and 8-15 other trained DEP personnel, depending on the region.

Hazardous Materials Preparedness Links

2000 Emergency Response Guide

PEMA Guides - Including a Disaster Preparedness Planning Guide, Day Care Planning Tool Kit, Hazardous Materials Guide, and other useful documents.

Emergency Action Plans – OSHA requires businesses to have an Emergency Action Plan. The purpose of the Emergency Action Plan is to ensure employee safety from fire and other emergencies. Employers with 10 employees or less can communicate the plan verbally.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) – OSHA requires that MSDSs be maintained on-site, and that they are accessible during work hours. The MSDSs have key information needed in emergencies.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) “Emergencies” Website

EPA Toxics Release Inventory – Some facilities are required by the EPA to report chemicals to emergency planning agencies. The requirement to report depends on the types and quantities of chemicals that are stored on-site. Hundreds of chemicals are regulated, but reporting is only required if your business meets or exceeds the threshold quantities. Threshold quantities can range from 0.1 gram annually (for dioxin) to 25,000 lb. annually for other listed chemicals combined. To determine if you are required to report chemicals stored at your business, visit EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) website or attend an EPA TRI workshop that are held annually throughout the state. A list of workshops is available at the TRI website.

EPA’s “Superfund Reportable Quantities (RQs)” Website – To date, EPA has established or proposed adjustments to the RQs for all of the roughly 800 Superfund substances.

EPA’s “List of Lists” – Consolidated List of Chemicals Subject to the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act, including EPCRA Section 302 Extremely Hazardous Substances, CERCLA Hazardous Substances, EPCRA Section 313 Toxic Chemicals, and Clean Air Act 112(r) Regulated Chemicals for Accidental Release Prevention.