906 Oil Spill Cleanup

Introduction to Oil Spill Cleanup

National Response Framework (NRF)

The National Response Framework (NRF) is the broader, all-hazards guide for how the United States responds to disasters and emergencies, coordinated primarily by FEMA. It integrates various national-level contingency plans, including those for oil spills and hazardous substance releases.

For incidents involving oil discharges or hazardous substance releases, the NRF incorporates and works in conjunction with the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), particularly through Emergency Support Function #10 that focuses on responding to oil spills and hazardous materials releases during emergencies.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Coast Guard serve as lead agencies, depending on whether the incident occurs inland or in coastal and navigable waters. It supports the detection, containment, cleanup, and safe disposal of hazardous substances. It also provides technical expertise and coordinates resources with local, state, tribal, and private sector partners.

National Contingency Plan

The National Contingency Plan (NCP) serves as the operational blueprint for responding to oil spills and hazardous substance releases. It outlines how local, state, tribal, and federal agencies coordinate during emergencies that pose a threat to public health, worker safety, or the environment.

It is a tiered structure involving the:

• National Response Team (NRT) (national level),
• Regional Response Teams (RRTs) (regional level), and
• on-scene operations led by the On-Scene Coordinator (OSC/FOSC).

A key feature of the NCP is the use of the Unified Command System, which allows multiple agencies and responsible parties to work together under a single organizational structure. This improves coordination and decision-making across jurisdictions and disciplines.

The NCP ensures that federal resources—such as technical experts, equipment, and funding—can be deployed quickly when local or state capabilities are overwhelmed. This is especially critical during large-scale incidents, such as pipeline ruptures, chemical plant releases, or marine oil spills.

The NCP also defines the roles of key federal agencies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) typically leads responses to inland incidents, while the U.S. Coast Guard leads coastal or navigable waterway responses. Both agencies can serve as the Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC) during a response.

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