An official website of the United States government.

This is not the current EPA website. To navigate to the current EPA website, please go to www.epa.gov. This website is historical material reflecting the EPA website as it existed on January 19, 2021. This website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work. More information »

Who must be notified of a release under CERCLA?

Who must be notified of a release under CERCLA?

One call to the NRC fulfills the requirement to report releases of hazardous substances under CERCLA and several other regulatory programs, including those under the Clean Water Act (CWA) section 311, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Hazardous Materials Transportation Act. If direct reporting to the NRC is not practicable, reports may be made to the EPA predesignated On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) for the geographic area where the release occurred. All such reports must be relayed promptly to the NRC. If it is not possible to notify the NRC or the OSC immediately, reports may be made immediately to the nearest Coast Guard unit, provided that the person in charge notifies the NRC as soon as possible.