National Response System
The strength of the National Response System lies in its integrated structure. From top to bottom, it clearly defines responsibilities when responding to spill situations, yet allows sufficient flexibility to tailor spill response to the special circumstances of any given incident.
There are 16 federal agencies with oversight on spill-related issues. Each agency is represented on the National Response Team.
Each agency has offices throughout the United State that participate in Regional Response Teams (RRTs) along with the relevant state agencies. The RRTs review Area Contingency Plans annually and identify any supplemental resources required to produce an effective Regional plan.
Throughout the NRS, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard take the lead. At the local level, a representative from one of these two agencies is designated as a Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC).
The FOSC coordinates between local planning authorities and the resources of the state and Federal governments. In the event of a spill, the FOSC monitors the responsible party's cleanup activities. If the responsible party is either unwilling or unable to adequately address the situation, the FOSC has authority to step in and assume command of spill-response efforts. The FOSC has immediate and authorized access to the full scope of expertise and resources within the National Response System.