Notification of Episodic Releases of Oil and Hazardous Substances (Renewal)

Section 103(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended, requires the person in charge of a facility or vessel to immediately notify the National Response Center (NRC) of a hazardous substance release into the environment if the amount of the release equals or exceeds the substances reportable quantity (RQ) limit. The RQs for the hazardous substance can be found in Table 302.4 of 40 CFR 302.4. Section 311 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) as amended, requires the person in charge of a vessel to immediately notify the NRC of an oil spill into U.S. navigable waters if the spill causes a sheen, violates applicable water quality standards, or causes a sludge or emulsion to be deposited beneath the surface of the water or upon adjoining shorelines. The reporting of a hazardous substance release that is at or above the substances RQ allows the federal government to determine whether a federal response action is required to control or mitigate any potential adverse effects to public health or welfare or the environment. Likewise, the reporting of oil spills allows the federal government to determine whether cleaning up the oil spill is required to mitigate or prevent damage to public health or welfare or the environment. The hazardous substance and oil release information collected under CERCLA section 103(a) and CWA section 311 also is available to EPA program offices and other federal agencies that use the information to evaluate the potential need for additional regulations, new permitting requirements for specific substances or sources, or improved emergency response planning. Release notification information is stored in EPAs Web EOC, a web-based crisis management system which supports response management for significant incidents and daily operations in the Regional Response Centers and EPAs Headquarters Emergency Operations Center. State and local government authorities and the regulated community use release information for purposes of local emergency response planning. The public has access to release information through the Freedom of Information Act. The public may request release information for purposes of maintaining an awareness of what types of releases are occurring in different localities and what actions, if any, are being taken to protect public health and welfare and the environment.

The latest form for Notification of Episodic Releases of Oil and Hazardous Substances (Renewal) expires 2026-06-30 and can be found here.