The following information is provided directly from the EPA:
When a hazardous substance release is reported, the Emergency Response program sets its response procedures into motion.
Many steps and safety precautions must be followed to ensure a swift and effective response to the emergency.
The first step in any response action is to investigate the site. When a release is first reported, responders may not know
all the necessary information such as how the release occured, the extent of the damage, or even what hazardous substances
are involved. All this information must be learned before any effective response effort can be carried out. Site
investigation also allows responders to determine the appropriate safety measures to take during the response effort.
Response actions fall into three main categories, depending on the urgency of the situation. Once information has been
gatherered about the release, responders can determine what type of response action should be taken. A clean-up effort may
be long-term or short-term. Depending on the circumstances, responders may employ some or all of these methods:
Removing hazardous substances in soil or in containers
Burning or otherwise treating hazardous substances
Draining waste ponds or repairing leaky waste disposal pits so that hazardous substances do not seep into the ground
Using chemicals to stop the spread of the hazardous substance release
Encasing hazardous substances in place or otherwise ensuring that winds or rain do not move them around
Providing a safe supply of drinking water to people affected by hazardous substance contamination
Temporarily moving residents affected by hazardous substance contamination while cleanup activities take place
Installing fences to prevent direct contact with hazardous substances
EPA has made great accomplishments, having conducted several thousand response actions since the Emergency Response program
began in 1980, and has directed and monitored many other actions carried out by those responsible for the contamination. The
threats confronted by the EPA Emergency Response program vary greatly in size, nature, and location, and have involved EPA
in incidents requiring unusual or complex emergency response actions.
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