The National Response Team (NRT) draws its membership from Federal agencies 

 at the national level. Like the RRT, the NRT consists of representatives from 

 the primary and advisory agencies. 



The NRT may be activated as an emergency response team in the event of 

 a discharge involving oil or hazardous substances which: (1) exceeds the 

 response capability of the region in which it occurs; (2) transects regional 

 boundaries; or (3) involves significant numbers of persons or nationally 

 significant amounts of property. The NRT may also be activated upon the 

 request of any primary agency representative. This team is capable of pro- 

 viding such services as the use of Air Force cargo planes, or Navy salvage 

 assistance, or special oil slick trajectory predictions from the Department 

 of the Interior. 



Whenever a pollution incident occurs, the Federal OSC for the area is 

 notified. It is the OSC's responsibility to insure that a prompt and accurate 

 assessment of the situation is made. The OSC will continue to monitor the 

 situation if the responsible party is known and is found to be taking all 

 the steps possible to contain and to clean up the pollutant. If the identity 

 of the responsible party is unknown or the party is not considered to be 

 taking adequate steps to contain and clean up the pollutant, the OSC may 

 initiate whatever steps are necessary. 



Under the plan, the National Strike Force is to be formed around strike 

 teams established by the Coast Guard and an Environmental Response Team (ERT) 

 established by the EPA. The National Strike Force now consists of three 

 strike teams, any or all of which are available to advise and provide assist- 

 ance to the OSC. Members of these teams have specialized training in pollution 

 containment and removal, diving, and vessel damage control. Each team is 

 equipped with specialized pollution control equipment. 



The FWPCA further calls for the Coast Guard and the EPA to establish, 

 at major ports for which they have OSC responsibility, emergency task forces, 

 consisting of trained personnel with adequate supplies of cleanup equipment 

 to assist OSCs during pollution incidents. Coast Guard Captain of the Port 

 units function as emergency task forces in areas where the Coast Guard has 

 OSC responsibility. The EPA has not established emergency task forces in its 

 areas of responsibility. The Coast Guard, however, has agreed to assume this 

 responsibility in the EPA areas where Coast Guard forces are available for 

 this function. 



Up to this point, we have discussed only EPA and USCG responsibilities 

 under the plan. The responsibilities of other agencies are explained in 

 general in Section 1510.22, "Federal Responsibility," of the plan. The fol- 

 lowing discussion should serve to delineate more clearly how all NRT agencies 

 interact and provide support for Federal discharge removal operations. 



Because of the nature and purpose of this workshop, an expansion of the 

 discussion of the Department of the Interior's role and responsibilities is 

 in order. 



Within the Department of the Interior, four bureaus or agencies are 

 expected to provide expertise and support to Federal removal operations. 

 These are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the U.S. Geological Survey 

 (USGS), the National Park Service (NPS), and the Bureau of Land Management 

 (BLM). 



26 



