NOAA
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, REMEDIATION AND RESTORATION PROGRAM (DARRP)
How
to Report an Oil Spill
The National Response
Center (NRC) is the sole federal point of contact for reporting
oil and chemical spills. If you have a spill to report, contact
the NRC at 1-800-424-8802. For those without 800 access, please
contact the NRC at 202-267-2675. The NRC operates 24 hours a day,
7 days a week, 365 days a year.
U.S. Code
Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 110.6 requires that
any person in charge of a vessel or of an onshore or offshore
facility shall as soon as he or she has knowledge of any discharge
of oil from such vessel or facility, immediately notify the National
Response Center (800-424-8802) or the nearest Coast Guard Federal
On-Scene Coordinator or State On-Scene Coordinator. Additionally,
33 CFR 135.305 requires that the person in charge of a vessel
or offshore facility that has discharged oil in a harmful quantity
is required to make notification. A harmful quantity, defined
by U.S. Code Title 40 CFR 110.3, is a quantity of oil that causes
a film, sheen, or discoloration upon the surface of the water
or adjoining shorelines or causes a sludge or emulsion to be deposited
beneath the surface of the water or upon adjoining shorelines.
Louisiana state law requires notification to the Department of
Public Safety 24-Hour Emergency Hazardous Materials Hotline at
225-925-6595 as outlined in LAC Title 33:I.3915.
National
Response Center Web site
Oil
Spill Reporting and Cleanup Requirements, Marine Safety Bulletin
(95KB, PDF) issued by the U.S. Coast Guard,
Sector New Orleans, June 5, 2008
