Additionally, any person who knowingly falsifies records or reports concerning the prevention or cleanup of a spill may be guilty of a third degree felony. In Texas, the one who spills is responsible for cleanup, Fawn said. We work with the spiller to make sure they clean it up correctly and comprehensively. The responsible person must immediately begin reasonable response actions and cooperate fully with the executive director and the local incident command system. The toll-free number provides the regulated community with a notification system designed to satisfy state reporting requirements with a single phone call.
Dispatchers relay the report to the state agency with jurisdiction.
The state of Texas takes a multi-agency, unified command approach to spill response that has proven effective. Other key state agencies involved in emergency spill response include the General Land Office, the Railroad Commission, the Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Department of Public Safety. We often turn for help to the toxicologists and epidemiologists in the Health Department, the Railroad Commission s hazardous liquid pipeline safety section, or some other experts. Oil spills constitute about 60 percent of the work they do.