Warehouse storing response equipment. There are 105 private oil spill response organizations around the nation with equipment in constant readiness. The Coast Guard has 1,200 personnel assigned to its strike teams and to the approximately 50 units around the nation whose task is to be ready to respond to spills of oil and hazardous substances. All of these personnel receive both classroom and field training in spill response. The Environmental Protection Agency and the natural resource trustee agencies in the Departments of Commerce and the Interior have personnel in every region trained in pollution emergencies.
Every state has a department or agency that houses dedicated spill response personnel.
The National Contingency Plan and the response plan regulations require all government and industry spill response personnel to participate in periodic refresher training and to engage in exercises at least annually to maintain their skills. Recent research related to dispersant formulations, effects and effectiveness have produced several products that can be applied to oil slicks in marine waters greater than 10 meters in depth. Responders must evaluate the relative environmental benefits of using chemical dispersants versus relying solely on the mechanical recovery of surface slicks.