The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the lead federal agency for responding to oil spills that occur in waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. EPA’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) coordinates the federal government’s response to significant oil spills and works with other federal, state, local, and tribal governments, as well as private sector partners, to protect human health and the environment from the impacts of oil spills.
When an oil spill occurs, EPA’s top priority is protecting human health and the environment. To do this, EPA works with other federal agencies, state and local governments, tribes, and private sector partners to:
• Contain spilled oil
• Recover spilled oil
• Clean up contaminated areas
• Restore impacted natural resources
During an oil spill response, EPA may also take steps to prevent further contamination of air, land or water resources. For example, EPA may direct affected facilities to take measures to prevent runoff of contaminated water into drinking water sources or sensitive habitats