No community wants to think about the release of hazardous chemicals. However, it’s only one type of emergency that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is called to handle when state and local authorities determine the need to ask for help. The agency also handles biological, oil and radiological spills, and large-scale incidents, like the Flint water poisoning crisis. Depending on the incident, the agency may simply focus on helping local and state agencies, or take its own aggressive measures to protect property and lives.
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Biological Disasters
Emergencies in this category range from extreme natural disasters, like earthquakes and floods, to outbreaks of disease, and possible bioterrorism scenarios, such as the fear of anthrax bacteria releases in 2001, following the 911 terrorist attacks. The EPA addresses these situations through its Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Consequence Management Advisory Division (CMAD) where experts provide on-call, 24-hour assistance with decontamination, sampling, and resolving the emergency.
Chemical Emergencies
The 1979 Love Canal incident, which involved the contamination of homes built over an abandoned industrial dump site, remains one of the best-known examples of federal response to an environmental emergency. The agency initially evacuated 221 families, and spent $7 million to buy their homes. The tragedy marked the first approval of federal aid that didn’t involve a natural disaster. Like other environmental incidents, the CMAD office plays a major role in the response.
Environmental Contamination
In 2014, the city of Flint, Michigan faced a major crisis brought on by the leaching of lead into its water system. As of 2017, officials continued warning residents not to use water from the tap without a proper filter, the Root website states. In this case, the EPA focused on providing $100 million in federal aid to help Flint make long-term improvements to its water system, with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality overseeing the work.
Hazardous Waste Disposals
Not every emergency requires a large-scale EPA response. In June 2015, for example, the agency answered a call for help in Grand Forks, North Dakota, after residents saw a group of children playing with a spilled jar of mercury. The spill occurred less than half a block from an elementary school. Officials removed 10 pounds of mercury from the contamination site, which affected two homes, and sent six children and an infant for checkups. The emergency also required the removal of two 55-gallon drums of contaminated soil, and several cubic yards of sod. The situation exemplifies the type of technical expertise that is often beyond local agencies’ ability to provide.
Oil Spills
Preparing and responding to oil spills remains a major EPA priority, particularly after the 1989 Exxon Valdex disaster that resulted in the release of 11 million gallons after the tanker struck a reef at Prince William Sound, Alaska. The agency tries to prevent such incidents with its Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Rule. Facilities may also have to file a Facilities Response Plan outlining how they’ll respond if an oil spill occurs.
The EPA’s role often continues long after a disaster. Additional measures may include the temporary or permanent evacuation of populations, or burning, removing and restricting access to hazardous materials. The EPA may also sue businesses or people that it identifies as the responsible parties in any incident. Such measures give broad enforcement powers to the agency tasked with protecting America’s environmental health.