NRDA
Additional Information:
 

Oil Spill and Hazardous Substance Response Agencies

Emergency Reporting in Texas

State of Texas Agencies

Texas General Land Office (GLO) Oil Spill Prevention and Response Program

The GLO is the state's lead agency for responding to oil spills that enter, or threaten to enter, coastal waters. When oil spills into coastal waters, the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Program goes into action, working with the United States Coast Guard and the responsible party and directing resources aimed at stopping, containing and cleaning up oil spills. Protection of the state's natural assets is the top priority.

To report oil spills and pollution events: (800) 832-8224
Supported by several Texas agencies, this line is answered 24 hours a day and serves as the GLO spill reporting line during the day and the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) line at night.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Emergency Response

The TCEQ is the state's lead agency in responding to spills of all hazardous substances, including refined petroleum products from pipelines; releases of crude oil being transported over the roadway; and discharges of any other substances that may cause pollution or that may harm air quality.

To report an environmental emergency, discharge, spill, or air release:

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC)

The RRC is the state's lead agency in responding to spills or discharges from all activities associated with the exploration, development, or production, including storage or pipeline transportation (excluding highway transport and refined product spills), of oil, gas, and geothermal resources.

To report oil spills and pollution events: (800) 832-8224
Supported by several Texas agencies, this line is answered 24 hours a day and serves as the RRC spill reporting line during the day and the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) line at night.

Federal Agencies

United States Coast Guard (USCG)

The Marine Environmental Protection program develops and enforces regulations to avert the introduction of invasive species into the maritime environment, stop unauthorized ocean dumping, and prevent oil and chemical spills. This program is complemented by the Marine Safety program's pollution prevention activities.

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Emergency Management

EPA Emergency Management programs help ensure that facilities and organizations take steps to prevent oil spills, chemical accidents, and other emergencies, implement planning and preparedness requirements, and respond to environmental emergencies. To ensure that this nation is better prepared for environmental emergencies, EPA works with other federal partners to prevent accidents as well as to maintain superior response capabilities. One of our roles is to provide information about response efforts, regulations, tools, and research that will help the regulated community, government entities, and concerned citizens prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Response and Restoration

NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration protects coastal and marine resources, mitigates threats, reduces harm, and restores ecological function. The Office provides comprehensive solutions to environmental hazards caused by oil, chemicals, and marine debris, serving as the scientific support coordinator for the USCG during responses to spills.

Wildlife Response Agencies

TPWD Kills and Spills Team

TPWD is the state agency with the primary responsibility for protecting the state's fish and wildlife resources. The TPWD Kills and Spills Team (KAST) is responsible for investigating fish and wildlife kills and any type of pollution that may cause loss of fish and wildlife. During pollution incidents, they work in conjunction with the lead response agencies and the responsible party to minimize environmental degradation and impacts to fish and wildlife resources and to coordinate the rehabilitation of injured wildlife.

To report dead or dying fish and wildlife or pollution threatening fish and wildlife:
(512) 389-4848 or (281) 842-8100
Both lines are answered 24 hours a day and serve as the TPWD Communications Center in Austin and Houston.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Environmental Contaminants Mitigation Program

The goal of the USFWS' Oil Spill Program is to emphasize early (contingency) planning and cooperation at the local, regional and national level in an effort to minimize the injury to fish, wildlife, and sensitive environments from oil spills. The Departments of the Interior, Commerce and Agriculture, together with Tribal governments, States, and other jurisdictions, are responsible for protecting these natural resources. Because oil spills respect no boundaries, uniform Federal policies and programs are essential. Visit USFWS Southwest Region.

NOAA Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program

NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) was designated as the lead agency to coordinate marine mammal health and stranding response activities. The program has the following components: stranding networks, responses/investigations of mortality events, biomonitoring, tissue/serum banking, and analytical quality assurance.

To respond to marine mammal strandings, volunteer stranding networks were established in all coastal states and are authorized through Letters of Authority from the NMFS regional offices.

The Southeast Fisheries Science Center is responsible for marine mammal responses in the southeast region of the United States including the beaches from North Carolina to Texas, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

To report stranded marine mammals: (877) 433-8299
OR call the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network (800) 9-MAMMAL

Through a formal agreement with NOAA, the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network has the authority and responsibility to respond to marine mammal strandings along the entire Texas coast.

Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network (STSSN)

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) share Federal jurisdiction for sea turtles with the USFWS having lead responsibility on the nesting beaches and the NMFS, the marine environment. The STSSN is a national network of volunteers that document sea turtles that are found stranded along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts in the United States. The network encompasses the coastal areas of the eighteen-state region from Maine to Texas, and includes portions of the U.S. Caribbean. The Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at Padre Island National Seashore coordinates STSSN activities in Texas. Staff and volunteers maintain the tally of sea turtles found stranded on the Texas coast, the tally of sea turtle nests found on the Texas coast, and provide technical assistance and training to others working in the state with stranded and nesting turtles.

To report stranded sea turtles: (866) TURTLE-5