PRESS RELEASE

Industry Urged to Call National Spill Number if Needed
Department of Environmental Quality Update
BATON ROUGE (September 3, 2008) - The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are reminding business and industry owners to report spills to the National Response Center (NRC). The Center is integral to these facilities' long-established procedures in response to natural disasters such as Gustav. The NRC serves as the sole point of contact for reporting all oil, chemical, radiological and biological releases in the United States.

Industries, businesses and residents that encounter spills or discharges in the hurricane's aftermath should contact the Center immediately at (800) 424-8802 or (202) 267-2675. The Center is available to take calls 24 hours a day, every day.

The Center supplies EPA's response personnel with incident reports of oil discharges and chemical releases. This information helps EPA determine the Agency's next steps in responding to the natural disaster. The information from the Center's reports, coupled with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Rapid Needs Assessment, will help EPA ensure the protection of public health and the environment. EPA also coordinates with state and local agencies to support the affected communities.

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