During emergency situations, oil spills or other hazardous materials can pose an additional risk to the public and the environment. That is why the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) assists the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in its role as the emergency support function for Oil and Hazardous Materials Response (ESF 10).

All responses start locally and work their way to state and federal resources. When a significant event occurs, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) will immediately consult with NDEE and other agencies on the need to activate the emergency support functions (ESFs). ESFs each focus on a critical infrastructure need such as transportation, communication, public works, housing, public health, agriculture, and public safety, to name a few.

The purpose of ESF 10 is to coordinate appropriate state agency emergency response efforts toward the prevention, containment, abatement, and cleanup of contamination of water, land and air resources resulting from an actual or potential discharge of oil or hazardous materials.

Environmental impacts during disasters may necessitate coordinated public alerts, evacuations, or sheltering-in-place, and alerting downstream water users. ESF 10 provides advice, expertise, and, to the extent possible, technical assistance in the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Nebraska and the environment.

Under ESF 10, NDEE acts as the coordinating agency, with support from NEMA, the Nebraska Departments of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Transportation, State Fire Marshal/Wildland Incident Response and Assistance Team (WIRAT), State Patrol, and the Nebraska National Guard.

Should ESF 10 be activated, the Emergency Support Function Coordinator (ESFC) will identify, activate, and alert the appropriate NDEE sections including determination if the Emergency Response Team within NDEE needs to be activated. NDEE has assigned a primary ESFC and designated three alternates to serve as the contacts at the State Emergency Operations Center.