When a petroleum or chemical spill takes place that could pose a hazard to public health or the environment, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy has trained team members who provide technical and regulatory assistance.

NDEE’s Emergency Response Team is on call 24 hours a day. The team has the ability to respond to and investigate spills. They provide initial assistance to local emergency responders. This team also works closely with local, state and federal agencies involved in the emergency response.

Fuel spills, and spills of other hazardous substances, must be reported to NDEE and cleaned up by the responsible party. To report a spill, call NDEE at 402-471-2186 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or call the Nebraska State Patrol at 402-479-4921 after hours, on weekends or during holidays. The NSP will contact the NDEE on-call personnel, who will call the reporting party back within 15 minutes.

When reporting a spill, NDEE will ask when the spill occurred, the location of the spill, the amount spilled, what has been done to contain the spill and who is responsible for the spill.

In addition to spill response, the Emergency Response program also coordinates the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) Title III Tier II reporting (Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Emergency Notification, or EPCRA).

EPCRA requires facilities that store hazardous chemicals to report the chemicals’ locations and quantities to state and local governments each year. This information provides state and local officials with specific information on potential hazards and helps communities prepare for potential emergencies.

By utilizing emergency preparedness and training, NDEE’s Emergency Response Program, and its local, state and federal partners, can respond to emergency events and help protect Nebraska’s natural resources.