Federal, State, and Local Cooperation

Together, EPA and state and local governments form an effective partnership at all points in the emergency response process as part of our country's National Response System, a multi-layered network of individuals and teams from local, state, and federal agencies, industry, and other response organizations.

States are members in their respective Regional Response Teams, which are established and maintained in the National Response System to coordinate responses to regional release incidents. Prior to emergency incidents, EPA coordinates with states to ensure that state contingency plans are consistent with national and regional contingency plans.

Local responders have, perhaps, the most vital role in the National Response System. Because firefighters and local police are usually the first responders at the scene of an incident, they are the first to assess the situation, identify the hazards, and take emergency measures, such as fighting a fire, securing the area, or re-routing traffic. Their assessment and initial activities help the EPA On-Scene Coordinator determine what EPA actions are necessary.

Thousands of state and local responders attend EPA training courses each year. EPA offers a wide range of technical and management courses designed to aid responders in identifying and implementing appropriate actions to eliminate the threats from hazardous substances. To help state and local governments cover the costs of their response activities, EPA offers financial support through two programs. For emergency response actions that don't require an immediate response, EPA may enter into a Superfund State Contract or a Cooperative Agreement with a state to undertake a state-lead response action. These agreements enable the states to use funds from the Superfund trust fund to pay for the cleanup.

Local governments can get help paying for emergency response actions through EPA's Local Governments Reimbursement program. Often, the cost of local response actions is beyond what the community normally provides in terms of emergency response funds. To date, EPA has provided local governments close to $1 million dollars through this program.

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