Coast Guard reminds industry partners and citizens to report pollution spills in waterway

U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 02/26/2020 09:48 AM EST

united states coast guard

 

News Release  

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River
Contact: Ensign Ian Ross
Office: (314) 704-9502
After Hours: (314) 269-2463
Eighth District online newsroom

Coast Guard reminds industry partners and citizens to report pollution spills in waterway

ST. LOUIS – Anyone witnessing an oil spill, chemical release, or martime security incident should call the National Response Center (NRC) hotline at 1-800-424-8802.   

While the NRC is not a response agency, it serves as an emergency call center for initial reports for pollution incidents and forward that information to appropriate federal and state agencies for response.

Reporting is required when any harmful quantity is discharged into the waterway. A harmful quantity can be simply identified if a film or sheen on the water’s surface is created. Other indications of a harmful quantity include a sludge or emulsion beneath the surface of the water.

In 2019 alone the NRC fielded 25,760 reports across the United States.

-USCG-