National Response Center (NRC)

The NRC serves as the notification core of the NRS. It is located at USCG headquarters and staffed 24x7. The NRC receives reports of oil and hazardous substances releases that trigger federal notification requirements, including those related to infrastructure security breaches, suspicious activities, and terrorist-related events. Approximately 30,000 incident notifications each year. For oil, the notification trigger is any spill that results in a visible sheen. For hazardous substances, the notification trigger varies by substance. NRC watch officers generate reports and relay them to the appropriate on-scene coordinators at USCG Captain of the Port commands and EPA Regional Offices and to State Emergency Response Commissions.