Which entity must be notified immediately when a reportable quantity of a hazardous substance is released?

• A. Environmental Protection Agency
• B. Local Fire Department
• C. National Response Center
• D. Department of Transportation

Answer: (C)

When a hazardous substance is released in a quantity that triggers a reportable quantity, the immediate federal notification goes to the National Response Center. The NRC is the designated federal point of contact for such environmental emergencies, receiving the initial report and coordinating subsequent actions among federal, state, and local agencies to ensure a rapid and organized response. This centralized notification helps marshal the right resources quickly and ensures the release is tracked and managed at the national level.

Local fire departments are critical for on-site safety and immediate emergency response, but they aren’t the federally mandated first contact for notifying about the release itself. The Environmental Protection Agency is a regulatory body that may receive information and oversee cleanup, but the NRC is the required immediate notice point. The Department of Transportation handles transportation-related incidents; while they may be involved if the release occurred during transport, they are not the universal immediate notice point for all reportable releases.