Ohio Spill Reporting Quick Reference - Who to Call and When

Overview

When a spill or release occurs in Ohio, reporting requirements come from multiple programs with different triggers, timelines, and phone numbers. Missing a required notification can result in penalties, even if the spill itself is properly cleaned up.

This page is a quick reference for the most common reporting scenarios. It does not cover every possible situation - large-scale emergencies, transportation incidents, and releases to navigable waters involve additional federal requirements. When in doubt, report. You will never be penalized for over-reporting a release.

Quick Reference: Who to Call

Situation	Who to Call	Phone	Timeline
Hazardous substance or oil release exceeding RQ	Ohio EPA SERC, local fire department, county LEPC	800-282-9378 or 614-224-0946	Within 30 minutes
CERCLA hazardous substance or oil to navigable waters	National Response Center (in addition to Ohio calls)	800-424-8802	As soon as possible
UST petroleum release or suspected release	BUSTR (State Fire Marshal) and local fire department	614-752-7938	Within 24 hours
Oil/gas well site release	ODNR	844-OHCALL1 (844-642-2551)	Within 30 minutes

General Spill Reporting (ORC 3750.06)

What Triggers a Report

Under ORC 3750.06, you must report a release or discharge when a regulated substance exceeds its reportable quantity (RQ) and leaves the facility property line. The regulated substances include:

Extremely hazardous substances (40 CFR Part 355, Appendix A and B)
CERCLA hazardous substances (40 CFR Part 302, Table 302.4)
Oil (includes gasoline, petroleum, fuel oil, sludge, oil refuse, and oil mixed with waste)

Reportable Quantities

Each substance has a chemical-specific RQ that triggers reporting. For hazardous and extremely hazardous substances, RQs range from 1 to 5,000 pounds depending on the chemical. These can be found in the EPA “List of Lists” (Consolidated List of Chemicals Subject to EPCRA, CERCLA, and CAA Section 112(r)).

For oil, the reportable quantities are:

Oil into navigable waters: Any amount that causes a visible film or sheen on the water surface
Oil into the environment (non-navigable): 25 gallons or more
Crude oil from oil and gas extraction storage: 210 gallons or more

Who to Notify

When a reportable release occurs, you must notify all three of the following:

Ohio EPA SERC (State Emergency Response Commission) at 800-282-9378 or 614-224-0946
Local fire department having jurisdiction where the release occurred
County LEPC (Local Emergency Planning Committee) - the community emergency coordinator for the emergency planning district where the release occurred

All three notifications must be made within 30 minutes of becoming aware of the release. If notification within 30 minutes is impractical due to the circumstances of the emergency, notify as soon as possible.

What to Report

Provide as much of the following as is known at the time of reporting. This is an initial report - estimates can be corrected in the follow-up notice:

Name and phone number of contact person
Location and source of the release
Chemical name or identity of the substance
Estimated quantity released (gallons or pounds)
Time and duration of the release
Environmental media affected (soil, groundwater, surface water, air)
Known health risks and precautions
Actions taken to respond to and contain the release

Written Follow-Up Report

A written follow-up report must be submitted within 30 days of the release to Ohio EPA and the county LEPC (the fire department does not receive the written report). The written report updates the initial verbal notification and must include:

Complete name, address, and phone number of the facility owner/operator
Actual time, date, and duration of the release
Actions taken to respond to and contain the release
Known or anticipated health risks
Advice regarding medical attention for exposed individuals
Actions taken to prevent recurrence
Ohio EPA spill number and NRC case number (if applicable)

Ohio EPA provides a Spill Report Form that can be used for the written follow-up. Submit to SERCspillreport@epa.ohio.gov and your county LEPC.

Federal Reporting - National Response Center

In addition to Ohio notifications, you must also call the National Response Center (NRC) at 800-424-8802 for:

Any release of a CERCLA hazardous substance exceeding its RQ
Any discharge of oil to navigable waters (any visible sheen)

The NRC is a 24-hour federal reporting hotline. Calling the NRC does not satisfy your Ohio reporting obligations - you must make both sets of calls.

BUSTR UST Releases (OAC 1301:7-9-03)

Petroleum releases from underground storage tank systems have a separate reporting track through BUSTR (Bureau of Underground Storage Tank Regulations), administered by the Ohio State Fire Marshal.

What Triggers a BUSTR Report

A release or suspected release must be reported when any of the following occur:

Spilling, leaking, or discharging of petroleum from a UST system into groundwater, surface water, subsurface soils, or the environment
Spilling or leaking during transfer of petroleum into a UST system
Confirmed contamination of subsurface soil or groundwater through laboratory analysis
Monitoring results indicating a potential release (from leak detection systems)
Unusual operating conditions (erratic dispensing equipment, sudden product loss, unexplained water in tank)
Free product discovered in UST secondary containment

Who to Notify and When

Report to the State Fire Marshal (BUSTR) and the local fire department within 24 hours of discovery.

Exception: Spills or overfills of 25 gallons or less that do not reach a surface water body and are cleaned up within 24 hours do not need to be reported.

BUSTR vs. General Reporting

A petroleum UST release may trigger both BUSTR reporting (to the State Fire Marshal within 24 hours) and general spill reporting under ORC 3750.06 (to Ohio EPA SERC, LEPC, and fire department within 30 minutes) if the release exceeds 25 gallons and leaves the facility property. Report to all required parties. The requirements are not mutually exclusive.

Exemptions from Reporting

The following are generally exempt from ORC 3750.06 reporting requirements. Note that exemptions from general reporting do not exempt you from BUSTR reporting or other program-specific requirements.

Federally permitted releases (as defined under CERCLA Section 101(10))
Continuous, stable releases that have been previously reported and are within the normal range
Pesticide applications performed in compliance with FIFRA
Engine exhaust emissions from motor vehicles
Releases of naturally occurring radionuclides from undisturbed land

These exemptions have specific conditions. If you are unsure whether an exemption applies, report the release and let the agency make the determination.

Common Mistakes

Assuming the spill is too small to report. The 25-gallon oil threshold is lower than many people expect. A single 55-gallon drum tip can exceed the RQ. When in doubt, report.

Only calling one agency. A single release can trigger reporting to Ohio EPA, the local fire department, the LEPC, the NRC, and BUSTR simultaneously. Missing any one of these is a violation.

Not making the follow-up written report. The 30-day written follow-up to Ohio EPA and the LEPC is a separate requirement from the initial phone call. Many facilities make the verbal notification but forget or delay the written report.

Confusing “leaves the property line” with “enters water.” The ORC 3750.06 trigger is the release exceeding the RQ and leaving the facility property, not necessarily entering a waterway. A gasoline spill that runs off your property into a neighboring parking lot is reportable.

Waiting to characterize the spill before reporting. You do not need to know the exact quantity, chemical identity, or extent of the release before making the initial call. Report what you know and update with the written follow-up.

Source

ORC 3750.06: Notice of Release of Hazardous Substance. OAC 3750-25-25: Emergency Release Notification Requirements. OAC 1301:7-9-03: Release Reporting for UST Systems. 40 CFR Part 302: Designation, Reportable Quantities, and Notification (CERCLA). 40 CFR Part 355: Emergency Planning and Notification (EPCRA).