1. Spill
occurs
Is release
Hazardous
Substance?
Yes
No
Is release to
surface water?
Is release oil?
Does it
produce sheen
at outfall?
No
Yes
Report to NRC
Report to Duty
Officer
Release to
ground?
Potential to get
into “water of
the state”?
Meet or exceed
RQ?
No Release to air?No
Yes
Yes
No
Is spill
contained?
No report
Imminent threat
to human
health, drinking
water or
environment?
Yes
No
Yes
No
J. Rantala, EQA/EC, rev. 05/04/2010
Discharge to 2°
containment
area?
Is release
foam?
Is release
sewage, sludge
or other
partially treated
flow?
Is release any
volume of
another
chemical/
material that
may cause
pollution?
Sample receiving
water if spill is to
surface water
Fully treated
effluent incl
disinfect if
needed?
No
Yes
Is release ash?
No
No
No
Yes
Is volume
released >5
gallons?
Yes
Yes
Report on DMR
No report
Sample receiving
water if spill is to
surface water
Report to Duty
Officer
A spill is contained only
if there is no release to
air, water or land. Spills
inside buildings that
volatilize and then are
exhausted to the
atmosphere are
uncontained spills.
Spills that can be
conveyed to the ground
or water are
uncontained spills.
Spills into AST
containment areas may
be uncontained,
depending on specific
circumstances.
Yes No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Petroleum
products are
NOT considered
a hazardous
substance.
Potential is difficult to define,
but has to do with proximity or
mobility of a pollutant toward
surface or groundwater. For
example, if spill occurs during
precipitation event, near a
surface water, in an area that
has very little separation
distance to groundwater (such
as in an excavation scenario),
the spill containment area has
been breached, or it is a difficult
spill to clean up, there is
relatively more potential than in
situations where this is not true.
Note that chemicals typically
used in the treatment
process, if released, may
cause pollution.
Is volume
release >5
gallons?
Call 9-1-1
Produce
exceedance of
NPDES permit
limitation?
Yes
No
Navigable
waters of the
US or adj.
shoreline?
Yes
No
Navigable
waters of the
US or adj.
shoreline?
Yes
Report to NRC
Report to Duty
Officer
Is volume
released >1000
gal or 2-42 gal
in 12 mo
period?
Yes
No
Report to Duty
Officer
No
Facility subject
to SPCC?
No reportNo
No
No
No
Report to NRCYes
Yes
No
Yes
Report to Duty
Officer
Report to NRC
Report to EPA
Reg Administrator
No
Sample receiving
water if spill is to
surface water
Report on DMR
Yes
No
Yes
Add list of
SPCC subject
facilities

2. Is spill
industrial spill?
No
Sewage or
chemical spill
enters ‘Regulatory
Reporting’
Decision Tree
In collection
system?
No
Yes
IWPP staff
manage caller,
response & data
Yes
Reported by
industrial user?
Yes
Data entered into/
stored in PACS
No
RMF staff manage
caller, response &
data
Data Entered into/
stored in SOS
Data Entered into/
stored in SOS
Reporting
indicated by
Decision Tree?
Yes
No
Data not stored or
maintained