This document has been developed to provide the oil and gas production industry guidance on reporting releases of hazardous substances and petroleum to water as required by the Clean Water Act (CWA) and reporting releases of hazardous substances into the environment as required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). This document only covers federal requirements for release reporting under the CWA, CERCLA and EPCRA.
The document covers the reporting of what most in the industry consider "emergency" releases, which are unplanned and typically are not covered under a permit issued by a government agency.