If you need to report an environmental emergency situation, please dial the 24 hour Pollution Emergency Alert System (PEAS) -

1-800-292-4706 (within Michigan) or 1-517-373-7660 (outside Michigan)

During daytime hours, you may also contact the appropriate district office directly.

Spill Release Reporting

Emergency Response Policy (summary):

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) supports the appropriate participation of its employees in emergency response activities for the purpose of protecting public health and the environment. In general, DEQ employees do not serve as "first responder" personnel. Rather, DEQ staff serve as technical consultants to, and coordinate their activity with, an on-scene incident commander, usually the local fire chief. Staff may serve as technical consultants either at the site of the emergency or by telephone or other means of communication. DEQ staff may also employ an environmental response contractor to perform certain emergency response functions.

In areas where Level D personal protective equipment is adequate, employees may: conduct air, water, soil sediment or waste monitoring or sampling; deploy containment devices from the shoreline to control surface water contaminants; construct diversion or containment dikes; and right leaking drums as appropriate to the level of the individual's equipment and training.

Exception: Properly trained and equipped staff of the Waste and Hazardous Materials Division Division may perform first responder, operations level actions at emergencies involving radioactive materials.

Emergency Management Coordinator

The Director appoints an Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC) to serve as the Department representative to the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management Division. The EMC serves as the DEQ representative to the State Emergency Operations Center when it is activated in response to a large-scale emergency or disaster situation. The Emergency Management Coordinators are:  Mr. Milton Scales, Chief, Office of Criminal Investigations (517) 335-3430, Mr. Thor Strong, (alternate), Low-Level Radioactive Waste Authority (517) 241-1242, and Mr. Bruce VanOtteren, Pollution Emergency Alerting System, (517) 373-8427.

Emergency Management Coordination Committee

A committee comprised of representatives from each division is responsible for coordinating emergency response planning and to serve in a departmental emergency operations center if requested by the Emergency Management Coordinator. Each division representative is responsible for coordinating the development of a divisional emergency response plan.

Emergency Management Resource Links:

Emergency Management Division, Michigan State Police - The Emergency Management Division is the lead state agency for responding to all hazard emergency and disaster incidents. The EMD is responsible for maintaining and implementing the Michigan Emergency Management Plan. The site has links to all local emergency management programs.

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act - Environmental Assistance Division, DEQ - EPCRA established requirements for state and local planning for hazardous materials response, and industry reporting on use of hazardous materials. The site has information regarding all Local Emergency Preparedness Committees (LEPCs).

Federal Emergency Management Agency - FEMA - is an independent agency of the federal government, reporting to the President. Since its founding in 1979, FEMA's mission has been clear:  to reduce loss of life and property and protect our nation's critical infrastructure from all types of hazards through a comprehensive, risk-based, emergency management program of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

National Response Center - The National Response Center is the sole notification mechanism for oil spills and other incidents involving hazardous materials at the federal level. All spills of hazardous materials above reportable quantities must be reported to the NRC.  (phone: 1-800-424-8802)

National Response Team - The National Response Team is the primary national contingency planning, policy, and coordination organization for oil and hazardous substances emergency response. The NRT home page has links to over 100 other national, regional and state response agencies and organizations.

National Weather Service - Interactive Weather Information Network (IWIN).  This site lists all the areas across the country that are currently under watch or warning for thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, flash flooding, and other climatic episodes

U.S. Coast Guard (Ninth District) - The U.S. Coast Guard (Ninth District - Cleveland) is the Federal On-scene Coordinator for all environmental emergencies along the shores, or on the waters, of the Great Lakes.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Region 5) - The U.S. EPA serves as the Federal On-scene Coordinator for all inland environmental emergencies in the Great Lakes region.