Ecosystem Hazards

Oil Spills 

The Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance (OEPC) serves as the Department's lead for environmental response activities on DOI lands and represents Interior on the National Response Team.  The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) was created to enforce safety and environmental regulations on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) manages the development of the nation’s offshore resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way. 

Other Department bureaus, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also support interagency response to oil and hazardous substance spills by providing technical and subject matter expertise to response operations.  The Department and its bureaus support response operations serving as a trustee for fish, wildlife and natural resources, cultural resources and Tribal resources. 

Wildlife Health

Department bureaus play a role in detecting, studying and managing wildlife health issues. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center collaborates with a broad array of partners to quickly identify and mitigate wildlife health problems. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service all administer programs devoted to wildlife health, conservation enforcement, habitat management and wildlife disease surveillance and management, among other activities.

Emergency Action Planning at Dams  

DOI owns or regulates over 1,500 high and significant hazard dams across the United States.  Emergency Action Plans are prepared for these dams in coordination with downstream and upstream jurisdictions.  The Emergency Action Plans are periodically exercised to ensure emergency preparedness.  Additional information is available on the Bureau of Reclamation website. 

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