The National Incident Management System (NIMS) addresses the establishment of an Environmental Unit within the Planning Section to facilitate interagency environmental data management, monitoring, sampling, analysis, and assessment.
It is expected that most, if not all EPA responses will include the establishment of an ENVL within the Planning Section.
The ENVL is responsible for scientific support associated with a response, including:
*Support for specific response technologies;
*Modeling and data interpretation;
*Natural resource and ecological issues;
*Following standard methods and permitting issues.
Personnel assigned to the Environmental Unit may include technical specialists in sampling and analytical methods, data management, risk assessment, decontamination, disposal, etc. The Environmental Unit is responsible for advising the IC on findings, data gaps and precautionary measures.
The ENVL coordinates with the Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC)if that position is established in Command Staff.
