NATIONAL RESPONSE TEAM (NRT)

An organization of the federal government under the leadership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that includes representatives of 10 other federal agencies. The team serves as an umbrella organization at the federal level, and its functions include, among others, evaluating methods to respond to discharges or releases; recommending needed changes in the response organization; making recommendations relative to the training, equipping, and protection of response teams; evaluating response capabilities; reviewing regional responses to discharges; and coordinating the activities of federal, state, and local governments as well as private organizations in response to discharges.