Who can assist in obtaining emergency permits, if needed, during a Level 2 emergency response?

• A. The local fire department
• B. The installation environmental office
• C. Base operations staff
• D. EPA regional office

Answer: (B)

During a Level 2 emergency, coordinating any necessary regulatory permissions quickly is essential to keep the response effective and compliant. The installation environmental office is the on-base authority that handles environmental compliance and acts as the liaison with regulators. They have the authority and familiarity with the relevant laws and permit processes, so they can initiate and expedite emergency permits or emergency approvals with state and federal agencies as needed. Their role is to align the response actions with regulatory requirements while documenting actions for post-incident reporting.

The local fire department focuses on immediate life-safety and firefighting actions, not on obtaining regulatory permits. Base operations staff manage day-to-day base functions and support, but they aren’t the designated point for securing environmental permits. The EPA regional office is the regulator that can issue or approve permits, but they typically rely on the installation environmental office to originate the request and coordinate the process, making on-base coordination the most efficient path during an emergency.