- About NSF
- NSF Units
- NSF Contact Information
- USCG Response Resource Inventory System (RRI)
- Resources
- Federal On-Scene Coordinator Representative Training Seminar
- NSF in the News and Multimedia
- Links
- Deployment Status Map
Security Levels
Major Responses
Major responses of the National Strike Force
| American History & Culture | US/World Environmental History | Year | National Strike Force (NSF) |
| First Earth Day. More than 20 million people participate. President Nixon forms the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Clean Air Act passed, regulating air emissions. |
1970 | ||
 |
|||
| 1971 | |||
| Clean Water Act is passed, placing pollution limits on water discharges and sewage. EPA bans DDT. |
1972 | ||
|
|||
| Endangered Species Act passed to protect wildlife. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). |
1973 | National Strike Force Established | |
|
|||
| The Equal Rights Amendment approved by Congress. | |||
 |
|||
| The Safe Drinking Water Act regulates pollutants to ensure that people drink safe water. | 1974 | ||
|
|||
| Secretariat wins the Triple Crown. Richard Nixon resigns; Gerald Ford becomes president. |
|||
|
|||
| Congress passes legislation that sets standards for automobile tail-pipe emissions. Automakers begin adding catalytic converters to cars. | 1975 | Mystery Spill (South Florida Coast) | |
|
|||
| The Toxic Substances Control Act empowers the EPA to track industrial chemicals used in the United States, as well as to ban those that pose a threat.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act passed to control handling and disposal of hazardous waste. |
1976 | Argo Merchant Oil Spill (Nantucket, Mass.)
|
|
| |
|||
| Bicentennial of the United States is celebrated. | |||
|
|||
| Clean Air Act Amendments passed. Clean Water Act passed. |
1977 | ||
| |
|||
| The movie Star Wars hits theaters. Jimmy Carter becomes president. |
|||
|
|||
| Sony introduces the Walkman, a portable audio cassette player. “Blizzard of 1978” batters the Northeast. Snowfall ranges from 2–4 ft. |
1978 | Brazilian Marina Response (Sao Paulo, Brazil) | |
| |
|||
| EPA bans PCB manufacture. U.S. sues for Love Canal cleanup |
1979 | IXTOC I oil spill (Texas Coast)
|
|
| |
|||
| An accident occurs at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania. | |||
|
|||
| Congress creates the Superfund, setting aside large amounts of money to clean up hazardous waste sites. | 1980 | ||
| |
|||
| "Miracle on Ice" as US ice hockey team beats Soviet Union at the Winter Olympics. Mt. St. Helens volcano, in Washington State, erupts. |
|||
|
|||
| Inauguration of Ronald Reagan as the 40th president of the United States. First space shuttle launched. |
1981 | ||
|
|||
| The word “Internet” used for the first time. Michael Jackson releases "Thriller". |
1982 | ||
|
|||
| Compact discs begin to replace vinyl records. | 1983 | M/V City of Greenville (St. Louis) | |
|
|||
| Apple introduces the Mac. | 1984 | ||
|
|||
| A team of British scientists reports that there is a hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic. | 1985 | ||
| |
|||
| New York Mets top Red Sox in World Series. | 1986 | Space Shuttle Challenger recovery (Atlantic Ocean) | |
|
|||
| United States is one of 24 nations to sign the Montreal Protocol, an agreement to phase out production of chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs) that destroy the ozone layer. | 1987 | ||
| |
|||
| The New York Giants beat the Broncos in Super Bowl. | |||
|
|||
| EPA sets standards for underground storage tanks. Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act Amendments of 1988 passed. |
1988 | ||
| |
|||
| EPA publishes first Toxic Release Inventory. | 1989 | M/V Exxon Valdez oil spill (Prince William Sound, Alaska) | |
| |
|||
| George H.W. Bush becomes president. The Simpsons show debuts on Fox. Fall of the Berlin Wall. |
|||
|
|||
| Earth Day 20th Anniversary is celebrated on April 22. One hundred million people around the globe participate. Pollution Prevention Act passed. |
1990 | ||
| |
|||
| Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) signed into law. Hubble Telescope placed into orbit. |
|||
|
|||
| The World Wide Web makes its debut. | 1991 | ||
|
|||
| EPA commits to reducing environmental risks to minorities. | 1992 | ||
| |
|||
| Bill Clinton becomes the 42nd president of the United States. | 1993 | Barge Bouchard (Tampa, Fla.) | |
|
|||
| New standards require chemical plants to reduce toxic air pollution by more than half a million tons each year. EPA presents first Energy Star computer awards. |
1994 | San Jacinto River oil spill (Texas) | |
| |
|||
| On Earth Day, a student-led campaign delivers the Environmental Bill of Rights to Congress. | 1995 | Hurricane Opal (Florida Panhandle) | |
| |
|||
| It becomes mandatory that public suppliers of drinking water provide customers information about the chemicals and microbes in their water. | 1996 | TWA Flight 800 crash (off East Moriches, N.Y.)
|
|
| |
|||
| Dolly, the first sheep cloned from adult cells, is born. | |||
|
|||
| Thirty-eight industrialized nations sign the Kyoto Protocol, agreeing to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by about 5% over 15 years. U.S. and Canada move to eliminate toxics in Great Lakes. |
1997 | Red River flood (North Dakota) | |
| |
|||
| Princess Diana killed in car crash. | |||
|
|||
| Baseball legend Cal Ripken, Jr. ends his record consecutive games streak at 2,632. Dale Earnhardt wins the Daytona 500. Seinfeld finale episode after nine seasons on NBC. |
1998 | ||
|
|||
| New emissions standards are set for automobiles, requiring them to become 77% to 95% cleaner. | 1999 | ||
| |
|||
| The Senate overwhelmingly approves a $7.8 billion aid plan to restore the Everglades in Florida. EPA endorses cleaner diesel fuels plan. |
2000 | Pepco oil spill (Eagle Harbor, Md.)
|
|
| |
|||
| The head of Forest Service halts harvesting of old-growth timber on public lands. U.S. decides not to sign the Koyoto Protocol . |
2001 | ||
| |
|||
| George W. Bush becomes president. Wikipedia, a web-based, collaborative encyclopedia, is created. Patriots win first of three Super Bowls. |
9/11 Terrorist Attacks (New York City/Washington D.C.) | ||
|
|||
| American Idol airs for the first time. | 2002 | ||
| |
|||
| EPA proposes the first-ever mercury emissions regulations on power plants. New Clean School Bus program reduces children's exposures to diesel emissions from buses. |
2003 | Space Shuttle Columbia recovery (Texas)
|
|
| |
|||
| EPA informs the governors of 31 states that the air pollution in their states does not meet federal health standards. | 2004 | Athos I oil spill (Philadelphia)
|
|
| |
|||
| Red Sox break "Curse of Bambino" and win World Series. | |||
|
|||
| EPA issues the Clean Air Interstate Rule and the Clean Air Mercury Rule. | 2005 | Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (U.S. Gulf Coast) | |
| |
|||
| Lance Armstrong wins a record 7th Tour de France. |
|||
|
|||
| Population of the United States reaches three hundred million. | 2006 | DBL 152 oil spill (Gulf of Mexico) | |
|
|||
| Arctic sea ice hits at an all-time low. Through the Energy Star program, EPA prevents greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million vehicles. |
2007 | Cosco Busan Response (San Francisco, Calif.)
|
|
| |
|||
| 2008 | |||
| EPA determines that greenhouse gases threaten public health and the environment. | 2009 | CAPECO tank farm fire (Bayamón, Puerto Rico) | |
| |
|||
| Barack Obama becomes the first African American president and the country's 44th president. New York Yankees win 27th World Series. |
|||
|
|||
| EPA proposes tightening smog standard to improve air quality and protect public health. | 2010 | Haitian Earthquake Response (Haiti) | |
|
|||
| 2010 | Deep Water Horizon | ||
“The World’s Best Responders: Any Time, Any Place, Any Hazard.”
Download Plug-Ins
Download Plug-Ins: Some of the links on this page require a plug-in to view them. Links to the plug-ins are available below.
Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF)
Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF)
Last Modified 1/26/2012