Hurricane Katrina: Legal Issues - Columbus School of Law

Due to the infrastructure damage from Hurricane Katrina, passenger rail service has been affected to and from the
Gulf Coast and New Orleans. Amtrak is offering full refunds and waiver of all penalties for passengers with
reservations traveling to or from New Orleans or other areas served by the affected trains. Certain restrictions and
conditions apply, and this may change as the situation changes, so it is wise to contact Amtrak directly for specific
information.
If a passenger is able to rebook, will alternate transportation be provided if the rail service books the
passenger to a city different than originally booked to?
Amtrak has modified its service to and from the Gulf Coast and New Orleans until further notice. Railway points of
origin or destinations in the Gulf Coast and New Orleans have been changed to other cities. It appears that alternate
transportation to and from some of the new cities will not be provided, so it is wise to contact Amtrak directly for
specific information.
Environmental Law
Oil Spills
I’ve noticed a leak of oil, chemicals, or other pollutants. Who do I call to report the spill?
Mississippi requires all spills of any pollutant, not just hazardous materials, that may affect state waters, land, air, or
public health, to be reported to the proper authorities. Spills should be reported to the 24-hour State Warning Point at
the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (601) 352-9100 or 1-800-222-6362.
Spills can also be reported to the National Response Center in Washington D.C. at (800) 424-8802 (toll free), (202)
267-2180 (direct), or (202) 267- 4477 (TTD). The NRC is the sole federal contact for reporting spills and is
responsible for forwarding the information to the appropriate agency for action. When reporting a spill, provide the
NRC with as much information as possible including:
Your name, location, organization, and telephone number
Name and address of the party responsible for the incident
Date and time of the incident
Location of the incident
Source and cause of the release or spill
Types of material(s) released or spilled
Quantity of materials released or spilled
Danger or threat posed by the release or spill
Number and types of injuries (if any)
Weather conditions at the incident location
Any other information that may help emergency personnel respond to the incident
Fish Kills
Where do I report a fish kill?
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality operates a fish kill hotline. To report a fish kill, please call
(601) 961-5599.
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