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Natural Resource Damages
The purpose of this web site is to provide information about Natural Resource Damages (NRD) and the roles and responsibilities of EPA and the Natural Resource Trustees. This web site is intended to assist EPA staff in meeting their statutory obligation to notify and coordinate fully with Trustees.
Damages are recoverable at sites where injuries to natural resources have occurred as a result of releases of hazardous substances or oil or as a result of natural resource injury related to implementation of a response action. EPA's NRD responsibilities during CERCLA actions center around notification of and coordination with Natural Resource Trustees. Accordingly, EPA's NRD-related activities are aimed at achieving the following three goals:
- To provide Trustees the information needed to meet their legal obligations for action;
- To share information to better protect human health and the environment; and
- To reduce the time for settlement of all liabilities.
EPA encourages participation by all affected Trustees. This participation is encouraged at every stage in the CERCLA and OPA processes. Notification is not only important for compliance with statutory requirements, but is also necessary to keep Trustees informed so that all liabilities can be resolved in a timely manner.
While this web site was designed primarily for EPA staff, it also provides specific information for Trustees (e.g., Trustee Information and Query Report). This web site includes the following information:
Natural Resource Damages: A Primer defines NRD and provides a general overview of how injuries to natural resources occur, damages are assessed, and resources are restored.
Natural Resource Trustees details the government officials who act as Trustees and provides examples of the types of resources they manage.
EPA's Notification and Coordination Activities describes how the Agency works with Trustees to address natural resource issues during CERCLA cleanup actions.
Trustee Information and Query Report is designed to provide information to Natural Resource Trustees regarding actions at sites where releases are under investigation by EPA, and allows Trustees to search for sites where accomplishments have occurred during the most recent quarter of the fiscal year.
Ecological Risk Assessment and Natural Resource Damage Assessment describes: (1) the information developed by EPA when conducting an ecological risk assessment (ERA); and (2) the procedures that Trustees follow to assess NRD under both CERCLA and OPA.
NRDA Sites provides a list of sites where Trustee Agencies are undertaking a natural resource damage assessment (NRDA).
NRD Slide Show is a short presentation that summarizes NRD policy and focuses on EPA's responsibilities to notify and coordinate with Natural Resource Trustees.
NRD Training is the web version of a one-day training course developed primarily for Superfund Remedial Project Managers to provide them with background on NRD and the roles and responsibilities of Natural Resource Trustees.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) presents commonly asked questions (and answers) about NRD issues.
NRD Related Statutory Information is included to provide a reference tool regarding the major CERCLA and OPA provisions affecting NRD.
Other NRD Related Publications provides a list of documents to find out more about NRD issues.
Links provides hyperlinks to other sites that present NRD-related information.