DARRP and Co-Trustees Release the Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Athos I Delaware River Oil Spill

The draft Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (DARP/EA) for the M/T Athos I oil spill was released for public comment on January 6, 2009 by NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. This comment period is the last step before selection of the final restoration projects and submittal of the damage claim to the U.S. Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.

On November 26, 2004, the Athos struck a submerged anchor which punctured the vessel, spilling nearly 265,000 gallons of crude oil into the Delaware River. This resulted in injuries to over 280 miles of shoreline, affecting habitats, aquatic organisms, birds and other wildlife, as well as recreational trips.

Nine preferred restoration projects, expecting to total over $20 million, are intended to address injuries in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The projects include restoring approximately 300 acres of oyster, marsh, shoreline, wet meadow, grassland, and stream habitat;  three recreation projects; and four projects to remove stream obstructions restricting the migration of anadromous fish.

These projects will benefit coastal communities and economies by improving fishing, boating, hunting and wildlife viewing, provide green jobs during construction, and address educational, public access, and environmental justice needs. For more information, contact Mary.Andrews@noaa.gov or Kristin.Rusello@noaa.gov.

Chalk Point Monitoring Report Finalized

NOAA funded and recently released a study of oiled wetlands, The Monitoring of Recovery of Marshes Impacted by the Chalk Point Oil Spill. The study plan consisted of field and laboratory studies to assess the recovery status of the impacted wetlands, as indicated by three metrics: 1) the persistence and weathering status of PAHs in marsh soils; 2) vegetation condition measurements of belowground biomass, stem density, and stem height; and 3) toxicity tests of surficial soils. The objective was to compare these metrics at sites within the heavily oiled interior marsh habitats affected by the spill with similar but unoiled marsh habitats. Among other findings, the results show persistent and elevated concentrations of PAHs in the soils, little to no weathering of oil in the soils since 2000, and adverse effects on vegetation. For more information on the Chalk Point spill, please visit the case Web page.