Restoration Planning to Begin for the DBL 152 Spill

On April 8th, NOAA published in the Federal Register a Notice of Intent to Conduct Restoration Planning resulting from the DBL 152 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. NOAA seeks public involvement in restoration planning. Opportunities include public review and commenting on documents in the Administrative Record, as well as on the Draft and Final Restoration Plans when they are released.

On November 11, 2005, while enroute from Houston, Texas to Tampa, Florida, the integrated tug barge unit comprised of the tugboat "Rebel" and the double-hull Tank Barge DBL 152 allided with the submerged remains of a pipeline service platform that collapsed during Hurricane Rita. An estimated 1,925,532 gallons were discharged into federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Preassessment activities are complete and restoration planning is the next step.

For more information contact Troy.Baker@noaa.gov

DARRP Web Site Updates

Our home page has a new look and style, in addition to some major enhancements:

• We have introduced RSS feeds. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and is for sharing information. It is replacing our What’s New section and it will allow users to select how they would like to automatically be notified of notices, press releases, document additions, and so on. >>See more…
• The footer has been updated to provide you with even more information about our site.

Stay tuned as more updates continue on the site, including a new Economics section and new maps. Please let us know what you think! Follow the Contact Us link at the bottom of the screen.

DARRP and Co-Trustees Release Draft Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for Bayou Verdine, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana

The Draft Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (DARP/EA) for Bayou Verdine, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana was released for public review on March 27, 2009 by NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Louisiana Departments of Environmental Quality and Wildlife and Fisheries. This Draft DARP/EA presents the Trustees' proposed assessment of natural resource injuries and service losses in the upper Calcasieu Estuary due to hazardous substances released from two facilities that are presently owned and operated by ConocoPhillips Company and Sasol North America Inc. This Draft DARP/EA also presents the restoration plan that the Trustees are proposing for use to compensate for these losses. Comments on the proposed plan will be accepted for a period of 60-days (through May 26, 2009). Comments received during the public comment period will be considered before adopting a Final DARP/EA.

For more information, contact John Rapp at Verdine.Comments@noaa.gov or 301.713.0174 x174.