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The Gulf Coast Task Force October 6, 2011, the Task Force releases the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Strategy for public review.
The sun low on the horizon over the water, with grass in the foreground. Sunset at Lacassine Refuge
The Gulf Coast Task Force
Leading the Recovery "President Obama has said many times that our commitment to the families and environment in the Gulf extends far beyond capping the well.  [...] Our work is not complete until the people and the environment they rely on are on the path to restoration and recovery," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.
Leading the Recovery
Technical Assistance This page is intended to help individuals, small businesses, and communities navigate the many different kinds of resources that they may seek to leverage as they plan for recovery and the future. Communities, individuals, and small businesses across the country may benefit from the information provided here.
Technical Assistance
Natural Resource Damage Assessment After an oil spill, federal agencies study the effects through the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process, identifying the impacts to natural resources, best methods for restoration, and amount of restoration required.
Conducting Natural Resource Damage Assessment NOAA Photo
Natural Resource Damage Assessment
Get Assistance Submit a claims form for damages resulting from the oil spill and necessary response costs.
A file drawer filled with file folders
Get Assistance
One year later - Florida On April 20, 2010, the Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to the spill of approximately five million barrels of oil, impacting a five state region. As of April 9, 2011, 90 percent of the affected shoreline has been cleaned.
One year later - Florida
One year later - Alabama On April 20, 2010, the Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to the spill of approximately five million barrels of oil, impacting a five state region. As of April 9, 2011, 90 percent of the affected shoreline has been cleaned.
Gulf Shores, Alabama following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (left) and today (right)
One year later - Alabama
One year later - Mississippi On April 20, 2010, the Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to the spill of approximately five million barrels of oil, impacting a five state region. As of April 9, 2011, 90 percent of the affected shoreline has been cleaned.
One year later - Mississippi
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Latest News

Coast Guard approves plan to secure containment dome
Thursday, October 25, 2012 - 09:56
NEW ORLEANS - The Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in New Orleans authorized BP to proceed with a plan to cap and plug the containment dome. In 2010, the 40-foot-tall containment dome was used as a part of an attempt to capture oil and allow it to flow through a pipe to a barge on the surface. The technique was unsuccessful and the equipment was moved away from the well head and riser and set in its current position approximately 500 meters from the original Macando well head.

An egret with a boom in the background - U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick Kelley.

Featured Fact Sheet

Natural Resource Restoration Program (PDF, 2 pages - 1.9 MB)

West Wing Week - Video Preview

West Wing Week: "Dispatches from the Gulf"

This video travels through America's Gulf Coast. Get a behind the scenes look at the federal government’s unprecedented and historic effort to clean up the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill.

Mapping the Response

GeoPlatform Preview Image

The Environmental Response Management Application is an online mapping tool that provides you with information about the spill response effort in the Gulf of Mexico.