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2012
Living shoreline at Lardner's Point
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Urban Waterfront Restoration Celebration Held in Philadelphia
A ribbon-cutting event for the opening of Lardners Point Park was held on May 14, 2012 in Philadelphia, PA. This new 4.5-acre riverfront park includes a river overlook, fishing pier, connections to a trail system, and riverbank forest. NOAA and co-trustees from USFWS, PA, NJ and DE partnered with the Delaware River City Corp., Pennsylvania Environmental Council and several other agencies and community groups to provide funds from the Athos Oil Spill settlement to add a living shoreline with tidal wetlands. The event was well attended, with dignitaries including Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Rep. Allyson Schwartz, former Rep. Robert Borski, and other state and local officials and groups. Enthusiasm was expressed for coordination and partnership on future projects along the Delaware Riverfront Greenway in Philadelphia. NOAA is also coordinating with other federal agencies, the city, and community groups in preparing an application for Philadelphia to become a Federal Urban Water Partnership site, an initiative under America’s Great Outdoors.
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Response workers wash oil from rip-rap during the M/V EVERREACH Oil Spill (photo courtesy of SCDHEC)
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Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment Issued for the M/V Everreach Oil Spill in Charleston, SC
May 15, 2012 - Federal and state trustee agencies have released the Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the M/V Everreach Oil Spill. The plan summarizes the injuries to natural resources that occurred as a result of the 2002 discharge of fuel oil into the waters of Charleston Harbor in South Carolina. The plan also provides details of the approximately 12 acre saltmarsh and upland habitat restoration project selected to compensate for those injuries. The project is located within the recently established Noisette Creek Preserve in North Charleston, SC and will involve the reintroduction of tidal flow into a formerly impounded area. On the ground restoration of the site is expected to commence in the fall of 2012.
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Oiled Marsh Barataria Bay, Louisiana
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Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Trustees Announce Major Progress in Gulf Restoration Effort
April 18, 2012 - An estimated $60 million in early restoration projects soon will begin along the Gulf Coast following the nation’s largest oil spill, the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustee Council announced.
With finalization of the “Deepwater Horizon Phase I Early Restoration Plan & Environmental Assessment” (ERP/EA), eight restoration projects will be implemented. The projects provide for marsh creation, coastal dune habitat improvements, nearshore artificial reef creation, and oyster cultch restoration, as well as the construction and enhancement of boat ramps to compensate for lost human use of resources.
The ERP/EA is the first early restoration plan under the unprecedented April 2011 agreement with BP to fund $1 billion in early restoration projects. The funding enables the trustees to begin restoration before the completion of damage assessment activities.
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M/V Cosco Busan
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Restoration to Begin after 2007 Oil Spill in San Francisco Bay
In September 2011, NOAA and our partners reached a settlement for the 2007 M/V Cosco Busan oil spill, which dumped 53,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay. Now, we are ready to start restoring the habitat and other natural resources that were affected by the spill.
After the settlement was reached, we asked for public comment on our restoration plan. We—along with our federal and state partners—revised the plan based on those comments. Now, we have a final restoration plan in hand and we are ready to get to work.
The oil killed thousands of birds, impacted the bay’s 2008 herring spawn, oiled thousands of acres of shoreline habitat, and closed the bay and area beaches to recreation and fishing. More than $32 million of the settlement funds will go toward restoration projects to address these impacts.
Read the press release about this announcement or listen to NOAA experts in a recent podcast about the effort to restore the environment in the aftermath of this spill.
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The Kalamazoo River
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Public Comments Requested on Kalamazoo River Restoration
The week of April 2nd, a plan was released to provide restoration to offset a portion of the environmental injuries caused by the Kalamazoo River Superfund Site in Michigan. This Draft Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (Draft RP/EA) presents proposed restoration actions to address public natural resource losses caused by the release of hazardous substances from the Allied Paper Property. It was released by Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan Attorney General, USFWS, and NOAA. This Draft RP/EA provides information regarding the affected environment, the natural resource injuries caused by releases of hazardous substances from property, the restoration actions proposed to compensate for these injuries, and the anticipated impacts of the restoration actions. This RP/EA does not address restoration projects to compensate for injuries resulting from releases from the rest of the Kalamazoo River Superfund Site; such efforts will be conducted in the future. The purpose of this Draft RP/EA is to inform and solicit comments from members of the public, which are due by June 1, 2012. Learn more about how to submit comments and public meeting information.
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The Kalamazoo River has been closed to the public since the spill in 2010. We're examining how this has affected public recreation and tribal cultural uses.
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Restoration Planning to Begin for 2010 Kalamazoo River Oil Spill
March 1, 2012 -- NOAA and other agencies will start planning restoration efforts to address the impacts from a 2010 oil spill into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River. After a 30-inch diameter pipeline owned by Enbridge Energy failed, approximately 819,000 gallons of crude oil were released into a tributary creek of the Kalamazoo River in southern Michigan. Oil traveled approximately 40 miles downstream in the Kalamazoo River.
The discharged oil injured aquatic organisms, birds, wildlife, and habitat, while also impacting recreational use of the river. NOAA along with other agencies will evaluate these environmental injuries to determine the amount of restoration needed as a part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process. During this process, there will be multiple opportunities for the public to comment on proposed restoration activities.
For a closer look at how NOAA scientists are investigating the environmental impacts of this spill, read a post on our Response and Restoration Blog.
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The container
ship M/V Cosco Busan after striking the San Francisco Oakland
Bay Bridge (Photo provided by US Coast Guard District
11 Public Affairs)
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New Podcast: Restoring San Francisco Bay
Listen to NOAA experts in a new podcast about a multi-year effort to restore the environment in the aftermath of a spill that dumped 53,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay. While we're focusing on this one spill, you'll get a good idea of how we deal as a nation with big spills wherever and whenever they occur along our coasts. Guests for this episode include Greg Baker, regional resource coordinator with NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration, and Natalie Cosentino-Manning, restoration program manager for the Southwest region of the U.S. with NOAA's Fisheries Restoration Center.
Listen to podcast.
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Port Arthur wetlands
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Are you a financial whiz or a federal grants guru? If so, we need your help!
When a disaster occurs--like an oil spill or ship grounding on a coral reef--NOAA works to restore the injured natural resources. We work with remedial agencies, responsible parties, and teams of state, tribal, and federal agencies to conduct Natural Resource Damage Assessments (NRDAs) to determine the impact of the disaster. We then cooperate with the public to identify restoration projects, and partner with non-profit groups, local governments, and other organizations to carry out the restoration.
That's where you come in. We are currently soliciting applications for organizations that can implement trustee-selected NRDA restoration projects, or competitively solicit projects to meet specific restoration goals (determined by trustee councils). Funding is expected to be provided on an as-available basis for up to 7 years. We anticipate that typical awards will range from $350,000 to $2,000,000 within the first year and that approximately $750,000 to $15,000,000 may be available over the life of the selected awards.
The deadline to apply is February 23, 2012. Learn more about this funding opportunity.
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Planting marsh vegetation
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Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Trustees Call for Public Input on Early Restoration of the Gulf
On December 14, 2011, the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees released the Deepwater Horizon Draft Phase 1 Early Restoration Plan & Environmental Assessment (DERP/EA) for public input and suggestions. It is the first in an anticipated series of plans to begin restoration of the Gulf of Mexico to compensate for the natural resource injuries, including loss of human use of Gulf resources impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
The DERP/EA describes the initial projects proposed to receive funding from the $1 billion Early Restoration agreement announced by the Trustees and BP on April 21, 2011. The Trustees will hold 12 public meetings in January and February 2012 throughout Gulf Coast communities and in Washington, D.C. to solicit public input on the DERP/EA. Please visit the Gulf Spill Restoration website for more information.
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2011
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How does NOAA protect and restore natural resources injured by oil spills and
hazardous waste sites? Check out the latest
Diving Deeper podcast to learn more.
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Evidence of oiling extends well into Perdido Bay, Ala. June 23, 2010.
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Restoration Scoping for BP Oil Spill Begins
On February 19th NOAA and other federal and state agencies announced that they are initiating a restoration scoping process for the Deepwater BP oil spill. This is a key step in the ongoing Natural Resource Damage Assessment for the spill. The restoration scoping process will allow NOAA and other federal and state agencies to take a comprehensive look at the types of restoration that may be required to offset potential impacts from the spill on habitat, fish, wildlife, and human use of those resources.
Through the process, the public will have the chance to give us ideas on what types of projects are important to restore the affected resources after the spill. You can make your voice heard by attending public meetings, or by submitting a comment or project idea. Comments can be submitted in person at a meeting, online, or by mail. All of your comments will be reviewed by NOAA and the other agencies as we develop a restoration plan for the Gulf.
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M/V Casitas aground on Atoll.
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Marine Debris Removal Project to Begin in NW Hawaiian Islands
The week of April 11th a marine debris removal project will begin in the
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to restore natural resources injured by a ship
grounding in 2005. This project is the result of a
natural resource damage assessment
which determined the injury and amount of restoration needed to restore natural
resources from the July 2, 2005 M/V
Casitas, a 145 ft vessel, coral grounding in what is now the
Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. Derelict nets and debris cause
injury to the near shore coral reef environment by smothering, breaking, and
abrading benthic flora and fauna. Nets also cause mortality to fishes, sea
turtles, marine mammals, and birds as they continue to “fish” and organisms get
entangled even though the nets are abandoned.
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April 27, 2003, Bouchard Barge 120 being offloaded after initial
impact with submerged object.
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Buzzard Bay Trustees Receive $6 million for Partial Settlement of Natural Resources Injury Claims
On May 17, a Federal district court judge signed a decree requiring Bouchard
Transportation Co. Inc. and its affiliates to pay more than $6 million to settle
a portion of the federal and state natural resource damage claims for the
April 2003
spill of at least 98,000 gallons of oil into Buzzards Bay in Massachusetts.
NOAA serves as a natural resource trustee for this case alongside of the US Fish
and Wildlife Service, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of Rhode
Island. The money will be used to compensate the public for injuries to
shoreline and aquatic resources, piping plovers, coastal recreational uses, and
Ram Island - a vital nesting habitat for roseate terns and other migrating
seabirds. NOAA will also pursue claims against the responsible parties for the
recovery of additional damage assessment costs. The trustees continue to work
cooperatively with Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc. to assess the damages
associated with other bird species.
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Past restoration efforts in Commencement Bay.
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Settlement in Washington State to Restore Key Habitat
On May 23, Commencement Bay
Trustees finalized a
settlement
with a group of parties along the Middle Waterway in Commencement Bay, WA, worth
approximately $8 Million. This settlement will help restore habitat in an urban
waterway that has been damaged from the release of chemicals from nearby factory
and industry operations. This settlement covers costs of a restoration project
constructed near the mouth of the Hylebos Creek that creates nearly seven acres
of fish and wildlife friendly habitat of marshes, mudflat and riparian
vegetation. Additionally, a conservation easement protects an area of nearshore
aquatic habitat at the mouth of the Middle Waterway on the site of a former
pier. Commencement Bay is the harbor for Tacoma, WA, located at the southern end
of Puget Sound.
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Releases from former Rose Hill Superfund landfill Site injured river herring
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Draft Restoration Plan for the Rose Hill Landfill, Rhode Island Available for Public Review
NOAA is seeking public review of and comment on the Draft Restoration
Plan/Environmental Assessment (RP/EA) for the former Superfund landfill Site
which injured anadromous fishery resources of the Saugatucket River. The two preferred alternatives are to reconstruct and improve two poorly functioning structural fishways on the Saugatucket River in South Kingstown, RI. Review the RP/EA by clicking on: Draft Rose Hill Landfill Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment. Public comments are being accepted through December 5, 2011.
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Bob Gibson of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks displays oil on winter wheat from the ExxonMobil pipeline spill on the Yellowstone River. Credit: Sarah Clune/PBS News Hour, Creative Commons, some rights reserved.
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NOAA Is On Scene at the Site of the Yellowstone River Pipeline Oil Spill
NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration is officially on scene at the Yellowstone River spill, in Billings, Mont., where an ExxonMobil pipeline ruptured on July 1, 2011, releasing an estimated 31,500 to 42,000 gallons of oil into the iconic river during its flood-stage flow.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asked NOAA to start the initial stages of a Natural Resource Damage Assessment on their behalf for the Yellowstone spill. This process, which usually kicks off at the same time as cleanup, studies the overall effects of a spill on fish, wildlife, surrounding habitat, and public use of those resources (i.e. fishing or boating). Scientists identify the extent of damage, figure out how to rehabilitate those natural resources, and specify the type and amount of restoration needed. NOAA’s OR&R staff is expert in this damage assessment process as required by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
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The container ship M/V Cosco Busan after striking the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge (Photo provided by US Coast Guard District 11 Public Affairs)
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$36.8 Million to Help Restore Natural Resources Injured by Cosco Busan Oil Spill
A settlement announced on Sept. 19, 2011, will restore natural resources injured by the Nov. 7, 2007, M/V Cosco Busan oil spill in the San Francisco Bay. State and federal trustee agencies will use the majority of funds from this $36.8 million settlement to implement a variety of restoration projects. The trustees also released a Draft Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan, which proposes specific projects to address specific injuries. Public comments are being requested on this plan until Oct. 31, 2011. For additional information, please see the Cosco Busan settlement press release, restoration plan press release, and newsletter.
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California Brown Pelicans populations declined in the 1960s from DDT and PCB toxins found in the food they eat.
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Restoring Habitat in Southern California: Public Review Begins
We want to hear from you! The Montrose Settlements Restoration Program has released a draft Phase 2 Restoration Plan, and we are asking for public comment. The draft plan summarizes restoration work that has been completed from the Phase 1 Restoration Plan and proposes projects for the next phase. The plan focuses on restoring natural resources that were affected by DDT and PCB contamination, including Channel Island Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, and seabirds, as well as fish habitat. In most cases, the Phase 2 Plan continues or expands on projects from Phase 1. View the draft restoration plan now and send your comments to msrp@noaa.gov. Comments are due by December 19, 2011.
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Connecticut River, Holyoke MA
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Draft Restoration Plan for the Holyoke Coal Tar Deposit and Former Holyoke Gas Works, Holyoke, Massachusetts Available for Public Review
NOAA is seeking public review of and comment on the Draft Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (RP/EA) for the Holyoke Coal Tar deposit and former Holyoke Gas Works, which injured aquatic habitat for benthic organisms as well as fish and freshwater mussels of the Connecticut River. The preferred alternatives are to remove the Bartlett Rod Shop Company Dam, Pelham, MA to restore anadromous fish passage, restoration of fish passage and fishway installation at the Manhan River Dam, Easthampton, MA, and conduct endangered mussel surveys along portions of the CT River mainstem. Public comments are being accepted through January 31, 2012.
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This is a small moray eel in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Maui.
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U.S. Residents Say Hawaii's Coral Reef Ecosystems Worth $33.57 Billion per Year
A new
peer-reviewed study, commissioned by NOAA, reveals the estimated total
economic value the American people hold for the coral reefs of the main Hawaiian
Islands is $33.57 billion. Economists from the Damage Assessment, Remediation,
and Restoration Program played a key role in the development and implementation
of this study. The study employed a scientifically developed national Internet
survey of more than 3,200 households – a representative sample of all U.S.
residents, not just Hawaiians or coastal dwellers. From June through October
2009, the survey allowed the public to express its preferences and values for
protection and restoration of the coral reef ecosystems around the main Hawaiian
Islands. In this study, total economic value includes passive use values, such
as the willingness to pay to protect the coral reef ecosystem for future
generations, and direct use values-- snorkeling over a coral reef or consuming
fish supported by coral reef ecosystems.
Learn
more about this study.
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NOAA Sponsoring 2011 Brownfield Conference
NOAA is a proud sponsor of the 2011 Brownfields Conference being held in Philadelphia, PA April 3-5. Now in its fourteenth year, the National Brownfields Conference is the largest event if its kind, devoted exclusively to the remediation, redevelopment, and reuse of environmentally impaired properties. Featuring educational sessions, plenary events, film screenings, mobile workshops, exhibit hall and trade show programming, and much more, the conference convenes key stakeholders from the private sector, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and academia. For more information visit the website: www.brownfields2011.org.
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2010
April 27, 2003, Bouchard Barge 120 being offloaded after initial impact with submerged object.
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Companies to Pay More Than $6 Million for Natural
Resource Damages from Buzzards Bay Oil Spill
On Monday November 15, the Department of Justice lodged a proposed Consent
Decree in federal district court that would require Bouchard Transportation Co.
Inc. and its affiliates to pay more than $6 million to settle a portion of the
federal and state natural resource damage claims for the
April 2003 spill of up to 98,000 gallons of oil into Buzzards Bay. NOAA
is a natural resource trustee for this case alongside of the US Fish and
Wildlife Service, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of Rhode
Island.
The settlement will, once approved by the court, compensate
the public for injuries to shoreline and aquatic resources, piping plovers and
coastal recreational uses, such as beach-related activities and recreational
shellfishing and boating that depend on the natural resources affected by the
spill. NOAA looks forward to continuing to fully participate with our
co-trustees and the public to identify and implement successful restoration
projects benefiting fishery resources and their habitats, as well as other
restoration activities along the Massachusetts and Rhode Island coast. NOAA
will also pursue claims
against the responsible parties for the recovery of additional
damage assessment costs.
Press
Release
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Federal and State Natural Resource Agencies
Receive $27.5 Million to Restore Delaware River from 2004 Oil Spill Impacts
Federal and state agencies received $27.5 million to restore conditions for
fish, birds, sensitive habitats, wildlife and recreational use of the Delaware
River affected in 2004 by an
oil spill from the vessel Athos I. NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, as well as the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware,
collectively received the funds from the U.S. Coast Guard Oil Spill Liability
Trust Fund for nine restoration projects. These projects will benefit coastal
communities and economies by improving habitat, providing green jobs during
construction, and creating new opportunities to enjoy the river and its
wildlife.
On Nov. 26, 2004, the Athos I, struck three submerged objects, including a large
anchor while preparing to dock in Paulsboro, N.J. The anchor punctured the
hull, spilling nearly 265,000 gallons of crude oil into the Delaware River,
which resulted in impacts to more than 280 miles of shoreline, affecting
habitats, aquatic organisms, birds and other wildlife, as well as hindering
recreational use of the river.
NOAA
Press Release
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M/V Casitas aground on Atoll.
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NOAA and Co-Trustees Propose to Restore Hawaiian Atoll Injured by 2005 Ship Grounding
The Draft Damage
Assessment and Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (DARP/EA) for
the M/V CASITAS grounding at Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, has been released for public review by NOAA and its natural resource co-Trustees (the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources). The Draft DARP/EA summarizes natural resource injuries that resulted from the vessel grounding on a coral reef at Pearl and Hermes Atoll on July 2, 2005. The Draft DARP/EA presents restoration actions that the Trustees are proposing for implementation to compensate for ecological injuries caused by the grounding. Specifically, the plan describes a proposed project to remove marine debris in the vicinity of the grounding. This draft DARP/EA is made available to the public for a 30-day comment period (through February 14th). Written comments received during this public comment period will be considered when preparing the Final DARP/EA. Please send comments to Matthew Parry via email Matthew.Parry@noaa.gov or via mail C/O Matthew Parry, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd, Suite 1110, Honolulu HI 96814.
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NOAA Responds to Pipeline Spill in Michigan
On the morning of July 26, 2010, a failure occurred in a 30-inch diameter
pipeline releasing approximately 19,500 barrels (819,000 gallons) of crude oil
into a tributary creek of the Kalamazoo River in Marshall, MI. Oil traveled
approximately 30 miles downstream in the Kalamazoo River. Containment and
absorbent booms have been placed and the oil has not passed Morrow Lake,
located about 10 miles east of Kalamazoo, MI. NOAA’s Damage Assessment
Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) is working with natural resource
co-trustees (US Fish and Wildlife Service and the state of Michigan) and with
Enbridge (the Responsible Party) to collect information on exposure and
potential impacts of the oil spill on fish, mussels, and turtles as well as
their habitats, including wetlands, floodplains, bottom sediments, and the
water column. Field teams are currently conducting surveys and collecting
samples and the trustees are also working to identify resources at risk and
develop protocols for future surveys. Highlights of some of these activities
include:
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Several rounds of water sampling have been conducted throughout locations in
the affected area and upstream.
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Rapid boat-based riverbank surveying was conducted to characterize the extent
of oiling on riverbanks.
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Study plans for mussel assessments are being finalized.
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Field teams have begun collecting smallmouth bass and redhorse suckers to
assess their exposure to oil.
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Trustees are observing and documenting any impacts that result from cleanup
work, such as habitat loss when oiled overhanging tree branches must be
removed.
Learn more about the response to this
spill.
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Notice of Intent to Conduct Restoration Planning
for the Deepwater BP Oil Spill Announced
Restoration planning to address the impacts from the
Deepwater BP oil spill is under way. On September 29, the state and
federal agencies responsible for assessing and restoring public natural
resources impacted by the spill released the
Notice of Intent to Conduct Restoration Planning. This notice signals
that the process has begun to identify and document impacts to the Gulf’s
natural resources and the public’s lost use of these resources.
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Press Release
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For more information please see a
new video describing the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process.
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Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Update of NOAA NRDA
Activities as of May 7 2010
While it is still too early in the process to know what the scope of the Natural
Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) will be, from past experience, NOAA is
concerned about impacts to fish, shellfish, marine mammals, turtles, birds and
other sensitive resources as well as their habitats, including wetlands,
beaches, mudflats, bottom sediments, corals and the water column. The trustees
will also assess any lost human uses of these resources, for example, fishing,
hunting, and beach recreational closures. The trustees are also assessing the
efficacy of evaluating impacts from the response, including burning, and
dispersant use at the surface and at depth.
NOAA’s Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) is
coordinating this effort with natural resource trustees in four states (LA, MS,
AL, FL), DOI (USFWS and NPS) and with BP (the Responsible Party or RP).
Multiple agencies from each state are engaged. The Texas Trustees may become
involved in the future.
The work that is being conducted under the Preliminary Assessment Phase of the
NRDA is being done cooperatively with BP. This means that the Trustees are
jointly meeting with BP to discuss NRDA actions and that BP is integrated into
several NRDA Technical Working Groups (TWGs) that have been formed.
The focus of these TWGs currently is to assemble a variety of existing data on
resources, their habitats and their human uses, and to collect baseline
(pre-spill impact) data wherever possible. Information on impacts currently
occurring to these resources and their uses is also being assembled. Currently,
NOAA is coordinating stakeholder participation in most of these TWGs and is
providing scientific and technical expertise and information management to many
parts of the overall NRDA effort. Additional information may be available at
Incident News and NOAA’s
Office of Response and Restoration. Also see
NOAA’s role and tools used during an oil spill.
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NOAA and Co-Trustees Reach
Agreement With Boeing to Restore Fish and Bird Habitat in Lower Duwamish
Waterway
Boeing and the Elliott Bay Trustee Council (comprised of
NOAA, US Department of Interior, State of Washington, the Muckleshoot Indian
Tribe and the Suquamish Tribe) have reached an agreement that will result in
the restoration of significant fish and bird habitat in the Lower Duwamish
River. The Duwamish River runs through downtown Seattle, WA and contains three
Superfund sites related to historical contamination from shipping,
manufacturing and other heavy industries. This cooperative negotiated
settlement agreement was filed on May 4, 2010 with the court to resolve
liability of the Boeing Corporation for injury to natural resources from
releases of hazardous substances from Boeing properties along the Lower
Duwamish River. The agreement includes two restoration projects (comprising 4.8
acres) creating habitat for out-migrating juvenile salmon, flatfish, crabs and
shorebirds. Boeing also agreed to contribute to a long term stewardship fund
and repay almost $2 million of the natural resource trustee’s costs. Per
USDOJ’s press
release , the consent
decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period. For additional
information about settlements and restoration at this site see the
Duwamish case page.
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NOAA Responds to Explosion on
Oil Drilling Platform
NOAA is responding to an explosion and fire on a deepwater semisubmersible
drilling platform some 50 miles SE of the Mississippi Delta. The incident on
the DEEPWATER HORIZON occurred at approximately 11:00 PM on 20 April with more
than 120 crew reported aboard. The rig caught fire and has been evacuated. USCG
Search and Rescue operations have been initiated. A secondary concern is the
estimated 27,800 bbls (over a million gallons) of #2 Fuel Oil or Marine Diesel
Fuel reported onboard. The USCG has requested scientific support from NOAA’s
Office of Response and Restoration. NOAA is running oil spill trajectory models
of potential spilled oil. A NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator is on-scene in
Morgan City, LA. The NOAA Weather Service is providing forecasting support.
Additional information may be available at Incident
News and NOAA’s Office
of Response and Restoration. Also see
NOAA’s role and tools used during an oil spill.
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Selected Restoration
Alternative Sabine NWR 1999 Unit. Prepared by Entrix for ERM Southwest,
Inc. August, 2005.
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NOAA and Co-Trustees Release Plan for Restoration
of Wetlands in Bayou Verdine, Louisiana
NOAA and co-trustees released a plan today to enhance 247 acres of critical
coastal wetlands and create an additional 14.7 acres in western Louisiana.
The Final Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment
(Final DARP) for Bayou Verdine, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana has been approved
by NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Louisiana’s Department of
Environmental Quality and Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (the
Trustees)and is now available to the public. The Final DARP selects a
restoration project - the Sabine Unit 1999 Project - for use to compensate for
natural resource injuries and service losses in the upper Calcasieu Estuary
caused by past releases of hazardous substances from two facilities presently
owned and operated by ConocoPhillips Company and Sasol North America Inc.,
situated along Bayou Verdine. The Trustees’ assessment of these injuries and
losses is presented in the Final DARP as well.
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Example of CAPRI
analysis in the Snohomish Estuary in 2100, displaying an
Ecosystem/Species Vulnerability Index.
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New NOAA Pilot for Climate
Change Assessment launched in Puget Sound, Washington
Climate change will increase threats to NOAA trust resources. These threats
include impacts from flooding or sea-level rise on coastal contaminated waste
sites and chemical and oil storage facilities. In response, DARRP developed the
Climate Assessment and Proactive Response Initiative (CAPRI) to provide a
screening level vulnerability analysis of contaminant impacts in the coastal
zone related to climate change. Through the improved understanding of these
contaminant impacts to coastal resources, NOAA and other local, state,
regional, and federal decision makers will be better able to prepare for and
then adapt to climate change. A pilot is underway in the Puget Sound estuary in
Washington State to test the methodology, which can be applied to coastal areas
around the country. Analytical results will be displayed in the Environmental
Response Management Application (ERMA), a user friendly, web based mapping
application. To learn more, please visit the
CAPRI page on the DARRP Northwest website.
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Environmental Unit at the
Portland, Maine Command Post of the SONS 2010 exercise.
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NOAA Participates in National
Spill Drill
From March 24-25, 2010, NOAA participated in the Spill
of National Significance (SONS) oil spill exercise. SONS is held every
three years to sharpen the nation’s ability to respond to major oil spills at
all levels of government. Led by the US Coast Guard, this year’s exercise
included more than five hundred people from twenty state and federal agencies
as well as industry. This year's exercise centered on a
simulated tanker collision off the coast of Portland, ME resulting in a
major oil spill causing environmental and economic impacts from Maine to
Massachusetts.
NOAA’s
Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) provided scientific
expertise to determine where the spilled oil was going, what sensitive habitats
to protect, evaluated the impact to natural resources, and recommended cleanup
actions. This was the first SONS exercise that incorporated natural resource
damage assessment. In addition OR&R tested the
Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA), which is an
OR&R-developed web-based spatial data information system that improves
response decision making.
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NOAA and Co-Trustees Release
Draft Restoration Plan for WA State Oil Spill
The Draft Restoration
Plan/Environmental Assessment (RP/EA) for the Dalco Passage Tanker
Spill in Washington State has been released for public review by NOAA and its
natural resource co-Trustees. The Draft RP/EA summarizes natural resource
injuries known or likely to have occurred as a result of the discharge of an
estimated 7,200 gallons of oil from the tank vessel Polar Texas as the
vessel was transiting north from Tacoma, WA in 2004. The Draft RP/EA presents
restoration actions that the Trustees are proposing for implementation to
compensate for ecological injuries caused by the spill. This draft RP/EA is
made available to the public for a 30-day comment period (through April 22,
2010). Written comments received during this public comment period will be
considered when preparing the Final RP/EA. Please send comments to Jason Lehto
via email Jason.A.Lehto@noaa.gov or
via mail 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115.
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NOAA Leads Preliminary Damage
Assessment for Vessel Grounding on Hawaiian Coral Reef
On February 5, 2010 the 734-foot Voge Trader bulk carrier vessel ran aground off
Oahu’s Barbers Point. NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Hawaii
State Department of Aquatic Resources are working with the vessel owner to
document impacts to the surrounding area. They are also considering removing
loose sediments and other debris produced by the grounding, which would further
reduce ongoing harm to the reef ecosystem. The U.S. Coast Guard has also asked
NOAA to help identify shallow water in the area that may be hazardous to
navigation.
Coral reefs are some of the most valuable ecosystems on
earth, providing important economic and environmental services such as food,
protection for coasts, and tourism. Recovery of slow growing corals from vessel
groundings can take many, many years. In response to
another grounding in this vicinity in 2007, NOAA and the responsible
party conducted emergency restoration to reattach thousands of corals and coral
fragments to the reef and cemented tons of dislodged coral rock. For additional
information, contact John.Cubit@noaa.gov
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Hudson River Watershed
Database and Mapping Project Update Now Available
This project combines database and mapping capabilities that integrate
contaminant information and watershed characteristics throughout the 200 miles
of the Hudson River Superfund site. The database includes contaminants in river
sediments, floodplain soils, fish, and other biota. This project promotes
better decision-making by providing one-stop access to data from multiple
sources and a rapid way to display analyzed, sorted, and summarized data.
The database contains over 1 million sediment chemistry and 700,000 tissue
chemistry records in a common, easily accessible format that can be accessed
through Query Manager® (QM) software. Users can choose from pre-programmed
queries that evaluate individual contaminants, contaminant groups, comparisons
to common toxicological benchmarks, user-defined ranges, or many other options.
Output from these queries can immediately be displayed in the integrated
mapping program, MARPLOT®, or it can be exported in a variety of formats for
use with geographical information system (GIS) mapping software or other
applications.
To download the data and Query Manager® and MARPLOT® software, and for
information about watershed projects in other areas of the country, see:
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/querymanager. For additional
information, contact Jay.Field@noaa.gov.
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New Economics Section on DARRP Web site
In an effort to increase public awareness of the socioeconomic and ecosystem
services components of Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), DARRP
recently expanded its Web site to include an area dedicated to the topic of
environmental economics. This
new section (available from the left menu) provides an overview of the
use of economics and ecosystem services analysis in NRDA, a discussion of
restoration scaling techniques such as Habitat Equivalency Analysis, literature
and references supporting the economic and restoration scaling work done by
DARRP and its partners, and links to related sites. With planned quarterly
updates to the reference list and literature, this site will raise awareness of
the developed and emerging techniques for assessing the value of NOAA’s trust
resources. For further information, please contact
Anthony Dvarskas.
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Photo Credit: US Coast
Guard
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NOAA Responds to T/V Eagle Otome Oil Spill
NOAA staff are on-scene to respond to a major oil spill near Port Arthur, Texas.
Approximately 424,000 gallons of crude oil spilled on Saturday, Jan. 23 when a
crude oil tanker (T/V Eagle Otome) and a barge collided in the
Sabine-Neches Ship Channel, about 90 miles east of Houston. The ship channel
and Intracoastal Waterway have been closed. NOAA has been providing scientific
support to the U.S. Coast Guard’s response efforts, including predicting where
the oil is going and its effects, identifying resources at risk, providing
weather forecasts, planning for shoreline cleanup and oil delineation, and
participating in overflights. NOAA scientists are also coordinating with other
state and federal trustees to begin to assess injuries to natural resources and
lost human uses and ultimately plan for restoration. Additional information
regarding this spill can be found at NOAA’s
Incident News. Additional information
is also available on how NOAA responds to oil spills.
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2009
Photo (L to R): Panel
Members Drs. George Parsons, Steve Polasky, Douglass Shaw, Ted
McConnell, Linwood Pendleton, Randall Rosenberger, Steve
Newbold, and Kristy Wallmo.
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NOAA’s Estuary Restoration Act Program Funds
External Blue Ribbon Panel
Building on previous socio-economic efforts, NOAA’s Estuary Restoration Act
(ERA) Program funded an external Blue Ribbon Panel to help delineate methods to
determine the value and impact of coastal habitat restoration. NOAA worked with
Restore America's Estuaries to convene a seven-member panel of noted academic
and governmental environmental economics experts who met on December 16 and 17,
2009 in Arlington, VA. Participants exchanged ideas and debated potential
research approaches for monitoring restoration activities for their short- and
long-term economic effects. Drawing from the options discussed at this meeting,
the panel will create a report providing suggestions for a future research
agenda focusing on the economic impacts and values of restoration activities. A
final report of the panel will be available in spring of 2010. For further
information, contact Tony Penn or
Peter Edwards.
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Diver assessing impacts of the
grounding.
Damaged coral reef
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NOAA Responds to Ship Grounding on Coral Reef in Puerto Rico
On Tuesday December 15th, 2009 at approximately 6am EST, NOAA’s Damage
Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program was notified by the U.S. Coast
Guard (USCG) that the 920' Liquid Natural Gas Carrier Matthew had
grounded on a coral reef while inbound to Guayanilla, Puerto Rico. Responding
to the threat of an oil release under the Oil Pollution Act, USCG requested
NOAA’s assistance to develop a salvage strategy that would prevent additional
coral impacts during extraction of the vessel from the reef. NOAA provided
information about sensitive corals in the area and offered recommendations to
minimize additional impacts. The vessel was removed from the reef by 8:45 EST.
NOAA tracked the vessel and tug movements remotely using NOAA’s newly developed
Environmental Response Management Application. NOAA contractors are
working on-scene in coordination with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and
Environmental Resources to assess impacts to the corals and salvage damaged
ones, hundreds of which have already been righted.
Coral reefs are some of the most valuable ecosystems on earth, providing
important economic and environmental services such as food, protection for
coasts, and tourism. Recovery of slow growing corals from vessel groundings can
take many, many years. In response to
another grounding in this vicinity in 2006, NOAA conducted emergency
restoration to reattach dislodged corals. To date in 2009, NOAA has been
notified of 53 groundings in the Caribbean. For the T/V Port Stewart grounding
in Puerto Rico on October 27, 2009, which impacted thousands of corals, coral
salvage and preliminary assessments have been completed and reattachment work
is scheduled to begin in January 2010. For additional information, contact
Lisa.Dipinto@noaa.gov.
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Portland Harbor Superfund Site, Portland,
Oregon
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NOAA and Co-Trustees will assess injured Natural
Resources at Portland Harbor Superfund Site
The Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council (comprised of NOAA and
seven additional agencies and tribes) developed and released a draft plan to
assess natural resources injured by contaminants at the
Portland Harbor Superfund site. The Trustees are seeking public
comments on the Draft Plan.
The Draft Assessment Plan for Portland Harbor provides background about
the Superfund site, documents the contaminants released and the natural
resources exposed —including fish, wildlife, surface water, and sediment—and
the lost services provided by those resources (e.g., ecological, recreational,
tribal). Public comments are due January 15, 2010. For more information,
contact Robert.Neely@noaa.gov
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Field Assessment and Support Techniques workshop held in CA
NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration hosted a Field Assessment and Support
Techniques (FAST) workshop at the Bodega Bay Marine Lab in Bodega Bay, CA in
early December. The goal of the workshop was to improve natural resource damage
assessment skills in West Coast rocky shoreline habitats. The workshop focused
on a variety of methods related to assessment, including: study design, injury
end points, field sampling, photography, data processing and data evaluation.
The workshop was led by experts from NOAA and the University of California
(Davis and Santa Cruz). NOAA plans to conduct future training annually around
the country with resource experts and local partners. For more information
contact Ian Zelo or
Troy Baker
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Athos Oil Spill Final Restoration Plan Released
NOAA and co-trustees have submitted a settlement claim to the Oil Spill
Liability Trust Fund (the Fund) administered by the U.S. Coast Guard for the Athos
I oil spill that occurred on the Delaware River on 26 November, 2004,
discharging over 263,000 gallons of crude oil. Since the Responsible Party
exceeded their limit of liability under the Oil Pollution Act, the Trustees are
seeking recovery of their past assessment costs and funding to implement the
nine projects described in the final
Restoration Plan from the Fund. The co-trustees involved in the case
are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the states of Delaware and New Jersey,
and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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Photo courtesy of Lou Siegel, South Shore
Estuary Reserve Office
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Massapequa Creek Fish Passage Installed
On September 28, 2009, construction of a fish ladder at the Massapequa Lake dam
located on the south shore of Long Island NY was completed. The restoration of
fish passage on Massapequa Creek is part of a settlement agreement between the
Potentially Responsible Parties for the Liberty
Industrial Finishing Superfund Site in Farmingdale, NY, and the Natural
Resource Trustees for the site (NOAA, USFWS, and NYSDEC). The fish ladder is
designed to provide passage for anadromous fish such as alewife and blueback
herring over the spillway located between the Massapequa Tidal Channel and
Massapequa Lake allowing them to reach historic spawning grounds upstream. For
more information, contact Reyhan.Mehran@noaa.gov.
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Photo courtesy of
Palmerton Trustees
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Palmerton Zinc Superfund Site Natural Resource Damages Settlement
NOAA and co-Trustees (the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park
Service and the State of Pennsylvania) concluded an agreement in early August
to settle natural resource injury claims for the Palmerton Zinc Pile Superfund
Site in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. Resource injuries resulted from heavy
metals contamination associated with long-term zinc smelting operations at the
Palmerton Site.
The settlement includes a required payment of approximately $9.9 million to
Trustees to be used for restoration and the transfer of a 1,200 acre parcel
(valued at approximately $8.7 million) to the State of Pennsylvania, for
natural resource conservation. A portion of the settlement funds is expected to
be used to address aquatic resource injuries. The consent decree has been
lodged in federal district court and is subject to a 60-day public comment
period and court approval. For more information, contact
Peter.Knight@noaa.gov.
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Hudson River Trustees Begin Sturgeon Toxicity Study for the Hudson River
The Hudson River Natural Resource Trustees have released a
fact sheet for a fish toxicity pilot study being conducted as part of
the Hudson River Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA). The Hudson River
Natural Resource Trustees - NOAA, New York State, and the U.S. Department of
the Interior - are working cooperatively to conduct the NRDA.
The fact sheet
provides information on a pilot study examining the effects of PCBs on early
life stages of two fish species - Atlantic sturgeon and Federally endangered
shortnose sturgeon. The objective of the pilot study is to determine if early
life-stages of these two fish species are sensitive to the toxic effects of
PCBs. Depending on the results of this pilot study, the Trustees may conduct
additional field investigations and/or laboratory studies to further evaluate
the effects of PCBs on Hudson River fish.
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Bar Beach Lagoon (NY)
Restoration Celebration
On Monday September 21, a ceremony will be held to celebrate the
cleanup and restoration of Bar Beach Lagoon in North Hempstead, NY.
Please join the Town of North Hempstead, NOAA, North Shore Audubon Society, New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service for brief comments by officials, an awards ceremony and a boat
tour of the site. For more please contact Lisa.Rosman@noaa.gov.
When: September 21, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.
Where: New North Hempstead Beach Park (Formerly Bar Beach Park), 175 West Shore
Road, Port Washington, NY
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Release of Draft RP/EA for
2002 M/V EVERREACH Oil Spill
The Draft
Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft RP/EA) for the 2002 M/V
EVERREACH Oil Spill in Charleston, South Carolina was released for
public review on July 24, 2009 by NOAA and its natural resource co-Trustees:
the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the South Carolina
Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service.
The Draft RP/EA summarizes natural resource injuries known or likely to have
occurred as a result of the discharge of an estimated 12,500 gallons of oil
from the M/V EVERREACH into the Cooper River and Charleston Harbor on or about
September 30, 2002. The Draft RP/EA presents restoration actions that the
Trustees are proposing for implementation to compensate for ecological injuries
caused by the spill. Comments on the proposed restoration plan will be accepted
through August 24, 2009.
For more information, contact Howard Schnabolk at
Everreach.Comments@noaa.gov or 843-740-1328.
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Lower Duwamish River Draft
Restoration Plan and Programmatic EIS out for public comment
On May 29th, NOAA, along with natural resource co-trustees the U.S. Department
of the Interior, Washington State Department of Ecology, Suquamish Tribe, and
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, released the
Draft Restoration Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
(RP/PEIS) for the Lower
Duwamish River. The public is invited to comment for 60 days. Large
quantities of hazardous substances have contaminated extensive areas of the
Lower Duwamish River, a mixed industrial and residential area of Seattle,
Washington that includes three Superfund sites. The Draft RP/PEIS presents the
types of restoration projects desired and outlines priority areas for
restoration in order to recover natural resources lost or injured by the
contaminants. Comments on the Draft RP/PEIS will be accepted until July 28,
2009.
For more information, contact Rebecca Hoff at
DuwamishPEIS.DARRP@noaa.gov or 206.526.6276.
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Whatcom Creek 10 Year
Anniversary Ceremony
On June 10th
a ceremony was held in Bellingham, Washington
to mark the ten year anniversary of the
Whatcom Creek tragedy. On June 10, 1999, a gasoline pipeline in Bellingham,
Washington ruptured and discharged approximately 236,000 gallons of gasoline
into Whatcom Creek. As the gasoline was carried down the creek, the fumes
ignited, causing three human deaths and devastating the biota in the creek and
a variety of natural resources along the creek's banks. Since the tragedy,
three habitat restoration projects were completed to restore the injured
resources.
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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
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DARRP Web Site Updates
Our home page has a new look and style, in addition to some major enhancements:
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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…
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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.
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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.
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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 seection of the final restoration projectsd 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 inuries 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 .
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2008
NOAA Takes Stock of
Restoration Projects After Recent Hurricanes
In the wake of Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, scientists and coastal restoration
biologists have just begun to assess the storm's impacts on the Gulf Coast.
How did the projects survive on the beaches, wetlands and barrier islands? Were
they damaged beyond repair? Or, did they actually serve their intended purpose?
Under natural conditions, coastal ecosystems rebound quickly after hurricanes
and even help flush marshes and estuaries of pollutants and stagnant
water.Coastal habitats also absorb storms' energy, a scenario made very real
each time a hurricane makes landfall unimpeded by the former marsh and barrier
islands that had once protected the coast.
In Texas, where Ike made landfall, early reports on a number of projects aimed
at protecting shorelines nearby Galveston Island held their structural
integrity and projected adjacent marshes and surrounding areas. Unfortunately,
aerial photography of the Galveston area also shows numerous oil releases
affecting coastal salt marshes, as well as near and offshore waters. As these
spills are identified and characterized, NOAA's DARRP Program, in conjunction
with state partners, are attempting to reach high priority spill areas by boat
and to begin assessment of natural resources.
As the results of Hurricane Gustav and Ike continue to unfold, state and federal
agencies are working to determine the best way to fully analyze the impacts of
these storms.
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Delaware Wetland Site a
"Restoration Success," Say Experts
On October 2, NOAA and its partners- the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, and the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-will celebrate the completion of a restoration
project in Milford, Delaware. This project restored more than 2,200 feet of
shoreline and protected 56 acres of neighboring land.
The site is located on the banks of the Mispillion River, an important
tributary of the Delaware River. Its significance is its role in providing
habitat for migratory fish.
Using settlement funds, NOAA and its partners and trustees began working
cooperatively to complete the restoration. Natural-fiber logs were placed at
the water's edge, reducing shoreline erosion and stabilizing shoreline. In
tidal marsh areas, a channel was cut to allow fish to swim through and reach
their spawning and rearing habitat. Shallow pools were also created, which
improved tidal flushing and created additional spawning areas. These pools will
increase salinity in the marsh, which will help to control the growth of an
invasive grass species called Phragmites
.
The site is one of the restoration projects funded by DuPont as compensation
for injuries to natural resources from contamination from the DuPont Newport
Superfund Site, 55 miles upstream in the Christina River watershed.
For more information about this project, see the
DuPont Newport case or contact Carl Alderson at
Carl.Alderson@noaa.gov.
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Photo of visible oiling on the river near
the downtown Riverwalk area.
Damaged coral reef
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NOAA Continues to
Investigate Resource Impacts for Oil Spill in New Orleans
On July 23, a 600-foot chemical tanker and 200-foot fuel barge collided on the
Mississippi River. The barge was torn in half, spilling several hundred
thousand gallons of fuel oil into tthe river near the French Quarter in
downtown New Orleans. The released oil spread 100 miles down the Mississippi
River, resulting in injury to roughly 200 miles of shoreline.
After more than five weeks, NOAA staff are still working with other federal and
state agencies (collectively known as the "Trustees") on pre-assessment
activities at the spill site. Recent field activities have been focused on
shoreline cleanup and the evaluation of bottom sediments in the Mississippi
River where oil from the barge may have been deposited. Of the 198 miles of
shoreline that have been assessed for oiling and cleanup by response personnel,
84% is considered clean. The remaining shoreline under active cleanup is
primarily rip-rap habitat in highly visible area. The Trustees will use
information from the cleanup in combination of aerial and ground habitat oiling
surveys, as well as other information, to determine whether injuries to natural
resources and services occurred from the incident. The assessment activities
occurring in the New Orleans area also will inform approriate restoration
activities to compensate the public for any loss of natural resources resulting
from the spill.
Any eventual restoration project resulting from this spill will contribute to
addressing the larger challenge of protecting and restoring Louisiana's coastal
ecosystem, which is losing an estimated 24 square miles of coastal wetlands a
year.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, there were an average 1,500 reported oil
spills a year in Louisiana between 1991 through 2004, or about four reported
spills a day. This is in part due to the large volume of oil and gas which pass
through Louisiana's coastal zone: a network of nearly 9,300 miles of oil and
gas pipelines and associated energy facilities are located there. Another major
factor that contributes to the large number of spills is Louisiana's receding
wetlands, which increase exposure of this aging infrastructure to natural and
man-made threats (e.g., tropical storms and vessel collision).
For more information about the Louisiana oil spill, please contact Rachel
Brittin at Rachel.Brittin@noaa.gov
or Michael Jarvis at Michael.Jarvis@noaa.gov.
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Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet
Assessment Project
Congress requested NOAA to evaluate the potential environmental impact of the
federally owned vessels in Suisun Bay, California. These vessels are maintained
by the United States Maritime Administration and include more than 70 obsolete
or decommissioned ships, sometimes referred to as the "Reserve" or "Mothball
Fleet."
The State of California and several bay area environmental groups have raised
concerns about the environmental impacts, and plans to move the vessels through
San Francisco Bay for eventual scrapping and disposal. Issues range from the
potential presence of heavy metals in paint that is peeling and falling off, to
antifouling agents used in bottom paint on the hulls, to PCBs and other
hazardous materials that may have been released from the ships.
NOAA will be conducting a field investigation and preparing documents to help
address these concerns.
Read more about the Suisun Special Project
for more information, or view the latest, October
2008 Status Report
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2007
Completed Marsh Restoration - Credit: Ken
Rice, USFWS.
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LAND GOES BACK TO NATURE
Alcoa creates marsh that will be donated to Aransas refuge March 29, 2007
By Louise Popplewell - Victoria Advocate
Reprinted by permission.
PORT LAVACA - In giving back what it took away so many years ago, Alcoa on
Wednesday showed off its latest project to restore Lavaca Bay, and federal,
state, county and local officials were on hand to celebrate with Calhoun County
residents.
The culmination of 15 years of work by so many drew to a close with completion
of Alcoa's creation of a 70-acre inter-tidal marsh on 730 acres near Indianola
the industrial giant acquired and will transfer to the Aransas National
Wildlife Refuge.
The addition to the 3,400-acre Myrtle Foester Whitmire Unit of the refuge
consists of marsh habitats and Powderhorn Lake that are viewed from a 30-foot
man-made elevation.
The improvements were made as part of the terms of a settlement to resolve the
company's liability for damages stemming from releases of mercury and
hydrocarbons into the bay in the late 1960s.
read more
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NOAA and Its Partners
Publish Two Louisiana Restoration Planning Documents
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is pleased to announce the
publication of two Louisiana Regional Restoration Planning Program (RRP
Program) documents. NOAA and its natural resource co- trustees have developed
the innovative statewide comprehensive RRP Program to respond to oil
discharges.
The framework and the major provisions of the RRP Program are outlined in a
Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (FPEIS) . The FPEIS
divides the State of Louisiana into nine regions and a Regional Restoration
Plan for each will identify trust resources and services that are likely to be
injured by an oil spill, suitable restoration for those injuries, and available
projects that can be implemented at the local level to affect restoration. The
first of these plans, the
Final Regional Restoration Plan for Region 2, is available for the
delta region of southeast Louisiana.
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Team sampling marsh sediments and water
quality near a creek restoration project.
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NOAA Restoration Portal
The NOAA Restoration Portal
has been updated to provide you with more information about NOAA's vital
restoration projects. The enhanced site now provides comprehensive information
about restoration techniques, NOAA restoration programs, projects, and
activities, and access to the other NOAA restoration resources. The site also
provides educational resources, a publication library, and a list of funding
sources.
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NOAA Leading Assessment of
Areas Possibly Harmed by Citgo Oil Spill
Workers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are leading a
federally mandated assessment of areas possibly harmed by the June 18, 2006
Citgo oil spill. That process, called a national resource damage assessment, is
a long-term effort involving several government agencies and led by NOAA.
Its goal is to quantify the damage to sensitive areas of the environment, such
as river bottoms and wetlands. State environmental and health regulators have
begun testing tissue samples from fish, shrimp, crabs, and oysters for any
effects from the spill.
*Reprinted with permission from the American Press.
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Captain Scott Wyatt of Pathmaker Airboats from Cecilia arrives at
Calcasieu Point along with crews from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration and other agencies. The group was bringing in sediment samples
from Big Lake. Testing is being conducted as a result of the recent Citgo oil
spill. Crews with NOAA will be collecting samples throughout the affected areas
for two weeks. |
Lisa Dipinto of NOAA checks for phone calls at Calcasieu Point
after she collected sediment samples from Big Lake. |
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2006
The first bald eagle to hatch on the
northern Channel Islands in over 50 years.
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Bald Eagle Chick Takes Its
First Flight
After weeks of practice, the first bald eagle to hatch on the northern Channel
Islands in over 50 years took to the air in its first flight July 14, 2006.
This bald eagle reintroduction study is part of the
Montrose Settlements Restoration Program , a
multiagency effort to address natural resource injuries from DDT and PCB
releases into the environment by Montrose Chemical Corporation and other
industrial sources in Southern California in the mid 20th century. Closeup
views from a publicly broadcast web camera and play-by-play posts from an
associated discussion board allowed hundreds of people to join biologists as
they watched the chick show typical preflight behaviors over two weeks. There
were at least 32 news sources that had reported it; 200 registered users were
documented on the webcam; and at least 450,000 hits were sited on the website.
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