NRDAR - Natural Resources Damage Assessment & Restoration Branch

Assessments in Progress

• Leviathan Mine Superfund Site: This case addresses decades of releases of acid mine drainage and heavy metals into tributaries of the Carson River in Alpine County, California and Douglas County, Nevada.

Restorations in Progress

• Chevron Castro Cove: This case involved the release of hydrocarbons and mercury from Chevron's Richmond Oil Refinery into Castro Cove. The Trustees selected two restoration projects to provide compensation for injuries to Natural Resources in Castro Cove.  These projects are the Breuner Marsh and Cullinan Ranch Restoration projects.
• Luckenbach Oil Spill: This case addresses chronic releases of oil from the SS Jacob Luckenbach, a vessel that sank in the Pacific Ocean offshore of San Francisco in 1953. The Trustees are implementing 14 restoration projects to benefit birds injured from the releases. 
•  Cosco Busan Oil Spill: On November 7, 2007 the cargo vessel Cosco Busan hit the San Francisco Bay Bridge in heavy fog. The impact ruptured the hull and spilled about 58,000 gallons of fuel oil into San Francisco Bay.  The Trustees have selected 12 restoration projects to restore and compensate for the injured resources and created a process that is intended to identify numerous recreational use improvements.
• Kinder Morgan Suisun Marsh Diesel Spill: This case involves a 2004 diesel pipeline spill in Suisun Marsh. The Service and the California Department of Fish and Game have selected 2 restoration projects in the Suisun Marsh area to compensate for injuries to marsh habitats.
• Stuyvesant Oil Spill: This case involves a 1999 oil spill in the Pacific Ocean offshore of Humboldt Bay. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game and other partners are implementing eight restoration projects to benefit birds and shoreline habitats affected by the spill.
• Command Oil Spill: This case involves a 1998 oil spill in the Pacific Ocean offshore of San Mateo County. The Service is partnering with four other agencies to implement 10 restoration projects for seabirds and other resources affected by the spill.
• Kure Oil Spill: This case involves a 1997 oil spill in Humboldt Bay. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game and other partners are implementing eight restoration projects to benefit birds and shoreline habitats affected by the spill.
• Dubai Star Oil Spill:  During a refueling incident, the T/V Dubai Star spilled over 400 gallons of Fuel Oil into San Francisco Bay. The spill affected more than 10 miles of shoreline and resulted in shoreline oiling, bird mortalities, as well as beach and fisheries closures in the vicinity of Alameda Island.  The Service responded to the spill, assessed injuries to natural resources along with other State and Federal Trustee agencies (Trustees) and supported the State settlement with the responsible party. Locations for restoration projects include Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary and Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda. 
• Almaden Quicksilver Mine: This case involves releases of mercury from a mine in Santa Clara County into tributaries of the Guadalupe River. The responsible parties are implementing five restoration projects to benefit fish and wildlife affected by the mercury releases.
• Iron Mountain Mine: This case addresses decades of releases of acid mine drainage and heavy metals into the Sacramento River near Redding. The Service is partnering with four other agencies to implement three restoration projects to benefit salmon and other resources.

Completed Restorations

• Apex Houston Oil Spill: This case involved a 1986 oil spill in the Pacific Ocean offshore of San Francisco. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and partners restored a Common Murre colony at Devils Slide Rock and completed other restoration actions for seabirds injured by the spill.
• Shell Martinez Oil Spill: Following this 1988 oil spill at the Shell refinery in Martinez, the Service and other Trustees implemented a restoration program to restore fish and wildlife populations and habitats affected by the spill.
• Southern Pacific Cantara Loop Pesticide Spill: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service worked with the California Department of Fish and Game to restore aquatic and riparian resources after this 1991 pesticide spill from a train that derailed along the upper Sacramento River near Dunsmuir.
• United Heckathorn Superfund Site: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and partners restored a 72-acre tidal marsh on San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge to compensate for impacts of pesticide releases from a chemical manufacturing facility in Richmond.
• Cape Mohican Oil Spill: This case involves a 1996 oil spill in San Francisco Bay. The Service partnered with four other agencies to implement 12 restoration projects to benefit birds, fish, and shoreline habitats affected by the spill.
• Romic Chemical Release: This case addressed a 2006 airborne release of organic solvents from Romic's East Palo Alto facility. Restoration projects to benefit salt marsh habitat and environmental education have been completed.

More information on these NRDAR cases, including Damage Assessment and Restoration Plans (DARPs), press releases and administrative records can be found at the following links: NOAA Damage Assessment Center, Southwest Region California Dept. of Fish & Game OSPR page (Office of Spill Prevention & Response)

Learn more about Contaminant spill response from the Service's national Environmental Quality web page