Posts tagged with

Assessment and Restoration Division

NOAA Summer Intern Produces Story Map on Hazardous Waste Site Near Seattle

Posted Wed, 09/12/2018 - 13:44
By Vicki Loe, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration

Washington resident Kavya Varkey joined NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration for an internship this summer at the NOAA Western Regional Center in Seattle. A senior this year at Sammamish High School in Bellevue, Washington, Kavya says she’s always been drawn to science. Her interest has continued to develop and come into focus, and she plans to pursue an education that will lead to a career in environmental science.

Exploring Science and Natural Resources at Risk in the New York-New Jersey Harbor at Upcoming Marine Science Festival

Posted Mon, 09/10/2018 - 17:47

Sitting at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into Upper New York Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, the New York-New Jersey Harbor is located at the center of commerce. The harbor is a multi-billion dollar port, an industrial complex, and a transportation hub — but the natural resources both in and around the harbor are often overlooked.

The True Cost of an Oil Spill: Q&A with a NOAA Economist

Posted Fri, 08/10/2018 - 16:12

Before the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 that followed shortly after, the Deepwater Port Act of 1974 (DWPA) provided guidance for deepwater port structures used for the import and export of oil and natural gas, including conditions to minimize adverse environmental impacts.

This new law resulted in NOAA’s Deepwater Ports Project Office — an early predecessor to NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration and the start of OR&R Senior Economist Norman Meade’s 43 year career with NOAA.

Looking Deeper at the Social Science Behind Marine Pollution

Posted Tue, 07/31/2018 - 21:53

For many, the first thing that comes to mind when they think of oil spills is an image of great big oil sheens in the middle of the ocean, tarballs washing up on beaches, and photos of oiled wildlife on the internet. Marine pollution on the whole might also bring to mind an image of sandy beaches littered with plastic bottles and other marine debris — or perhaps even a “garbage island” floating out in open sea.

Restoring Natural Resources after Disasters: NOAA’s FAST Program Keeps Scientists Ready to Respond

Posted Fri, 06/29/2018 - 13:07
By Sarah Allan, Assessment and Restoration Division

This is the fifth blog in a week-long series to highlight the importance of disaster preparedness. Follow us this week as we take a look at how NOAA prepares for natural and human-made disasters, and how you can prepare for the 2018 hurricane season. Share your #DisasterPreparedness strategy by commenting on our blog, or replying to our Twitter and Facebook.

Minds Behind OR&R: Meet Toxicologist Sarah Allan

Posted Tue, 05/29/2018 - 17:47
By Alyssa Dillon, NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration

This is the eighth in a monthly series profiling scientists and technicians who provide exemplary contributions to the mission of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R). This month’s profile is on Assessment and Restoration Division toxicologist and Alaska Regional Resource Coordinator Sarah Allan.

Minds Behind OR&R: Meet Scientist Amy Merten

Posted Mon, 03/26/2018 - 09:45
By Vicki Loe, Office of Response and Restoration

This is the sixth in a 12-part monthly series profiling scientists and technicians who provide exemplary contributions to the mission of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R). This month’s profile is on Assessment and Restoration Division Northwest and Great Lakes Branch Chief Amy Merten.

An Intertidal Study: Surveying California’s Farallon Islands

Posted Wed, 03/21/2018 - 12:39
By Greg Baker, Office of Response and Restoration

Our first day of surveying intertidal habitats on the Farallon Islands was cold and wet, with gusty winds practically blowing us over while we set out our sampling plots. The Farallones, 29 miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, are a desolate cluster of seven small rocky outcrops sometimes dubbed the “Devil’s Teeth,” but other times referred to as “California’s Galapagos.” The jagged rocks are barely visible over the western horizon from the Golden Gate, but on a clear day can be seen from the more northerly Point Bonita lighthouse as gray spikes poking through an otherwise flat and expansive sea surface.

Coordination is Key: Moving toward restoration at the St. Louis River Interlake/Duluth Tar site

Posted Thu, 03/15/2018 - 18:54
Annie Gibbs, NOAA Office of Response and Restoration

The St. Louis River/Interlake/Duluth Tar site was used for a variety of industrial purposes — including coking plants, tar and chemical companies, the production of pig iron, meat-packing, and as a rail to truck transfer point for bulk commodities — starting near the turn of the 19th century. In 1983, the St. Louis River Superfund site was added to the National Priorities List.  

In November of last year, a settlement was reached between the trustees for the site and the parties responsible for the contamination. The settlement includes funds for the following restoration projects ...

As Assessment Phase Comes to a Close, OR&R Scientist Looks Back on Nearly a Decade of Work on Sheboygan River and Harbor Superfund Site

Posted Tue, 03/13/2018 - 11:53
By Alyssa Dillon, NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration

The story behind the Sheboygan River and Harbor Superfund site began in the 1870s, when growing industrial activity along the river led to a release of contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

In 1979, the State of Wisconsin began advising the public against eating any resident species from the Sheboygan River, and only limited consumption of fish species from Lake Michigan, where the Sheboygan empties.