April 27, 2003, Bouchard Barge 120 being offloaded after initial impact with submerged object.

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

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

M/V Casitas aground on Atoll.

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.

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: Several rounds of water sampling have been conducted throughout locations in the affected area and upstream. Rapid boat-based riverbank surveying was conducted to characterize the extent of oiling on riverbanks. Study plans for mussel assessments are being finalized. Field teams have begun collecting smallmouth bass and redhorse suckers to assess their exposure to oil. 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.

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. Press Release For more information please see a new video describing the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process.

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.

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.

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.

Selected Restoration Alternative Sabine NWR 1999 Unit. Prepared by Entrix for ERM Southwest, Inc. August, 2005.

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.

Example of CAPRI analysis in the Snohomish Estuary in 2100, displaying an Ecosystem/Species Vulnerability Index.

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.

Environmental Unit at the Portland, Maine Command Post of the SONS 2010 exercise.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Photo Credit: US Coast Guard

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.