Under the federal Oil Pollution Act (OPA), state and federal natural resource agencies are responsible for restoring the environment and compensating the public for injuries to natural resources and natural resource services resulting from a discharge of oil. Once the injury assessments were complete, the trustees developed a draft and then Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment. This plan describes the resource injuries and service losses resulting from the incident and the types of restoration projects identified and evaluated to address them. The projects selected in this plan will begin to be implemented in the summer of 2011.

As a result of the Athos incident, natural resource agencies within the states of Delaware and New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the FWS and NOAA worked together to determine the extent of injuries, the need for restoration. The following restoration projects will be implemented to restore the Delaware River.

Restoration Projects to be Implemented

1) Lardner's Point, Philadelphia

Shoreline Restoration

External Partners: Delaware River City Corporation, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Fairmount Park Commission.
Addressing Injuries to: Shoreline habitat.
Project: Demolishing existing hard shoreline structures, importing fill material, grading the site to restore tidal inundation, and creating intertidal marsh and wet meadow habitat.
Total Acreage: 0.9
Ecological Benefits: Restoring habitat to benefit fish, avian, and mammalian species in an urban portion of the river heavily impacted by the spill.
Economic Benefits: Public access to a restoration site in the spill zone; creating a link in the North Delaware Riverfront Greenway; education, environmental justice, wildlife viewing, fishing, preservation of open space.

2) Darby Creek, Pennsylvania

Dam Removals and Stream Habitat Restoration

External Partners: American Rivers.
Addressing Injuries to: Tributary habitat.
Project: Removing three dams and a remnant bridge pier; restoring riparian and in-stream habitat 1,000 feet upstream and downstream of each obstruction.
Total Acreage: 2.6 miles of river habitat will open up to anadromous fish such as alewife, striped bass, and shad; approximately 10 acres will be restored along the shoreline.
Ecological Benefits: Restoring tributary habitat will improve creek health, and provide anadromous fish habitat.
Economic Benefits: Fishing, educational, recreational, flood protection, boost to the local economy during construction.

3) John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, Pennsylvania

Freshwater Tidal Wetland Restoration

Addressing Injuries to:  Tributary habitat.
Project: Creating a series of tidally connected channels, shallow pools, and fringing shrub/scrub wetlands to restore 7 acres of freshwater tidal wetland.
Total Acreage: Restoring 7 acres will benefit 56 acres
Ecological Benefits: Restored tidal exchange, wildlife habitat enhancement.
Economic Benefits: Wildlife viewing, small boat recreation, education.

4) Little Tinicum Island, Pennsylvania

Trail Improvements

Addressing Injuries to: Recreational resources such as trips lost and diminished value.
Project: Installing a permanent trail, two observation decks, and a "breakaway bridge" to cross a small wet area.
Benefits: Recreational opportunities similar to those lost during the spill (such as wildlife viewing, hiking, fishing, and picnicking) and preserving the area from erosion by visitors currently walking on make-shift trails, as well as providing educational benefits.

5) Augustine, Delaware

Rock Jetty Restoration

Addressing Injuries to: Recreational resources such as trips lost and diminished value.
Project: Construct an additional breakwater at Augustine Boat Ramp to address ongoing shoaling immediately offshore of the boat ramp.
Benefits: Preventing shoaling that currently affects the use and safety of the facility; the ramp is an important emergency response location for local and state agencies responding to boating accidents, oil spills, and homeland security issues associated with the nearby nuclear power plant.

6) Mad Horse Creek Wildlife Management Area, New Jersey 

Marsh, Meadow, and Grassland Restoration

Addressing Injuries to: Birds and wildlife and shoreline habitat.
Project: Restoring 59.6 acres of degraded marsh, and creating 35 acres of wet meadow and 100 acres of grassland.
Total Acreage: 194.6 acres
Ecological Benefits: Food, roosting, and nesting habitat for birds.
Economic Benefits: Wildlife viewing, hunting, boost to the local economy during construction.

7) Stow Creek, New Jersey 

Boat Ramp Restoration

Addressing Injuries to: Recreational resources such as trips lost and diminished value.
Project: Widening and lengthening the existing public boat ramp, currently in poor condition, and adding a small courtesy dock to assist with boarding, loading, and unloading of people.
Benefits: Expanding boating access to Stow Creek and the Delaware River and providing safer conditions for boaters, hunting, fishing.

8) Blackbird Reserve Wildlife Area, Delaware

Habitat Restoration

Addressing Injuries to: Birds and wildlife.
Project: Excavating two shallow wetland ponds; converting 16 acres of farmland to pasture; establishing 24 acres of food plots for migratory geese by modifying existing agricultural practices.
Total Acreage: 41.8
Ecological Benefits: Providing resting and foraging areas for migratory geese.
Economic Benefits: Wildlife viewing, preservation of open space, hunting.

9 and 10) Delaware River, Delaware and New Jersey

Oyster Reef Creation

Addressing Injuries to: Aquatic resources and birds and wildlife.
Project: Creating oyster reefs in the Delaware River through direct placement and recruitment and placement of bushels of spat.
Total Acreage: 78
Ecological Benefits: Enhances benthic habitat, benefits reef organisms, improves water quality.
Economic Benefits: Oyster harvesting is expected 5 years after shell placement, boost to the local economy during construction.