Due to the complex nature of oil cleanup, health and safety concerns, and the fact that a damage assessment is a legal process, the role of volunteers in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is, unfortunately, limited. The Deepwater Unified Area Command has specified that volunteers or unpaid individuals are not allowed to perform hands-on hazardous waste remediation.

There are a variety of volunteer positions which do not require special training such as patrolling the beaches and shorelines for the presence of oil.

Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older to participate.

• For volunteer opportunities, call 1-866-448-5816 or visit the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command website.
• To offer your boat for the Vessel of Opportunity Program: (866) 279-7983 or (877) 847-7470
• Louisiana: http://www.volunteerlouisiana.gov
• Mississippi: http://www.volunteermississippi.org/1800Vol/OpenIndexAction.do
• Florida: http://www.volunteerflorida.org
• Alabama: http://www.servealabama.gov/2010/default.aspx

Useful Links and Contact Information

To report injured wildlife or damage related to the spill or request volunteer information, call 866-448-5816.

To offer suggestions to clean, contain, or recover oil, visit Deepwater Horizon Response Suggestions.

Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center: (713) 323-1670 or (713) 323-1671

Submit a claim for damages: 1-800-440-0858

On the Web:

• NOAA’s Deepwater Horizon website provides daily updates on our response.
• NOAA’s Science Missions and Data website provides access to data and information related to seafood/fisheries monitoring, subsurface oil and ocean currents, Natural Resource Damage Assessment, air quality, and satellite imagery.
• NOAA’s Geoplatform website provides an interactive map with the latest data on the oil spill’s trajectory, fishing closures, wildlife and Gulf Coast resources.
• Data.gov features data from the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, NOAA, the Department of the Interior, and the states of Florida and Louisiana related to the spill, its effects, and the cleanup effort. Data include oil and gas flow and recovery measurements, air and water sample data, oil spill-related exposure information, and other data of interest to scientists, recovery workers, and citizens.
• NOAA’s National Ocean Service Deepwater Horizon website provides photos and video from the Gulf.
• NOAA’s External Affairs website provides additional resources and information on NOAA’s efforts
• See National Pollution Fund Center for oil spill liability and compensation requirements, including the role of the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF) to pay for expeditious oil removal and uncompensated damages.

Also follow Deepwater Horizon developments on Twitter and Facebook .