The Cooper River/M/V Everreach oil spill Trustees released the Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for Recreational Uses for public comment through July 27, 2019. The draft plan includes 2 preferred project alternatives to compensate for recreational fishing losses due to the 2002 spill.

The draft plan’s potential projects involve installation of a courtesy dock or fishing dock at existing boat landings on the Cooper and Stono Rivers. Following the public comment period, the Trustees will select one alternative to move forward.

On September 30, 2002, the container ship M/V Everreach spilled approximately 12,500 gallons of oil into the waters of the Cooper River in Charleston, South Carolina. This spill oiled a wide-range of habitats, including tidal flats, fringing marshes, intertidal oyster reefs, and sandy beaches, as well as docks, piers, and bulkheads. 

Pelicans, waterfowl and shorebirds were oiled,and key habitat was damaged for multiple species of birds, fish, and invertebrates. A shellfish bed was temporarily closed, and there was a disruption to recreational shrimp baiting in area waters. This draft restoration plan proposes projects that will help compensate the public for lost recreational fishing activities.

The Trustees are inviting public comments on the plan through July 27, 2019.

You can provide your comments by emailing Krista McCraken at the NOAA Restoration Center, at krista.mccraken@noaa.gov. You can also mail your comments on the plan to Krista McCraken, ℅ NOAA Office for Coastal Management, 2234 S. Hobson Ave., Charleston, SC 29405.