JUNE 3, 2024 — On May 13, 2024, the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington finalized a settlement with Crowley Marine Services, Inc. (Crowley), 8th Avenue Terminals, Inc. and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The settlement is on behalf of the Elliott Bay Trustee Council, which includes NOAA, the U.S.
OR&R Weekly Report
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October 2014
Ready, set, draw! Grab your kids, art supplies, and spread the word--about marine debris of course!
Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), chemical facilities with certain quantities of Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHSs) must annually submit facility information to the local authorities for emergency planning and response purposes.
In mid-September of 2014, a group of scientists including social and public health experts, biologists, oceanographers, chemists, atmospheric scientists, and data management experts convened in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, to discuss ways they could better integrate their respective environmental and health data during disasters.
To advance ocean and environmental stewardship, the NOAA Marine Debris Program in partnership with the North American Marine Environmental Protection Association (NAMEPA) developed an Educator’s Guide to Marine Debris in an effort to bring students new science, technology, engineering and mathematics-based marine debris lessons.
The International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) and the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) are producing recommended practices for GIS technology and geo-information used in the formation of a Common Operating Picture (COP).
On October 7, 2014, OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD) staff presented an introduction to Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) and Restoration for a capstone class of Sustainability students at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
From September 29 through October 1, 2014 OR&R Emergency Response Division (ERD) staff, Nicolle Rutherford and Kyle Jellison, along with Scott Zengel and Jennifer Horsman of Research Planning, Incorporated, returned to Bay Jimmy, Northern Barataria Bay, Louisiana to evaluate oiling conditions, erosion, vegetation, and macrofauna recovery in marshes heavily oiled during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
On Tuesday, two OR&R staff had a rare opportunity--lunch with Dr. Sullivan.
On October 3, 2014, staff from NOAA Marine Debris Program and NOAA Restoration Center met in Westport, WA, with The Nature Conservancy, Quinault Indian Nation, and Natural Resource Consultants project partners to discuss the project’s progress and scope.
On October 1, 2014, the NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) hosted a very successful site visit for Russell Callender, Deputy Assistant Administrator for NOS, in Portland, Oregon.
From September 23-25, 2014, OR&R Outreach team members from headquarters and all the divisions met in Seattle to map out a strategy for FY15, review last year’s activities, and identify new opportunities for promoting the accomplishments, products, and services of OR&R.
Submerge: NYC Marine Science Festival, an all-day, free ocean science event to be held on October 5, 2014, focuses on delivering hands-on activities and compelling presentations.
On September 25, 2014, two of the Marine Debris Program’s own staff and a team of 17 scientists and trained divers from NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) embarked on a 33-day mission to remove derelict fishing nets and plastics from the sensitive reefs, shallow waters, and shorelines of the Monument.
This week OR&R’s Spatial Data Branch launched an updated version of the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA).
On September 30, 2014, several OR&R Emergency Response Division (ERD) staff and a Wildlife Biologist from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center met with the Environmental Program Director at Naval Station Everett, Washington.
On October 1, 2014, OR&R participated in the annual meeting of the Pacific States /British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force.
In late September a planned levee breach took place that will restore 150 acres of San Francisco Bay coastal wetlands. The removal of portions of the Breuner Marsh levee is a major milestone in the effort to increase the habitat for tidal marsh-dependent species in the Bay. The construction of the project began in 2013 and received partial funding from NOAA’S Damage, Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program. NOAA’s funds are from a 2010 settlement with Chevron for historical contamination from refinery operations.
NOAA and co-trustee agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Commonwealth of Massachusetts and State of Rhode Island have released the Final Programmatic Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the B-120 Buzzards Bay Oil Spill.
On September 10, 2014, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina, in conjunction with PCS Phosphate conducted one-day Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) Industry Led Full-Scale Exercise.
OR&R's Simeon Hahn and partners from the state, city and community met with Congressman John Carney, staff from Senators Coons and Carper, notable officials from the City of Wilmington, and community leaders to discuss a variety of urban revitalization and restoration issues.
September 2014
OR&R’s Emergency Response Division, in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) District 5, Portsmouth, Virginia, recently conducted a three-day Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) training course in Lewes, Delaware, on September 23-25, 2014.
This week the OR&R Emergency Response Division participated in a National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program (PREP) conducted by U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Honolulu in collaboration with Chevron.
September 20, 2014, marked the 29th annual International Coastal Cleanup, and the NOAA Marine Debris Program is a proud sponsor of the effort.
OR&R’s Ken Finkelstein took an all-day Science Communication Workshop at Dartmouth College on September 12, 2014.
On September 17, 2014, the NOAA Marine Debris Program's Southeast and Caribbean Regional Coordinator, Jason Rolfe, presented a Regional View of Marine Debris at the Second Annual Marine Debris Symposium at the Onslow County Environmental Center in coastal North Carolina.
On September 2-5, 2014, OR&R staff participated in the NOAA Alaska Emergency Responder Workshop at the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Lab in Kasitsna Bay, Alaska.
OR&R’s Spatial Data Branch (SDB) worked with the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ (UAF) Arctic Tracer Release Experiment (ARCTREX): Applications for Mapping Spilled Oil in Arctic Waters.
On September 16, 2014, NOAA and The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources working on the restoration of natural resources injured by the T/V Margara vessel grounding released a Draft Primary Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment, opening a 30-day public comment period.
“Young of year” shad sampling occurred on the Delaware River in Trenton, New Jersey, Phillipsburg, New Jersey, and Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania the week of Aug 8, 2014. Shad is an anadromous species, meaning the fish live in the ocean and come back to spawn in freshwater. Young-of-year are shad hatched from eggs that are spawned in the same year.
Natalie Richardson of OR&R's Business Services Group is the Staff Spotlight feature this month.