In 2022, NOAA and our partners recovered
over $114 million from polluters
to restore six contaminated waterways across the country.
Pollution in our waterways harms plants and animals and degrades
the quality of life for people who live, work, and recreate in these areas.
Restoration projects funded from these settlements
contribute to restoring the environment and to the long-term recovery
of habitats, wildlife,
and disadvantaged coastal communities.
Along the lower Passaic River in New Jersey,
A new park will be created to benefit underserved communities
that were disproportionately impacted
from years of industrial contamination.
In the Gulf of Mexico, projects will focus on
the restoration of natural resources impacted
when an oil platform collapsed during Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
In Galveston Bay, restoration efforts will center on vital habitats,
dolphins, birds, and outdoor recreation areas
that were contaminated from an oil spill
following a vessel collision in 2014.
Restoration projects will also benefit working communities
in Pennsylvania, New Orleans, and Hawaii.
These projects show what is possible when we work
with those responsible for the pollution to provide restoration.
Learn more about NOAA's role in protecting and restoring the Nation's
coastal and marine resources by visiting the link in this post.