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Over $114 million recovered from polluters to restore waterways

2 February 2023

In this video message, NOS Assistant Administrator Nicole LeBoeuf discusses how in 2022 NOAA and our partners recovered over $114 million dollars to restore six polluted U.S. waterways. Learn more at NOAA. gov.    (Video Transcript)

Nicole R. LeBoeuf
Assistant Administrator
Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management,
National Ocean Service

Video Transcript

In 2022, NOAA and our partners recovered over $114 million dollars 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.