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Good news for a new year! In 2023, NOAA and partners helped to recover over $92.8 million from polluters to restore seven waterways in six states following oil spill and industrial pollution incidents. These restoration efforts will benefit fish, wildlife, and disadvantaged communities disproportionately impacted by pollution.
NOAA and partners worked to assess the impacts of these incidents and reach legal settlements with those responsible to fund restoration. In the past 30+ years, NOAA and co-trustees have helped recover $10.7 billion for restoration across the country.
Passaic River, New Jersey. Contamination is found in sediment from the Dundee Dam to the mouth of the river, throughout Newark Bay, and other portions of the New York/New Jersey Harbor. (Credit: NOAA)
The Lower Passaic River has a long history of industrial contamination. Over time, more than 70 facilities released dioxins and other pollutants into this urban waterway.
But progress continues to be made in the Lower Passaic. A recent $81 million settlement will be used to assess and restore injured natural resources and recreational losses to benefit disadvantaged communities that have been disproportionately impacted by pollution.
Gloucester Harbor, Massachusetts. Much of the Gloucester Harbor dredging area is shown here. (Credit: NOAA)
Gloucester Harbor, Massachusetts was polluted by tars, sludges, and oils from a manufactured gas plant that operated along the waterfront between 1854 and 1952. These long-lasting pollutants are harmful to fish, wildlife, and sediment-dwelling species that depend upon this area for habitat. Cleanup of the contamination concluded in 2017.
Funds from a $5.3 million settlement will be used to further accelerate the recovery of natural resources in this historic working waterfront. Trustees will work with the local community to identify and select potential restoration projects, such as the enhancement of nearby degraded wetlands. A restoration plan will be drafted and released for public comment in late 2024.
Location of the MC209 pipeline spill in the Gulf of Mexico. (Credit: NOAA)
In October 2017, a pipeline 70 miles (113 kilometers) from the Louisiana coast released approximately 672,000 gallons of oil. Since the pipeline is located 4,921 feet (1,500 meters) deep, most of the oil remained in the deep ocean. The many organisms that live in the water column and bottom sediments within the Gulf of Mexico likely suffered the majority of impacts from the spill.
A $2.78 million settlement will be used to offset effects of the spill. NOAA will work with the public to identify restoration options and publish a draft plan for public comment.
Lower Duwamish River bank in Washington where the Bluefield Holding's restoration site is located. (Credit: NOAA)
The lower Duwamish River is a working estuary in Washington with a long history of pollution and habitat loss. Since the early 1900s, many industrial and commercial facilities lining its banks have released hazardous substances, resulting in injuries to fish, birds, wildlife, and their habitats. Co-trustees have worked for years to resolve the liability of several parties potentially responsible for these hazardous releases.
In 2023, one of the parties funded restoration of $2.03 million for restoration of riparian, marsh, mudflat, and subtidal habitat to benefit salmon and wildlife in the river. These types of healthy habitats are scarce in the highly-developed Lower Duwamish River, serving as important food sources for many animals, while providing rearing, refuge, and spawning areas for fish and wildlife.
Oil sheen, containment boom, and deflection boom in Starrigavan Bay, Alaska, on April 23, 2017. (Credit: U.S. Coast Guard)
In April 2017, an out-of-service tugboat named the Tug Powhatan spilled oil as it sank in Starrigavan Bay near Sitka, Alaska. NOAA evaluated injuries to natural resources and services resulting from the oil spill and determined that Pacific herring eggs and larvae were injured and shellfish harvesting at a local beach was impacted. NOAA experts determined that the spill resulted in injuries to Pacific herring eggs and larvae, while also halting shellfish harvesting at a local beach.
A $0.99 million recovery is now being used for restoration of Pacific herring spawning habitat via marine debris removal and shellfish monitoring for seafood safety for local indigenous communities.
River herring (NOAA)
A landfill adjacent to the Delaware River in Wilmington, Delaware, was used in the late 1990’s to stockpile byproducts from a nearby titanium dioxide facility. Heavy metals, PCBs, and other hazardous materials leached into the river, exposing fish and bottom-dwelling creatures to toxic contaminants.
A $0.81 million settlement will be used to fund restoration of fish and other natural resources at this site. A draft restoration plan will be released for public comment by late 2024.
Boom deployment and oil sheen at the mouth of the Buskin River, Kodiak, Alaska. (Credit: Alaska Department of Transportation)
In March, 2019, an estimated 1,369-gallons of oil from a leaking diesel tank entered the Lake Louise Tributary, the Buskin River, and St. Paul Harbor. The spill impacted habitats used by salmon for spawning, rearing, and migration, as well as human uses including recreational and cultural practices. A variety of bird species were also impacted. The impacted area includes the Buskin River State Recreation Site, and the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
A settlement of $0.17 million will be used to restore for harm (or for the impacts) from the spill.
NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration alongside NOAA's General Counsel for Natural Resources and Office of Habitat Conservation created the Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP) in 1992. In the past 30+ years, NOAA and co-trustees have helped recover $10.7 billion for restoration across the country. For more information on our work restoring waterways after pollution please visit NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program website and use our interactive map to see where we work.
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