MITIGATING AN OIL SPILL IN TIMBALIER BAY, LOUISIANA: NOAA'S
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND RESTORATION PROGRAM IN ACTION
Richard D. Hartman', Tim Osborn2, Brian Julius3, Maura Newell3, Andrea Arnold2
and Eric Zobrist2.
ABSTRACT
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) is responsible for assessing
and claiming damages associated with the accidental discharge of oil of hazardous
material. This paper presents a case history describing the use by NOAA of
the
Habitat Restoration Analysis technique to determine the amount of wetlands
that
would be created to adequately compensate for the 1992 Greenhill Petroleum
well
blowout and oil spill Timbalier Bay, Louisiana. This mitigation project was
constructed during the November 1993 - June 1994 period. The wetland creation
project is described and initial indicators of success provided.
INTRODUCTION
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) is designated under
numerous legislative acts to serve as a federal trustee for living marine
resources,
including marine fishery resources and their supporting ecosystems, anadromous
and catadromous fish, selected threatened and endangered species, marine
mammals, and tidal wetlands and other critical habitats. The Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA)
provides a mechanism authorizing NOAA to respond to hazardous waste
contamination for NOAA to address discharges of oil from a vessel or a facility
into
navigable marine waters. These two acts authorize NOAA to assess and claim
damages for injuries to natural resources caused by discharges of oil or
the releases
of hazardous substances.
NOAA fulfills portions of its trustee responsibilities through its Damage
Assessment
Center (DAC), the Office of General Counsel (GC), and the National Marine
Fisheries Service's Restoration Center (RC). DARP was established in fiscal
year
1991 to provide an effective mechanism for assessing damages and restoring
coastal and marine habitats and resources under NOAA's trustee authority.
Prior to
DARP, there was no central federal office of authority to direct the restoration
or
compensation process for marine fishery injury cases.
1 National Marine Fisheries Service c/o La. State Univ., Baton Rouge, La.
70803
2 NMFS Restoration Center, 1315 East-West Hwy., Silver Spring, Md. 20910
3 NOAA Damage Assessment Center, 10th floor, 1305 East-West Hwy., Silver
Spring Md.
20910


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