Posted on January 15, 2025
Funds will restore four waterways in New Jersey, Texas, and Washington
Good news for a new year! NOS’s Office of Response and Restoration and partners recovered $40 million from polluters in 2024 that will fund restoration of waterways and their habitats following oil spill and industrial pollution incidents. These restoration efforts will benefit fish, wildlife, and communities disproportionately impacted by pollution.
NOAA and its partners assessed the impacts of these incidents and reached legal settlements with those responsible to fund restoration. Over the past 30+ years, NOAA and cotrustees have helped recover $10.8 billion for restoration of injured resources across the country.
Restoring wetlands, floodplains, and riverbanks in New Jersey
A $10 million settlement will fund the restoration of 112 acres of forested floodplains and vernal pools in Bridgewater, New Jersey, following decades of hazardous discharges into the Raritan River. Projects will provide necessary habitat for a variety of wildlife, including fish, mammals, and birds, as well as recreational trails and improved access to nature for communities disproportionately affected by the pollution.
Background: The American Cyanamid facility was the site of multiple hazardous substance and contaminant releases into the Raritan River. The factory manufactured chemicals, pharmaceuticals, distilled coal tar, and used the nearby Cuckolds Brook as a conduit for untreated liquid waste from the early 1900s through the 1930s.
The American Cyanamid site sits on the banks of the Raritan River.
Restoration for marshes, sea turtles, and birds after an oil spill in Texas
A $427,000 settlement will fund restoration projects for marshes, sea turtles, and birds following a pipeline failure in Corpus Christi Bay, Texas. In the future, Texas trustees and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will draft a restoration plan and identify specific projects.
Background: The December 2022 pipeline failure at Flint Hills Resources’ Ingleside crude oil terminal Dock #5 released approximately 14,000 gallons of light crude oil into the bay. NOAA worked with state and federal cotrustees to assess injury to marsh and sandy beach shorelines, birds, as well as threatened green sea turtles.
Yellowish waxy petroleum product on a shoreline in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Restoration for a petrochemical storage tank fire in Texas
A $6.6 million settlement will fund restoration projects following a fire and the release of a mixture of hazardous substances into Galveston Bay and surrounding water bodies. A restoration plan that includes proposed projects to improve habitats and recreational use in the area will be made available for public comment in the future.
Background: In March 2019, a storage tank caught fire at the Intercontinental Terminals Company, LLC facility in Deer Park, Texas, leading to a breach of containment walls and the release of hazardous substances consisting of petrochemicals from the storage tanks, fire water, and firefighting foams into the environment. The spill potentially impacted an estimated 136 miles of shoreline and associated benthic, marsh, riparian, and beach habitats. Air quality impacts in Deer Park and the surrounding area forced the closure of roads, schools, and parks and caused shelter-in-place orders over several days.
Damaged tanks at the Intercontinental Terminals Company, LLC Deer Park facility on March 27, 2019, near La Porte, Texas.
Salmon and wildlife to benefit from habitat restoration in Washington
Two settlements totaling over $23 million will support habitat restoration in the Lower Duwamish River in Washington following hazardous substance releases. For one settlement, the responsible parties purchased credits in an existing restoration project that created a vital refuge, nursery, and feeding ground for juvenile salmon and other fish species, as well as a nesting site for migratory birds. For the other settlement, the companies responsible will construct and maintain a habitat restoration project with three acres of shoreline and aquatic habitat that will also provide refuge areas and food sources for wildlife and fish, including juvenile salmon. These restoration efforts will also benefit tribes and other local communities by ensuring clean, productive waterways essential to their well-being. The settlements are part of a series of early resolutions with polluting parties for natural resource damages in the Lower Duwamish River.
Background: Since the early 1900s, more than 30 hazardous substances were released into the Lower Duwamish River. The river includes three Superfund sites: Lockheed West, Harbor Island, and the Lower Duwamish Waterway. Toxic contaminants injured fish, birds, and wildlife, as well as their habitats; and impacted recreational uses, including fishing. Additionally, industrializing the river destroyed approximately 97% of the original aquatic and shoreline habitat.
Site for future restoration on the west bank of the Lower Duwamish River.
NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program conducts Natural Resource Damage Assessments to assess and restore natural resources after oil spills, ship groundings, and hazardous releases. Learn about this process and explore our interactive map to see where we work.
