MAY 20, 2024 — The NOAA Marine Debris Program Chief Scientist, Amy V. Uhrin, attended the first meeting of the Social Cost of Plastic Pollution Working Group of the National Center for Environmental Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS).
OR&R Weekly Report
The Office of Response and Restoration publishes this weekly round-up of news and information of interest to our partners, stakeholders, and team members. Click to subscribe
October 2022
OCT. 17, 2022 — Approximately one year ago on Oct. 1, 2021, the Pipeline P00547 (Huntington Beach) oil spill occurred in Southern California. An underwater pipeline running from Platform Elly to Long Beach spilled an estimated 25,000 gallons of crude oil into San Pedro Bay.
OCT. 17, 2022 — Sept. 21-22, 2022 marked the inaugural workshop welcoming the establishment of the U.S. Coast Guard National Center of Expertise for the Great Lakes. The workshop convened NCOE stakeholders who shared information about current research projects, identified research gaps, and prioritized opportunities to advance oil spill response capabilities in the Great Lakes.
OCT. 17, 2022 — On Oct. 6, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, proudly announced that the 2023 Marine Debris Calendar is now available for download!
OCT. 17, 2022 — Following the 7th International Marine Debris Conference, held Sept. 19-23 in Busan, South Korea, NOAA Marine Debris Program Chief Scientist Amy V. Uhrin was invited to tour the facilities at the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology's South Sea Research Institute on Geoje Island, South Korea.
OCT. 17, 2022 — With a team of instructors led by Scientific Support Coordinator Frank Csulak, NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration hosted a Science of Oil Spills class in the mid-Atlantic region the week of Sept. 12, 2022.
OCT. 17, 2022 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division recently completed an update to the guide book, Oil and Sea Turtles: Biology, Planning, and Response.
OCT. 17, 2022 — On Sept. 27, the NOAA Marine Debris Program Alaska Regional Coordinator Peter Murphy presented as part of a NOAA Live! webinar titled “Keeping Alaska's Coastline Clean: What You Can Do about Marine Debris in Your Community.”
OCT. 17, 2022 — OR&R biologist and Environmental Sensitivity Index Program Manager Nicolle Rutherford presented at a series of conferences and workshops in September to share the benefits and uses of Environmental Sensitivity Index maps and data.
OCT. 17, 2022 — From Sept. 27-28, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), within the Office of Response and Restoration, participated in the Virginia Marine Debris Summit hosted in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This gathering brought together local, state, and federal marine debris and plastic pollution experts in focused discussion around tackling the challenges of consumer debris throughout the commonwealth.
OCT. 3, 2022 — On Sept. 28, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, announced the 14 recipients of our 2022 Removal and Prevention Grant awards totaling nearly $3.7 million in federal funds, including funding provided through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act.
OCT. 3, 2022 — On Sept. 21, NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Northeast Regional Coordinator Demi Fox participated in an on-water Rapid Assessment Team during an oil spill exercise on the Piscataqua River.
September 2022
SEPT. 26, 2022 — When things don’t go as planned, and oil hits the water, people have many questions that need answers. Where will the oil go? What can be done to clean it up? How badly did it damage the environment? What is the best way to clean up the oil without making things worse? Luckily, NOAA scientists from the Office of Response and Restoration have the background and expertise to help answer each of these questions.
SEPT. 26, 2022 — On Sept. 18-23, 2022, staff from NOAA's Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, supported and participated in the 7th International Marine Debris Conference in Busan, Republic of Korea.
SEPT. 26, 2022 — On Sept. 15 and 16, the 13th Natural Resources Symposium "Natural Resources at a Crossroads" reconvened at George Washington University.
SEPT. 19, 2022 — On Sept. 1, 2022, the Office of Response and Restoration’s Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) team released a new version of the application. The overhauled look and layout focuses on providing a streamlined interface to visualize and explore spatial data.
SEPT. 19, 2022 — OR&R has released a brief survey to evaluate the amount of human-use data for inclusion in Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps.
SEPT. 19, 2022 — On Sept. 15, NOAA's Marine Debris Program and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Trash Free Waters Program, on behalf of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee, shared a draft Report on Microfiber Pollution for public comment.
SEPT. 19, 2022 — Staff from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in a worst-case oil spill response exercise conducted by ExxonMobil in Guam from Sept. 12-14.
SEPT. 19, 2022 — On Sept. 29, 2022, the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC) will hold a virtual public meeting, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET. The public meeting will focus on federal efforts to address abandoned and derelict vessels.
SEPT. 12, 2022 — OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in an event sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)—Disaster Response for Oil Spill and Mass Rescue Exchange—held in Port Louis, Mauritius on Aug. 22-26.
SEPT. 12, 2022 — Recently, NOAA Marine Debris Program grants specialist and lead coordinator of the National Ocean Service Zero Waste Team, Amanda Dwyer, received a Business Waste Reduction and Recycling Champion award from Montgomery County, Maryland. She was one of 22 individuals, businesses, and organizations honored from across Montgomery County for outstanding achievement in recycling, waste reduction, and reuse.
SEPT. 12, 2022 — On Aug. 31, the NOAA Marine Debris Program wrapped up a month of partner-led virtual workgroup meetings to discuss the California Ocean Litter Strategy (OLS). The meetings brought together over 75 partners across the state and included a diverse set of sectors including state agencies, nonprofits, private organizations, and academia.
SEPT. 12, 2022 — NOAA has awarded a contract to refresh the Environmental Sensitivity Index maps and data for Lake Ontario. The work has already begun, and will be completed by the end of September 2023.
August 2022
AUG. 29, 2022 — On Aug. 17-18, 2022, NOAA Marine Debris Program staff served on the United States delegation to the 19th meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Oceans and Fisheries Working Group.
AUG. 29, 2022 — On Aug. 18, scientists from the Coastal Response Research Center at University of New Hampshire hosted Nicole LeBoeuf, National Ocean Service assistant administrator, and Chrissy Hayes after their visit to the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping / Joint Hydrographic Center.
AUG. 29, 2022 — Last week, OR&R Director Scott Lundgren and Senior Scientist Lisa DiPinto joined the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) Director Deborah Lee and others for the ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening of the Great Lakes National Center of Expertise (NCOE).
AUG. 22, 2022 — Later this year and in 2023, a cross-divisional team within OR&R will address the science of per- and poly-fluorinated substances (PFAS) in aqueous fire-fighting foams (AFFF).
AUG. 22, 2022 — On Aug. 12, Sam Rauch, NOAA Fisheries Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, spoke on behalf of NOAA at the BASF Corporation’s Groundbreaking for the East Newark Riverfront Park project in East Newark, New Jersey.
AUG. 22, 2022 — OR&R staff met with congressional committee staffers from the U.S. House Space, Science, and Technology Committee, as well as a staff member from the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee – Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee at the NOAA Western Regional Center on Aug. 8, 2022.