2022 Accomplishments: The Year in Review

An aerial image of an oil sheen surrounded by pollution boom.
In February 2022, two separate oil discharges occurred in Apollo Energy’s Cameron Marsh oil field near Hackberry, Louisiana. In June 2022, liquid oil remained at both sites and the U.S. Coast Guard contacted OR&R for input on recovery options. Image credit: U.S. Coast Guard.

NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration works to protect and restore ocean and coastal resources from the impacts of threats such as marine debris, oil spills, hazardous materials, and disasters thus benefiting the environment, public, and economy. 

In fiscal year 2022: we helped to recover $114 million from pollution settlements for restoration in five states; we awarded approximately $3.7 million in federal funds to 14 new marine debris projects; we announced a $56 million competitive funding opportunity using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to remove large debris and deploy proven interception technologies; we partnered with NOAA's National Sea Grant office to establish a new funding opportunity to improve disaster preparedness within coastal communities; we launched a full refresh of Environmental Sensitivity Index data as part of an emphasis on freshwater spill preparedness in the Great Lakes region; and we worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct important research on characterizing oil on water in ice environments at three locations in the Arctic. These accomplishments show our dedication to science-based solutions for protecting and restoring natural resources from coastal hazards.

“I am pleased to share the highlights of our Fiscal Year 2022 accomplishments. These vignettes provide insight into some of our most impactful and innovative work. I’m extremely proud of the success of the OR&R team, particularly the number of accomplishments that relied upon the talent, resources, and expertise from across the office.” —Scott Lundgren, OR&R Director

An aerial image of a shoreline.
Shoreline at Grewingk Glacier River, Kachemak Bay, Cook Inlet, Alaska. Image credit: ShoreZone.
2022 Accomplishments: The Fiscal Year in Numbers
  • 151. That’s the number of times we were activated to support oil spills, chemical releases, and other incident responses.
  • 49. That’s the number of training and response events we led or hosted. 
  • 2,576. That’s the number of people we trained in disaster preparedness, oil and chemical spill response, and planning. 
  • 3,015. Metric tons of marine debris removed.
  • $114 million. Funds recovered from polluters for restoration at six contaminated waterways in five coastal states.
Last updated Monday, December 12, 2022 11:52am PST