Oil Platform Fire

According to a press release from the U.S. Coast Guard, an oil platform exploded and caught fire in southwestern Lake Pontchartrain on Sunday night. It was estimated that about 500 barrels of South Louisiana crude oil were in tanks on the platform, owned by Clovelly Oil Co., at the time of the explosion, approximately 8 p.m. on Oct. 15. At this time it is unknown how much was burned up in the fire.

The Coast Guard has requested a worst case trajectory for 500 barrels, though a Coast Guard overflight on Oct. 16 detected no sheen in the water, and no oil on the shoreline was visible from the air. The New Orleans/ Baton Rouge National Weather Service is also running air plume modelling.

The fire has since been extinguished and during an overflight on Oct. 16 there were no visible signs of pollution. Tarry residue balls of approximately 0.6 miles in length and 4 feet in width were collected from the shoreline of Jefferson Parish.

Eight platform workers were reportedly aboard when the platform exploded. Seven of the workers were taken to local hospitals, while one person is still missing. The Coast Guard is continuing to search for the missing man both by air and by boat.

The cause of the explosion is still unknown.

Pipeline Discharge

Last week in a separate incident, a pipeline discharge reportedly occurred 40 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana.

The National Response Center reported the discharge at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13, according to a press release from the U.S. Coast Guard.  

The oil was released in the Gulf of Mexico from infrastructure fully submerged  in water at a depth of 4,463 feet. LLOG Exploration, which operates the pipeline, identified the location of the release as the Mississippi Canyon Block 209, Well No. 1 and estimated that between 7,950 to 9,350 barrels (or 333,900 and 392,700 gallons) were released.

In a press release earlier today, the Coast Guard reported that a panel investigation was initiated on Monday by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Gulf of Mexico Region Director Lars Herbst.

A fracture was reportedly observed in the jumper pipe leading from the well. LLOG reported to BSEE that they isolated the pipeline leak and stopped the it on Thursday morning. The flow through the fracture has since ceased.

A sheen was observed and reported through the National Response Center. Monitoring of the residual sheen continues. No shoreline impacts have been reported

BSEE is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard on the response. The Office of Response and Restoration is continuing to provide trajectory modeling and mapping support.

The U.S. Coast Guard contributed to this article.

To detail some of the new technology and practices that have supported hurricane response this season, NOAA recently launched a new hurricane story map.

“History is being made this season. New satellites, modeling tools and other new technology, and a revamped institutional philosophy designed to build a Weather-Ready Nation, amount to a complete change in how NOAA prepares our country and our communities for hurricanes,” said Louis W. Uccellini, director of the National Weather Service, during an interview with The Atlantic.

NOAA’s new and emerging technology, such as a Geostationary Lightning Mapper(GLM), GOES-16’s Advanced Baseline Imager and the experimental HRRRX, a real-time, hourly updated severe weather model, provided more detailed maps and images of these storm systems resulting in earlier warnings and better impact predictions.

These new tools not only helped with forecasting and mapping these storm systems, but also helped in monitoring and responding to possible oil spills and hazardous leaks using applications such as ERMA® (Environmental Response Management Application), a regionally-tailored mapping tool.

Some of NOAA’s new tools this season were also available to the public, including the new Storm Tracker App, where users can follow severe weather storms as they develop.

This hurricane season those affected can also request aerial images collected by NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey to help assess the hurricane-related damage. For hurricanes Harvey and Irma alone, there have been 1.7 billion requests for these images.

For videos, images and more information on the tools and resources NOAA is using this hurricane season, please view the full story map here.

To stay up to date on storm activity, including Tropical Storm Ophelia, check out the new Storm Tracker App here.

“This partnership has allowed vessel recovery activities to continue efficiently with no adverse impact to protected species, sensitive habitats, historic and archaeological resources and tribal resources.”

Through pre-planning and previous experience, OR&R has been able to anticipate the needs of the Hurricanes Irma and Maria response organizations and has had products and services at the ready once the actual response began. OR&R has responded to many hurricane events and is working to ensure that all environmental regulations are followed to help minimize any additional damage that could be caused by response and removal operations. We have developed improved methodologies to use GIS and aerial photogrammetry to pre-identify potential sources of pollution and detrimental debris. 

At this time, OR&R is preparing for yet another potentially damaging hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. 

For further information on OR&R’s pollution response after hurricanes, see Preparing for What Can Go Wrong Because of Hurricanes (2016), and Oil Spills and Hurricanes Can Take the Nation by Storm (2015).

The EPA describes the Urban Waters Federal Partnership as a program that “reconnects urban communities, particularly those that are overburdened or economically distressed, with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies and collaborating with community-led revitalization efforts to improve our Nation's water systems and promote their economic, environmental and social benefits.” There are over 250 locations across the country, and the partnership has improved more than 22,000 acres of land.

NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) plays a critical part in Urban Waters Federal Partnership team by providing scientific expertise that helps partners achieve improved conditions along waterways in the Northeast. Simeon Hahn, one such member and NOAA OR&R environmental toxicologist, is focused on improvements in the Philadelphia area as well as New Jersey and Delaware. He has also focused on revitalization efforts along the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., the Petapsco River in Baltimore, and the Brandywine River in Wilmington, Delaware. The work restores degraded waterfronts to revitalize economically depressed areas along the river and improve habitats.

Simeon, who has been a member of the interagency team since the early days of the Urban Waters journey, was described by Surabhi Shah as one whose leadership was essential, especially in launching the Greater Philadelphia Area - Delaware River Watershed. “Simeon and Dave Westerholm have helped communities, federal agencies, and all our other partners better understand the tremendous range of expertise and programs that NOAA brings to the table.”

OR&R Director Dave Westerholm calls the Urban Waters Program a model that demonstrates what can be done when agencies work together with local communities. “Simeon Hahn has been a great example of this collaboration for NOAA and it is appropriate that his work, along with our other partners, has been recognized with this Public Service Award.” 

The non-profit, non-partisan Partnership for Public Service announced the award on September 27, 2017, at its annual gala.

Congratulations to Surabhi Shah and her team!

In addition to scientific support staff in Florida, OR&R now has staff on-scene in Puerto Rico to address any marine debris that may be a source of pollution.

While search and rescue and humanitarian responses are ongoing, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, with other organizations, is gathering critical information, maps and debris reports to start the long process of addressing the non-polluting storm debris. Once impacts are assessed, priority items for removal can be identified and a strategy for removal created.

On the morning of October 2, USCG Admiral Peter Brown visited the Unified Command (UC) in Miami, Florida. While there, he was briefed on various NOAA products being used to provide scientific support for the response to the recent hurricane damage. The Unified Command is responsible for overall management of the Emergency Support Function (ESF10) incident response, and directs incident activities including the development and implementation of all hurricane response activities in Florida.

Several NOAA line offices are supporting the response including Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuaries, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, and the Office of Response and Restoration Emergency Response Division. 

The NOAA case team and its Department of Interior (DOI) counterparts were informed by the U.S. Department of Justice of the bankruptcy proceeding in late 2015. The proceeding stemmed from the unwinding of assets from the Mission Insurance Company, which provided environmental insurance policies to the Linnton Plywood Association. From 1954 to 2001, Linnton owned and operated a plywood manufacturing facility on the west bank of the lower Willamette River in Portland, OR. Activities at the site resulted in releases of hazardous substances to the river.

After being notified of the proceeding by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the NOAA case team promptly developed a natural resource damages claim for ecological losses. The case team used a geo-spatial habitat equivalency analysis to scale injuries from approximately one dozen substances of concern in surface sediments, including poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides (e.g., DDT), and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The claim used a "joint and several approach" to liability as set forth in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or CERCLA.

After a period of months, NOAA and DOI were notified by the Department of Justice that a natural resource damages settlement of approximately $2.3M had been achieved. These funds were recently transferred to DOI's Natural Resources Damage Assessment and Restoration account and are now available to the Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council to conduct assessment and restoration activities and to partially offset unreimbursed damage assessment costs incurred over a period of years. This is the second major bankruptcy settlement for natural resource damages at Portland Harbor. In 2010, the Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustees received approximately $3.2M in settlement funds from the Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation.

For further information, contact Robert.Neely@noaa.gov.

For more details on this site, see:
Portland Harbor
Portland Harbor Superfund Site Restoration Plan Announced

Led by Senior Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) Brad Benggio, seven OR&R staff including five in the Environmental Unit, one in the Public Information Office (PIO), and one Safety Officer have been supporting U.S. Coast Guard and EPA field assessment teams who are visiting locations throughout Florida where vessels and debris containing potential pollution sources have washed ashore or sunk as a result of Hurricane Irma. 

The teams are being directed by work the OR&R team is doing in the ICP, including building maps with locations of targets identified through interpretation of aerial photos obtained by NOAA aircraft through NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS). Informational data packages are being developed for each search grid area. The package includes: aerial imagery, maps, lists of resources at risk, sensitive coral and seagrass habitats, threatened or endangered species, and best management practices to ensure response and salvage activities are carried out in the best interest of the natural environment. The assessment teams use the grid survey packages to guide their assessments which will lead to removal of any potential sources of oil and hazardous materials that could be released into the environment.

See related U.S. Coast Guard press release: Update 3: Unified Command begins removal process for vessels displaced in Florida by Hurricane Irma.

For more information contact Jesse.Stark@noaa.gov. 

Partner agencies, including NOAA, are contributing expertise and experience to the assessment efforts. NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) is providing scientific support and assessment of pollution in the aftermath of the recent hurricanes in Florida and other affected areas.

On September 23, the ESF 10 in Miami distributed a news release detailing the ongoing assessments of the most affected areas to include the ports and waterways of Miami, St. Petersburg, Key West, and Jacksonville, Florida.

Areas of focus are south Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). Scientific staff are providing on-scene support in Miami and remote support to Puerto Rico and the USVI. Deployment to Puerto Rico and ​USVI was delayed by the onset of Hurricane Maria. Principal tasks include vessel and hazardous waste identification in marine waters, sensitive habitat and species mapping, and prescribing best practices for environmental protection during vessel and hazmat removal operations. 

OR&R also has had staff working at FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C. for agency level coordination support and the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, Florida.

ERMA®, the NOAA Environmental Response Management Application, is an online mapping tool that integrates both static and real-time data. It provides a common operational picture of events for the USCG, NOAA, and other responders. Aerial imagery from NOAA National Geodetic Survey (NGS) flight missions over the affected areas is being added to ERMA Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean ERMA as soon as it is available.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is supporting recovery efforts by coordinating information being collected on marine debris, including that of grounded or sunk vessels, orphan containers, household hazardous waste, and general structural debris. OR&R is updating the NGS aerial images with vessel and debris identification data, then adding to ERMA. These maps are now complete for the Florida Keys, with Miami-Dade County and USVI survey analyses in progress.

For further information:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA National Hurricane Center

Areas of focus are Florida, where OR&R staff is on-scene and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where OR&R staff is prepared to go on-scene. [Update 09.18.17: Deployment to U.S. Virgin Islands was delayed by Hurricane Maria, which is expected to hit that region mid-week.] Information is being collected on marine debris, including that of grounded vessels.

ERMA^®, the NOAA Environmental Response Management Application, is an online mapping tool that integrates both static and real-time data. Aerial imagery from NOAA National Geodetic Survey (NGS) flight missions over the affected areas is being added to ERMA Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean ERMA as soon as it is available. Additional data and analysis are added to ERMA as requested.

For further information:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA National Hurricane Center

In Texas, in response to pollution in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, OR&R has been reducing on-scene staff but continues to provide scientific support remotely and on-scene.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall in in southern Texas on August 25, causing damage in a large area surrounding Corpus Christi, Houston, and Port Arthur. The storm and devastating floods that followed generated numerous oil and chemical spills and large amounts of marine debris in coastal Texas.

OR&R has assembled three Scientific Support teams for Hurricane Irma pollution response while at the same time providing coverage for Hurricane Harvey activities and coverage of the rest of the country for routine operations.

ERMA®, the NOAA Environmental Response Management Application, is an online mapping tool that integrates both static and real-time data. NOAA aerial imagery of the affected areas from NGS flight missions has been added to ERMA Gulf of Mexico as soon as it is available. Additional data and analysis are added to ERMA as requested.

Marine debris data, including potential debris locations, types, and quantities, is being captured in ERMA. OR&R is working with partners as they assess waterway debris from both storms.

For further information:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA National Hurricane Center

Aug. 26, 2017 - A special issue of Marine Ecology Progress Series  published August 3, 2017, features 9 scientific articles summarizing the impacts of the oil spill on northern Gulf of Mexico shorelines and nearshore areas.  The scientific studies, conducted by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration authors and partners, document four key findings based on five years of data collection and study: (1) organismal level effects were documented across the full range of trophic levels in areas that experienced heavy oiling; (2) degradation or loss of habitat-forming species represents a pathway to long-term direct and indirect effects; (3) the loss and degradation of these habitats result in a wide range of ecosystem service losses; and (4) response actions designed to mitigate the effects of oil often result in ecological injury. Findings from these research studies, in addition to other studies on other parts of the ecosystem, formed the basis of the natural resources damage assessment settlement with BP for up to $8.8 billion.  All of the data associated with the settlement is available publicly in the Data Integration Visualization Exploration and Reporting database, but the Marine Environmental Progress Series special issue is the first time this information on nearshore impacts of the spill has been compiled together in peer-reviewed scientific publications. For further information, contact Mary.Baker@noaa.gov.

Also see Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Coastal Salt Marsh Habitat.

The free daylong science festival brings together researchers and scientists to talk to people about marine life and conservation. NOAA scientists from our Damage Assessment and Restoration Program and Marine Debris Program, as well as the Northeast Fisheries Science Center will be on hand to explain our work  protecting the coastal environment from hazardous waste, oil, and marine debris and restoring habitat and biota.

A brief power outage at last year’s event stopped the water pump that supplied an attractant water flow for our popular eel ladder. Rather than shut down the display, we asked the public to help by manually using buckets of water to simulate the river flow. The eels did not disappoint. They showed off their climbing skills, which allow them to navigate around and over natural obstacles that would be barriers to other fish species.

“The loss of power turned into an even more engaging interactive demonstration as the public eagerly played the role of the river to maintain flow and operation of the eel ladder,” said NOAA Regional Resource Coordinator Lisa Rosman. “Many visitors were also excited by the opportunity to briefly hold or touch an eel."

Activities at th​is year's ​science festival will include:

• Discovery Lab
• Vessel Tours
• Big City Fishing
• Kayaking
• Live Scuba Dives
• River Ranger Kid Zones
• Research Stations

You can find our booth in the Research Stations section of the festival along with other science organizations sharing current marine research.

The Submerge NYC Marine Science Festival is Saturday, Sept.16 from 11am-4pm at Pier 26 at N. Moore St. in Lower Manhattan.

The harbor has a multitude of toxic waste sites, many of which have been included on the National Priority List - often referred to as Superfund sites. Ensuring restoration of natural resource services lost due to releases of hazardous substances and/or oil is particularly critical in highly populated areas like the New York-New Jersey Harbor.

As a Natural Resource Trustee, NOAA works with federal, state, and tribal authorities to assess and restore coastal and marine natural resources injured by releases of hazardous substances and oil. Natural Resource Damage Assessments are conducted to determine the extent of injuries, evaluate the best ways to compensate the public for any lost use of natural resources, and quantify the associated damages.

Waste sites and spills in and around the New York-New Jersey Harbor have contributed to releases of a variety of contaminants including:

• PCBs
• Dioxins
• PAHs
• Pesticides
• Mercury and
• Lead

NOAA is currently engaged in some important Natural Resource Damage Assessments in the New York-New Jersey watershed including:

• American Cyanamid, New Jersey
• Berry’s Creek Watershed, New Jersey
• Cornell-Dubilier Electronics, New Jersey
• Gowanus Canal, New York
• Hudson River, New York
• Lower Passaic River and Greater Newark Bay, New Jersey
• Newtown Creek, New York
• Piles Creek, New Jersey
• Quanta Resources, New Jersey
• Raritan Bay Slag, New Jersey

Cleaning up toxic waste and restoring natural resources and the services they provide the public in highly developed and commercially important urban areas is complicated and sometimes takes a long time. Yet restoration of these resources and services is essential for the well-being of the millions of people here as well as for the continued economic strength of the region.

The Hudson-Raritan Estuary: A Vital Natural Resource

The Hudson-Raritan Estuary is a unique and nationally significant ecological and economic resource.

The estuary, where the Atlantic Ocean mixes with the Hudson, Hackensack, Passaic, Rahway, and Raritan rivers, creates one of the best natural harbors in the world and, as a result, one of the busiest ports. It also supports an ecological community of marine and estuarine life.

The coastal waters of the Hudson-Raritan Estuary include its inland rivers and bays and extend out across the continental shelf. These waters encompass a diversity of habitats including:

• salt marshes
• mudflats
• vegetated dunes
• sand flats
• riparian forests
• sandy beaches and
• maritime forest

The diversity of habitat supports recreational and commercial fisheries.

Marine mammals such as seals, whales, and dolphins can be spotted in the harbor. In the summer and fall, it’s possible to see bottlenose dolphins in the harbor and humpback and minke whales in the coastal waters while harbor, grey, and harp seals may be spotted in the harbor from November through May.

The natural geography of the area continues to concentrate a tremendous variety of wildlife to the area and the diversity of habitat supports recreational and commercial fisheries. Hundreds of species of fish occur within the Hudson-Raritan Estuary. Restoring these natural resources is critical for the full benefits of this urban area to be realized for both the people and the fish and wildlife who make this area their home.

Effects of Urbanization and Industry

Hundreds of years of urbanization and industrialization have caused tremendous alteration and loss of shallow water, bottom, shoreline, and vegetated habitat in the New York-New Jersey Harbor and many of the remaining areas are degraded or isolated - providing sub-optimal habitat for plants and animals.

Poor water and sediment quality have altered ecological communities, threatened a variety of species, and negatively affected recreational enjoyment of the area.

In some areas, elevated concentrations of contaminants in fish and shellfish have caused the states of both New Jersey and New York to warn people not to eat, or to limit their consumption of, some of the animals they catch. Contamination can also restrict commercial and recreational fishing. Between 1976 and 1995, New York banned recreational fishing in 40 miles of the non-tidal freshwater Hudson and beginning in 1976 closed nearly 200 miles of the Hudson River to commercial fishing with few exceptions due to PCBs. The presence of contamination can negatively affect the public’s ability to utilize natural resources as well as alter their perception of the value of these ecological, recreational, and commercial resources within the Harbor and estuary.

However, the natural geography of the area continues to concentrate a tremendous variety of wildlife to the area. Over 100 species of fish occur within the Hudson-Raritan Estuary. Restoring these natural resources is critical for the full benefits of this urban area to be realized for both the people and the fish and wildlife who make this area their home.

Benefits to people

Recreation—Healthy natural resources provide an array of recreational services – from fishing and boating to scenic enjoyment. Restoration of recreational uses of aquatic areas can include projects like improving boat ramps, fishing piers, and beach trails.

Improvement of recreational services is often an important component of projects designed to compensate for natural resource injuries in heavily populated areas like the New York-New Jersey Harbor.

Removal of obsolete dams that provide a recreational hazard like the Weston Mill Dam on New Jersey’s Millstone River, can increase safety and improve recreational and scenic enjoyment of a waterway. These dam removal projects can also improve fish stocks by both returning the flow of the river closer to its natural state and restoring passage for migratory fish, including American shad and river herring, to historical spawning and rearing grounds.

Economics—Coastal restoration results in stronger business growth, lower infrastructure costs, and improvements in other values measured by economists. Planned cleanup and proposed restoration projects along highly urbanized waterways such as the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn and Quanta Resources in northern New Jersey have been associated with spikes in property values. Jobs are created when restoration projects are implemented and significant long-term benefits are enjoyed though ecosystem service enhancements such as improved fisheries, water quality, coastal resiliency, boating, and tourism.

Protection—In some instances, certain types of restoration can provide critical flood control and storm water management for waterfront communities. In densely developed areas in particular, many wetland and dam removal projects help reduce localized flooding during storm events and can provide protection from storm surge.

The early stages of restoration planning for urban areas in the New York-New Jersey Harbor—for example the Passaic River and Newark Bay and Raritan Bay Slag— include cataloging restoration opportunities that can support not only fish and wildlife but also the surrounding communities by reducing impacts from storms and flood events and reducing the costs of flood-related property damage.

Outdoor Education and Stewardship—Natural areas nestled within densely populated urban areas are a treasure trove of outdoor education opportunities for teachers and researchers alike. Cleanup and restoration activities at the Gowanus Canal, located in the heart of Brooklyn, is often a highlight for New York City school groups seeking to connect their science curriculum to the local environment. This urban waterbody is commonly used as a teaching tool – providing a local hands-on learning opportunity.

Every fall, the Hudson River Park sponsors the NYC Marine Science Festival in lower Manhattan on the shores of the Hudson River. This event attracts thousands of people and, through interaction with scientists, researchers, and non-profits, connects them to their marine and coastal environment and builds support for the cleanup and restoration of the river, harbor, and the estuary.

Access to natural areas and these types of programs have been found to provide the public with a greater understanding of local history, a heightened feeling of ownership of our natural resources, and an increased interest in future habitat restoration and conservation projects in the region.

The Future for the Hudson-Raritan Estuary

Work is underway in so many parts of the New York-New Jersey Harbor to cleanup and restore the valuable natural resources of this historic region.

The public has come to recognize the importance of rehabilitating contaminated waterways in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary. Restoration of this region’s natural resource services is critical for the substantial number of people and the fish and wildlife who make this area their home.

To report an oil or chemical spill or other environmental emergency call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802. Check the EPA website for more information on reporting spills and environmental violations.

Reyhan Mehran and Lisa Rosman of the Office of Response and Restoration contributed to this article.