Healing ourCoasts

Protecting our Future

NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program

15 Years of Protection and Restoration of the Nation’s Coastal Resources

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

(NOAA) works with other agencies, industry, and 

communities to protect and restore coastal and marine 

resources harmed by oil spills, releases of hazardous 

substances, and vessels that have run aground.

NOAA’s Damage Assessment,

Remediation, and Restoration 

Program (DARRP)
3 | DARRP | Healing our Coasts

Threats to Our Nation’s Coasts

Each year, oil and toxic chemicals from ships, pipelines, and hazardous 

waste sites contaminate our nation’s coastal waters. These pollutants 

harm our marine resources and our economic well-being and degrade 

quality of life for coastal communities. Ships also run aground on coral 

reefs and sea-grass beds, harming valuable habitat.

Oil spills kill fish and other wildlife, close beaches, and destroy 

coastal habitat.

Oil is one of the most obvious environmental pollutants. Hundreds of 

thousands of gallons of oil are spilled into our coastal waters each year. 

Local economies that rely on these resources for commercial fishing and 

tourism can be hit hard.

Hazardous waste releases contaminate seafood, coastal wetlands, 

groundwater, and sediments.

Industries have historically been located along waterfronts to ease 

the transport of goods. Unfortunately, this industrial development 

contaminated many coastal areas, although the effects are not always 

obvious. Pollutants such as toxic metals, pesticides, PCBs, and other 

harmful substances can persist in the environment for decades, and may 

pose threats to fish, wildlife, and people for many years.

Ship groundings immediately injure or destroy

critical coral reef and sea-grass habitat.

Ship groundings of all sizes crush and destroy reef and sea-grass habitat, 

and the cumulative effects can be devastating and difficult to reverse.

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Dead fish

Healing our Coasts | DARRP |

Americans Value

Their Coasts

America’s coasts and Great Lakes — 

including beaches, rocky shorelines, bays, 

and estuaries — are economically and 

socially critical to the nation.

People are drawn to the coasts for the 

pleasure they bring; coastal residents 

and visitors alike cherish the scent of sea 

breezes, the sound of foghorns, and the 

sensation of mud between their toes as 

they dig for clams.

Our ocean shores are lined with 

productive wetlands and beaches, 

providing nurseries for fish, nesting areas 

for birds, and recreation for people. Our 

urban coastal areas feature bustling ports 

and harbors vital to all Americans, no 

matter where they live. The shoes on your 

feet, the gas in your car, and the seafood 

on your plate travel through a coastal port 

on their way to you.

In 1980, the Superfund Act authorized the 

Federal government to clean up America’s 

hazardous waste sites, and in 1990, 

the Oil Pollution Act provided specific 

authority to address oil spills. The National 

Marine Sanctuaries Act amendments 

of 1988 gave NOAA the authority to 

address physical injuries and other harm 

to sanctuary resources. These laws 

provide incentives to protect resources 

and require those responsible for an oil 

spill or hazardous substance release to 

clean them up. Those responsible are also 

required to actively address any harm 

that has been done by restoring both the 

injured resources and the services they 

provide.

Coastal Resources Laws

America’s 

environmental laws 

outline a framework 

for the clean up of 

contamination and 

the restoration of 

affected resources.

5

More than half of Americans now call 

coastal counties home.
| DARRP | Healing our Coasts

Protecting and Restoring

Our Nation’s Coastal Resources

6

Trustees are government officials who act on behalf of the public 

when there is injury, destruction, loss, or threat to a natural resource 

as a result of a hazardous substance release, oil spill, or ship 

grounding. 

NOAA’s DARRP carries out its natural resource trustee responsibilities in 

two ways:

Protective Cleanups at Hazardous Waste Sites: The essential first 

step in protecting and restoring our environment is to stop the spread 

of contamination. Working with clean-up agencies, NOAA recommends 

control of ongoing sources and cleanup actions, and when possible, 

integrates cleanup and restoration to speed the recovery of natural 

resources.

Natural Resource Damage Assessments (NRDA): To restore 

coastal resources harmed by incidents, NOAA works cooperatively with 

federal, state, and tribal co-trustees, and those responsible to develop and 

carry out restoration projects. NOAA experts work to:

• Determine the amount of harm to natural resources and the degree to 

 which the public has lost the use of those resources;

• Develop and evaluate restoration options; 

• Work with the public to select restoration options to implement; and

• Oversee or implement restoration projects and monitor their 

 progress.
Puerto Rico

Alaska

2007 DARRP Activities in the United States and its Territories

Hawaii

Northern

Mariana Islands

Oil Spills

Hazardous Waste Sites

Hazardous Substance Releases

Ship Groundings

Active Restoration Sites

NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program is actively working on 314 cases 

in the United States and its territories, including Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. Seven 

additional sites in the Pacific Islands are not pictured on the maps above.
“What starts as a little spark turns into a big fire if you keep 

fanning it.”

Bill Pike, a retired union construction electrician, grew up near the Mispillion 

River in Delaware. His mother’s family has lived on a nearby farm since they 

emigrated from Eastern Europe at the beginning of the 20th century.

For the last 40 years, Bill has hunted and trapped along the river, and fished 

for rockfish, striped bass, and white sea perch. He has seen the quality of 

the environment decline over the years from overuse and development. His 

father, who came to America from Ireland in 1920, taught him 

that when you take from the environment, you must put 

something back.

Now that he is older, he feels it is time to “take action 

to keep the environment wild for future generations to 

enjoy the way I did when I was young.” He is leaving his 

50-acre riverfront property in conservation status as 

part of the settlement for the DuPont Newport Superfund 

site. Bill’s dream is that his project — to create fish 

spawning ponds— will spread.

“I’m not doing this to receive accolades. I want other people to see what 

we are doing here and say, ‘I can do that too.’ The next thing you know, the 

whole river will be involved.” [See p. 14 for description of DuPont Newport 

case.]

Mispillion River, Delaware

“Without the cleanup at Keesler, contamination would have 

been spread much further.”

The Reverend James Black founded the Faith 

Tabernacle of Praise in Biloxi, Mississippi, 18 

years ago. Born in the hospital at nearby Keesler 

Air Force Base (his father served in the military), 

he returned to the area after college and a tour 

in Vietnam to become a driver of the budding 

environmental justice movement.

He learned that military toxins created after World War 

II had contaminated aquatic life in the beautiful Back Bay 

adjacent to Keesler. Reverend Black has served as the co-chair of the 

Keesler AFB Restoration Advisory Board since its inception. He believes 

that the cleanup will protect the environment and benefit area residents, 

many of whom are people of color and disadvantaged status.

“Though there was early mistrust between the government and the 

community, Keesler managers evolved into an open minded group.” In 

spite of successes at Keesler, Reverend Black believes we need a more 

systematic and formal approach to environmental justice to ensure that 

low income and disadvantaged stakeholders are protected and treated 

fairly.

Hurricane Katrina devastated the local area in 2005. “Without the 

cleanup at Keesler, contamination would have been spread much 

further. We need more information about the role wetlands play 

in protecting us from the effects of hurricanes.” [See p. 18 for 

description of Keesler AFB case.] 

Biloxi, Mississippi
Healing our Coasts | DARRP | 9

NOAA’s early and effective involvement at waste sites, oil spills, and ship 

groundings helps maintain clean, healthy coasts for the benefit of future 

generations. NOAA also provides valuable technical assistance to other federal 

and state agencies, and is leading the way in evaluating injuries for many as yet 

unresolved incidents. 

NOAA’s DARRP strengthens the ways in which remedial agencies, co-trustees, 

and all parties carry out their respective responsibilities.

NOAA leads by:

• Working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop 

protective measures;

• Developing innovative approaches and techniques for restoration; and

• Encouraging all parties to cooperate when an incident occurs.

After 15 years of success, however, much remains to be done. In 2007 and 

beyond, NOAA will build on past experiences and work with its partners and 

others to identify new ways to protect and restore injured natural resources.

DARRP Accomplishments

Through the cleanup process, NOAA has successfully protected natural 

resources at more than 500 waste sites. At the end of 2006, 179 natural 

resource damage assessment cases had been settled. These settlements 

generated more than $437 million to protect or restore thousands of acres 

of habitat and return valuable resources and services to the public.

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Northeast and

Great Lakes Region

Some of the most heavily 

industrialized cities in the United 

States are located in coastal 

areas of the Northeast and Great 

Lakes. Intense use of rivers and 

coasts results in large numbers 

of oil spills and hazardous waste 

sites that impact ports, wetlands, 

and beaches.

The Northeast and Great Lakes region is home to extensive estuaries and 

fishing grounds that support important species, such as lobster and game 

fish. These habitats sustain both commercial and recreational fishing 

industries. Because the region is so heavily urbanized, undeveloped 

areas are highly valued. Beaches and harbors provide recreational 

opportunities and enhance local economies. 

Throughout the Northeast and Great Lakes region, NOAA and its cotrustees have reached settlements for:

• 14 oil spills; and

• 34 hazardous-material releases.

These settlements have resulted in 176 protection and restoration 

projects, including:

• Restoration and/or protection of 2,000 acres of marine habitats and 

1,500 acres of freshwater and terrestrial habitats in the marine states; 

• Protection or improvement of habitat for more than 7,000 nesting 

pairs of birds (including some threatened and endangered species);

• Restoration and/or protection of more than 14,000 acres of habitat in 

the Great Lakes; and

• Seeding of 25 million shellfish in coastal waters.

This map indicates cases settled in the Northeast and Great Lakes region. 

Colored dots indicate cases described in following pages.
Healing our Coasts | DARRP | 11

“This partnership between Rhode Island’s fishermen 

and marine biologists has been a tremendous success. 

Restoring the lobster population represents part 

of a larger effort to restore our coastal habitat. We 

have worked closely with the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife 

Service to increase our shellfish population, protect 

sensitive wetlands, and allow piping plovers to flourish.” 

Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri

Block Island Sound, Rhode Island

On January 19, 1996, during a severe 

winter storm, the oil barge North Cape

and the tug Scandia grounded on 

Moonstone Beach in southern Rhode 

Island, spilling approximately 828,000 

gallons of home heating oil. The oil 

covered a large portion of Block Island 

Sound and closed a 250-square-mile 

fishing area. An estimated 9 million 

lobsters, 150 million surf clams, 4.2 

million fish, 2,100 marine birds, and 

millions of other marine organisms 

were killed.

NOAA and its co-trustees worked 

cooperatively with those responsible 

to assess the injuries and plan for 

restoration. Restoration projects 

included purchasing conservation 

easements in southern Rhode Island 

to protect 64 acres of coastal salt 

pond buffer habitat, and protecting 

approximately 1.5 million acres of land 

for loon and eider nesting habitat.

Funds were also used to construct a 

fishway to open 220 acres of spawning 

habitat, and to restore oysters (right), 

bay scallops, and quahogs throughout 

Narragansett Bay. NOAA and its 

partners worked with the lobster fishing 

industry to restock and protect 1.25 

million female lobsters in an effort to 

extend their reproductive lives so that 

they would eventually replace the 9 

million lobsters killed by the oil spill.
“When it comes to public compensation for environmental 

damage, no project has had a stronger impact nationally 

than the Arthur Kill Oil Spill Restoration, which set new 

standards for government cooperation, scientific rigor, and 

long-term success.” 

Deborah Marton, Executive Director, Design Trust for Public Space, NYC

New York Harbor, New York and New Jersey

The Arthur Kill waterway, which separates Staten Island, New York from New Jersey, is 

a major shipping corridor and an important center for the petrochemical industry. The 

area is home to refineries, storage terminals, and thousands of acres of tidal wetlands 

and the fish and wildlife that depend on them.

In January 1990, a pipeline running beneath the Arthur Kill ruptured, spilling 

approximately 560,000 gallons of home heating oil into the river. Fish, crabs, clams, 

mussels, invertebrates, and birds were killed or injured, and more than 100 acres of 

salt marsh were oiled. Using settlement funds from the spill, NOAA and its co-trustees 

purchased 200 acres of wetlands and forested floodplain for permanent protection. 

Forty-six acres of degraded wetlands have been restored (right), with an additional 77 

acres of restoration planned.

This wetland restoration established innovative techniques for the recovery of oilimpacted marshes that are commonly used today. A large volunteer and education 

component provided opportunities for local residents, school groups, and community 

groups to get involved, and led to a successful college internship program. 

Community members volunteered thousands of hours to the restoration. 

12 | DARRP | Healing our Coasts
Healing our Coasts | DARRP |

Long Island Sound, New York

Beginning in 1939, an area near Hempstead 

Harbor off of Long Island Sound was used to 

store petroleum and later, hazardous wastes. 

Over the years, contaminants entered the 

soil, groundwater, and sediments, harming 

nearby mudflats and wetlands — habitats 

that provide important foraging, spawning, 

and nursery habitat for striped bass, bluefish, 

flounder, and shellfish. 

NOAA worked closely with the EPA to clean 

up and contain the contamination and monitor 

the area. Trustees and those responsible 

installed a new and more effective bulkhead 

to prevent the spread of contaminants and 

implemented a local wetland restoration 

project. Settlement funds were combined 

with funds from NOAA’s Community-based 

Restoration Program to restore salt marsh 

and coastal upland habitats at Bar Beach 

Lagoon, located across the harbor from the 

site. Community volunteers planted more than 

6,000 marsh and coastal upland plants at the 

site (right and below).

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| DARRP | Healing our Coasts

Newport, Delaware

The DuPont site in Newport, Delaware 

covers approximately 120 acres on the 

north and south banks of the Christina 

River, a tributary of the Delaware 

River (left). In the early 1900s, DuPont 

metal wastes from plant operations 

were placed in a landfill on-site, which 

contaminated soil, groundwater, and 

nearby river and marsh sediments. In 

1990, the area was designated as a 

Superfund site.

NOAA and its co-trustees worked 

cooperatively with DuPont and other 

partners to integrate restoration 

activities during the cleanup. DuPont 

agreed to fund restoration measures 

at the site itself, to purchase a 

conservation easement, and to restore 

the nearby 56-acre Pike Property 

located in the Delaware River estuary 

(below).

By cooperating on this project, DuPont 

and the trustees restored local wetland 

habitats to support diverse fish, bird, 

and riverbed communities.

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“The cooperative approach undertaken by DuPont, NOAA, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the 

State of Delaware demonstrated its value by allowing all parties to streamline the assessment 

process, thus reaching a settlement more efficiently, and being able to undertake appropriate 

ecological restoration in a timely manner.”

Ralph G. Stahl, Jr., Ph.D.

Principal Consultant, DuPont
Patuxent River, Maryland

In April 2000, 140,000 gallons of fuel 

oil from a ruptured pipeline spilled 

into the Patuxent River, a tributary 

of the Chesapeake Bay, affecting 

approximately 40 miles of shoreline. 

NOAA initiated a natural resources 

damage assessment to determine which 

resources were affected, and to what 

extent. The spill limited the public’s 

use of the river, and injured wetlands, 

beaches, riverbed communities, fish and 

shellfish, diamondback terrapins, ruddy 

ducks, and other birds.

Through cooperative work with those 

responsible, NOAA and its co-trustees 

restored the injured natural resources. 

Restoration projects included creating 

wetland (right and below) and beach 

habitat, and establishing an oyster 

reef sanctuary in the Patuxent River. 

The settlement also funded projects 

to improve boat access to the river, 

upgrade a local boardwalk, provide new 

canoes at a river education center, and 

construct a kayak/canoe launch for 

people with disabilities.

Healing our Coasts | DARRP | 15

“By creating oyster reefs and new habitat for fish and wildlife, 

and providing new recreational access to the river, [the Chalk 

Point Restoration Plan] will help remediate the environmental 

and economic harm of the spill.”

Retired U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes (Maryland)
Southeast and Gulf Region

From the vast coastal wetlands of 

Louisiana to the winding estuaries of 

North Carolina and the coral reefs of 

Florida, the Southeast and Gulf region 

supports some of the most biologically 

diverse habitats in the nation. Abundant, 

healthy coastal natural resources are 

essential to the region’s fishing industry 

and to tourism and recreation. 

Healthy coastal marshes and barrier islands buffer the effects of 

storm surge, preventing flooding and erosion. When wetlands and 

other coastal habitats are lost, the region’s extensive oil and gas 

infrastructure is increasingly threatened by storms.

Pollution from oil and other contaminant releases destroys habitat 

and impacts fisheries and tourism. Vessel groundings in marine 

sanctuaries also take a cumulative toll on fragile coral reefs and 

sea-grass beds. 

Throughout the Southeast and Gulf region, NOAA and its cotrustees have reached settlements for:

• 15 oil spills;

• 11 hazardous releases; and

• 87 large and small vessel groundings.

These settlements resulted in 68 restoration projects, including: 

• Restoration and/or protection of 3,300 acres of marine 

habitats and 750 acres of freshwater and terrestrial habitats;

• Restoration of 12,000 coral colonies; and

• Construction of more than 20 projects to enhance the public’s 

enjoyment of natural resources, including fishing piers and 

boat launches.

Puerto

Rico

This map indicates cases settled in the Southeast and Gulf region. The Florida Keys National Marine 

Sanctuary includes 87 settlements. Colored dots indicate cases described in following pages.
Mississippi River, Louisiana

As the longest and largest river in North 

America, the Mississippi River provides 

important ecological habitats, among 

them the coastal marshes that serve 

as nurseries and nesting grounds to 

many fish, mammal, and bird species. In 

November 2000, the river was severely 

threatened as the ship M/V Westchester

lost control and ran aground, spilling 

nearly 546,000 gallons of oil.

Several thousand acres of surface waters, 

shoreline, and marsh habitats were 

exposed to the crude oil. NOAA experts 

determined the extent of the injury and 

how much restoration would be needed to 

compensate the public.

As part of the settlement, 20 acres of 

marsh (right and below) on a state wildlife 

refuge were restored. To compensate for 

lost recreational use of the river during the 

incident, a boat dock was constructed at a 

nearby reservoir and recreation amenities 

were improved in local public areas.

Healing our Coasts | DARRP | 17
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“Keesler Air Force Base addressed ecological risk 

assessment issues that have stumped other Department of 

Defense facilities and teams throughout the country.”

Robert Pope,

EPA Remedial Project Manager, Keesler Air Force Base

Biloxi, Mississippi

NOAA partners with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to clean up contaminated 

military facilities and restore injured resources such as crabs (left).

From 1950 to 1965, a landfill at Keesler Air Force Base was used to dispose of a 

variety of chemicals that eventually contaminated the soil and nearby groundwater. 

A team of experts, including NOAA staff, worked with DoD to clean up and restore 

the site. For the past 10 years, NOAA has provided critical experience to the team, 

ensuring that wetland restoration was integrated into the cleanup process.

In 2005, Keesler Air Force Base was awarded the Secretary of Defense Environmental 

Award as the Department’s top installation for environmental restoration. In accepting 

the award, Keesler’s Base Commander acknowledged the importance of partnering 

with other stakeholders early in the process, conducting site-specific ecological risk 

assessments, and working closely with NOAA and other trustees to expedite cleanup.

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Tampa Bay, Florida

On August 10, 1993, three ships collided 

near the entrance of Tampa Bay, Florida, 

spilling over 32,000 gallons of jet fuel, 

diesel, and gasoline, and about 330,000 

gallons of heavy fuel oil. Despite emergency 

cleanup efforts, the oil fouled 13 miles 

of beaches, killing and injuring birds, sea 

turtles, mangrove habitat, and other natural 

resources, and preventing beach use in the 

Tampa Bay area.

Through the Tampa Bay restoration 

settlement, NOAA and its co-trustees 

funded more than 20 projects, including the 

restoration of wetlands (left), oyster reefs, 

and beaches, as well as the construction of 

a new fishing pier and boardwalk.

Healing our Coasts | DARRP | 19
Mona Island, Puerto Rico

Coral reefs, some of the oldest and most 

diverse ecosystems on the planet, are 

threatened daily by human activities. In 

July 1997, the 325-foot container ship 

Fortuna Reefer ran aground on a coral 

reef surrounding Mona Island, Puerto 

Rico. The grounding and subsequent 

response efforts injured almost seven 

acres of submerged habitat, mostly coral 

(left), and posed a substantial threat of an 

oil spill.

NOAA and its co-trustees quickly reached 

a $1.25 million restoration settlement 

with the those responsible and began 

emergency restoration of the corals. 

Broken corals were removed from sandy 

areas where they were smothering, and 

were refastened to their bases with noncorrosive stainless-steel wire and nails 

so that they could reattach naturally (left, 

below). 

Additional restoration included installing 

a light tower and mooring buoys to 

prevent future vessel groundings inside 

Mona Island’s fringing reef and to prevent 

anchor damage to sea grass and corals.

20 | DARRP | Healing our Coasts
Healing our Coasts | DARRP |

San Juan, Puerto Rico

In January 1994, the tank barge Morris 

J. Berman drifted aground near San Juan, 

Puerto Rico, after its tow line broke 

from the tug. The grounding ruptured 

seven of the barge’s nine holding tanks 

and resulted in a spill of approximately 

800,000 gallons of fuel oil.

Both the vessel grounding and 

subsequent efforts to remove the vessel 

injured sea-grass beds, coral reefs, and 

a variety of organisms that depend on 

these habitats, such as brittle stars (see 

photo). The spill affected 1,100 square 

miles of surface waters along the north 

coast of Puerto Rico and 169 miles of 

shoreline, including the San Juan National 

Historic Site. The incident closed 

beaches and affected tourism at the 

height of the tourist season.

NOAA and its co-trustees are using the 

restoration settlement to fund several 

projects, including the acquisition of a 

270-acre coastal parcel (right) that will be 

managed as a natural reserve. Additional 

projects include sea-grass restoration 

and an artificial reef, as well as a variety 

of improvements to the San Juan 

National Historic Site to compensate for 

lost enjoyment of the area during the 

spill.

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Pacific Region

Chemical contamination on this coast has endangered key fish 

species, such as salmon. Contamination also results in fish 

consumption advisories and long-term adverse impacts on other 

wildlife populations. Oil spills have closed beaches and injured 

coastal and marine habitats and wildlife.

Throughout the Pacific region, NOAA and its co-trustees have 

reached settlements for:

• 11 oil spills;

• 30 hazardous releases; and

• One vessel grounding.

These settlements resulted in 80 restoration projects, including:

• Restoration and/or protection of 1,600 acres of marine habitats 

and 8,000 acres of freshwater and terrestrial habitats;

• Establishment of 20 bird projects and restoration of habitat for 

up to 550 nesting pairs;

• Removal of 1,000 tons of marine debris; and 

• Implementation of 13 public awareness campaigns to increase 

the public’s knowledge of natural resources in the region.

Many people who live in the Pacific coastal states 

and island territories define themselves through 

their relationship to the environment. Coastal uses 

in the region range from natural resource extraction 

and industrial development to recreational 

enjoyment and subsistence fishing. American Indian 

tribes and Pacific Islanders maintain their cultural 

and historic connections to the land and sea, and 

many of them rely on healthy fish stocks to survive.

This map indicates cases settled in the Pacific region. Colored dots 

indicate cases described in following pages. In some cases, several 

settlements are associated with a single site.

Alaska

Hawaii
Healing our Coasts | DARRP |

Salmon River, Idaho

Decades of mining activity at Blackbird 

Mine severely contaminated water and 

sediments in Panther Creek (below, 

right), a tributary of Idaho’s Salmon 

River. High levels of heavy metals such 

as copper, cobalt, and arsenic leaked 

into surface waters and sediments, 

posing risks to people and largely 

eliminating fish — including the Snake 

River Chinook salmon (below), listed 

as threatened under the Endangered 

Species Act — from the creek.

NOAA and its co-trustees developed 

a cost-effective program to restore 

injured resources and to compensate 

the public for losses. NOAA also 

provided cleanup recommendations 

to prevent future harm by establishing 

water-quality criteria for the creek. 

Restoration activities include improving 

water quality, creating additional 

Chinook salmon and steelhead trout 

habitat, and reintroducing Chinook 

salmon to the area.

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“For over half a century, contamination from Blackbird Mine has 

resulted in the elimination of the Chinook salmon and degraded 

the environment. However, today’s settlement -- founded in a 

federal and state partnership and with great cooperation from 

[those responsible] -- marks a time to rebuild.”

Lois Schiffer 

Former Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, 

U.S. Department of Justice
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Bellingham, Washington

Whatcom Creek is a 3.5-mile-long 

coastal stream that runs through a city 

park, residential neighborhoods, and 

urban industrial areas before emptying 

into Bellingham Bay in northern Puget 

Sound. In June 1999, a pipeline 

ruptured and discharged approximately 

236,000 gallons of gasoline into 

Hannah and Whatcom creeks. As the 

gasoline moved down Whatcom Creek, 

the fumes ignited and caused the tragic 

deaths of three people. Surface water 

was contaminated, and vegetation and 

organisms were destroyed all along the 

creek banks. 

NOAA and its co-trustees worked 

with the City of Bellingham and those 

responsible to replant 40,000 trees 

in the local watershed, and acquired 

12 acres of land to expand the park. 

NOAA also restored the Whatcom Creek 

stream bed (left) to improve spawning 

habitat for salmon, and constructed 

two additional salmon wetland projects.

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“...the pipeline rupture and fire ... caused significant damage 

to a stream, public park and the community’s sense of 

well being. NOAA’s leadership ... produced a reasonable 

settlement agreement in a timely manner.”

Clare Fogelsong,

Environmental Resources Manager,

City of Bellingham
“This agreement 

demonstrates what can 

be accomplished when 

we direct our energies to 

meet the basic purpose 

of the law — restoring 

natural resources.” 

David McEntee,

Simpson Tacoma Kraft Company

Commencement Bay, Washington

As the harbor for Tacoma, Washington, Commencement Bay and its eight waterways 

are home to dozens of industrial and commercial operations, including chemical 

manufacturing companies, oil refineries, and food processing plants. The area is 

also home to diverse marine species, including Chinook, coho, and chum salmon; 

steelhead trout; flatfish; and numerous bird species. 

For decades, hazardous substances released through storm drains from area 

industries contaminated Commencement Bay, its waterways and sediments. In 

October 1991, NOAA and its co-trustees began a damage assessment and restoration 

planning process. NOAA conducted studies of injuries to natural resources resulting 

from exposure to hazardous substances, entered into settlement agreements with 

willing parties, and planned and carried out projects to restore injured resources such 

as wetlands and salmon habitat (right and below).

The trustees are currently engaged in settlement negotiations with most of 

the remaining responsible parties at the site. NOAA continues to provide 

recommendations to ensure that the site is cleaned up to prevent future harm to the 

marine environment.

Healing our Coasts | DARRP | 25
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“The success of this nest brings hope that we will reestablish 

bald eagles on the Channel Islands. All Americans can share 

in the excitement of this historic event.”

Russell Galipeau

Superintendent, Channel Islands National Park

Palos Verdes Peninsula, California

From the late 1940s to the early 1970s, the Montrose Chemical Corporation and 

other industries in the Los Angeles area released millions of pounds of DDTs and PCBs 

into the ocean waters off of Southern California. Although this practice stopped in the 

1970s, the chemicals still contaminate sediments, water, and living organisms of the 

southern California marine environment (left, top), including the Channel Islands.

DDTs can cause birds to lay abnormally thin-shelled eggs that break easily, a factor 

that contributed to the decline and, in some cases, the disappearance of several 

species of birds throughout the Channel Islands. Human health risks associated with 

high levels of DDTs and PCBs in certain species of fish also led to fish consumption 

advisories and to a commercial catch ban for white croaker.

While the EPA continues to explore cleanup and remediation strategies, NOAA and its 

co-trustees conduct restoration projects for bald eagles, peregrine falcons, seabirds, 

fish, and recreational uses. Together, EPA and the trustees surveyed contaminant 

levels in fish, and ran an outreach campaign to educate the public about safe fish 

consumption.

In 2006, NOAA and its co-trustees celebrated a milestone success in bald eagle 

restoration efforts when bald eagles reproduced successfully on their own for the first 

time in 50 years in the Channel Islands (left, bottom).

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Healing our Coasts | DARRP |

Oahu and Kauai, Hawaii

In August 1998, a hose failure at a Tesoro Corporation mooring facility near Oahu 

spilled an estimated 420 gallons of oil into the ocean. Cleanup operations were 

conducted immediately following the spill; but two weeks later, tarballs and dead oiled 

birds began to wash ashore on the eastern shore of Kauai.

Chemical analysis linked the tarballs and oiled birds collected from Kauai with the 

oil spilled from the refinery on Oahu. Based on this analysis, an additional 4,500 

gallons may have been spilled. The oil spill affected seabirds (right), Hawaiian monk 

seals (right), invertebrates, algal communities, opihi (a Hawaiian shellfish delicacy), 

subsistence activities, beaches, and recreation. 

Restoration activities included removing fishing nets, cleaning beaches, and 

controlling predators to foster an increase in seabird populations.

Healing our Coasts | DARRP | 27
| DARRP | Healing our Coasts

Photos 

Many of the photos in this document were taken by NOAA employees during the 

normal conduct of their NOAA activities. Their photographic talents and contributions 

to this publication are gratefully acknowledged.

Other credits are as follows:

Peter Bergstrom (18); Andy Bruckner (20, 21); John Cubit (26); Steve Hampton, 

California Dept. of Fish and Game (6); Doug Helton (cover); IStockPhoto (4, 28); State 

of Delaware (8); Chris Wade, Reef Check Hawaii (27); U.S. Air Force (8); U.S. Fish & 

Wildlife Service (23,27).

Acknowledgements

NOAA’s DARRP thanks all of the people that made this document 

possible.

28

April 2007

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program

1305 East-West Highway, SSMC-4, Rm. 10218

Silver Spring, MD 20910-3281

301-713-2989

An online version of this publication is available at:

www.darrp.noaa.gov/

• Each year, oil and toxic chemicals from ships, pipelines, and hazardous waste sites contaminate our nation’s 

coastal waters. These pollutants harm our marine resources and our economic well-being. Ships also run aground 

on coral reefs and sea-grass beds, harming valuable habitat.

• America’s coasts and Great Lakes — including beaches, rocky shorelines, bays, and estuaries — are economically 

and socially critical to the nation.

• NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program works cooperatively with partners to protect 

and restore coastal resources that have been injured by oil and hazardous material releases or vessel groundings.

• Through the cleanup process, NOAA has successfully protected natural resources at more than 500 waste sites. At 

the end of 2006, 179 natural resource damage assessment cases had been settled. These settlements generated 

more than $437 million to protect or restore many thousands of acres of habitat and return other resources and 

services to the public.

• In 2007 and beyond, NOAA will build on past experiences and work with its partners and others to identify new 

ways to protect and restore injured natural resources. 

Carlos M. Gutierrez

U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr.

Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired)

Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - NOAA