The new computer models will enable resource management agencies to determine the monetary value of injuries to natural resources from minor releases of oil and hazardous substances in an easier and more effective manner. Federal and state agencies are entrusted with stewardship responsibilities on behalf of the public for the nation's natural resources. The U. S. Department of Justice and the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office are working closely with the trustees in support of the goal of quick and efficient restoration of lost natural resources through the cooperative process. The teams consist of marine biologists, bird specialists, contaminant specialists, wetlands specialists, ecologists, refuge managers and economists. These injury assessments are nearing completion and a draft comprehensive restoration plan should be available for public review and comment in the spring of 1997.
Trustees welcome comments and restoration proposals from the public.
An Administrative Record has been established and is on file with the Division of Site Remediation, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, that includes spill response and assessment data that will be used as a basis for restoration planning and decision-making. To review the Record, contact Warren Angell.