Athos I Oil Spill

Draft Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan (DARP) Released _______________________

Frank CsulakScientific Support CoordinatorNOAA

http://www.darp.noaa.gov/northeast/athos

RRTIII Meeting

Towson, Maryland

Jan. 27-29, 2009

DRAFT DARP

• Trustees release the Draft DARP for public review on January 6, 2009

• Describes the injuries and proposed alternatives for restoring natural resources injuries and compensating public for recreational losses resulting from the November 25, 2004 oil spill

• Comments of the Draft DARP must be submitted in writing no later than February 20, 2009

Funding of the Restoration Projects

USCG determined that RP has exceeded its limit of liability under OPA.

RP’s limit of liability is $47,474,000 ($1,200 per GT x 37,895 GT)

Response costs estimated at $177,000,000

Nine proposed restoration projects expecting to total over $24 million

Final DARP and NRDA claim will be submitted to the USCG’s OSLTF to obtain funding for implementation of restoration projects

Trustees

State of New Jersey

State of Pennsylvania

State of Delaware

US Fish and Wildlife Service

NOAA

MMajor Inj

Major Injury Categories

Shoreline

Birds and Wildlife

Aquatic Resouces

Recreational Activities

Surveyed 420 miles of shoreline

3,628 total acres oiled 1,729 acres of Delaware River shoreline 6 tributaries totaling 1,899 acres oiled

Shorelines

Birds

Aerial and ground surveys (counts of birds by species and degree of oiling)

Direct Injury (Dead) 3,308

Indirect Injury (LostProductivity) Mortality 6,453 Reproductive Failure 2,108

Total Injury 11,869

Aquatic Resources

412 acres of subtidal bottom sediments exposed to Athos oil based on sediment sampling and total PAH concentrations

No measurable finfish, shellfish or crustacean injuries

No significant water column losses

Recreation Losses

Compiling historical data on recreational use and values

Estimated 41,709 trips affected with a estimated lost value of $1,313,239

Conducting interviews with boating, fishing, and hunting interests

Proposed Restoration Projects

• Nine preferred restoration projects, expecting to total over $24 million, are intended to address injuries in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The projects include restoring approximately 300 acres of oyster, marsh, shoreline, wet meadow, grassland, and stream habitat;  three recreation projects; and four projects to remove stream obstructions restricting the migration of anadromous fish.

Habitat Restoration

– Freshwater tidal wetlands restoration at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge (Pa.)

» Restore 7.0 acres of freshwater tidal wetland to benefit 56 acres within John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge to compensate for tributary losses. This project would restore tidal exchange to the proposed site through tidal channels, shallow pools, and scrub/shrub wetland habitat.

– Create oyster reefs (N.J., Del.)

» Create roughly 78 acres of oyster reef in the Delaware River to compensate for injuries to aquatic resources, diving birds, and gulls. Oyster reefs enhance benthic communities, increase aquatic food for fish and birds, and improve water quality by filtering out sediments and pollutants from the water column.

– Darby Creek dam removal and habitat restoration (Pa.) » Remove three dams and a remnant bridge pier from Darby Creek in southeastern

Pennsylvania to open up an additional 2.6 miles of habitat to anadromous fish, and restore about 10 acres of riparian habitat along the creek edges. Dam removal and riparian habitat projects would compensate for tributary losses.

– Habitat restoration at Mad Horse Creek (N.J.) » Restore 62.5 acres of degraded wetland and create 35 acres of wet meadow and

100 acres of grassland at state-owned property on Mad Horse Creek (N.J.). The proposed wetland restoration would compensate for non-tributary shoreline losses and a portion of the bird loss. The increase in upland vegetation (wet meadow and grassland habitat) would serve as food sources that can reasonably be expected to enhance bird biomass, thereby compensating for a portion of the total bird loss.

– Shoreline restoration at Lardner’s Point (Pa.) » Restore shoreline through the demolition of existing structures, import of fill

material, grading of a 0.9 acre site to restore tidal inundation, and creation of intertidal marsh and wet meadow habitat. This shoreline restoration project would have multiple benefits in the urban part of the river that was heavily impacted by the spill.

– Blackbird Reserve Wildlife Area Pond and Pasture Enhancement (Del.)

Excavate two shallow wetland ponds in former agricultural areas, convert 16 acres of agricultural lands to cool-season grass pasture, and establish approximately 24 acres of food plots by modifying existing agricultural practices. Conversion of existing agricultural land to pond and pasture habitat and modification of existing agricultural practices would provide resting and foraging areas targeted to migratory geese.

Improve recreational opportunities (Pa., N.J., Del.)

• Implement three projects to address the estimated 41,709 river trips that

were affected by the spill: » Improve the Stow Creek (N.J.)

boat ramp

» Construct an additional breakwater at Augustine Boat Ramp (Del.) to address ongoing shoaling immediately offshore of the boat ramp; and

» Enhance the recreational trail on Little Tinicum Island (Pa.).

Summary of injuries resulting from the Athos incident and preferred restoration alternatives.

COSTS ARE NOT FINAL

Resource Category InjuryPrimary Restoration

Preferred Compensatory Restoration Alternative Project Cost

Aquaticsubtidal benthic habitat

412 acresNatural

Recovery4.5 acres

Oyster reef enhancement and restoration (Del. and N.J.) $528,647

Bird and Wildlife

gulls

2,946 birds

Natural Recovery

73.5 acres

(direct and indirect)

diving ducks, diving birds, wading birds, kingfishers

464 birds

(direct and indirect)

dabbling ducks and shorebirds

2,503 birds Natural

Recovery25.4 acres Mad Horse Creek (N.J.) marsh restoration

$11,333,175

(direct and indirect)

swans and geese5,956 birds (direct and

indirect)

Natural Recovery

35 acres Mad Horse Creek (N.J.) wet meadow

100 acres Mad Horse Creek (N.J.) grassland restoration

41.8 acres Blackbird Reserve Wildlife Area pond and pasture enhancement (Del.) $91,268

Shoreline

seawalls, sand/mud substrate, marsh, coarse substrate

1,729 acresNatural

Recovery

38.1 acres Mad Horse Creek (N.J.) marsh restoration $7,154,875

0.9 acre Lardner’s Point (Pa.) shoreline restoration $567,137

tributaries 1,899 acresNatural

Recovery

56 acres John Heinz (Pa.) habitat restoration $2,396,559

2.6 miles Darby Creek (Pa.) dam and remnant bridge pier removal and habitat restoration $1,040,820

Recreation

Trips affected (lost and diminished value) 

41,709 tripsNatural

Recovery

$460,045 Stow Creek (N.J.) boat ramp improvements

$1,313,239$808,152 Augustine (Del.) boat ramp breakwater installation

$45,042 Little Tinicum Island (Pa.) trail and habitat improvements

TOTAL $24,425,720

Next Steps

• Public comment period ends February 20• Trustees will address comments and finalize

DARP• Claim submitted to NPFC• NPFC review – potential back and forth with

Trustees• Settlement funds received and managed by

Trustee Council • http://www.darp.noaa.gov/northeast/athos