DOINews: 5 Year Anniversary of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

A view of response ships at the source of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a month after the rig exploded and sank, tragically claiming the lives of 11 people. Photo:NOAA
 

On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon Macondo oil well drilling platform started the largest offshore marine oil spill in U.S. history, releasing millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, over a period of eighty-seven days. In addition, well over one million gallons of dispersants were applied to the waters of the spill area.

The Department of the Interior is playing a major role in many restoration efforts. Two of the largest efforts are the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (DWH NRDA) and RESTORE Act implementation.

The DWH NRDA, conducted by the Trustee Council, determines the nature and extent of injury to our nation's natural resources caused by the spill, and the kind and amount of restoration needed to restore the Gulf to the condition it would be in if the spill had not occurred. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill NRDA Trustees include the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Defence, and agencies representing the five Gulf states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

On April 20, 2015 the Trustees and BP announced another milestone in the Gulf of Mexico early restoration. The trustees and BP have identified approximately $134 million in proposed early restoration projects for inclusion in the draft Phase IV Early Restoration Plan. This milestone comes five years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The 10 proposed projects would benefit sea turtles, birds and fish; increase recreational opportunities; and improve nearshore and reef habitats.

• Osprey Restoration in Coastal Alabama – Baldwin and Mobile Counties, Alabama
• Point aux Pins Living Shoreline – Mobile County, Alabama
• Shell Belt and Coden Belt Roads Living Shoreline – Mobile County, Alabama
• Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge Trail Enhancement – Alabama
• Seagrass Recovery Project at Gulf Islands National Seashore – Florida District
• Bike and Pedestrian Use Enhancements at Davis Bayou, Gulf Islands National Seashore – Mississippi District
• Restoring Living Shorelines and Reefs in Mississippi Estuaries – Coastal Mississippi
• Texas Bird Rookery Islands Project – Galveston Bay and East Matagorda Bay, Texas
• Sea Turtle Early Restoration Project – Gulf of Mexico
• Pelagic Longline Bycatch Reduction Project – Gulf of Mexico

The Trustees anticipate including these 10 projects in the draft Phase IV Early Restoration Plan that will be made available for public review and comment. Thus far Trustees have approved three phases of early restoration, with a combined total of 54 projects and an estimated cost of $698 million. In 2011, BP agreed to provide up to $1 billion toward early restoration projects in the Gulf of Mexico to address injuries to natural resources caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. If the latest round of identified projects are approved and funded, approximately $832 million of the $1 billion will be obligated.

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