NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENTNATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENTUPDATEUPDATE

CPRA MeetingCPRA MeetingSeptember 15, 2010September 15, 2010

Presented By:Presented By:Karolien DebusschereKarolien Debusschere

Deputy CoordinatorDeputy CoordinatorLouisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s OfficeLouisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office

Department of Public SafetyDepartment of Public Safety

NRDANRDA

Authorizing Legislation for NRDA Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) Louisiana Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act of 1991

(OSPRA)

NRDA Regulations Federal – January 1996 State – March 1999

Goal of NRDATo make the environment and public whole for injuries to natural resources and services resulting from an incident involving a discharge or substantial threat of a discharge of oil

Natural Resource TrusteesNatural Resource Trustees Federally Designated Natural Resource

Trustees: U.S. Department of Commerce (acting through NOAA) U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Department of Defense Federally Recognized Native American Tribes

Jena Band of Choctaw Tribe Tunica-Biloxi Tribe Coushatta Tribe Chitimacha Tribe

State Designated Natural Resource Trustees: Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (LCPRA) Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office/ DPS (LOSCO) Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR)

Trustee ResponsibilitiesTrustee Responsibilities

Conduct and Manage NRDA

Represent Public Interest

Ensure Restoration of Injured Natural Resources

DWH Conceptual NRDA ModelDWH Conceptual NRDA Model

Resource Agency Lead Resource Injury Injury Measurements

Shoreline (wetlands, barrier islands)

OCPR, LDNR Oiled marsh/beaches Degree of oiling (3D)Recovery TimeSediment concentrationsFaunal observations

Aquatic fauna (fish, shellfish, marine mammals, turtles)

LDWF Direct and indirect loss of species

Kill countsExposure observations (species occurrence, water/sediment concentrations)Dietary exposure

Submerged aquatic vegetation

LDWF Direct and indirect loss of species

Grass bed density and extentExposure observations (water/sediment concentrations

Birds (pelagic, colonial, secretive, shore birds)

LDWF Direct and indirect loss of species

Kill countsExposure observations (water/sediment concentrations)Dietary exposure

Water Column/Sediments

LDEQ Oiled waters, intertidal and sub-tidal sediments

Oiling observations (SCAT)Water/sediment oil concentrationsFaunal observations

Human use (Economic)

LOSCO Lost recreational Opportunity (closures)

Fishing days lostBeach recreation lost

“Aerial Surveys for Assessing Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles in the Region of the Mississippi Canyon 252 Incident“

Purpose:• Estimate abundance & distribution of marine mammals &

sea turtles in coastal waters• Document occurrence of oil in coastal waters• Document oil exposure, distribution changes, & behavior

changes of marine mammals & sea turtlesData Collected:

• Sightings of Species (Quantity &Location)

• Environmental conditions (i.e., sea state, temperature)

• Oil Slick Location

Preassessment WorkplansPreassessment Workplans

Preassessment WorkplansPreassessment Workplans

“Deepwater Horizon/MC252/BP Shoreline/Vegetation NRDA Pre-Assessment Plan”

Purpose:• Determine shoreline areas exposed to oil • Characterize exposed shorelines (habitat, vegetation and

fauna)• Identify monitoring Stations for Injury Assessment

Data Collection• Delineate spatial extent and degree of oiling• Describe observed impacts to vegetation and biota• Oil sample collection

Preassessment WorkplansPreassessment Workplans

“Work Plan for Estimating Secretive Marsh Bird Mortality Deepwater Horizon (MSC 252) Oil Spill NRDA Bird Study #3”

Purpose:• Quantify abundance & density of secretive marsh bird species in un-

oiled representative habitats• Quantify proportion of live oiled & live un-oiled birds in

representative habitats through active capture of live individual birds• Estimate representative marsh bird mortality rates using radio

telemetry• Quantify fiddler crab burrow densities to supplement our

understanding of marsh-specific rail densities Data Collection

• Point counts &playback surveys • Fiddler crab densities • Radio Telemetry of adult rails and seaside sparrows

Preassessment WorkplansPreassessment Workplans“Water Column Injury Ephemeral Data Collections Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Plan for Adaptive Water Column Sampling Cruise Plan- American Diver 1 & Ocean Veritas 9”

Purpose:• Obtain near-field data on oil droplet size, water chemistry

(oil and dissolved hydrocarbon concentrations), and other particulate (detritus, marine snow, plankton) densities

Data Collection• Salinity, temperature &water density, dissolved oxygen, and

fluorescence • Oil droplet size distributions and concentrations• Concentrations of suspended sediments and detritus• Plankton concentrations (live and dead) • Pyrosomes