Public, Environment to Benefit from $20.3 Million from Two Settlements for Natural Resource Damage in St. Lawrence River Area

ST.LAWRENCE RIVER ENVIRONMENT NATURAL RESOURSE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT RESTORATION PROJECTS

Brought direct from North East, U.S. Fish and Wildlife website:

We are very pleased to announce that we have settled the St. Lawrence NRDAR case. We will end up with $20.3 Million for restoration projects and all assessment costs are paid. This NRDAR (Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration) case includes one of the first cultural assessments initiated with DOI Restoration Fund support. It was also one of the first NRDAR cases to use a cooperative approach with the RPs (Responsible Parties). Information, including the consent decree, RCDP (Restoration and Compensation Determination Plan)Â , press release, and fact sheets can be found on our website.

St. Lawrence Environmental Natural Resource Damage Assessment | Environmental Quality | Ecological Servicesâ€“New York Field Office | Northeast Region

Fish abnormalities linked to development and pollution in three Maryland rivers

image of yellow perch eggs

From the 1920s to 2005, the hatching of yellow perch eggs has gone from 80 down to 10 percent (Maryland DNR). Credit: Maryland DNR

Brought direct from North East, U.S. Fish and Wildlife website:

Federal and state scientists have found reproductive abnormalities in yellow perch in three Maryland rivers that flow through highly suburban or rapidly developing areas. The results of the three-year study by U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Maryland Department of Natural Resources help explain the biology behind poor survival of yellow perch eggs and larvae in some Chesapeake Bay tidal rivers running through suburban areas. Published studies suggest these abnormalities result from exposure to environmental contaminants, but more research is necessary to identify specific contaminants and their role in fish reproduction.

Fact sheet on study
Baltimore Sun news story
More contaminants research in the Bay

Energy Company Fined Over Unlawful Killing of Migratory Birds

Typical oil reserve pit beside a drilling rig. Credit: Pedro Ramirez / USFWS

December 19, 2012

An independent oil and gas exploration company operating in eight states has been fined $22,500 after migratory birds died in pits used to store toxic oil drilling waste. The Denver-based SM Energy Co. had pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Billings, MT to federal misdemeanor charges of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska.

Department of Justice - News Release

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mountain-Prairie Region, Environmental Contaminants Program - Oil Spill Waste Pits

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Recent Library Items:

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This is the first of seven papers resulting from a Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) international workshop titled “The Influence of Global Climate Change on the Scientific Foundations and Applications...

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Various international and national regulations hold polluters liable for the cleanup of released hazardous substances and the restoration/rehabilitation of natural resources to preincident baseline conditions, a process often...

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The toxicity of cyanide to the early life stages of freshwater mussels (order Unionida) has remained unexplored. Cyanide is known to be acutely toxic to other aquatic organisms. Cyanide-containing compounds, such as sodium fe...

Chronic hydrocarbon exposure of harlequin ducks in areas affected by the Selendang Ayu oil spill at Unalaska Island, Alaska 2012. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

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Early View (Online Version of Record published before inclusion in an issue.) Biological invasions and habitat alteration are often detrimental to native species, but their interactions are difficult to predict. Interbreeding...

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Recent News and Activities:

04/29/2013
"The State of Hudson River Science" - Three Posters

01/02/2013
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07/26/2012
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03/27/2012
Hudson River: Mink Injury Determination

03/27/2012
Fact Sheet: Hudson River Restoration Planning (March 2012)

01/31/2012
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Last updated: April 18, 2013

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