Environmental Contaminants Program
Programa de Contaminación Ambiental
Sergo Zakariadze ship grounding, El Morro National Historic Site, San Juan, PR 1999. Photo by US Coast Guard
Refuge Cleanups:
Provide technical assistance to the Caribbean National Refuge System ensure that cleanup levels for the Vieques National Refuge and the Culebra National Refuge are protective of wildlife and its habitat.
Spill Response:
Oil or hazardous material spills can impact natural resources managed by the Service. The Service, The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is authorized to conduct Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR when fish and wildlife trust resources are harmed during oil and chemical spills.
Our spill response program emphasizes early (contingency) planning and coordination with other agencies and organizations, in an effort to minimize the injury to fish, wildlife, and their habitats when spills occur.
Restoration:
We help restore natural resources injured following the release of oil and other hazardous substances. Specialists assess the injuries to natural resources entrusted to the Department. DOI representatives typically work with other natural resource trustees including federal and state agencies.
For more information: Contact Felix López, Caribbean Contaminants Program Coordinator at felix_lopez@fws.gov,
Related Links:
Caribbean Contaminants Program Fact Sheet - PDF ver. 189KB
National FWS Contaminants Program
Environmental Contaminants Encyclopedia
