States
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, WyomingFish, wildlife, and other natural resources can be harmed (or “injured”) when oil or hazardous substances are illegally released into the environment. During such an incident, , the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Environmental Response and Restoration specialists collect data to help assess the effects of the incident on wildlife and other natural resources. The information can be used to pursue a national resource damages claim against the parties responsible for the pollution through the authorities listed in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; Oil Pollution Act; or Clean Water Act.The goal of a natural resource damages claim is to provide restoration of the harmed natural resources.
The Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Response (NRDAR) process can start at the tie the Service is notified of an incident. Initially, the NRDAR team works alongside the response (cleanup) team, who are working to contain the incident and protect natural resources.Response actions by the Service are conducted with natural resources in mind, making observations and noting the extent of possible injuries to natural resources.Any actions to clean-up the site are completed such that additional injuries are not encountered. Learn more about our work to minimize impacts to natural resources from oil spills and hazardous substance releases.
The Service, along with other federal, state, and tribal partners, acts as a trustee for natural resources when performing natural resource damage assessments. We collect scientific data during and sometimes after an incident to identify the natural resources injured from oil or hazardous substances, determine the extent of the injuries, recover damages from those responsible, and plan and carry out restoration activities. Environmental samples that we collect as a part of assessing injuries are analyzed through certified labs managed through the Analytical Control Facility.
The primary benefit of the NRDAR Program is to achieve restoration of injured resources for the benefit of the American people, at no cost to American taxpayers, since the parties responsible for the incident provide the funding for all assessment and restoration activities related to the incident.
Visit the Interior Department's NRDAR website to learn more about the NRDAR process and track cases nationwide
