Incident Responses for July 2021

Posted Wed, 08/04/2021 - 20:12
A person in a life vest with pollution boom around an industrial storage area.

Every month our Emergency Response Division provides scientific expertise and services to the U.S. Coast Guard on everything from running oil spill trajectories to model where the spill may spread, to possible effects on wildlife and fisheries and estimates on how long the oil may stay in the environment. This month OR&R responded to 22 incidents in July, including oil discharges, grounded vessels, and other pollution-related incidents.  

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Emergency Response Division (ERD)
oil spill

Three Ways You Can Reduce Your Household's Pollution Footprint

Posted Fri, 07/30/2021 - 15:48
A house with a yard.

This week, we’re taking a look at the different types of urban industrial pollution, how NOAA responds to pollution events and aids in the recovery of natural resources lost due to pollution, and what you can do to help keep pollution out of your waterway. Stay tuned as we explore these topics through a series of blogs. In our latest blog, NOAA’s Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant pollution prevention extension specialist Sarah Zack shares tips for how to reduce your household pollution footprint.

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Sea Grant
pollution
Marine Debris
The Nation's Founding Fish Returns to America's Most Historic Small Watershed
By: Gerald McAdams Kauffman, Director of the University of Delaware Water Resources Center, Brandywine Conservancy
alyssa.gray Wed, 07/28/2021 - 23:18
A dam.

In this guest blog from the Brandywine Conservancy by guest author Gerald McAdams Kauffman, director of the University of Delaware Water Resources Center, learn more about the restoration efforts that led to the return of the nation's founding fish to our most historic watershed. (This blog was originally published by the Brandywine Conservancy on June 6, 2020). 

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Restoration
Rivers
watersheds
The Anacostia River: Challenges and Opportunities for Outdoor Recreation in the Heart of Washington, DC
By Erin Garnass-Holmes, ambassador to the Anacostia Watershed Urban Waters Partnership, and Megan Ewald, Office of Response and Restoration
alyssa.gray Wed, 07/28/2021 - 14:34
A bird grazing the surface of a river with its wings.

The Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., was a poster child for America’s degraded urban waterways. Years of industrial land use on the waterfront and floating trash scared many people away from recreating on or by the river. However, in recent years local advocates, government agencies, and water utilities have made great strides in restoring this urban river

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Assessment and Restoration Division
Rivers
The Value of Urban Waterways
By Megan Ewald, Office of Response and Restoration
alyssa.gray Wed, 07/28/2021 - 13:27
Orcas in water with a city skyline in the background.

You might be surprised to learn what swims through America’s cities. Even waterways with a history of pollution are full of life and are vital parts of local communities. Coastal Superfund sites, where hazardous waste contaminates the environment, are one of the key sources of pollution for many urban waterways. Many American cities sprang up around waterways because they provide opportunities for transportation, trade, and industry. Unfortunately, many of these industries also release contaminants into the environment—where they can linger for decades.

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Assessment and Restoration Division
Superfund sites
pollution

Marine Debris Close to Home: Cleaning Up Our Urban Shores and Waterways

Posted Tue, 07/27/2021 - 12:54
By Ya'el Seid-Green, Office of Response and Restoration Marine Debris Program
A group of people cleaning up trash along an urban shoreline.

When you think about a trip to the beach, do you picture an idyllic island somewhere far away or a city park a few feet away from a busy commercial or residential district? The coastal urban environment is an important place for people to enjoy a little bit of nature, and equally valuable for the animals and plants that make it their home. However, with people comes trash, and coastal areas close to large population centers can face a heavy burden of marine debris. The NOAA Marine Debris Program works with partners across the nation to prevent and remove marine debris in urban areas.

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Marine Debris
beaches
pollution

A Look at Oil Spills in Urban Centers

Posted Mon, 07/26/2021 - 15:16
By Donna L. Roberts, Office of Response and Restoration
Oil in water.

What’s different about spills in urban environments? When we hear or read about an oil spill, we often envision thick oil sullying a wilderness or open ocean environment—but most spills occur in more urban areas, where oil terminals, refineries, ports and marinas, or rail facilities are situated. 

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Emergency Response Division (ERD)
oil spill
pollution
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