In May, OR&R provided response support for ten incidents, including eight new incidents in four states and one territory. Six of the new incidents were actual or potential oil spills, one was a chemical spill—caustic soda solution released from a flipped barge—and one involved flares observed off Guam with no associated missing vessel or person reports.
From January to April, 2025, OR&R responded to 71 incidents. In April, OR&R provided response support for 26 incidents, including 21 new incidents in 10 states and one territory. This includes a partially-sunk derelict vessel at a dock near the San Juan airport in Puerto Rico. Twenty of the new incidents were actual or potential oil spills, and one was a chemical spill, involving a barge allision and a discharge of ethanol into the Atchafalaya River.
From January to March, 2025, OR&R responded to 50 incidents. In March, OR&R provided response support for 20 incidents, including 16 new incidents in five states and one incident in Ontario, Canada which involved a refinery accident on the Canadian side of the St. Clair River.
By Doug Helton, Regional Operations Supervisor, Emergency Response Division
The Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) provides critical scientific support to protect our coastal communities following natural disasters and other incidents that result in marine pollution. Within OR&R, the Emergency Response Division (ERD) provides scientific expertise and services to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) on everything from running oil spill trajectories that model where the spill may spread, to identifying possible effects on wildlife and fisheries, and estimating how long the oil may impact coastal communities and ecology. Additionally, the Marine Debris Program (MDP) supports national and international partners to respond to large debris caused by major disasters within communities at risk of and responding to impacts from severe weather. At the end of each year, we reflect on the response events and activities that OR&R supported.
During November, OR&R provided response support for 12 incidents. OR&R’s support for an allision between a barge and a bridge in Alabama continued from October 2024, while 11 new incidents were supported in six states, one territory (Puerto Rico), and one foreign country (Samoa). Ten of the new incidents were actual or potential oil spills and one involved threat of chemical pollution from a mine tailing release.
In October, OR&R provided scientific support for 11 marine pollution and coastal emergencies— including eight new incidents in five states and one territory (Guam). Four of the new incidents were actual or potential oil spills, one involved threats of pollution from hurricanes, and three were chemical spills (or oil and chemicals mixed).
In September, OR&R provided scientific support for 19 marine pollution and coastal emergencies—including Hurricane Helene, which came ashore in Florida, but ultimately affected six states (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia).
In July, OR&R provided scientific support for 23 marine pollution and coastal emergencies— including 19 new incidents in seven states, one in Puerto Rico, and one international response in the Philippines. Seventeen of the new incidents were actual or potential oil spills, one was a chemical spill, and one involved tracking marine debris—a broken wind turbine blade.
NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration is providing important information to aid in tracking the path of wind turbine parts after the offshore wind energy company, Vineyard Wind, noticed a broken blade on one of its wind turbines offshore of Martha’s Vineyard.
This June, OR&R provided scientific support for 17 marine pollution and coastal emergencies—including thirteen actual or potential oil spills, two chemical spills, and one involved both oil and hazardous materials.
