Rising to the Challenge of Gulf of Mexico Restoration Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon mobile drilling unit exploded, caught fire, and eventually sank, resulting in the loss of 11 lives and the release of approximately 134 million gallons of oil.  The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is the largest offshore marine oil spill in U.S. history, and the resulting response and natural resource damages assessment (NRDA) was unprecedented: more than 1,300 miles of shoreline and more than 43,000 square miles of ocean surface were oiled, more than 770 square miles of deep-sea benthic habitats were injured, and thousands of birds, sea turtles and marine mammals were killed. Panelists will provide an overview of how, since 2010, DOI has played a key role in the challenging job of restoring ecological and human use injuries in the Gulf of Mexico using NRDA Early Restoration, the Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan, and coordination with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. Additionally, panelists will highlight how DOI’s Gulf restoration efforts support the Department’s conservation mission and Secretarial priorities such as conserving land and water, expanding outdoor recreation and access, and protecting people.

For more information, please visit these websites:

http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/

https://www.restorethegulf.gov/

Panelists:

• Kevin Reynolds – Assistant Regional Director for Gulf Restoration, FWS
• Jim Haas – Chief, Resource Protection Branch, NPS
• Debbie DeVore – Gulf Restoration Program Manager, FWS
• John Rudolph – Attorney-Advisor, Office of the Solicitor, DOI