New! Best Practices for Migratory Bird
Care During Oil Spill Response
Cover Memo
Final Document

The challenge of managing oil spills in the United States is increasing in complexity and magnitude. Oil spills threaten millions of miles of coastline, river systems, lakes and terrestrial habitat daily, particularly where there is extensive oil drilling, refining, and transport. Serious, and potentially permanent, ecological damage is possible where chronic spills or spills of national significance occur. The goal of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Oil Spill Program is to emphasize early (contingency) planning and cooperation at the local, regional and national level in an effort to minimize the injury to fish, wildlife, and sensitive environments from oil spills.

The Departments of the Interior, Commerce and Agriculture, together with Tribal governments, States, and other jurisdictions, are responsible for protecting these natural resources. Because oil spills respect no boundaries, uniform Federal policies and programs are essential. In addition, since the resources necessary to respond to oil spills are limited and vary among the response agencies, it is more important than ever to establish and strengthen cooperative relationships.

Some additional information published on the Oil Spill Program include: Oil and Nature, Oil Spills and the Public, The Service at Coastal Oil Spills, and The Exxon Valdez Spill: 10 Years Later [pdf files].

Links:

The National Response Center (Federal contact for reporting oil and chemical spills) - http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/nrchp.html

Department of the Interior, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, DOI Emergency Preparedness and Response Strategy: Oil Discharges and Hazardous Substances Releases - http://www.doi.gov/oepc/emerprep.html

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Web Site
http://www.oilspill.state.ak.us/

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Plan
http://www.oilspill.state.ak.us/pdf/restoration/restorationplan.pdf   (pdf file)

The Tenyo Maru Oil Spill Natural Resource Trustees
Tenyo Maru oil spill Restoration Plan

U.S. Coast Guard: Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Response Information - http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/nmc/response/index.htm

Environmental Protection Agency: Oil Spill Program - http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/

National Response Team: Ensuring Effective National Oil and Hazardous Substance Preparedness and Response - http://www.nrt.org/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Office of Response and Restoration - http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/index.html

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Damage Assessment and Restoration Program
- Chalk Point/Swanson Creek Oil Spill, Maryland
- Tenyo Maru Oil Spill, Washington
- Apex Houston Oil Spill, California
- Chevron Pipeline Oil Spill, Hawaii
- Tesoro Oil Spill, Hawaii
- Apex Galveston Oil Spill, Texas
- North Cape Oil Spill, Rhode Island
- M/V Kuroshima Oil Spil Restoration Plan (pdf file)

Updated: April 30, 2004