Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration

Over the past 16 years, BRI has partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to quantify environmental damages caused by contaminants (mostly oil and mercury pollution).

The process, known as Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), begins with an injury assessment. Then, a metric of animal-years-lost is quantified and assigned a monetary figure. Funds procured from the responsible party are used to restore damaged habitats and resources. The NRDA program, which originated with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, compensates the public for the loss of or damage to natural resources. Natural resource trustees are federal, state, and tribal agencies that hold natural resources in trust for the public and collect compensation on behalf of the public when releases of hazardous substances diminish the value of natural resources.

The NRDA Consulting Group provides expertise in environmental toxicology, transport and fate analysis, hydrologic and geologic sciences, ecosystem services, and ecological restoration. Our services also include support for ecological risk assessments and our work spans field and laboratory research.

Staff:

Key Skills

The NRDA Consulting Group is made up of environmental scientists who specialize in ecotoxicology, natural resource damage assessments (NRDAs), contaminant fate and transport analyses, surface and groundwater assessments, environmental impact assessments, and natural resource restoration planning. Other key skills and research areas include:

  • Environmental support to Indigenous communities
  • Environmental technology development
  • Aquatic biology
  • Hydrograph seperation in stormflow
  • Geochemical mixing models
  • Water, soil, and sediment sampling

 

The NRDA Process

Pre-assessment Phase

The trustees begin the assessment of injuries and jurisdiction to determine any harm to natural resources. This process involves gathering time-sensitive data and reviewing scientific literature on the pollution event and its effects to evaluate the scope and severity of environmental damage.

Assessment Plan Phase

The extent of the injuries through scientific and economic studies is determined, and then potential restoration projects to compensate for the losses are identified. For example, restoration projects may involve beach and shoreline improvements, the creation of oyster reefs or other shellfish habitats, and programs to monitor the recovery of affected species and habitats. A restoration plan is then developed and shared for public input.

Assessment Phase

In this phase, there are three broad steps:

  1. Injury and Pathway Determination – In this step, the route through which hazardous substances were released is identified (pathway) and any subsequent adverse effects to the resource (injuries).
  2. Injury and Service Loss Quantification – The magnitude and extent of adverse effects relative to the original conditions is determined.
  3. Damages Determination – The appropriate amount of restoration (or monetary compensation) that is needed to compensate the public for the injuries is determined, which is the damages.

Post-assessment and Restoration Phase

Restoration seeks to return the impacted resources to their original state and compensate the public for both the loss of use and the time needed for recovery. Throughout the NRDA process, co-trustees often collaborate with the responsible party, who funds the assessment and restoration efforts and may also be involved in restoration activities.

Photo Credits: Header photo © sorn340, iStock