Long-Term Restoration Presentation

8/8/2019 Long-Term Restoration Presentation

1/29

Restoration Approaches and Options

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE BP DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL AND OFFSHORE DRILLING

Staff Presentation to the Commission

December 3, 2010

*Photo Courtesy NASA


2/29

Presentation OverviewI. Gulf Coast Restoration

A. Coast overviewB. Mississippi River and Delta

1. History2. Solutions

C. Staff-Proposed

Recommendations

II. Marine RestorationA. Crowded SeasB. Dead Zone

C. Marine Policy EmergesD. Staff-ProposedRecommendations


3/29

C.S. Holling. Resilience and stability of ecological systems. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics (1973): 1-23


4/29


5/29


6/29


7/29


8/29


9/29

Lake Itasca, MinnesotaBoundaries of the Basin

Appalachian Mountains

Rocky Mountains

Image source: Wikipedia


10/29

Mississippi River Basin

Map Source: Mississippi River Commission


11/29

Source: National Weather Service,Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service


12/29

Historical River Meanders:Mississippi River


13/29

Data Courtesy US Army Corp of Engineers


14/29

Natural Marsh

Amelia

ModifiedMarsh


15/29

Source: Louisiana Office of CoastalProtection and Restoration


16/29

Mississippi Coastal Impacts Program Study Area andMultiple Lines of Defense protection strategySource: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers


17/29


18/29

Proposed Recommendation from Staff , ,

long-term Gulf ecosystem restoration. Congress should direct 80 percent of civiland criminal Clean Water Act penalties to this work, which would supportimplementation of a region-wide comprehensive plan (described in next slide). Global settlement of litigation should include Supplemental EnvironmentalProjects, criminal restitution and community service projects that directpayments to the Gulf. Should Clean Water Act penalties not be redirected toward Gulf ecosystemrestoration, Congress should seek other mechanisms outside the appropriations

process.


19/29


20/29

Proposed Recommendation from Staff Gulf Coast Ecos stem Restoration Council riorities and decisions

should be informed by meaningful input from a Citizens AdvisoryCouncil that represents the diverse stakeholder interests in the Gulf. The federal government should establish and fund a Gulf Restoration Science Program that dedicates resources to researchGulf ecology. A project-focused Review Panel should evaluate individual projectsfor scientific validity and consistency with the comprehensive plan.


21/29


22/29

Source: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,Regulation, and Enforcement


23/29


24/29

Gulf of Mexico dead zone, 2010

Source: NOAA


25/29

Data Courtesy NOAA


26/29

Proposed Recommendation from Staff Lon -term monitorin of otential harm to Gulf seafloor habitats

the water column, and valued speciesbluefin tuna, shrimp, andmany othersis critical to successful restoration. Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning can optimize marine resources use and lessenconflict among users. It now has the backing of a Presidential Executive Order. Congressshould fully appropriate FY 2011 White House request to fund regional planning bodies. Marine Protected Areas should be considered as possible mitigation banks to helpoffset harm to the marine environment; should be aggressively vetted in public. Also:

o National Marine Sanctuaries pass through a rigorouspublic process and provide protection across a number of

metrics. Current budget restrictions should be reconsideredto allow proposals for new sanctuaries.


27/29

Proposed Recommendation from Staff ar ne sc en s s ave emerge rom e eepwa er or zon

incident with more precise questions to investigate and a bettersense of Gulf monitoring needs. To that end:

Responsible federal agencies should direct industry and the scientific community toexpand the Gulf of Mexico Integrated Ocean Observing System by installing andmaintaining an in situ network of instruments deployed on selected production platforms.


28/29

NASA Earthrise


29/29

Google Earth

Documents

Long-Term Restoration Presentation