Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration, Bay-Delta Office
When oil or other hazardous substances enter the environment, fish, wildlife and natural resources can be injured. The San Francisco Bay-Delta Fish and Wildlife Office works to identify the natural resources injured, determine the extent of the injuries, recover damages from those responsible, and plan and carry out natural resource restoration activities.
RESTORATIONS IN PROGRESS
Chevron Castro Cove: This case involved the release of hydrocarbons and mercury from Chevron's Richmond Oil Refinery into Castro Cove. The trustees selected two restoration projects to provide compensation for injuries to natural resources in Castro Cove: the Dotson Family Marsh and Cullinan Ranch restoration projects. Details about these two projects can be found on this Restoration Success Stories in the San Francisco Bay page.
Cosco Busan Oil Spill: On Nov. 7, 2007, the cargo vessel Cosco Busan hit the San Francisco Bay Bridge in heavy fog. The impact ruptured the hull and spilled about 58,000 gallons of fuel oil into San Francisco Bay. Federal and state natural resource trustees have selected 12 restoration projects to restore and compensate for the injured resources and created a process that is intended to identify numerous recreational use improvements.
Luckenbach Oil Spill: This case addresses chronic releases of oil from the SS Jacob Luckenbach, a vessel that sank in the Pacific Ocean offshore of San Francisco in 1953. The trustees are implementing 14 restoration projects to benefit birds injured from the releases.
Kinder Morgan Suisun Marsh Diesel Spill: This case involves a 2004 diesel pipeline spill in Suisun Marsh. The Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife have selected two restoration projects in the Suisun Marsh area to compensate for injuries to marsh habitats.
Command Oil Spill: This case involves a 1998 oil spill in the Pacific Ocean offshore of San Mateo County. The Service is partnering with four other agencies to implement 10 restoration projects for seabirds and other resources affected by the spill.
Dubai Star Oil Spill: During a refueling incident, the T/V Dubai Star spilled over 400 gallons of fuel oil into San Francisco Bay. The spill affected more than 10 miles of shoreline and resulted in shoreline oiling and bird mortalities, as well as beach and fisheries closures in the vicinity of Alameda Island. The Service responded to the spill, assessed injuries to natural resources along with other state and federal trustee agencies and supported the state settlement with the responsible party. Locations for restoration projects include Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary and Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda.
Almaden Quicksilver Mine: This case involves releases of mercury from a mine in Santa Clara County into tributaries of the Guadalupe River. The responsible parties are implementing five restoration projects to benefit fish and wildlife affected by the mercury releases.
Iron Mountain Mine: This case addresses decades of releases of acid mine drainage and heavy metals into the Sacramento River near Redding. The Service is partnering with four other agencies to implement three restoration projects to benefit salmon and other resources.
COMPLETED RESTORATIONS
Apex Houston Oil Spill: This case involved a 1986 oil spill in the Pacific Ocean offshore of San Francisco. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and partners restored a common murre colony at Devils Slide Rock and completed other restoration actions for seabirds injured by the spill.
Shell Martinez Oil Spill: Following this 1988 oil spill at the Shell refinery in Martinez, the Service and other trustees implemented a restoration program to restore fish and wildlife populations and habitats affected by the spill.
United Heckathorn Superfund Site: The Fish and Wildlife Service and partners restored a 72-acre tidal marsh on San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge to compensate for impacts of pesticide releases from a chemical manufacturing facility in Richmond.
Cape Mohican Oil Spill: This case involves a 1996 oil spill in San Francisco Bay. The Service partnered with four other agencies to implement 12 restoration projects to benefit birds, fish and shoreline habitats affected by the spill.
