Environmental Response and Restoration

Oil Spills and Hazardous Substance Releases

When fish, wildlife, and other natural resources are harmed by oil or other hazardous substances, we work with other response agencies to minimize negative impacts to natural resources from the spill and associated response activities. Our environmental contaminants specialists provide guidance regarding wildlife protection during spill response and remediation activities, and assist with search and rescue of oiled wildlife, so the animals can be cleaned and rehabilitated, when possible.

Learn more about our work to minimize impacts of oil spills and hazardous substance releases to fish, wildlife, and habitat.

Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration

Our environmental contaminants specialists are key members of the Interior Department’s Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program, which aims to restore natural resources harmed (or "injured") by oil spills or illegal releases of hazardous substances into the environment. We work with our federal, state, and tribal colleagues who manage natural resources, along with the parties responsible for the environmental pollution, to evaluate the harm done to natural resources, identify options for restoring those natural resources, and implement such restoration. This is in addition to the cleanup activities and is focused on compensating the public for its natural resource losses that simple cleanup cannot address.

Learn more about our role in natural resource damage assessment and restoration activities. 

Biological, Toxicological, and Analytical Chemistry Support 

Through our Analytical Control Facility (ACF), we provide high-quality biological, toxicological, and analytical chemistry support to address environmental contaminant issues affecting fish, wildlife, and other natural resources. 

Samples are submitted through the ACF each year and are analyzed by one of our contract inorganic or organic laboratories. We work to ensure the accuracy and precision of the data results produced by the laboratories and maintain the data in a web application. Data generated by the ACF is used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and other bureaus within the Department of the Interior to identify and quantify contaminants in the environment, assess the overall biological effects from these contaminants, and provide recommendations and guidance to address contaminants and their effects on fish and wildlife populations and supporting habitats. Through this work, we have supported investigations of potential sources of environmental contaminants and cleanup activities on national wildlife refuges, natural resource damage assessments and restorations, oil spill response, and endangered species and habitat management.