Saving Seafood

US Judge OKs $20B Settlement From 2010 BP Oil Spill

April 6, 2016 — A federal judge in New Orleans granted final approval Monday to an estimated $20 billion settlement over the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, resolving years of litigation over the worst offshore spill in the nation’s history.

The settlement, first announced in July, includes $5.5 billion in civil Clean Water Act penalties and billions more to cover environmental damage and other claims by the five Gulf states and local governments. The money is to be paid out over roughly 16 years. The U.S. Justice Department has estimated that the settlement will cost the oil giant as much as $20.8 billion, the largest environmental settlement in U.S. history as well as the largest-ever civil settlement with a single entity.

U.S District Judge Carl Barbier, who approved the settlement, had set the stage with an earlier ruling that BP had been “grossly negligent” in the offshore rig explosion that killed 11 workers and caused a 134-million-gallon spill.

In 2012, BP reached a similar settlement agreement with private attorneys for businesses and residents who claim the spill cost them money. That deal, which didn’t have a cap, led to a protracted court battle over subsequent payouts to businesses. A court-supervised claims administrator is still processing many of these claims.

BP has estimated its costs related to the spill, including its initial cleanup work and the various settlements and criminal and civil penalties, will exceed $53 billion.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at ABC News

MASSACHUSETTS: New Bedford Fishing Industry Helping to Protect the Environment

February 29, 2016 — The following was released by the Office of Mayor Jon Mitchell:

New Bedford, Fairhaven and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) are working together with the fishing industry and other commercial vessel operators to prevent oil spills and keep New Bedford Harbor, home of America’s No. 1 Fishing Port, clean through the “Clean Bilge Program.”

New Bedford Harbor is home to more than 400 fishing vessels that harvest the sea and many seafood processing plants and other businesses that support the fishing industry are also located in New Bedford and Fairhaven. The Port of New Bedford is an important economic engine for New Bedford, Fairhaven and the region. With so much commercial activity in New Bedford Harbor (including 400 fishing vessels, 4,400 jobs, seafood landings valued at $329 million, as well as more than 30 processors and distributors) small oil spills became a frequent occurrence, and have threatened collaborative efforts to clean and improve water quality in the harbor.

According to recent U.S. Coast Guard data, there has been at least one recorded small oil spill in New Bedford Harbor each month since 2010 and contaminated bilge water is considered the most likely source of these spills. The vast majority of these spills are small, but even a single cup of oil has the potential to contaminate a football field-sized area.

However, an innovative pilot program to prevent oil spills is changing the tide and improving the health of the New Bedford Harbor. Funded by MassDEP and operated by the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission (HDC), Clean Bilge works directly with commercial fishing vessel operators and the operators of other commercial vessels to prevent oil spills.

An agent of the City’s Harbor Development Commission connects directly with vessel owners on both the New Bedford and Fairhaven sides of the harbor and provides advice on how to avoid oil leaks, refuel safely and maintain a clean bilge. In addition to helpful guidance, vessel owners can receive bilge pumping – the removal of unwanted water that can become contaminated with oil and collects in the lowest part of all vessels.

Since the program began in October of 2015, more than 120 vessels have signed up to participate, 48 vessels have had their bilge pumped and 14,117 gallons of oily bilge water was recovered and properly disposed of and kept out of New Bedford Harbor.

“The Port of New Bedford is one of Greater New Bedford’s most important economic assets and we are working on many fronts to ensure that New Bedford Harbor continues to be a strong asset for our region and protecting its environmental health is a critical component of our efforts. I am encouraged at the number of vessels that have signed up for the program thus far and thank the participating vessels for being good stewards of the environment,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell.

“Following the Buzzards Day oil spill, MassDEP has helped New Bedford and coastal communities respond to oil spills with funding for new cleanup equipment and response plans that protect sensitive resources,” said MassDEP Deputy Commissioner Gary Moran. “Now, with the new clean bilge pilot program, we are reaching out directly to vessel owners with a preventative measure that aims to stop spills before they happen.”

“The persistent “mystery” oil spill problem has no place in the New Bedford Harbor we are all working so hard to restore every day. The Buzzards Bay Coalition is excited to be a partner in this voluntary effort to improve bilge oil management. It has been wonderful to see the positive response and commitment from fishing vessel owners to cleaning up the Harbor,” said Mark Rasmussen, President, Buzzards Bay Coalition

More than 120 commercial vessels have signed up to participate in the program and each receives a complimentary inspection and specific recommendations on preventing oil spills. Rodney Avila, a former commercial fisherman from New Bedford was hired by the HDC to lead the program. Port Director, Edward Anthes-Washburn said, “By working with fishermen we have prevented countless oil spills and are maintaining a cleaner harbor. I think the education component of this program has been critical to the success we’ve had thus far.”

View a PDF of the release

Fish Farming In Gulf Poses Questions And Opportunities

February 3, 2016 — Most of the fish we eat in the U.S. comes from other countries. Fishermen in Louisiana have long sought to displace some of those imports but the industry has faced challenges like hurricanes and the 2010 BP oil spill.

Now, a new source of fish in the gulf offers promise — but also raises questions.

For the first time, the Gulf of Mexico is open for fish farming.

Companies can apply for permits through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency. Then they can install floating fish cages — like those already in place in state waters off the coasts of Maine, Washington and Hawaii.

Harlon Pearce owns Harlon’s LA Fish, which sells local fish to restaurants and grocery stores across the south. On a recent afternoon his refrigerated warehouse in Kenner was full of them. He pointed to yellowfin tuna, snapper, black drum and sheep’s head. It doesn’t always look this way.

Pearce, who is on the board of the Gulf Seafood Institute, says he freezes a lot of his fish in order to meet continuous demand, but ultimately always runs out. He wants to sell nationwide and contract with big chains, like Red Lobster, but he says, “We never have enough fish to supply the markets. Never.”

That’s true for a couple of reasons – the seafood industry in the Gulf still hasn’t bounced back from the 2010 BP oil spill, but it’s always fluctuated due to hurricanes and pollution.

Read the full story at New Orleans Public Radio

 

NORWAY: Oil spill dispersants do not increase cod exposure to toxins

September 9, 2015 — NORWAY — A recent study found that using dispersants moderately decreased the number of cod eggs and larvae affected by spills off the Norwegian coast.

Oil spills at sea can be catastrophic events, with oil and discharged toxins, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, threatening marine wildlife and coastlines, damaging healthy ecosystems and harming livelihoods, reports Science for Environment Policy.

Efforts to stop widespread damage from oil spills typically involve burning or collecting surface spills, or using dispersants. Dispersants are chemicals that help to break up the oil into smaller droplets, reducing or preventing the ascent of oil droplets from seabed spills, enhancing the mixing of the oil into the water column and making it easier for naturally occurring bacteria to break it down.

The use of dispersants has been controversial, particularly as earlier types were sometimes more environmentally damaging than the oil itself. Newer types of dispersants though are considered less toxic to the environment and are useful in preventing oil slicks travelling to sensitive areas, such as fish spawning grounds or places where there are stationary organisms, like mussels, which cannot escape.

Fish eggs and larvae are highly sensitive to oil toxins, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Using dispersants to break up surface slicks increases the concentration of total PAHs (TPAHs) in the water column where the cod eggs and larvae are found, which may increase the toxic effects of an oil spill.

Read the full story at FIS

Gulf Oil Spill Science Outreach Answers Unanswered Questions

July 10, 2015 — Five years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, fishermen, visitors and residents of the Gulf coast are still filled with unanswered question about what exactly happened during the spill and the lingering effects. A new oil spill science outreach program now allows Gulf Sea Grant specialists to examine what types of information these target audiences need and develop tailor-made solutions providing answers to these unanswered questions.

With funding from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, and administration by the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, Sea Grant Oil Spill Science Outreach Specialists from Florida to Texas are providing information through free seminars and publications.

“Last fall, the Outreach Team interviewed with more than 500 coastal residents and discovered that residents still had many questions about how the oil spill affected public health, the quality of the water, and the health of the plants and animals living in the Gulf,” said Christine Hale, Texas Sea Grant Oil Spill Science Outreach Specialist at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. “People are still concerned with the impacts of dispersants and oiling of habitats such as marshes and beaches.”

Read the full story from the Gulf Seafood Institute

Congress probing California oil spill that blackened beaches

June 25, 2015 — LOS ANGELES (AP) — A congressional committee Thursday opened a probe into an oil pipeline rupture on the Central California coast that spread to the Pacific Ocean and washed up goo on beaches as far as 100 miles away.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee asked operator Plains All American Pipeline for detailed information on maintenance of the failed line, including how it addressed corrosion, and inspection records for five years.

The panel also wants the company to explain what it did in the hours leading up to the break near Santa Barbara, and how it reported the problem. The spill was estimated at up to 101,000 gallons.

The Texas-based company has faced criticism for how long it took to relay information to the federal government on the break, even though its internal planning documents repeatedly stress the importance of notifying the government of a leak as quickly as possible.

In a letter to Plains CEO Greg Armstrong, the committee said it wanted to understand the circumstances leading up to the break, as well as what steps the company had taken to maintain the integrity of the line.

The cause of the accident is being investigated by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Earlier this month, the agency released preliminary findings that said the break occurred along a badly corroded section that had worn away to a fraction of an inch in thickness. An estimated 21,000 gallons entered the ocean.

In a separate letter Thursday, the committee asked the pipeline administration for an update of what it called long overdue pipeline safety rules.

Read the full story at U.S. News & World Report