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NPS Oil Spill Response
Complete information at:http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm
National Park Service Resource Advisors work closely with the Qualified Community Responders to assure park resources are protected during beach cleanups.
...
National Park Service Resource Advisors work closely with Qualified Community Responders to assure workers understand and protect park resources during beach cleanups.
Background
The National Park Service has been an integral part of the national federal response to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig which occurred in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, and tragically killed 11 of the rig?s crew.
What we're doing
June 24, 2010 Follow us on Twitter
The National Park Service has deployed incident management personnel from across the country to prepare for and respond to oil impacts along the Gulf Coast. We recognize that the national parks in the Gulf Coast attract millions of visitors each year and are integral to the economic fabric and natural systems of this region.
As oil continues to come onshore at Gulf Islands National Seashore and creeps closer to other national parks in Florida, Louisiana and Texas, National Park Service employees regularly based in these parks as well as those deployed as part of various incident teams are working to assess and clean up oil impacts and protect the park?s critical natural and cultural resources, including wildlife, birds, and historic structure and serve the visiting public.
All national parks in the Gulf coast region remain open to the public. To see a map, click here.
However, depending on future oil impacts, some temporary closures may occur. Please check individual park websites for further information by clicking on the appropriate link below.
The NPS Office of Public Health provides information about health effects related to the oil spill.
Who we work with
After oil spills, the responsible party (in this case BP) is legally required to fund and organize the cleanup under the U.S. Coast Guard. So even though you may not see rangers out on the beaches cleaning up oil, we?ll be there making sure that our natural and cultural resources are not damaged any further. Science and environmental compliance are the primary keys to decision making in the response efforts of the National Park Service. Visitor safety and protection of sensitive park resources are top priorities. Achieving recovery goals is a delicate and crucial balance between swift and immediate response and science-based decisions and actions which are intentional and measured.
Park status
For information about park closures and specific park operations, go to:
* Big Cypress National Preserve, FL
* Biscayne National Park, FL
* De Soto National Memorial, FL
* Dry Tortugas National Park, FL
* Everglades National Park, FL
* Gulf Islands National Seashore, FL and MS
* Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve, LA
* Padre Island National Seashore, TX
Resources at risk
National parks in the Gulf area are home to many amazing animals, habitats, and cultural resources. Here are just a few that could be affected by the oil spill:
* Seagrass beds are important nursery habitat for sea turtles, young fish, crabs, shrimp, and many other crustaceans. They also provide an important food source for manatees. Oil will kill seagrasses on contact and this community is slow to recover.
* Salt marshes, which occur in back bays, provide a buffer that protects the mainland during storm events. They also offer foraging sites for all kinds of birds. If oil kills these plants in the marsh, the soil will destabilize and erode.
* Mangroves are similar to salt marshes in that they provide a buffer between the sea and the mainland, as well as providing wildlife habitat.
* Shipwrecks, archeological sites, Civil War defenses, historic structures, and other cultural resources tell the stories of past inhabitants and key moments in our nation?s past. Damage from oil and cleanup operations is a concern for these treasures.
The ecosystems and wildlife represented in the parks could provide the biological and genetic diversity needed when the spill is over - they will be the well-springs of resurgence in wildlife populations.
Learning the hard way
We wish it weren't true, but the National Park Service has a lot of experience with oil spill cleanup. In 1989, the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska spilling 257,000 barrels of oil that washed up on the shores of three national parks. What was learned from that experience two decades ago is having a profound effect on what we are doing today in the Gulf. For more -- Kenai Fjords National Park wrote a summary, called 20 Years Later, detailing their experience with the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
How you can help
* Report oiled/distressed wildlife: (866) 557-1401
* Report community impacts: (866) 448-5816
* Volunteer: (866) 448-5816
* Register as a consultant, contractor, or vendor: (281) 366-5511
* Register boats available to assist: (281) 366-5511
...
Media inquiries
* About Gulf Islands (850) 916-5638
* About South Florida parks (305) 224-4215
* About Unified Command (985) 902-5240
Map of National Park Service units along the Gulf of Mexico
________________________________
[Mississippi Canyon Oil Spill Response-Current and Potential Public Health Issues:
Original PDF document: http://www.nps.gov/guis/planyourvisi...g%20Points.pdf
Air Quality
? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
is monitoring the air quality for volatile
chemical vapors emitted from the oil spill and
particulate matter/toxic chemicals generated
during controlled burning activities.
- Chemical vapors released are a mixture of
volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- Inhalation of VOCs can lead to a number
of short (e.g., irritation of the eyes, skin,
nose, and respiratory system) and longterm
health effects (e.g., respiratory problems).
- Controlled burning generates particulates
and toxic gases that degrade ambient air
quality.
? EPA is posting air quality monitoring data at
the following: http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/air.
html.
Water Quality
? EPA and its state partners are collecting coastal
water samples to determine potential threats
to human health.
? The oil spill is not currently expected to affect
drinking water supplies in public communities
at Gulf Island National Park and Jean Lafi tte
National Historic Park and Preserve; however,
drinking water and waste water issues may
pose a problem if national parks in southeast
Florida (Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas)
are impacted.
? EPA is posting coastal water quality monitoring
data at the following: http://www.epa.gov/
bpspill/water.html.
Seafood Consumption
? Oil can taint fi sh and shellfi sh rendering it unpalatable
and unsafe.
? Federal and state authorities have closed a
large area of the Gulf to commercial fi shing
and shellfi shing.
? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) are monitoring the seafood safety
issues. Adulterated seafood will be removed
from the food supply chain.
Occupational Exposures
? Spill response personnel can be exposed to
hazardous oil constituents via inhalation and
direct skin and mucous membrane contact. The
personal protective equipment (PPE) worn and
training must meet the level of exposure and
activity a person is performing.
? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA), the National Response Team
(NRT), and federal and state organizations are
working to determine risks for cleanup and
support services.
? The National Park Service and other agencies
are operating in a joint command structure to
ensure that safety plans and training requirements
are consistent for all response workers
Complete information at:http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/oil-spill-response.htm
National Park Service Resource Advisors work closely with the Qualified Community Responders to assure park resources are protected during beach cleanups.
...
National Park Service Resource Advisors work closely with Qualified Community Responders to assure workers understand and protect park resources during beach cleanups.
Background
The National Park Service has been an integral part of the national federal response to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig which occurred in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, and tragically killed 11 of the rig?s crew.
What we're doing
June 24, 2010 Follow us on Twitter
The National Park Service has deployed incident management personnel from across the country to prepare for and respond to oil impacts along the Gulf Coast. We recognize that the national parks in the Gulf Coast attract millions of visitors each year and are integral to the economic fabric and natural systems of this region.
As oil continues to come onshore at Gulf Islands National Seashore and creeps closer to other national parks in Florida, Louisiana and Texas, National Park Service employees regularly based in these parks as well as those deployed as part of various incident teams are working to assess and clean up oil impacts and protect the park?s critical natural and cultural resources, including wildlife, birds, and historic structure and serve the visiting public.
All national parks in the Gulf coast region remain open to the public. To see a map, click here.
However, depending on future oil impacts, some temporary closures may occur. Please check individual park websites for further information by clicking on the appropriate link below.
The NPS Office of Public Health provides information about health effects related to the oil spill.
Who we work with
After oil spills, the responsible party (in this case BP) is legally required to fund and organize the cleanup under the U.S. Coast Guard. So even though you may not see rangers out on the beaches cleaning up oil, we?ll be there making sure that our natural and cultural resources are not damaged any further. Science and environmental compliance are the primary keys to decision making in the response efforts of the National Park Service. Visitor safety and protection of sensitive park resources are top priorities. Achieving recovery goals is a delicate and crucial balance between swift and immediate response and science-based decisions and actions which are intentional and measured.
Park status
For information about park closures and specific park operations, go to:
* Big Cypress National Preserve, FL
* Biscayne National Park, FL
* De Soto National Memorial, FL
* Dry Tortugas National Park, FL
* Everglades National Park, FL
* Gulf Islands National Seashore, FL and MS
* Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve, LA
* Padre Island National Seashore, TX
Resources at risk
National parks in the Gulf area are home to many amazing animals, habitats, and cultural resources. Here are just a few that could be affected by the oil spill:
* Seagrass beds are important nursery habitat for sea turtles, young fish, crabs, shrimp, and many other crustaceans. They also provide an important food source for manatees. Oil will kill seagrasses on contact and this community is slow to recover.
* Salt marshes, which occur in back bays, provide a buffer that protects the mainland during storm events. They also offer foraging sites for all kinds of birds. If oil kills these plants in the marsh, the soil will destabilize and erode.
* Mangroves are similar to salt marshes in that they provide a buffer between the sea and the mainland, as well as providing wildlife habitat.
* Shipwrecks, archeological sites, Civil War defenses, historic structures, and other cultural resources tell the stories of past inhabitants and key moments in our nation?s past. Damage from oil and cleanup operations is a concern for these treasures.
The ecosystems and wildlife represented in the parks could provide the biological and genetic diversity needed when the spill is over - they will be the well-springs of resurgence in wildlife populations.
Learning the hard way
We wish it weren't true, but the National Park Service has a lot of experience with oil spill cleanup. In 1989, the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska spilling 257,000 barrels of oil that washed up on the shores of three national parks. What was learned from that experience two decades ago is having a profound effect on what we are doing today in the Gulf. For more -- Kenai Fjords National Park wrote a summary, called 20 Years Later, detailing their experience with the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
How you can help
* Report oiled/distressed wildlife: (866) 557-1401
* Report community impacts: (866) 448-5816
* Volunteer: (866) 448-5816
* Register as a consultant, contractor, or vendor: (281) 366-5511
* Register boats available to assist: (281) 366-5511
...
Media inquiries
* About Gulf Islands (850) 916-5638
* About South Florida parks (305) 224-4215
* About Unified Command (985) 902-5240
Map of National Park Service units along the Gulf of Mexico
________________________________
[Mississippi Canyon Oil Spill Response-Current and Potential Public Health Issues:
Original PDF document: http://www.nps.gov/guis/planyourvisi...g%20Points.pdf
Air Quality
? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
is monitoring the air quality for volatile
chemical vapors emitted from the oil spill and
particulate matter/toxic chemicals generated
during controlled burning activities.
- Chemical vapors released are a mixture of
volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- Inhalation of VOCs can lead to a number
of short (e.g., irritation of the eyes, skin,
nose, and respiratory system) and longterm
health effects (e.g., respiratory problems).
- Controlled burning generates particulates
and toxic gases that degrade ambient air
quality.
? EPA is posting air quality monitoring data at
the following: http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/air.
html.
Water Quality
? EPA and its state partners are collecting coastal
water samples to determine potential threats
to human health.
? The oil spill is not currently expected to affect
drinking water supplies in public communities
at Gulf Island National Park and Jean Lafi tte
National Historic Park and Preserve; however,
drinking water and waste water issues may
pose a problem if national parks in southeast
Florida (Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas)
are impacted.
? EPA is posting coastal water quality monitoring
data at the following: http://www.epa.gov/
bpspill/water.html.
Seafood Consumption
? Oil can taint fi sh and shellfi sh rendering it unpalatable
and unsafe.
? Federal and state authorities have closed a
large area of the Gulf to commercial fi shing
and shellfi shing.
? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) are monitoring the seafood safety
issues. Adulterated seafood will be removed
from the food supply chain.
Occupational Exposures
? Spill response personnel can be exposed to
hazardous oil constituents via inhalation and
direct skin and mucous membrane contact. The
personal protective equipment (PPE) worn and
training must meet the level of exposure and
activity a person is performing.
? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA), the National Response Team
(NRT), and federal and state organizations are
working to determine risks for cleanup and
support services.
? The National Park Service and other agencies
are operating in a joint command structure to
ensure that safety plans and training requirements
are consistent for all response workers