NRD process
BP, as part of the US Natural Resource Damages (NRD) assessment process, is working co-operatively with state and federal trustees on natural resource injuries in the Gulf of Mexico
Overview of the NRD process
The NRD process will identify the nature and extent of injuries to natural resources resulting from the Deepwater Horizon accident, and from the subsequent response activities.
The state and federal trustees have responsibility for the NRD process and BP chose to be a co-operative participant in the process.
As at 31 December 2011, BP had paid more than $600 million for assessment efforts. This is the largest NRD assessment conducted under the Oil Pollution Act to date and includes the collection and analysis of data from a large area in the northern Gulf of Mexico and in coastal areas of the five Gulf states.
The NRD process can take several years to complete because it requires the collection and analysis of an enormous amount of data that may be used to assess pre-spill conditions, to determine the extent of injury to resources, and identify projects to restore, rehabilitate or replace injured resources.
The state and federal trustees have responsibility for the NRD process and BP chose to be a co-operative participant in the process.
As at 31 December 2011, BP had paid more than $600 million for assessment efforts. This is the largest NRD assessment conducted under the Oil Pollution Act to date and includes the collection and analysis of data from a large area in the northern Gulf of Mexico and in coastal areas of the five Gulf states.
The NRD process can take several years to complete because it requires the collection and analysis of an enormous amount of data that may be used to assess pre-spill conditions, to determine the extent of injury to resources, and identify projects to restore, rehabilitate or replace injured resources.
In addition to assessing the injury to natural resources, BP is working in co-operation with the state and federal trustees to identify potential projects to restore the injured resources to the condition they would have been in if the incident had not occurred. In order to facilitate restoration while the damage assessment is under way, BP has voluntarily committed up to $1 billion to implement early restoration projects that are expected to commence in 2012.
Restoration projects are typically funded only after a final settlement has been reached or a final court judgment has been entered. The agreement between BP and the trustees makes it possible for restoration to begin at an earlier stage of the NRD process, before all of the natural resource damage claims are settled. It expedites work to restore, replace and acquire the equivalent of injured natural resources in the Gulf.
Trustees from each Gulf Coast state and the federal government held a series of public meetings during 2011 in each of the five states affected by the Deepwater Horizon incident. The meetings focused on the status of the injury assessment and the restoration process. Public comments were collected to help the trustees plan for environmental restoration. Further reports are expected to be released by the trustees in 2012.
Restoration projects are typically funded only after a final settlement has been reached or a final court judgment has been entered. The agreement between BP and the trustees makes it possible for restoration to begin at an earlier stage of the NRD process, before all of the natural resource damage claims are settled. It expedites work to restore, replace and acquire the equivalent of injured natural resources in the Gulf.
Trustees from each Gulf Coast state and the federal government held a series of public meetings during 2011 in each of the five states affected by the Deepwater Horizon incident. The meetings focused on the status of the injury assessment and the restoration process. Public comments were collected to help the trustees plan for environmental restoration. Further reports are expected to be released by the trustees in 2012.
Understanding impacts on wildlife and recreational uses
Scientists are studying a range of species, including marine mammals, birds, fish and plants to understand how wildlife populations may have been affected by the incident. Teams of experts are also studying habitats such as wetlands and beaches where those animals and plants live, with the goal of returning the environment to the condition that it would have been in if the Deepwater Horizon incident had not occurred.
In addition, experts for BP and the trustee agencies are looking at how recreational uses of the Gulf’s natural resources may have been affected by the Deepwater Horizon accident so that lost opportunities to enjoy those activities can be addressed through restoration.
Attestation
The information on this page forms part of the information reviewed and reported on by Ernst & Young as part of BP's 2011 sustainability reporting.
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