A Scientific Support Coordinator from OR&R’s Emergency Response Division participated in a Republic of Korea - U.S. Joint Maritime Oil Spill Response Subject Matter Expert Exchange Workshop held in Busan, Republic of Korea (ROK). The purpose of the workshop, sponsored by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, was for U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and key ROK stakeholders to develop working relationships and procedures in order to effectively respond to an oil spill from a USFK facility or operation in the ROK. USFK operates several installations and contingency locations in the ROK, as well as associated vessels and other equipment. Workshop participants included representatives of the ROK’s Coast Guard, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and Ministry of the Environment; Korea Environment Institute; Marine Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response Regional Activity Center; Korea Navy, USFK; and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Among the topics presented by NOAA were an overview of OR&R’s scientific support role in oil and chemical spill responses in the U.S. and NOAA response tools available to spill responders. A spill table-top exercise was conducted during the workshop and participants also toured ROK response facilities and equipment in Busan.

Texas and federal trustees met at the Fisheries Center in Athens, Texas for the bi-annual Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Texas Trustee Summit. Trustees included members from NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Interior, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Office of Attorney General, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and Texas General Land Office. Federal and state trustees shared updates on case progress and project updates related to injury assessment and restoration. A NOAA Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) scientist presented on common and potential marsh injury assessment techniques. Attendees also had an opportunity to listen to other presentations on NRDA small spills and incident response.

Staff from the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R)’s Disaster Preparedness Program and Emergency Response Division attended the first in-person convening of the Coastal Inundation Community of Practice in Seattle, Washington. The community of practice is facilitated by the American Society of Adaptation Professionals, NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management and the National Sea Grant Office, with the goal of creating a national network of practitioners that facilitates peer-to-peer learning, information exchange, and collaborative engagement to advance coastal flooding science, knowledge and solutions. The forum allowed peers from academia, non-profits, the private sector and federal, state and local government the opportunity to share tools (for example, the recently announced NOAA Sea Level Calculator), resources and stories for coastal flooding adaptation around the country. The two-day event was hosted at the University of Washington’s Center for Urban Horticulture facility. Many participants enjoyed optional field trips on the meeting’s final day to see local examples of flood resilience projects. One field trip visited Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve to learn about the new Samish Conservation Area Project, where engagement with Samish Island residents and Samish Indian Nation is leading the way for the future resilience of this land.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program within the Office of Response and Restoration hosted an in-person workshop for participants of the Washington Marine Debris Action Plan. The inaugural six-year Washington Marine Debris Action Plan provided a comprehensive framework for strategic action to prevent and reduce marine debris throughout Washington, including the Puget Sound, the Northwest Straits, Washington’s Pacific Coast, and Columbia River estuary, and inland sources. As the first edition of the plan draws to a close, partners representing 25 different entities gathered in Port Angeles, Washington to strategically update collaborative goals and strategies that address the marine debris problem throughout the state. Over the course of the two-day workshop, regional partners presented on their accomplishments and recent work to address marine debris as well as participated in marine debris topic-based workgroup discussions. Participants also discussed changes to the 2018-2024 Action Plan and kicked off the process of creating the next iteration of the Washington Marine Debris Action Plan to be published in 2025.

NOAA and the Environmental Protection Agency jointly released their annual updates for CAMEO Data Manager and Tier2 Submit™, two programs that aid users in meeting regulatory filing and emergency response planning efforts under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). Both programs are part of the CAMEO® software suite, a set of tools to help emergency planners and responders with hazardous chemical releases. Annually, the suite has over eight million page views online and more than 500,000 downloads of the desktop and mobile app programs.

Web Highlight

First Lego League Students Float Oil Spill Response Innovations to OR&R Scientists

Throughout November, OR&R scientists across the country have explained oil spill response practices and technologies to students participating in FIRST LEGO League, a research and robotics tournament for 9-16 year-old students. OR&R scientists have met with several different school groups—and the requests keep coming in!