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Recovering From Damage
Environmental damage caused by oil or hazardous material spills can devastate an area. After an oil spill or hazardous substance release, response agencies clean up the substance and work to reduce or eliminate the damage to human health and the environment. But sometimes these efforts do not fully restore injured natural resources or address their lost uses by the public.
The Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Program is the legal and technical process designed to restore the damaged area and ensure that those responsible—and not taxpayers—pay for restoring the affected area.
The Texas General Land Office NRDA Trustees act on behalf of the public to identify the injured natural resources and determine the extent of the impact. They also recover damages from the responsible party to plan and carry out restoration activities. In Texas, three state agencies are designated as NRDA trustees: the Texas General Land Office (GLO), the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
On the federal level in Texas, the NRDA trustees are the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) with authority delegated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Learn more about the Roles of the Trustees.
Restoration Projects
ALCOA Superfund Site
Project: ALCOA Superfund Site
Location: Lavaca Bay
Restoration Location: Lavaca Bay
Restoration Project: Creation of 11 acres of oyster reef, construction of 3 fishing piers and improvement of 3 boat ramps, created 70 acres of estuarine marsh and included in acquisition of coastal prairie and wetlands to expand Aransas NWR by 729 acres. Aransas NWR is wintering habitat for whooping cranes.
Project: ALCOA Superfund Site
Location: Lavaca Bay
Restoration Location: Lavaca Bay
Restoration Project: Creation of 11 acres of oyster reef, construction of 3 fishing piers and improvement of 3 boat ramps, created 70 acres of estuarine marsh and included in acquisition of coastal prairie and wetlands to expand Aransas NWR by 729 acres. Aransas NWR is wintering habitat for whooping cranes.
Project: ALCOA Superfund Site
Location: Lavaca Bay
Restoration Location: Lavaca Bay
Restoration Project: Creation of 11 acres of oyster reef, construction of 3 fishing piers and improvement of 3 boat ramps, created 70 acres of estuarine marsh and included in acquisition of coastal prairie and wetlands to expand Aransas NWR by 729 acres. Aransas NWR is wintering habitat for whooping cranes.
Project: ALCOA Superfund Site
Location: Lavaca Bay
Restoration Location: Lavaca Bay
Restoration Project: Creation of 11 acres of oyster reef, construction of 3 fishing piers and improvement of 3 boat ramps, created 70 acres of estuarine marsh and included in acquisition of coastal prairie and wetlands to expand Aransas NWR by 729 acres. Aransas NWR is wintering habitat for whooping cranes.
Tex Tin Superfund Site
Project: Tex Tin Superfund Site
Location: Galveston Bay
Restoration Location: Galveston Bay (Swan Lake)
Restoration Project: Creation of approximately 30 acres of intertidal and high marsh behind a breakwater constructed by Corps of Engineers as part of a separate but related remediation action. The marsh was constructed to mimic the natural pre-erosion marsh located in Swan Lake prior to 1960.
Project: Tex Tin Superfund Site
Location: Galveston Bay
Restoration Location: Galveston Bay (Swan Lake)
Restoration Project: Creation of approximately 30 acres of intertidal and high marsh behind a breakwater constructed by Corps of Engineers as part of a separate but related remediation action. The marsh was constructed to mimic the natural pre-erosion marsh located in Swan Lake prior to 1960.
Project: Tex Tin Superfund Site
Location: Galveston Bay
Restoration Location: Galveston Bay (Swan Lake)
Restoration Project: Creation of approximately 30 acres of intertidal and high marsh behind a breakwater constructed by Corps of Engineers as part of a separate but related remediation action. The marsh was constructed to mimic the natural pre-erosion marsh located in Swan Lake prior to 1960.
Col-Tex State Superfund Site
Project: Col-Tex State Superfund Site
Location: Colorado City, Texas, Colorado River
Restoration Location: Colorado City, Texas, Colorado River
Restoration Project: Planting of vegetated uplands and riparian habitats to enhance and revegetate areas impacted by and adjacent to the area of contaminant release. Restoration site features include a wildlife watering facility. The restoration site abuts the Colorado River.
Project: Col-Tex State Superfund Site
Location: Colorado City, Texas, Colorado River
Restoration Location: Colorado City, Texas, Colorado River
Restoration Project: Planting of vegetated uplands and riparian habitats to enhance and revegetate areas impacted by and adjacent to the area of contaminant release. Restoration site features include a wildlife watering facility. The restoration site abuts the Colorado River.
Project: Col-Tex State Superfund Site
Location: Colorado City, Texas, Colorado River
Restoration Location: Colorado City, Texas, Colorado River
Restoration Project: Planting of vegetated uplands and riparian habitats to enhance and revegetate areas impacted by and adjacent to the area of contaminant release. Restoration site features include a wildlife watering facility. The restoration site abuts the Colorado River.
Project: Col-Tex State Superfund Site
Location: Colorado City, Texas, Colorado River
Restoration Location: Colorado City, Texas, Colorado River
Restoration Project: Planting of vegetated uplands and riparian habitats to enhance and revegetate areas impacted by and adjacent to the area of contaminant release. Restoration site features include a wildlife watering facility. The restoration site abuts the Colorado River.
Jane Sarosdy
