The Deepwater Horizon
oil spill triggered a process under the U.S. Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to
determine the extent and severity of the “injury” to the public trust, known as
the Natural Resources Damage Assessment. The assessment requires quantifying
the extent of damage; developing, implementing and monitoring restoration
plans; and seeking compensation for the costs of assessment and restoration
from those deemed responsible for the injury.
“Approaches
for Ecosystem Services Valuation for the Gulf of Mexico After the Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill: Interim Report,” from National Academies Press, provides
options for expanding the current effort to include the analysis of ecosystem
services to help address the unprecedented scale of this spill in U.S. waters
and the challenges it presents to those charged with undertaking the damage
assessment.