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The page highlights selected meetings, documents, website resources, joint Industry/Government activities and other information concerning natural resource liability, damage, assessment, restoration and related issues. We invite your additions, including documents, articles, information on other joint activities and more. Information may be sent to info@nrdonline.org.
Industry/Government Activities
Since 1988, the Group has undertaken the bulk of business/industry activities related to natural resource damages policy and practice. In addition, from time to time, various industrial trade groups have also taken an active role, often in collaboration with the Group. Listed below is a description of the Group’s Industry/Trustee NRD Standing Committee aimed at strengthening working relationships between the business/industrial community and governmental authorities (“trustees”).
Committee Background
- The “NRD Industry/Trustee Standing Committee” was established by the Ad-Hoc Industry Natural Resource Management Group in 1999 in order to provide a focal point and a clearinghouse for communications between the industrial community and government departments and agencies on NRD liability (as defined under CERCLA, the Oil Pollution Act and other laws) and related assessment and restoration issues. The Standing Committee meets 2 or 3 times per year -- in Washington, DC -- and has undertaken a number of joint projects and activities of mutual interest in an effort to encourage practice advancements. Participants in the Committee include a subset of the industrial company members of the multisector Ad-Hoc Industry Natural Resource Management Group. On an invited basis, representatives of five federal natural resource trustee Departments and Agencies (Agriculture, Commerce/NOAA, Defense, Energy, Interior) and representatives from the state trustee and tribal communities participate. Also, on an invited basis, five major business/industry associations (American Chemistry Council, American Petroleum Institute, National Association of Manufacturers, National Mining Association, US Chamber of Commerce) participate. Other private and public entities are sometimes also invited to attend a specific meeting. The Committee provides a mechanism for ongoing dialogue and practice exchange on NRD and allied issues, including remediation of hazardous waste sites, oil spill cleanup, emergency response, prevention, risk assessment, resource restoration and more, as well as a forum for identifying and undertaking collaborative projects and activities, as appropriate, including development of databases, documents and other resources. For current information, contact us at info@nrdonline.org.
Collaborative Projects
- Project #1 - Cooperative NRDA Guiding Principles and Sample Provisions (2006- Present) This document was prepared by the Group in cooperation with federal and state trustees and provides sample provisions and principles that can be used to serve as tools for parties undertaking a cooperative natural resource damage assessment at specific sites. In addition, the Committee is exploring development of “Cooperative Assessment Templates” for hazardous substance sites reflecting both industry and trustee objectives and concerns, with optional bracketed provisions or alternative provisions. The template would not be mandatory and would focus on hazardous substance sites. The intent is to create document that is simpler to use than the current compilation of provisions from various agreements and that is not the product of any one party or agency; reduce transaction costs and time involved in initiating cooperative assessment process; support achievement of key trustee and industry NRDA objectives.
- Project #2 - Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration: Key Principles and General Standards Guiding Practice in the United States (2012 - Present) This document was prepared by the Group in cooperation with federal and state trustees and provides well-established principles reflected in actual natural resource damage assessment and restoration practice aimed at fostering achievement of timely and cost-effective restoration of natural resources. A larger treatment of the matter, published in Bloomberg BNA on August 14, 2014 is also provided here for general information. ("Beyond the Headlines: Best Practices to Restore Natural Resources Injured by Long-Term Hazardous Waste Releases, Oil Spills and Transport and Other Accidents"
- Project # 3 - Searchable Restoration Project Catalog (2014 - Present) This database, prepared by the Group in cooperation with federal and state trustee,s provides consolidated and comprehensive information on natural resource restoration projects undertaken in the context of NRD sites, searchable by nearly 20 parameters. An update to this catalog is currently being prepared and will be posted here soon.
- Project #4 - Third Party Neutral Approaches in the Context of NRDAs (2016 - Present) TIn 2016, the Committee set up a small working group comprised of company and government representatives in late 2016 to explore the use of Third Party Neutral Approaches in the context of natural resource damage assessment and restoration (NRDAR). The working group supports the availability and use of these approaches as a possible additional tool for use in Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) applications, notably where this can be useful in moving a case along and/or successfully moving it to conclusion.
- Project # 5 - Intergenerational NRDA Issues (2019 - Present) In Fall 2019 at the Group’s Multi-Stakeholder NRD State of the Practice Meeting, the Group convened a panel comprised of a mix of seasoned and newer practitioners in a variety of disciplines from both public and private sectors to exchange views on key issues, lessons learned and that should be relayed to the “next generation” of NRDA practitioners. Rapporteurs provided summary observations of what was discussed to identify specific resources, tools, trainings, etc. that might be developed to catalog the collective experience and knowledge and/or follow up activities (e.g., specialty workshop, joint training, other). The Committee is exploring several recommended next steps for this activity including appropriate discussion forums and training opportunities.
Documents
The West Coast Joint Assessment Team (JAT) has released a revised draft version of the document, "Recommendations for Conducting Cooperative Natural Resource Damage Assessments" (October 2017).
Meetings
The Ad-Hoc Industry Natural Resource Management Group has been tracking NRD and related meetings since its found in 1988. For a current listing of NRD meetings in the current year, see here.
Website Resources
In addition to key government and industry websites (see Further Information), the websites listed below contain NRDA case/site information compiled by industry, government and other entities. Additional website resources are welcome here.
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