NOAA Office of Response and Restoration News | July 2026

Office of Response and Restoration

Prepare • Respond • Restore • Recover

July 2026

News

In this edition:

Response and Restoration News
Responding to Ship Groundings
Upcoming Events
On the Ground with OR&R

Three orange train locomotives derailed and tilting on a wooden trestle bridge over water.

40 Incidents, 13 States: Inside a Busy Start to 2026

From a train derailment in Oregon to extreme Pacific storms, the first quarter of 2026 has kept NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration around the clock. In our latest blog, we look back at the 40 new incidents—including 34 oil spills and 3 hazardous material releases—that OR&R supported in the first quarter of the year. From predicting crude oil paths in the Gulf to advanced chemical hazard modeling, get an inside look at how we mitigate environmental disasters to protect both communities and trust resources across the country.

^{Image credit: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.}

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Screenshot of NOAA’s public DIVER website homepage showing the DIVER Environmental Data Catalog and tools.

New Environmental Data Catalog now live on DIVER website

The public environmental data website, DIVER, is home to a new DIVER Environmental Data Catalog. This new catalog acts as a central library, making it easier for the public to find and download NOAA-created data packages for damage assessments, restoration project monitoring, publications, and special projects.

^{Image credit: NOAA.}

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A person wearing a jacket and an orange beanie stands on a dock in the sun holding two retrieved crab trap debris items.

Many Hands Make Light Work: 20 Years of Working Together for a Debris-Free Future

Twenty years ago, the NOAA Marine Debris Program was established as the U.S. Government’s lead to reduce and prevent the adverse impacts of marine debris on our ocean and Great Lakes. Director Jason Philibotte reflects on the program's 20 years of progress, the partnerships that made it possible, and the work still ahead to address marine debris.

^{Image credit: NOAA.}

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More News

Protecting the Living Waters of the Channel Islands from Marine Debris

Opportunity for Public Input on Proposed Restoration Projects for Galveston Bay, Texas

Keeping Puget Sound Clean: 29 Abandoned Boats Removed, Deconstructed, and Recycled

Using Smartphone Data to Measure Recreation Impacts After Environmental Disasters

A Day in the Life of a Marine Debris Technician in Papahānaumokuākea

Extracting Sunken Vessels and Creating Safer Waters in Puerto Rico

Army Creek Trustees Release Revised Wetlands Restoration Plan

Responding to Ship Groundings: Minimizing Harm and Promoting Recovery

Response crews at shore are removing sections of a 202-foot grounded freighter to prepare the vessel for removal in calm waters.

Even with advanced modern navigation, ships of all sizes still run aground in U.S. waters. When they do, they can leave behind damage to sensitive habitats, debris, abandoned vessels, and the threat of pollution from leaks and hazardous cargo releases.

Read our latest deep dive to see how NOAA and its partners help injured habitats recover and communities regain the benefits of healthy coasts.

^{Left image: Response crews cut and removed sections of the 202-foot grounded freighter}^Jireh^{to prepare the vessel for final removal and disposal from Mona Island, Puerto Rico, on Aug. 18, 2012. Image credit: U.S Coast Guard.}

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Upcoming Events

August

18-20

Science of Chemical Releases Class
Seattle, Washington

Multi-day training equipping beginner- to intermediate-level responders with a science-based framework for analyzing chemical and hazardous materials spills and making risk-based decisions to protect public health and the environment.

A three-panel photo collage showing a NOAA Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique training course.

On the Ground with OR&R

In June, local, state and federal agency emergency responders gathered in St. Petersburg, Florida, for OR&R’s multi-day Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique training class. The specialized program equips participants with vital skills for oil spill response and shoreline assessment and helps U.S. Coast Guard members attain their emergency oil spill response qualifications as mandated by Coast Guard training requirements. Guided by experts from OR&R, Research Planning, Inc., and Florida Fish and Wildlife, classroom sessions covered physical coastal processes, Environmental Sensitivity Index atlases, and cleanup methods and endpoints. Responders also utilized an oil types kit to analyze oil fate and behavior. Instructors addressed critical compliance issues under the National Historic Preservation Act and Endangered Species Act, as well as emerging technologies like eSCAT and unmanned aircraft systems. Responders paired classroom theory with practical field exercises, completing Shoreline Oil Summary forms and practicing real-world data collection at local parks.

^{Above image: A three-panel photo collage showing scenes from a OR&R Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique training class in St. Petersburg, Florida, June 2026. Image credit: NOAA.}

The mission of the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) is to support clean, healthy coasts and economies. Working across four core pillars of preparedness, response, restoration, and recovery, OR&