Featured Service - Natural Resource Damage Assessment
Under the provisions of the Clean Water Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation Liability Act (CERCLA), the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), and numerous state statutes, natural resource impacts caused by the release of oil or hazardous substances into the environment must be restored and the public must be compensated for any loss of natural resource services. Cardno ENTRIX has extensive experience representing and providing strategic support to Responsible Parties under both CERCLA and OPA.
Natural resource damage claims can be filed, on behalf of the public, by a federal or state government entity, an American Indian tribe, or another country acting as a public trustee for the natural resources. Those filing the claim are generally referred to as Trustees.
Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) involves the quantification of ecological and recreational injuries and the costs (damages) of associated restoration efforts required to make the public whole. The assessment of natural resource injuries often conducted cooperatively with both the responsible party and the government. Damages can be paid directly to the Trustees as part of the settlement or in some cases the Responsible Party may offer to implement a restoration program in lieu of a cash settlement under a consent decree.
Cardno ENTRIX has all the requisite technical and strategic skills that are required to assist our clients in both CERCLA and OPA driven matters. The firm has amassed considerable experience in oil pollution incidents (see links below). Our staff includes experts in all the key disciplines associated with NRDA including biologists, economists, toxicologists, chemists and restoration ecologists. Our senior staff has experience in technical negotiations needed to bring difficult cases to settlement. Our experience includes working cooperatively with the Trustees on behalf of the RP to implement a course of study as well as supporting attorneys with experts, data and interpretations necessary for litigation.