Gulf Oil Spill Disaster Response

What's New

News and Information

NIH Launches Largest Oil Spill Healthy Study
(Feb. 28, 2011)
A new study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will look at possible health effects of the Gulf of Mexico's Deepwater Horizon oil spill on 55,000 cleanup workers and volunteers, beginning on Feb. 28, 2011, in towns across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. The study is expected to last for up to 10 years.

CDC Gulf States Population Survey
(Dec. 21, 2010)
Data collection for the CDC Gulf States Population Survey (GSPS) began on Dec. 15, 2010 and will continue monthly for one year in selected Gulf Coast counties affected by the oil spill. The survey questionnaire was developed by CDC in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and state public health and mental health departments from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida where the survey is being conducted.

NOAA Gulf Restoration Planning
(Oct. 21, 2010)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released two new fact sheets on pre-assessment and restoration approaches that are being planned under the Natural Resource Damage Assessment.

CDC/ NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Interim Report
(Oct. 15, 2010)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have released the seventh interim Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Report.

Statement from President Obama
(Sept. 14, 2010)
The White House blog has posted a video of President Barack Obama's address to members of the U.S. Coast Guard in Panama City, FL.

Update from Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center
(Sept. 14, 2010)
This update provides the latest information on the ongoing administration response in the Gulf, including: number of claims submitted and granted, number of active response personnel, and general clean-up and recovery information.

EPA Monitoring Information
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to collect and test coastal sediment, air, and water samples. The EPA has also been monitoring landfills for the presence of chemicals usually found in oil.

Press Release: NIH to Launch Gulf Oil Spill Study (Sept. 7, 2010)
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will launch a multi-year Gulf Worker Study—a health study of oil spill workers and volunteers—this fall to look at the potential health effects from the oil spill. NIH has contributed $10 million for the study's initial phases, and BP will contribute an additional $10 million to fund this and other research.

IOM Meeting on Sept. 22 for Feedback on Gulf Study

Message from NACCHO Executive Director, Robert Pestronk

While emergency response is in place, NACCHO will be an active, accessible, and valued partner for local health departments in the Gulf Coast region as they respond to the effects of the uncontrolled release of millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

Our purpose is two-fold: to provide effective advocacy on behalf of members who have been affected by the disaster and to share timely information in order to advance members’ efforts on the ground.

As a part of NACCHO’s response, I recently toured the Mississippi coastline region and met with local officials involved in the response. Coming on the heels of the slow but visible recovery from Hurricane Katrina, the psychological, economic, and social effects of both the absence and presence of oil are once again testing and proving the incredible resiliency of local residents from all walks of life. While local response is active, NACCHO will provide news and information from federal and state partners through this website, conference calls, and e-mail outreach aggregating information from a wide range of sources.

Your input and feedback is essential to improve NACCHO’s own response efforts to this and future events. We are here to serve you. Your relationships, policies, and effective day-to-day services make health possible and protect people. Thanks for all you do.

Please send questions or comments to NACCHOEOCadmin@naccho.org. If you are a NACCHO member who would like to receive e-mail updates from NACCHO about oil-release events, please e-mail cdobuzinskis@naccho.org. Thank you.

Featured Resources

Restore the Gulf
The official federal portal for the Deepwater BP oil spill response and recovery. This site provides the public with information on the response, current operations, news and updates, filing claim and obtaining other assistance, as well as links to federal, state, and local partners.

CDC, Emergency Preparedness and Response—2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
This website provides health surveillance information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as situational updates, information on public health issues and hazardous substances, studies of previous spills, and other resources from the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration—Disaster Response
A source of practical advice and resources on dealing with the potential mental and physical effects during a disaster, including tips for parents, teachers, and emergency responders; treatment hotline information; and disaster kit material.

CDC, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)—Deepwater Horizon Response
Important information on NIOSH's efforts to protect oil spill clean up workers, includes rosters of clean up workers, data on illness and injury, and interim guidance on protecting the health of clean up workers and volunteers in the Gulf.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—Oil Spill Response
Updated information on seafood safety, reopening of closed waters by state, and the overall impact of the oil spill.

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
News, information, and resources from our state partners.