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Gulf of Mexico Debris Mapping Project. In FY06 Congress allocated $20M to Office of Coast Survey and Office of Response and Restoration for Marine Debris Mapping under HR 4939 Five task orders to five firms already under contract to OCS
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Gulf of Mexico Debris Mapping Project • In FY06 Congress allocated $20M to Office of Coast Survey and Office of Response and Restoration for Marine Debris Mapping under HR 4939 • Five task orders to five firms already under contract to OCS • Awarded in Fiscal Year 2006, field work to be completed in Fiscal Year 2007 (four months from allocation to award) • Data utilization will be two-fold: • locate hazards to navigation and update NOAA’s nautical charts • provide location of debris to ORR for prioritization and removal by FEMA and other agencies
Gulf of Mexico Debris Mapping Project • Survey areas were defined with input from local constituents and commercial fishing community • 327 sq nmi in Alabama • 110 sq nmi in Mississippi • 174 sq nmi in Louisiana • $1.4M to Office of Response and Restoration (ORR) for coordination, public outreach and web-based data dissemination • Removal Strategies and Risk Assessment are being defined by ORR with collaboration from FEMA and USCG • Method for location – 100% Side Scan Sonar • New technologies are being implemented including Interferometric sonar and Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV)