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Protecting Environmental
and Human Health

We have assessed more than

130 NATURAL RESOURCE
DAMAGE SITES

to plan for effective restoration.

BACKGROUND

Data
Transparency

Effective
Regulations

Restoring after
the Unexpected

ABT'S IMPACT

IMPROVING POLLUTION REPORTING

SUPPORTING EFFECTIVE REGULATIONS

RESTORING AFTER INJURIES

We have supported the U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory program for more than 25 years.

We work to improve data collection, train filers, ensure reporting quality and help drive adoption of cleaner technology.

As a result, policymakers, industry and communities are able to make more informed decisions.

 
EasyRSEI TRI Pollution PreventionIndustryProfile TRI for TribalCommunities 2015 TRI NationalAnalysis 2016 TRI National Analysisoff-sitetransfers map TRI P2 Profile:FoodManufacturing We have developed nearly a dozen tools to make pollution data accessible
RELEASES
TOXICITY
FACILITIES
POLLUTION PREVENTION
 

Click on the red boxes to view a selection of Abt's contributions

 

 

 

Answering questions like "How toxic?" and "Who's affected?" and "Where?"

Pounds of chemicals released only tells you so much...

We developed a state-of-the-art model called Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) to predict how chemical releases travel through the environment and potentially impact human populations.

How is RSEI Used?

RSEI results can be used to compare the potential impact of chemical releases.

By aggregating results across chemicals, facilities or industries, RSEI helps users identify situations with the greatest potential risk to human health.

 

Policy makers, industry and communities can use aggregated RSEI results to prioritize responses by potential impact across geographies, industries or chemicals.

Scientists and researchers use a disaggregated model output called RSEI Microdata that provides unique insights about the geographical distribution of pollution impacts at a very detailed level.

News organizations and government agencies use RSEI to inform the public about potential impacts from industrial pollution.

RSEI data has been used as a foundation for nearly a dozen other public information tools.

 

Provided analytic and technical support for more than 100 federal and state regulations.

We have developed new analytical methods, evaluated technical feasibility, estimated potential economic, environmental and human costs and benefits and analyzed the impact of regulations on groups such as vulnerable populations and small businesses.

 

Assessed damages to natural resources at more than 130 sites in the US.

 

After contaminants have been released to the environment it is important to understand the extent of injury to natural resources, ensure accountability from responsible parties, and plan for effective restoration so that environmental health can rebound effectively and economic damages can be compensated quickly.

We have performed assessments at more than 130 Natural Resource Damage Assessment sites in support of Trustee agencies including federal agencies, states, and Tribes.

Informed damage assessments across the European Union

 

We developed the definitive technical guide for assessing and quantifying natural resource damages in the EU, and have designed, directed and implemented assessment case studies in multiple member States.

We bring cutting-edge technology to assess and quantify disaster impacts

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, exposed and injured natural resources in many areas of the northern Gulf of Mexico.

To more effectively quantify impacts, we collaborated with researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other organizations to develop new methods using aerial and satellite imagery combined with GIS analysis to quantify oil slicks and more precisely quantify the length of shoreline oiled, increasing spatial precision by up to 40%.

Conducted thousands of toxicity tests to assess impacts of metals, oil and dispersants and pesticides on dozens of species

 

We found that concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; one class of toxic constituents in oil) as low as 1 μg/L (parts per billion) caused carditoxicity in 20 percent of the laboratory exposed red drum population.

These fish will not survive more than a day or two after hatching.

Provided expert litigation and settlement support for more than 30 years

We support agencies in high-profile environmental litigation, including support for settlement negotiations, mediation, and courtroom testimony. We have contributed to settlement of some of the largest natural resource damage litigation cases, resulting in billions of dollars of recoveries for restoration work.

 

We support agencies with restoration plans, National Environmental Policy Act analyses, strategic frameworks, monitoring plans, and assessments of restoration success across the U.S.

Supported large-scale restoration planning across the U.S.