States and the federal government rely on the oil and gas industry to self-report when they suffer a spill or release pollution into the water. Sadly, far too many companies frequently do not follow the law and every year thousands of spills and incidents go unreported and unaddressed.
Since April of 2010, GRN has begun monitoring the Gulf by plane and boat, taking hundreds of trips and reporting close to 200 illegal discharges. Our Gulf Monitoring program investigates pollution and ecosystem damage caused by the oil and gas industry in the Gulf Coast region. Through our monitoring we have discovered coal and petroleum coke spilling into water from export facilities; ruptured oil and gas pipelines; leaking oil platforms and well-heads; BP's ongoing impacts on Gulf coast beaches and wetlands; and damage to wetlands inflicted by pipelines. We use aerial photography combined with on-the-water observation to collect information, report incidents to the proper authorities, and analyze and publish our findings to educate the public to the continuing impact of industry on the Gulf.
GRN’s goal is to ensure that the oil and gas industry follows the law and is held accountable when they do not. The information we gather is also used to support advocacy for increased regulation of the industry and as evidence in litigation aimed at addressing continuing pollution and wetlands loss associated with the coal and oil and gas industries.
Our monitoring program is part of a larger effort of the GRN and its partners, through the Gulf Monitoring Consortium (GMC), to hold industry accountable.The GMC is a rapid-response alliance that collects and publishes information on pollution in the Gulf. Members of the GMC use satellite images and mapping, aerial reconnaissance and photography, on-the-water observation and sampling, as well as years of experience to identify, locate, and track new and ongoing oil spills. Other members of the GMC are:
Skytruth | Southwings | Vanishing Earth | Public Lab | Louisiana Bucket Brigade | Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper | Mobile Baykeeper | Suncoast Waterkeeper | Waterkeeper Alliance