The Niger Delta has
endured decades of environmental damage caused by oil pollution from leaky
pipelines, oil theft, oil spills, pipeline sabotage, and illegal refining
activities. To this day, the Nigerian National Oil Spill Detection and Response
Agency (NOSDRA) reports hundreds of oil spills each year in the region. Through
the Embassy Science Fellows (ESF) program, the EPA met with leadership of
NOSDRA and held a series of meetings and trainings to address important issues
regarding response, spill prevention and remediation of legacy sites. The ESF framework also enabled participation
by other U.S. Federal Agencies including NOAA, BSEE and the USCG. The partnership
on these issues is helping to contribute to State Department mission objectives
for advancing an environmental policy that balances energy security, economic
growth, and environmental protection.
