15 CFR § 990.52 - Injury assessment—quantification.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t15/s990.52"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "15 CFR § 990.52 - Injury assessment—quantification."
title_number: 15
title_name: "Commerce and Foreign Trade"
section_number: "990.52"
section_name: "Injury assessment—quantification."
chapter_name: "NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE"
subchapter_number: "E"
subchapter_name: "OIL POLLUTION ACT REGULATIONS"
part_number: "990"
part_name: "NATURAL RESOURCE DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-04-05"
last_updated: "2026-04-05"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "33 U.S.C. 2701"
regulatory_source: "61 FR 500, Jan. 5, 1996, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "990"
---


# 990.52 Injury assessment—quantification.

(a) *General.* In addition to determining whether injuries have resulted from the incident, trustees must quantify the degree, and spatial and temporal extent of such injuries relative to baseline.

(b) *Quantification approaches.* Trustees may quantify injuries in terms of:

(1) The degree, and spatial and temporal extent of the injury to a natural resource;

(2) The degree, and spatial and temporal extent of injury to a natural resource, with subsequent translation of that adverse change to a reduction in services provided by the natural resource; or

(3) The amount of services lost as a result of the incident.

(c) *Natural recovery.* To quantify injury, trustees must estimate, quantitatively or qualitatively, the time for natural recovery without restoration, but including any response actions. The analysis of natural recovery may consider such factors as:

(1) The nature, degree, and spatial and temporal extent of injury;

(2) The sensitivity and vulnerability of the injured natural resource and/or service;

(3) The reproductive and recruitment potential;

(4) The resistance and resilience (stability) of the affected environment;

(5) The natural variability; and

(6) The physical/chemical processes of the affected environment.