In May 2004, a settlement agreement approved by a federal judge resolved several lawsuits related to the New Carissa spill. The part of the settlement agreement regarding natural resource damages requires the RPs to pay the US $4M, but the settlement recognizes that is not full compensation for the natural resource damages. Under a separate agreement, the trustees are permitted to submit a claim to the NPFC for any additional money needed to restore the damages which manages the OSLTF that provides funding for cleanup and natural resource restoration costs for “uncompensated claims” resulting from oil spills in the US. The money in the fund comes from a tax on oil transported within the United States.

The Damage Assessment Restoration Plan sets forth a number of actions to restore the resources and services lost to the public because of this spill. The plan includes details of the actions to be taken, as well as all the changes made to the draft plan, and should be consulted for details.