Month: March 2023

Lessons from Exxon Valdez oil spill

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On March 24, 1989, the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on a charted rock, Bligh Reef, in Prince William Sound. An estimated 11 million gallons (257,000 barrels) of Alaska North Slope crude oil spilled into the remote, pristine, resource-laden environment, less than 30 miles from Valdez. The oil fouled approximately 1,300 miles of wildlife-abundant shoreline.

Alaskans worked hard to make changes and develop a better system. One of these changes, the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council, works every day to make sure this type of disaster never happens again.

Here are a few of the lessons we’ve documented:

Photo of oil from 1989 Exxon Valdez spill on Eleanor Island. Photo taken July 25, 2018. Photo by Dave Janka.
Exxon Valdez oil lingers on Eleanor Island in Prince William Sound. Photo taken July 25, 2018 by Dave Janka.
  1. Be prepared. Contingency plans must be in place ahead of time to quickly and effectively respond to an oil spill. More about Alaska’s plans: Contingency Plans
  2. Train responders before a spill: Proper training is essential for an effective response in an emergency situation. More about how local Alaskans are trained to protect their waters: Fishing Vessel Oil Spill Response Training
  3. Maintain best available technology: Constantly improving technology for detecting and responding to oil spills, including better communication systems, and improves cleanup and containment systems. More: Council research fills gap in knowledge about line-throwing technology
  4. Maintain strong regulations: Strong regulatory oversight ensures that everyone follows best practices for oil spill prevention, response, and cleanup. More: How Alaskans redefined oil spill prevention and response
  5. Involve the public: The Exxon Valdez oil spill showed the importance of involving the public in decision-making processes related to oil spill prevention, response, and cleanup. More: An innovative solution – regional citizens’ advisory councils
  6. Prevent spills from happening: One of the biggest lessons is that preventing a spill in the first place is the best way to protect the environment. No spill can ever be completely cleaned up. Oil from the Exxon Valdez spill can still be found in some locations in Prince William Sound. More: Lingering oil (EVOSTC website)

Invasive species intern recognized for stewardship of Alaska’s coastal waters

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Photo of Mia holding a small crab discovered while setting traps for invasive European green crab. The crab she is holding is native to Alaska.
Mia Siebenmorgen Cresswell

By Maia Draper-Reich, Danielle Verna, & Kate Morse

In January, the Alaska SeaLife Center announced that the Council’s former intern Mia Siebenmorgen Cresswell would receive one of its 2023 Alaska Ocean Leadership awards. These awards are given to Alaskans who have made “significant contributions to the awareness and sustainability of the state’s marine resources.”

The Council was proud to support her nomination for the Ocean Youth Award category, which recognizes an individual or team of youth up to 19 years old who has displayed a dedication to promoting the understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s oceans. This honor includes a $500 cash prize.

Read more

Board of Directors confirm new representatives

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At the January meeting of the Board of Directors, the Council confirmed the appointment of directors for two Cordova member entities. Robert Beedle, who has represented the City of Cordova since 2013, was appointed by the Cordova District Fishermen United to represent their interests. This left the City of Cordova’s seat vacant. The city named David Janka to replace Beedle.

Born and raised in Cordova, Alaska, where he still lives, Beedle started commercial fishing in summer of 1975 and currently gillnets and long-lines halibut in the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound. He also owns and operates a small business called Columbia Refrigeration. Beedle serves on the Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation board and was previously president of the Cordova’s Telephone Co-op’s board.

David Janka was appointed to represent the City of Cordova. Janka has been a resident of Prince William Sound for 46 years, the last 30 in Cordova. Before his retirement as owner/operator of Auklet Charters, Janka worked as a contractor for the Council. He brings previous experience with research projects and environmental issues, including work with federal, state, university, and non-governmental organizations.

Both directors were approved for two-year terms to represent their member entities.

Temporary recreation seat added to Board; permanent entity to be considered

The Board approved the creation of a temporary recreation seat and confirmed the appointment of Jim Herbert of Homer as the representative.

The temporary seat was created to provide a dedicated representative for recreation interests until the Council can conduct a request for qualifications process to determine if there is an appropriate entity in the region willing represent recreation interests on the board. Recreation interests have been represented in the past by the Alaska Wilderness Recreation & Tourism Association (1992-2015), board members that bring recreation representation interests in addition to their designated member entity, and through our city council and borough member entities.

Herbert, currently living in Homer, has been a resident of the Kenai Peninsula since 1971. He is involved in several recreation groups and activities, including serving on the Steering Committee for the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival and is a member of both the Kachemak Bay Birder Club and Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges. Herbert spends time in his small boat on Resurrection Bay and Kachemak Bay fishing, sightseeing, and birdwatching.

Herbert first joined the Board in 2013 as the representative of the City of Seward, where he lived at that time, serving in that role until 2015.

The Council will advertise the request for qualifications for the permanent seat later this year.

Council seeking help with oil spill contingency plan reviews

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The Council is soliciting statements of qualifications from experts who are familiar with contingency planning issues in Alaska. 

The Council participates in:

  • the State of Alaska’s public reviews of the Prince William Sound crude oil tanker oil spill contingency plans,
  • the Valdez Marine Terminal oil spill contingency plan,
  • and the federal and state preparedness plans for response to oil and hazardous substance discharges/releases. 

In addition to participating in these reviews, PWSRCAC takes part in the review and implementation of conditions of approval placed on contingency plans by state or federal regulatory agencies, and other continuous improvement processes and proposed amendments to the plans. The Council monitors other contingency plan-related issues and provides input when deemed appropriate. 

For consideration of inclusion on the list of qualified contractors, interested technical experts are encouraged to submit a statement of qualifications relevant to the types of work product(s) and expertise described in the request for qualifications below.

Submittal deadline: March 24, 2023

RFQ – Oil Spill Contingency Plan Reviewers

Questions?

Address questions via email to: Linda Swiss at swiss@pwsrcac.org

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