Online Observer

Volunteer brings oceans of experience to Council committee

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Gordon Terpening stands on a fishing boat, holding up a large salmon.
After retiring from piloting, Terpening spent a few years commercial fishing out of Bristol Bay with his son.

A teenage Gordon Terpening grew up watching ships navigating in and out of San Francisco Bay, and knew early on exactly what he wanted to do after high school.

“Once I heard about what a ship’s pilot did, I decided that’s what I wanted to do.”

After graduating from the California Maritime Academy with a Bachelor’s in Nautical Science, Terpening realized these ambitions and went to sea. His first job, towing lumber out of Coos Bay, Oregon, was just the beginning. He’s been involved in the maritime industry in one way or another ever since. Turns out he was one of the lucky humans who get to love their life’s work.

“I’m a sea going guy,” he says. The combination of peaceful and exciting fit him perfectly.

“Going to sea is basically hours and hours of boredom broken up by moments of sheer terror.”

Over the years, Terpening has piloted vessels around the U.S. and the world. It’s not just the locations that varied, it’s the type of work. He’s worked on a seagoing dredge doing underwater excavation, provided ocean transportation for the Navy as a civilian in the Military Sealift Command, on board tankers in the Far East, hauled jet fuel around the world, and supplied and towed oil rigs near Trinidad and Tobago.

“Generally, it was always so rough off the east coast of Trinidad,” Terpening says. “The trade winds are blowing from the east and the current from South America is flowing north, so you’re always in the trough.”

“This was before the Amoco Cadiz in France and before the Brayer in Shetland, and so the big spills were kind of yet to come.”

These experiences fine-tuned his skills at handling boats and trained him well for his years as a vessel pilot in Alaska.
Terpening says piloting in some other parts of the world, in and out of the same port day after day, can seem dull in comparison.

“When you’re a pilot in southwestern Alaska, all the ports are all different, and they all have their own problems,” he says. “And you get to see the wildest parts of Alaska. I loved it.”

Terpening describes how he analyzed the approach to each port, evaluating the forces such as wind, waves, and propulsion that are acting on the ship.

“It’s kind of like constantly drawing vector diagrams in your head,” he says. “That’s what I see when I’m docking a ship. It’s all just math.”

Terpening says he’s happy to be able to use these varied experiences to contribute to the work of the Council’s Port Operation and Vessel Traffic System Committee. He thinks that the Council’s independent oversight, as mandated by the U.S. Congress, makes a big difference.

“I try to tell other people about how amazing I think this committee is,” Terpening says. He pointed out a Council report on “messenger lines” as an example.

Passing a messenger line is the first step in setting up a tow line between a tug and a tanker in distress. The lighter weight messenger line helps responders connect the heavy tow lines. In 2020, the Council studied the best methods and tools for passing these lines between vessels. Little research had been done on the topic before.

“I mean that is amazing stuff that nobody would do unless you had the funding and the wherewithal of a committee like ours.”

Messenger line study: In 2020, the Council released a study evaluating methods of establishing tow lines between an escort tug and a tanker in distress. This study demonstrates the importance of the Council’s independent research. Learn more: VIDEO: Study of line-throwing technology demonstrates importance of the Council’s independent research

Gordon Terpening is a member of the Council’s Port Operations and Vessel Traffic Systems Committee. The committee monitors port and tanker operations in Prince William Sound.

 

Council shoring up its crew: two promotions and a new hire

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Two long-time Alaskans on the Council’s staff are moving up the ranks and a former Valdez resident is returning to join the Council’s staff.

In June, staff member Hans Odegard was promoted to the position of director of administration. Odegard was first hired as a project manager assistant in 2019. He was later promoted to information technology coordinator. Odegard replaced KJ Crawford, who resigned in January.

Odegard grew up in Eagle River and attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration.

Jaina Willahan, the Council’s newest project manager assistant, was originally hired as the administrative assistant in 2021. In the intervening time she has also served as office coordinator in Anchorage.

A lifelong Alaskan, Willahan attended the University of Alaska Anchorage.

In early June, Dr. John Guthrie joined the Council to manage projects related to maritime operations. Dr. Guthrie grew up in Valdez and previously worked with Stan Stephens’ Cruises for 10 years, six of those as a captain. He holds a doctorate in physical oceanography and most recently was a senior research scientist at the Polar Science Center at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Dr. Guthrie is replacing Alan Sorum, who has been the maritime operations project manager for the past 13 years.

Onboard ballast water systems helping reduce spread of invasive species

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Systems that treat tanker ballast water before release are a critical step in preventing damage from invasive species

Image of European green crab with graphic showing how to identify a green crab. The image demonstrates that the crab can be identified by counting the spines and bumps along the front edge of the shell. There are three rostral bumps in the middle, with one eye bump on the outside of the rostral bumps, followed by five spine bumps on each side next to each eye.
Invasive European green crab, or Carcinus maenus, were first spotted in Southeast Alaska in 2022. These invaders can be identified by counting the spines and bumps along the front edge of the carapace (shell). There are three rostral bumps in the middle, with one eye bump on the outside of the rostral bumps, followed by five spine bumps on each side next to each eye. The carapace is up to 10 cm/3.5 inches from front to back and side to side. More at www.pwsrcac.org/greencrab

In recent years, companies that transport oil through Prince William Sound have been installing systems to treat the seawater their ships take on as ballast.

Ships pick up ballast water after unloading cargo to help stabilize the vessel during travel. The problem is that larvae and other plankton in the ocean water are also taken on board, where they can easily catch a ride in tanker ballast water to a new port.

Of particular concern to our region is the European green crab, one of the most widespread invaders on the planet. Where they become established, invasive green crab can decimate local species and habitats. Their larvae are known to travel in the ballast water of tankers, and studies have shown that they can survive in climates found in Prince William Sound.

Until recently, the most common method to reduce risk of transporting invasive species was to exchange ballast water in the open ocean. Mid-trip, the water would be pumped out of the hold and refilled with water from the open ocean. The theory is that fewer invasive species live in the open ocean and those that do are less likely to survive in a shoreline environment. However, larvae of invasive species can remain in sediments in the tank bottom. In addition, tankers that traveled between Alaska and West Coast refineries weren’t required to exchange ballast water until new regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency went into effect in late 2008. Some would exchange ballast water anyway, but if weather or sea conditions were dangerous, the exchange might not happen.

This graphic shows the layout of the hold of a double-hulled oil tankers. The double hulls create a void space that is used for holding ballast water for stability when the tanker is empty.
Ballast water is ocean water pumped into the belly of a ship. This extra weight helps maintain stability while underway. Ballast water is usually carried in the space between the outer hull of the tanker and the inner cargo holds, and does not come in contact with the oil.

In 2018, a federal law known as the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, or VIDA, was passed into law to streamline regulations for discharges from commercial vessels such as oil tankers. Among other changes, VIDA set a national management standard for vessels to meet. The Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Coast Guard are continuing to finalize the rules and regulations for compliance with VIDA.

Meanwhile, tankers in Prince William Sound have already installed state of the art onboard systems to treat ballast water before its released.

These systems are designed to reduce the risk of introducing organisms from ballast water. Methods include filtration, chemicals, ultraviolet radiation, electrolysis, or a combination of these methods.

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s National Ballast Information Clearinghouse hosts an online database with information about ballast water treatment and release: nbic.si.edu/database

Community Corner: Prince William Sound College students tour Bligh Reef

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A group of attendees gather on a deck on the front of the boat looking toward Bligh Reef.On May 1, Council volunteers and staff joined local high school and college students, educators, and other partners on a cruise to Bligh Reef, where the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground in 1989.

On board Stan Stephens’ Valdez Spirit, the students were immersed in learning about the marine environment and the effects of oil spills. Passengers were treated to the typical delights of Prince William Sound including glimpses of whales, views of sea lions, and the beautiful scenery.

The tour was put on by the Copper River Watershed Project, or CRWP, in collaboration with the Prince William Sound College, or PWSC. CRWP Program Director Kate Morse and PWSC Professor Amanda Glazier coordinated the event. Morse is also a member of the Council’s Information and Education Committee. Council members led activities and contributed their expertise on board.

Groups of students and adults rotated through learning stations over the course of the five-hour tour including conducting plankton “tows” to collect samples from the water, exploring plankton samples under microscopes, collecting water chemistry data, discussing marine navigation, and learning about marine oil spill response.

Two students from Prince William Sound College use microscopes to examine water samples taken during the trip. Participants also had the opportunity to engage in an activity titled “Voices from the Spill,” which involved reading personal stories of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and its aftermath, and then respond through creative writing or art.

Alyeska Pipeline Service Company generously provided a meal during the trip. Mixed groups of high school students, college students, and adults ate together and talked through a list of questions that prompted sharing about education and career pathways. In between learning activities, narration was provided about environmental, historical, and marine industry items of interest. Narrators included experts on board, such as trip leaders, the vessel captain, Council volunteers and staff, and staff from Alyeska’s Ship Escort Response Vessel System.

In addition to viewing the Valdez Marine Terminal and oil spill response equipment from the water, there was exciting tanker activity. The group observed two tankers at the terminal, an empty inbound tanker with its tug escort, and a laden outbound tanker with its two escort tugs including one tethered to the stern.

The Council helped fund this tour as part of its Youth Involvement Program, which strives to help build the next generation of environmental stewards for our region. The Bligh Reef Expedition was successful at getting local youth out into the environment of Prince William Sound to learn about ecology, oceanography, history, oil industry operations, and marine safety, all while connecting with local community members who work in associated fields.

Funds of up to $5,000 are available for educational projects related to our mission. Please contact Maia Draper-Reich if you would like to be notified when the next proposal period opens.

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