Accepted Reports Archives | Page 5 of 7 | Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council

Drills and exercises affected by pandemic again in 2021

August 17, 2023February 22, 2022 by Amanda Johnson

The Council has released its annual report on drills and exercises conducted in Prince William Sound in 2021. This report highlights the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and lessons learned.

Reduced on-water monitoring for second year

Graphic showing that 2 drills observed in 2020 and 6 in 2021, compared to a normal pre-pandemic year when usually 12-20 are monitored. For the second year in a row, the Council has been unable to monitor the on-water drills and exercises in Prince William Sound as closely as pre-pandemic years.

The Council has not been allowed on tugs or barges since early 2020, given COVID safety precautions. To be able to monitor some drills, the Council has chartered boats to observe from afar, but evaluation has proved difficult from such a distance.

“We can’t see the full evolution of the exercise or hear communications,” says Council drill monitor Roy Robertson. “We can’t tell if the crews are having problems deploying boom and we can’t time the activities like we usually do.”

Prince William Sound is home to a variety of bird species in winter

July 24, 2023December 8, 2021 by Amanda Johnson

Frigid Alaska winters can be a tough time and place for wildlife. Food is scarce, the climate can be extreme, and days are short. Many species of birds head south.

However, some hardier species, such as marbled murrelets, common murres, pelagic cormorants, black-legged kittiwakes, and glaucous-winged gulls tough it out over the winter.

A journey through time: New Council report documents history of tanker contingency plan

January 11, 2024December 7, 2021 by Amanda Johnson

Graphic that says: From 1000s of documents, researchers summarized 43 events that substantially changed contingency plans and 17 recurring issues. — **Read the report:** History of Tanker Contingency Plan

Thousands of pages of documents. Countless meetings and workgroups. Over thirty years of oil spill drills and exercises.

That’s what you’d previously have to dig through to truly understand the oil spill contingency plan for Prince William Sound’s tankers.

Not anymore. A new report has now distilled that history down into one report.

The Council partnered with experts at Nuka Research and attorney Breck Tostevin to comb through decades of letters, reports, and meeting notes. They were looking for details on how the plan, and the regulations that shaped the plan, developed.

Study shows purpose-driven design can improve performance

January 8, 2024November 23, 2021 by Amanda Johnson

When a ship is disabled at sea, an appropriate rescue vessel must respond quickly to prevent an accident. Towing can be dangerous, especially in rough weather, because the rescue tug must get close to connect a towline.

Challenging environment in Alaska

Map showing the tanker traffic lane. The tankers must pass through a relatively narrow area between Hinchinbrook and Montague Islands when entering or leaving Prince William Sound to or from the Gulf of Alaska. A rescue tug with the right features has the best chance of preventing a spill. — Alaska requires a tug stationed in the vicinity of Hinchinbrook Entrance, the narrow waterway which connects Prince William Sound to the Gulf of Alaska. The tug remains on standby to assist or escort tankers through the entrance and out into the Gulf of Alaska.

Hinchinbrook Entrance is a narrow waterway that connects Prince William Sound to the Gulf of Alaska. The weather and sailing conditions in the gulf can change rapidly and are often severe.

Tankers carrying millions of gallons of oil regularly pass through the Entrance. Alyeska’s Ship Escort/Response Vessel System must have a tug stationed at the Entrance when laden tankers travel through Prince William Sound.