Board of Directors News

The Council held a meeting in Valdez on Thursday and Friday, May 5-6, 2022.

Agenda and materials for Board of Directors Meeting, May 5 and 6

On the agenda

The Council conducted regular business during the meeting, including seating of established directors and committee members, election of new board officers, and updates from Council ex-officio members, staff and committees. Other topics included on the agenda are:

• An activity report by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company on the Valdez Marine Terminal and Ship Escort/Response Vessel System operations and remarks from Danika Yeager, Alyeska interim president.
• An update from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Spill Prevention and Response.
• A resolution recognizing Patience Andersen Faulkner, who stepped down after representing Cordova District Fishermen United on the Council’s board since 1998.
• A report on the current state and history of developing sensitive area protection strategies for the Copper River Delta and Flats region in the event of an oil spill.
• An overview of Council-commissioned coursework developed by AVTEC Maritime Training Center in Seward, Alaska, to better prepare mariners, including real life situations with simulator scenarios based on activities occurring in Prince William Sound.
• A presentation by Marine Exchange of Alaska on their marine safety mission and where their work shares common interests with the Council.
• A summary of the results from the Council’s annual Long-Term Environmental Monitoring Program, analyzing mussels, marine sediment, and passive sampling devices to monitor oil contamination associated with operation of the Valdez Marine Terminal and associated tankers.
• An update on community outreach activities done by the Council over the past year.
• An update on an ongoing project to review the Council’s position on the use of dispersants in the event of an oil spill in our region.
• A report from the Council’s legislative monitors and staff on political developments and prospects coming out of Washington, D.C., and Juneau.

Face mask requirements and other COVID-19 mitigation measures will be in place and posted at the board meeting.

The meeting agenda provided is subject to change before or during the meeting. Council board meetings are routinely recorded and may be disseminated to the public by the council or by the news media.

The Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council held a virtual board meeting on Thursday and Friday, January 27-28, 2022.

• MEETING INFORMATION: Links to meeting agenda and materials for January 27 and 28, 2022 meeting

The Council conducted regular business during the meeting, including updates from Council ex-officio members, staff and committees. Other topics on the agenda were:

• An activity report by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company on the Valdez Marine Terminal and Ship Escort/Response Vessel System operations.
• An overview on Council comments to be submitted to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation on the proposed changes to regulations related to oil spill contingency planning.
• An update on the budget for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Spill Prevention and Response and current challenges facing the division.
• A briefing from Council staff on the status of the Prince William Sound Tanker Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plan renewal.
• An update on West Coast shipping operations from Marathon Petroleum.
• An overview of the work conducted by the Council to monitor the environmental impacts of the Valdez Marine Terminal spill which occurred on April 12, 2020.
• A summary of a review to determine if the Council should support Alyeska’s appeal asking that parts of an Environmental Protection Agency rule regarding emissions standards not be applicable to the terminal.
• A presentation on aerial forage fish surveys conducted in Prince William Sound in June of 2021.
• A report of the Council’s monitoring of drills and exercises in 2021.
• A summary by Council staff of incidents (e.g., oil spills, fires, malfunctions causing shutdowns, navigational closures, tanker/escort incidents) at the terminal, on Ship Escort/Response Vessel System tugs and barges or on associated tankers that occurred in 2021.

Council board meetings are routinely recorded and may be disseminated to the public by the Council or by the news media. 

Updates on COVID-19 impacts to council activities.

The Council held virtual board meeting on Thursday and Friday, September 16-17, 2021.

Final agenda and meeting materials

On the agenda

The Council conducted regular business during the meeting, including updates from the Council’s ex-officio members, staff, and committees. Other topics on the agenda were:

• An activity report by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company on the Valdez Marine Terminal and Ship Escort/Response Vessel System operations.
• An update on the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s review of regulations related to oil spill contingency planning and current challenges facing the department’s Division of Spill Prevention and Response.
• An overview of onboard ballast water treatment systems by representatives of ConocoPhillips and Polar Tankers.
• A presentation on the results of field trials to evaluate the effectiveness of messenger line throwing devices used to deploy towing lines between response tugs and vessels in distress.
• An overview of the Council’s updated Alaska Oil Spill Lesson Bank – educational resources for K-12 students.
• A presentation on marine bird surveys conducted in Prince William Sound in March of 2021.
• A report on data analyzed from the Council’s weather buoys in Port Valdez.
• A presentation on reports detailing the history of the Prince William Sound Tanker Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plan, documenting changes to the plan, regulatory positions and industry commitments.
• An overview of the updated dispersant research summary maintained by the Council, now current through 2021.

Board meetings are routinely recorded and may be disseminated to the public by the Council or by the news media.

News release

Prince William Sound RCAC board meeting will be virtual, September 16-17 (PDF)