COVID 19

Council’s Board met May 6 and 7

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The Council held a virtual board meeting, via video and teleconference, on Thursday and Friday, May 6-7, 2021.

Final agenda and meeting materials

On the agenda

The Council conducted regular business during the meeting, including seating of established directors and committee members and election of new board officers. Other topics included on the agenda were:

  • An activity report by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company on the Valdez Marine Terminal and Ship Escort/Response Vessel System operations.
  • A discussion with Representative Andy Josephson, Alaska State Legislature, District 17.
  • Reports on results of maintenance reviews of crude oil storage Tank 8 and cathodic protection systems at the Valdez Marine Terminal.
  • A presentation on the results of a project to assess and describe the current worldwide best practices being used in the design and operation of highly capable rescue tugboats, specifically around needs and requirements necessary for operation in Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska.
  • A presentation on the vetting of foreign flagged tankers by Harvest Alaska Midstream.
  • A presentation on new web-based resources about the Regional Stakeholder Committee concept, unique to Alaska spill response policy.
  • A presentation covering who pays for response and damages from an oil spill, the liabilities associated with a spill, and the legal implications of “responsible party,” including an explanation of the legal and financial requirements and differences between federal and state laws and regulations.
  • A report on the annual analytical summary and interpretation of the passive sampling device, mussel and sediment samples taken each summer for the Long-Term Environmental Monitoring Program.
  • A presentation on the latest version of the Council’s “Coping with Technological Disasters: A User Friendly Guidebook” and the associated appendices.
  • A report from the Council’s legislative monitors and staff on political developments and prospects coming out of Washington, D.C., and Juneau.

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

Both Council offices (Anchorage and Valdez) are currently closed to the public as a safety precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The health and safety of Council staff and volunteers are our top priority and will drive decisions as the situation evolves and more information becomes available. Updates on COVID-19 impacts to Council activities.

News release in PDF: 

Prince William Sound RCAC board meeting will be virtual, May 6-7 (2021)

Board of Directors met January 28 and 29

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The Council held a meeting on Thursday and Friday, January 28 and 29, 2021.

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

  • An activity report by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company on the Valdez Marine Terminal and Ship Escort/Response Vessel System operations, as well as an update on the allision earlier this month between the tanker Polar Endeavor and SERVS Tug Courageous at the Valdez Marine Terminal.
  • Comments from Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Jason Brune on the division’s proposed FY2022 budget.
  • A report on results of the 2020 forage fish surveys conducted in Prince William Sound to identify species along the shoreline, such as herring, sandlance, and capelin.
  • A presentation on maritime English use between ship crews and native English speakers in examining human factors that may contribute to accidents.
  • An update and presentation on current Council projects working to review maintenance of crude oil storage Tank 8 and cathodic protection systems at the Valdez Marine Terminal.
  • A presentation on the current status of identifying and mitigating the Barry Arm landslide risk in Prince William Sound.
  • A report of the Council’s monitoring of drills and exercises in 2020.
  • A summary by Council staff of incidents (e.g., oil spills, fires, malfunctions causing shutdowns, navigational closures, tanker/escort incidents) at the terminal or on the associated tankers that occurred in 2020.

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

September 2020 Board of Directors Meeting – Virtual

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The Council held a virtual board meeting on Thursday and Friday, September 17-18, 2020. 

 Visual presentations given during the meeting can be accessed by download:

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

  • An activity report by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company on the Valdez Marine Terminal and Ship Escort/Response Vessel System operations, including impacts to operations from COVID-19 and an update on the sump pump spill which occurred in April at the Valdez Marine Terminal.
  • An update from Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Jason Brune regarding the oil spill prevention and response regulatory reform public scoping process initiated in October 2019.
  • A presentation by representatives of Hilcorp/Harvest Alaska on its Spill Response Organization.
  • A report on genetic analysis of 2018-2019 plankton samples from Prince William Sound to look for and potentially identify marine invasive species.
  • A virtual simulator demonstration by AVTEC staff.
  • A report of the Council’s monitoring of drills and exercises in 2019.

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

Both Council offices (Anchorage and Valdez) are currently closed as a safety precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More information: COVID-19 Updates

 

PWSRCAC Board meeting scheduled for Seward in September will be virtual only

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Update on COVID-19 impacts on Council activities

COVID19The Council is scheduled to hold a Board meeting on Thursday and Friday, September 17 and 18, 2020. The decision was made by the Board to hold the meeting through virtual attendance only, by video/teleconference.

The meeting schedule and agenda will be released the week prior as usual. Information on how to join the teleconference will be provided at that time.

Both Council offices (Anchorage and Valdez) are temporarily closed as a safety precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Council staff are conducting business remotely. All other Council meetings are being offered via teleconference only. Information on how to join meetings can be found in individual meeting announcements or by contacting staff.

The health and safety of Council staff and volunteers are our top priority and will drive decisions as the situation evolves and more information becomes available.

Additional updates on COVID-19 impacts to Council activities and other information related to this situation can be found here: COVID-19: Effects on Council activities

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