Citizens worldwide are concerned about effects of oil development
Community Corner
By: LINDA ROBINSON, Outreach Coordinator
This fall, I was invited to make two presentations at the “Fisheries in the Context of Hydrocarbon Resource Development on the Continental Shelf” conference in Murmansk, Russia. My first presentation was on the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the second was on the effectiveness of citizen oversight.
Photo: Linda Robinson speaks about the council and the Exxon Valdez spill during the Murmansk conference.
An Arctic sea shelf in the Murmansk region is home to valuable marine resources. Exploration is increasing in this area as oil and gas fields on land become depleted. The city of Murmansk must satisfy the need for fuel and food provided by the fisheries and encourage economic development. Organizers of the conference were looking for successful examples of citizens, government, and industry working together. Attendees expressed a lot of interest in the council and the after-effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Others requested information on such topics as the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, ocean observing and modeling systems, oil spill dispersants, and settlements from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. As a “model” organization, our council is paving the way for others to continue the sustainable production of seafood while developing environmentally friendly ways to generate energy.
Thank you to Jane Eisemann and Blake Johnson for helping out with the booth during November’s Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle. Once again, this well attended event provided the opportunity to speak with many fishers from Alaska and the west coast. Many attendees were particularly interested in information about the dual escort system in Prince William Sound.
The council sponsored our annual Science Night on December 3. Science Night is an evening of public presentations on various topics of interest to the council. This year, we heard presentations from:
- Scott Pegau, from the Oil Spill Recovery Institute in Cordova, discussed a joint experiment conducted along with the Alaska Ocean Observing System to test the accuracy of their sea current predictions in Prince William Sound.
- Stanley “Jeep” Rice, from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, talked about the long-term environmental effects of lingering Exxon Valdez oil.
- Tad Pfeffer, glaciologist and professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado, spoke about Alaska glaciers, Columbia Glacier in particular.
- Tom Kuckertz and Joel Kennedy, council project managers, discussed the status of the ice radar system, which was implemented by the council several years ago to monitor icebergs flowing from Columbia Glacier.
- Jim Payne and Bill Driskell, researchers for the council, talked about their work monitoring oil pollution from the Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound.
During the volunteer workshop held on December 4, staff, board, and committee volunteers held an annual review and evaluation of council projects—both ongoing project and ideas for new projects in the upcoming budget year. The annual volunteer appreciation party followed the workshop at Anchorage’s downtown Hilton Hotel. We are grateful to all of the volunteers who put in so much time toward the protection of our waters.
Upcoming 2010 conferences of interest include the Alaska Marine Science Symposium and the Alaska Forum on the Environment. The Science Symposium will be held January 18-22 at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage. Regional themes include the Bering Sea, the Arctic Ocean, and the Gulf of Alaska.
The Alaska Forum on the Environment will be held February 8-12, 2010 at the Dena’ina Convention Center, also in Anchorage. Youth sessions will be held February 9-10. During these sessions, according to the forum’s agenda, “youth and young adult participants will be able to interact with potential mentors and peers, sharing experiences, asking questions and learning more.”