The Observer, January 2007

return to this edition

From the Executive Director: Oil industry committed to cutting Valdez air pollution

By John Devens, Executive Director

For years, our council has sought an end to hazardous air pollution from Alyeska Pipeline’s tanker terminal in Valdez. A major step came in the late 1990s with the installation of equipment to capture the huge quantities of hydrocarbon vapors forced out as tankers load oil.

Now, as discussed in the column by Tom Stokes on page 6, Alyeska and the oil companies that own it have committed to a plan that will virtually eliminate air pollution from the last major source at the terminal: the Ballast Water Treatment Facility.

EPA estimates the ballast water plant puts out 206 tons per year of dangerous vapors, including cancer-causing benzene. That’s over eight times EPA’s major source threshold level of 25 tons per year, and it’s why we have long urged an end to these emissions. Alyeska projects its overhaul of the ballast water facility will cut the level to less than five tons per year by 2008. The plan includes these improvements:

• Eliminating one large ballast water tank and burning vapors from two others rather than releasing them to the atmosphere.
• Replacing the Dissolved Air Flotation System, which is open to the atmosphere, with a sealed Induced Gas Flotation System.
• Replacing the open-air Biological Treatment Tanks with a closed system that captures vapors for safe disposal rather than releasing them into the atmosphere.

The companies that own Alyeska and the Valdez tanker terminal laid out their commitments to the plan in letters last fall:

I would like to reiterate the Owners’ commitment to the upgrading and enhancement of the Ballast Water Treatment Facility at the Valdez Marine Terminal. -- Gary Preussing, for ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Unocal, and Koch Alaska.

I would like to reiterate BP’s commitment to the Alyeska plan. -- Al Bolea, for BP

The council’s campaign to reduce emissions from the Valdez terminal to safe levels has been a long and complex one, and here in the Observer we commend Alyeska and its owners for taking this final step to complete the process. We also published advertisements in three Alaska newspapers praising the industry for its commitment to cleaner air.

For our part, we commit to continue working with Alyeska on the design and implementation of these welcome improvements.