Month: February 2024

Community Corner: Alaskans still learning from the Exxon Valdez spill

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Maia Draper-Reich

By Maia Draper-Reich, Outreach Coordinator

In February, the Council participated in the Alaska Forum on the Environment, a week-long conference that draws attendance by professionals, researchers, students, and others working in environmental fields related to Alaska. Community members and Alaska Native elders are also invited to speak on environmental issues and concerns. It was clear from sharing and connecting with the Forum’s attendees that the Exxon Valdez oil spill remains important for many Alaskans.

The Council hosts an exhibitor booth where we connect with participants about our mission and work. This year, the Council shared a booth with Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council, or CIRCAC, which allowed us to engage with attendees about the two sister organizations, our shared history, and our specific regions of oversight.

As the Outreach Coordinator, I am a member of the Forum’s planning committee and help organize the oil spill track of sessions each year. This year, I presented on behalf of the Council on a session titled “35 Years Since the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: Community Projects and Engagement.” The other presenters for the session were Shiway Wang, executive director of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, and Shaylon Cochran, director of communications and public outreach at CIRCAC.

Wang spoke about impacts of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Trustee Council’s restoration projects and science. Then, Cochran and I presented jointly sharing about our respective regions and origins, including the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the associated responsibilities. Cochran and I each took a turn highlighting each Council’s past and current work. It was an excellent venue to emphasize the lessons learned from the spill about the importance of local community engagement. This was exemplified by the accomplishments by all three organizations. The session was well attended with approximately 70 people in the room and 60 online participants. Questions from the audience centered on continued impacts from the spill on wildlife and prevention gaps.

I was encouraged by my conversations at the booth and after our session about the importance of citizen oversight and the value of the work we continue to accomplish in the region.

New member entity joins Council

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Area recreation enthusiasts now have permanent, dedicated representation on the Council’s Board of Directors.

Jim Herbert

The newly-formed Oil Spill Region Recreational Coalition was added to the Council’s roster of member entities at the January meeting. Jim Herbert was chosen by the coalition as its representative.

Herbert had been serving as a temporary recreation representative for the past year while the while the council solicited interest from recreational organizations to potentially fill the seat. Herbert previously represented the City of Seward from 2013 to 2015. He is also the current chair of the Council’s Oil Spill Prevention and Response Committee.

The new coalition’s mission is to assist the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council in promoting environmentally safe operation of the Alyeska Pipeline Terminal and associated tankers in a manner that will protect the natural recreational resources of Prince William Sound and other areas affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

The three founding members of the coalition are the Prince William Sound Stewardship Foundation, the Valdez Adventure Alliance, and the Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park. The group welcomes other organizations who promote recreation in the Exxon Valdez oil spill region.

The Prince William Sound Stewardship Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping Prince William Sound healthy, clean and wild, for all to enjoy. Visit them online at: www.princewilliamsound.org

The Valdez Adventure Alliance seeks to improve quality of life through equitable access to outdoor recreation resources, education, and events. Visit them online at: www.valdezadventurealliance.com

The Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park promotes the enhancement, preservation and protection of the natural recreational, scientific and historical resources of Kachemak Bay State Park. Visit them online at: www.friendsofkachemakbay.org

This article has been edited to correct the mission of the coalition. 

From Alyeska: New oil spill response barge demonstrates ongoing investment in protecting Prince William Sound

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Submitted by Alyeska Corporate Communications

This photo shows a new oil spill response barge with an escort tug alongside the barge.
Alyeska’s newest oil spill response barge, the OSRB-5, alongside the Elrington, one of the escort tugs in SERVS’ fleet. Photo courtesy of Alyeska.

The shine has yet to dim on Alyeska Pipeline Service Company’s newest on-water powerhouse; the OSRB-5 joined the Ship Escort Response Vessel System, or SERVS, fleet in 2023 and is still impressing its crews with its modern and state-of-the-art technologies.

“This barge is another exciting advancement in an already world-class fleet,” said Larry Miles, SERVS marine superintendent. “She’s an investment – though hopefully never needed – in keeping Prince William Sound safe for years to come.”

SERVS was created after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, to prevent oil spills and provide oil spill preparedness and response capabilities for Alyeska and the marine shipping companies who operate the tankers that call at the Valdez Marine Terminal. Working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, SERVS personnel monitor vessel traffic so tankers can safely travel through the Sound and coordinate a fleet of purpose-built vessels and response equipment.

The OSRB-5 replaced the Mineral Creek, a 40-year-old lightering barge, usually stationed at Naked Island in mid-Prince William Sound.

The OSRB-5 was built by Gunderson shipyard in Portland, Oregon. At 400 feet long and 96 feet wide, it shares much of the same design and equipment as other barges, with key differences that make it unique and amplify its versatility.

As a lightering barge, its primary purpose is to remove cargo from a tanker in peril; it has large fenders to protect both vessels when alongside each other. The OSRB-5 also has state-of-the-art Crucial disk skimming capabilities for open water operations. It offloads mini barges used by fishing vessels to collect oil near shorelines.

After learning from the other OSRBs for the last five years, SERVS crews requested a specific paint along the deck where boom is managed. The first OSRBs had non-skid paint that impacted the boom.
The OSRB-5 features an extra generator and hydraulic power unit to run the mini barge offloading station and the deluge pump for snow removal was upgraded to a deep well pump.

Alyeska’s ongoing commitments to Prince William Sound meet the requirements and expectations of its contingency plan, to be ready and prepared to protect the Sound, its waters, and shorelines from impacts of incidents related to oil transport. It’s the singular focus of the crew at SERVS – a tight-knit team personally invested in the health and vibrancy of the region.

Schantz: Citizen oversight leads to safer transportation of oil

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Photo of Donna Schantz
Donna Schantz, Executive Director

By Donna Schantz, Executive Director

Of all the advances made in the safe transportation of oil since the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, perhaps the most innovative and significant was the establishment of permanent, industry-funded citizen oversight for both Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound. While the citizen advisory groups established in Alaska after the spill were modeled after the advisory committee set up for the Sullom Voe Terminal in the Shetland Islands, throughout the world, most oil development still takes place without citizen involvement. In Prince William Sound, many of the safety improvements now in place are a direct result of partnerships between industry, regulators, and citizens.

March 24, 2024, will mark 35 years since the Exxon Valdez disaster. This year will also mark 34 years since the formation and incorporation of PWSRCAC. The Council recently reconnected with several of our founding members to discuss why they think our organization is still relevant today, with quotes from those conversations featured in our most recent “Year In Review” report.

You can read more about their thoughts on how and why the Council was formed in our publication “Stories from a citizens’ council,” rereleased in 2023.

All of the early Council Board and committee members witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of the oil spill. Some of them are still volunteering for the Council more than a quarter of a century later. These experiences played a big part in the passion and drive of all parties to put systems in place designed to prevent another accident, and to make sure there are adequate trained personnel, and enough equipment available, to respond immediately should prevention measures fail and another spill occurs.

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