Month: March 2025

Traces of metals found in Prince William Sound’s sediments

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Further study needed to determine source and potential effects

Three people stand in front of equipment used to collect sediment from the bottom of the sea floor.
Dr. Bender (left) and staff members Danielle Verna (middle) and Jeremy Robida (right) collected the samples last summer. Dr. Bender later tested the samples in a lab for the presence of a variety of metals.

A new Council study has confirmed that sediments in Port Valdez contain traces of metals at concentrations that could negatively affect the organisms that live at the sea floor.

This pilot study was conducted in 2024, during the routine environmental monitoring conducted by the Council since 1993. The work was prompted by a previous analysis that showed the presence of metals in the water discharged from the Valdez Marine Terminal’s ballast water treatment facility.

Council staff and Dr. Morgan Bender from Fjord & Fish Sciences collected samples of sediments from two locations in Port Valdez: one near the terminal, and a reference site near Gold Creek. The site near the terminal was chosen to confirm whether the metals found in the previous study were accumulating in nearby sediments. Gold Creek was sampled for comparison.

Dr. Bender compared the results to sediment quality guidelines developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. These guidelines are used to determine whether toxins in sediment are concentrated enough to harm organisms.

Both sites show increased concentrations of metals

A gloved hand holds a jar of grey sediment collected during sampling.
Sediment sample.

The study found a total of 22 metals between the two sites, in varying concentrations.

 

Both sites exceeded NOAA’s sediment quality guidelines for eight of the metals: iron, vanadium, aluminum, arsenic, nickel, cobalt, copper, and selenium.

“Terminal sediments had significantly higher metal concentrations overall,” when compared to Gold Creek, states the report, including four metals that were previously found in water discharges from the treatment facility: iron, aluminum, copper, and vanadium. However, all these metals also exceeded the threshold for effect at Gold Creek.

The report noted that “there is a potential ecological risk” from the discharge of these metals.

Local conditions may contribute to high metal concentrations

“Port Valdez is a metal-rich system with a history of copper and gold mining and several large, glacially-fed rivers entering within miles of the sampling locations,” Dr. Bender noted in the report. “These local sources may explain regional patterns such as high iron concentration.”

Dr. Bender noted that while some metals could be tied to the discharge from the terminal, further study is needed to determine the actual source of the metals.

Why are metals of concern?
Metals such as those found in this study are generally stable and do not degrade. Accumulated metals at toxic levels can have a variety of adverse effects, including organ damage, cancer, and damage to DNA. They can enter the food chain when ingested by the tiny organisms that live in the sediment.

Read the report: 2024 Sediment Metals Report

The study was prompted by a previous analysis investigating traces of hydrocarbons and metals in the effluent from the Valdez Marine Terminal’s ballast water treatment facility. Metals were present in that analysis: Examining the Effectiveness of Ballast Water Treatment Processes

Remembering Richard Fineberg

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Dr. Richard Fineberg, expert on the economics and profits of the oil industry in Alaska, passed away in September 2024. Fineberg was a researcher and investigative journalist who focused on environmental issues related to petroleum development and oil economics in Alaska.

Fineberg conducted studies and wrote reports for many organizations, including the Council. In the 1990s and early 2000s, his research for the Council ranged from ballast water treatment to industry profits to how the oil industry is required to restore the land once the terminal and pipeline are no longer in use.

“Richard was meticulous in verifying the accuracy of his work,” said Donna Schantz, executive director for the Council. “His thoroughness and attention to detail made his contributions invaluable to the important discussions around these topics.”

In 2005, Fineberg analyzed how much money the trans-Alaska pipeline and oil terminal facilities in Valdez were making for the oil companies. At the time, the oil industry was claiming that, due to financial reasons, they needed to reduce environmental protections and were unable to afford new protections.

In 2004, Fineberg published a study on how the oil companies would pay for cleaning up after the pipeline stops shipping oil.

According to the lease agreement between the Trans Alaska Pipeline System owners and the state and federal governments, industry is obligated to dismantle and remove all equipment and facilities and restore the land to a satisfactory condition. This includes all facilities at the Valdez Marine Terminal.

To pay for this cleanup, a tariff was imposed on oil flowing through the pipeline. Fineberg analyzed how much was collected by this complicated tariff, and whether enough would be available for its intended purpose when the pipeline eventually shuts down.

“Anyone who was fortunate enough to have worked with Richard knows that he was an exceptionally smart public servant who put in a tremendous amount of his time and energy into researching complex issues,” said Schantz. “His work helped improve safety of Alaska’s oil transportation industry.”

More on Fineberg’s work

Dr Fineberg had an extensive career that touched on many topics. Learn more:

Two of Fineberg’s reports are available on our website:

Alyeska: New firefighting systems to reduce use of PFAS

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Four Alyeska employees wearing hard hats and protective gear stand in front of a palette of equipment that is about to be installed at Berth 4.
Alyeska Fire Chief Sean Wisner, firefighters David Arnold and Oberon Gallion, and VMT Operations technician Mike Keith stand in front of the new fire foam system on Berth 4. Photo courtesy of Alyeska Corporate Communications.

Last fall, Alyeska and contractor crews completed upgrades to the fixed firefighting foam proportioning system on Berth 5 at the Valdez Marine Terminal after lengthy research, testing, and approval process. The new fluorine-free foam system was approved by the state fire marshal, who witnessed its functional check out along with third party technicians and representatives.

This marks the first of many firefighting foam systems that are being upgraded to accommodate a shift towards fire protection on the Trans Alaska Pipeline System, or TAPS, that is free from perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. While a recently passed state law banning the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foams carries a temporary exemption for use in the oil and gas industry, Alyeska personnel have been working toward the utilization of fluorine-free firefighting foams for several years, long before the state law passed. Plans are in place to continue the eventual transfer of the remaining fixed firefighting systems to safer and more environmentally friendly foams over the next several years. Berth 4 will undergo an identical upgrade starting in spring of 2025.

For the past three years, a multi-disciplined working group worked diligently to find a new system that would meet both fire safety and environmental standards. The group consisted of firefighting professionals, engineers, environmental coordinators, regulatory compliance specialists, procurement team members, and implementation leads from around TAPS. The new system has been designed with operations and maintenance in mind, leveraging state of the art technology that is both simpler to operate, and simpler to validate, with built-in testing features that do not rely on the discharge of foam.

“This new system demonstrates Alyeska’s dedication to environmental protection and personnel safety, especially in regards to the stewardship of Prince William Sound,” said Sean Wisner, Alyeska Fire Chief. “It puts us in a much better place from a firefighting perspective, and I am proud of the work that this team did over the past several years to get us to this point. The workgroup embodied the ‘speak and work as one team’ mindset throughout the research and implementation phases of this historic initiative.”

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