The Council’s May 2 & 3, 2024 Board of Directors meeting will be held in-person in Valdez, Alaska.
The meeting will also be available virtually and telephonically for those unable to travel. Information to join the meeting will be available here prior to the meeting.
Board meetings are open to the public, and an opportunity for the public to provide comments is provided at the beginning of each meeting.
A final agenda and preliminary meeting materials are available below.
Document Title
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1 00 Final Agenda PWSRCAC Board of Directors Meeting – May 2-3, 2024
1 01 Draft Minutes of the January 25 26, 2024 Board Meeting
1 01 Draft Minutes of the March 27, 2024 Special Board Meeting
2 01 List of Commonly Used Acronyms
2 02 March 27 Budget Status Report
2 03 Board Attendance Record
2 04 Committee Attendance Record
2 05 List of Board Committee Members
2 06 One Page Strategic Plan
2 07 List of Recent Board and Executive Committee Actions
2 08 PWSRCAC Organizational Chart
3 01 Approval of Resolution Designating PWSRCAC Check Signers
3 02 Approval of FY2025 Contingency Plan Contractor Pool
3 03 FY2025 LTEMP Contract Authorization
3 04 Marine Bird Fall and Early Winter Surveys Contract Authorization
3 05 Approval of PWSRCAC Alyeska Contract Compliance Verification Report
In 1989, the few measures in place were inadequate to prevent the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the available response resources were insufficient to contain and clean it up. Congress found that complacency among the oil industry, and the regulatory agencies responsible for monitoring the operation of the Valdez Marine Terminal and vessel traffic in Prince William Sound, was also a contributing factor in the disaster.
In the years following the spill, regulatory agencies, industry, and citizens worked together to make sure the painful memories and hard lessons of the Exxon Valdez were not forgotten. Changes were enacted to reduce the chances of another spill and to prepare for an effective cleanup if another should occur.
Much has improved in the intervening decades, but there are lingering concerns.
Both federal and state laws now require more comprehensive prevention measures and planning for larger spills and require more spill response equipment to be immediately available.
An unlikely alliance of regulators, politicians, oil industry executives, and international spill response experts came together after the spill to reimagine oil spill preparedness and response in Prince William Sound. More: How Alaskans redefined oil spill prevention and response
Prevention: The most effective protection
Modern technology means weather buoys can stream real-time weather conditions to help make better operational decisions. Photo by Rob Campbell.
No oil spill can ever be completely cleaned up. Preventing an oil spill is the most effective way to protect human health, local communities and economies, and the environment. Since 1989, improvements have drastically reduced the risk of oil spills.
Double hulls
All tankers transporting oil through Prince William Sound are now double hulled. Double hulls, basically two steel skins separated by several feet of space, can reduce or eliminate spills that result from groundings or collisions.
Alyeska’s Ship Escort Response Vessel System
The Ship Escort Response Vessel System, known as SERVS (SERVS’ website), was developed after the Exxon Valdez spill. SERVS’ mission is to prevent oil spills by helping tankers navigate safely through Prince William Sound and to begin an immediate response if there is a spill.
Improved tanker escorts
A major component of SERVS are the powerful tugs that escort tankers safely through our waters. Two tugs accompany each laden tanker out of Prince William Sound. These tugs can assist should the tanker experience a malfunction and begin immediate spill response if needed. SERVS also keeps trained response crews on duty around the clock and has spill response equipment ready.
Cleaning up a spill: Must be quick and effective
In 2018, Alyeska began work with their new spill prevention and response contractor, Edison Chouest Offshore. These services include operation of escort tugs, oil recovery storage barges, and associated personnel. These resources are key oil spill prevention and response assets for Prince William Sound. To fulfill their contract, Edison Chouest built new purpose-built tugs, such as the Elrington above; and spill response barges, such as the new OSRB-5. These vessels represented a significant improvement for the oil spill prevention and response system. In some cases, new general-purpose tugs replaced conventional tugs that were over 40 years old. Photo by Jeremy Robida.
While prevention measures are the best way to avoid damage from oil spills, even the best system cannot remove all risks. Alyeska’s SERVS has implemented many improvements since 1989, creating the world-class oil spill prevention and response system in place today.
In 1989, there were only 13 oil-skimming systems in Alyeska’s response inventory; today, 90 are available. Only 5 miles of oil spill boom were available in 1989; today, around 40 miles are on hand. Alyeska had only one 500,000-gallon barge at that time to store recovered oil and the water that comes with; today, storage capacity is now 37 million gallons.
Concerns remain
Although there have been many improvements, there are still many areas of concern, meriting the continued attention and sustained efforts from the Council. A few of these include:
Risks and safety culture at the terminal: In 2023, the Council released an assessment of risks and safety culture at the Valdez Marine Terminal, concluding that there is currently an unacceptable safety risk present, although Alyeska has been working to address the concerns outlined in the report.
Aging infrastructure: The terminal is over 40 years old and still moving large volumes of crude oil. Constant vigilance of this aging infrastructure is needed to ensure that the necessary inspection and maintenance is performed to assure continued safe operations. A recent example the Council has been focusing on is the potential degradation and/or damage to the secondary containment liner system at the terminal.
Tim Robertson is a member of the Council’s Oil Spill Prevention & Response Committee. The committee works to minimize the risk and impacts associated with oil transportation through research, advice, and recommendations for strong and effective spill prevention and response measures, contingency planning, and regulations.
Growing up in western North Carolina, over 3,000 miles away from Alaska, Tim Robertson and his brothers Roy and Andy knew all about the 49th state. His dad was obsessed.
“If there was a TV show or a movie or anything about Alaska, he drug the whole family to see it,” Robertson says. All three brothers ended up moving here.
These days Tim splits his time between Alaska and Hawaii. At first glance, it might seem like the two states are very different, but Tim’s values are present in both.
“I’m a small-boat guy on big water,” he says. “There’s the same connection with the ocean. A lot of mornings I watch the sun rise from the water. It’s a big part of what I am.”
Robertson spent his first few years in Alaska working in an oil-related field, first as a research biologist for Alaska Department of Fish and Game, then for an oil field service company.
He dreamt of a different career though. Robertson acquired land in Seldovia in 1985, and partnered with another family to build Harmony Point Wilderness Lodge, an ecotourism business. They had only been in business a few short years when the Exxon Valdez ran aground.
“The first time I ever heard of ICS [Incident Command System] was when we had a community meeting after the spill,” says Robertson.
The Council is seeking skilled and experienced applicants for the Maritime Operations Project Manager position in the Valdez office!
Applicants must have strong verbal and written communication skills and be able to work collaboratively with staff, volunteers, industry, and regulators to promote environmentally safe and responsible transportation of crude oil through Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska.
The Maritime Operations Project Manager responsibilities include:
Develop, implement, and maintain all aspects of maritime operations projects and programs as assigned, including project plans, determination of resources needed, budget development and contract management, in line with PWSRCAC’s mission and Long Range Plan.
Coordinate with other project managers and management to ensure uniform approach to accomplishment of assigned projects.
Recruit and facilitate PWSRCAC project teams and working groups as needed.
Maintain PWSRCAC office Automatic Information System (AIS) unit and related information.
Review U.S. Coast Guard Local Notice to mariners and incident reports, and relay relevant information to PWSRCAC staff and volunteers.
Observe and provide written reports on towing and tether exercises and drills as needed.
Develop recommendations for Board review and/or approval of maritime operations contracts and projects.
Prepare and deliver reports to PWSRCAC technical committees and/or Board of Directors
Work with PWSRCAC stakeholders to implement Board-approved recommendations.
Participate in PWSRCAC and external (industry and /or regulatory) working groups related to assigned projects , including the Valdez Marine Safety Committee.
Coordinate with the Director of Communications to respond to media inquiries related to assigned projects and respond to such inquiries as directed.
Perform research as needed, including literature review, archival research, and field work.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent preferred, but relevant experience may be substituted on a year-for-year basis. Maritime operations (or a related field), project management, and contracting experience preferred but not required. Experience in a scientific or technical discipline would also be helpful.
This is an exempt position with a starting annual base salary of $109,300+ DOE. An additional 10% of base salary is provided for Valdez cost of living adjustment. After 60 days of successful employment, an additional 25% of base salary is added for optional benefits, bringing total compensation to $147,555.
Cover letter. Your cover letter should address the reasons you feel your education, work experience, and career goals are a good match for this position and why you want to work for the PWSRCAC.
Current resume.
List of references. The list of references should include at least three professional references with contact information.
After submitting, candidates may also be asked to take a series of tests to verify your skills. Finalists may be subject to criminal and credit background checks and verification of education and past employment.
Open until filled – first review of Maritime Operations Project Manager applicants: March 13, 2024.
About the Council
The Council was formed in the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill with the mission of promoting the environmentally safe operation of the Valdez Marine Terminal and the associated tankers. The Council has an annual operating budget around $4.2M with a total staff of 18 and over 50 volunteers.
The Council’s May 2 & 3, 2024 Board of Directors meeting will be held in-person in Valdez, Alaska. 
