News & Announcements

State of Alaska’s oil spill prevention and response funding unsustainable

Council voices support for full funding

Photo of Representatives from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and SERVS observing an oil spill exercise in Prince William Sound.
Representatives from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and SERVS observe an oil spill exercise in Prince William Sound.

The State of Alaska’s Oil and Hazardous Substances Release Prevention and Response Fund is in trouble. Funding for the prevention of spills is projected to be in a deficit by 2025.

Reduced pipeline flow contributes to shortfall

The amount of money going into the accounts ebbs and flows according to how many barrels flow through the pipeline. The amount of oil, which peaked in 1988 at 2.1 million barrels a day, has slowed considerably over the years and is now averaging just over 500,000 barrels a day. The revenues from the .95 cent surcharge on refined fuels were also originally overestimated. These factors, combined with lack of adjustment for inflation, have all resulted in the shortfall.

Response account used for contaminations other than oil and gas

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Sale of BP’s Alaska assets to Hilcorp under scrutiny

Additional information needed to address concerns

Storage Tanks at Valdez Marine TerminalThe sale of BP’s Alaska assets to Hilcorp Energy Company and affiliates is still pending approval by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, or RCA, and other state agencies.

The RCA, within Alaska’s Department of Commerce, regulates utilities and pipeline carriers in the State of Alaska. Other State of Alaska agencies are advising the RCA on aspects of the transaction and have their own statutory authority to approve or deny the transaction.

Hilcorp’s request for confidential financial documents is questioned

Hilcorp filed financial information in late 2019 and requested that the RCA keep those documents and the sales agreement confidential. They argued that releasing these documents to the public would cause “competitive harm.”

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Council’s annual board meeting will be virtual, May 7-8

The Council will hold a virtual board meeting, via video and teleconference, on Thursday and Friday, May 7-8, 2020. Due to coronavirus concerns, no in-person attendance will be permitted. Those interested in attending can do so by teleconference (1-888-788-0099, meeting ID: 216 315 997) or video conference. Visual presentations given during the meeting can be … Read more

Spill from Valdez Marine Terminal

On April 12, a sheen was reported in the vicinity of the Valdez Marine Terminal. The source of the spill was identified as a sump located uphill from Port Valdez. Oil had seeped through the ground to reach the water. All responders have been required to adhere to safety guidelines to mitigate the spread of … Read more

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