News & Announcements Archives | Page 32 of 80 | Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council

Peer listening program updated for COVID-19

August 8, 2024June 1, 2020

Please note that the Peer Listener Manual was updated again in 2023. Find it here: Peer Listener Manual By Betsi Oliver, Outreach Coordinator We believe that the coronavirus pandemic has a lot in common with an oil spill in terms of the impact on the mental health of the community. Many of the elements that … Read more

Council announces election of Board officers

August 17, 2023May 8, 2020

The Council held its annual Board meeting by videoconference, on May 7-8, 2020. Among other business, the Board convened to elect officers who will serve from May 2020 to May 2021. All current officers were re-elected into the same positions they held for the previous year. The elected executive committee is comprised of: President: Robert … Read more

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

August 17, 2023May 1, 2020

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

Sale of BP’s Alaska assets to Hilcorp under scrutiny

August 17, 2023April 30, 2020

Additional information needed to address concerns

Storage Tanks at Valdez Marine Terminal The 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.”