News & Announcements Archives | Page 36 of 81 | Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council

Transparency is the foundation of public trust: RCA should require release of Hilcorp financial information

August 17, 2023March 11, 2020

By Donna Schantz
Executive Director

Public trust in our oil spill prevention and response system took many years to rebuild after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. It took a commitment to transparency, listening and engaging stakeholders in developing and maintaining the system of safeguards we have today for the Valdez Marine Terminal and associated tankers. Alyeska Pipeline Service Company initiated many of the spill prevention and response improvements by working with regulators and the public, a testament to their ongoing commitment to the people, environment and safety.

This system is now widely regarded as one of the best in the world. Strong State of Alaska statutes and regulations have been a major driver of this robust system. The lack of significant spills in Prince William Sound over the last 30 years indicates the effectiveness of industry meeting or exceeding regulatory requirements.

The Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council was created to provide a voice for citizens, those with the most to lose in the event of a large spill. Our council is a unique partner for industry and regulators, giving them a platform to provide information, answer questions, listen to stakeholders and cultivate the long-term relationships that are necessary to establish public trust. Involving local citizens in the process of independently verifying the state of readiness to prevent and respond to oil spills helps build trust.

New Board member for Chugach Alaska

August 17, 2023March 7, 2020

At the January meeting, the Council’s Board of Directors seated a new member, Ben Cutrell, as the representative for Chugach Alaska Corporation. Cutrell was born and raised in Wasilla, Alaska. He moved to Anchorage to pursue a Bachelor’s of Natural Science and Biology from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Upon completion of his degree, he … Read more

News release: Public input needed to safeguard state protections

August 19, 2025March 4, 2020

Photo of Robert Archibald — Robert Archibald is the president of the board of directors for the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council and has lived in Homer since 1984. Archibald spent 46 years as a mariner, including service in the U.S. Coast Guard and 32 years as chief engineer on Crowley Marine Service vessels in various locations, 22 of which were in Valdez, before retiring in 2014.

By Robert Archibald
Board President

Also published in the Anchorage Daily News

In 1971, the Alaska Legislature formed the Department of Environmental Conservation to take the lead on Alaska’s environmental protections. DEC’s mission, set by the legislation which formed it, is: conserving, improving, and protecting Alaska’s natural resources and environment to enhance the health, safety, economic, and social well-being of Alaskans.

Now, here we are, 30 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the creation of regional citizens advisory councils in Alaska, and coming up on 30 years since the passage of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. The world-class oil spill prevention and response system in Prince William Sound is a direct result of post-Exxon Valdez spill laws and regulations designed to protect Alaska. These strong statutes and regulations are one of the main reasons why Prince William Sound has not had a major oil spill since.

Currently, DEC is undertaking a “scoping process,” asking for comments from industry and the public on oil spill prevention and response regulations and statutes, which the DEC Commissioner has stated have become “onerous and burdensome” to business. The deadline to comment, March 16, 2020, is quickly approaching.

(Update: November 2021)

Transparency is the foundation of public trust

October 6, 2021February 11, 2020

By Donna Schantz
Executive Director

Public trust in our oil spill prevention and response system took many years to rebuild after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. It took a commitment to transparency, listening, and engaging stakeholders in developing and maintaining the system of safeguards for the Valdez Marine Terminal and associated tankers that we have today.

This system is now widely regarded as one of the best in the world. Strong State of Alaska statutes and regulations have supported this robust system. The lack of significant spills in Prince William Sound over the last 30 years indicates the effectiveness of industry meeting or exceeding regulatory requirements.

Trust in the system is at risk

Over the past few years, the Council has been seeing a steady erosion in regulatory oversight, staffing, funding, and coordination among many of the federal and state agencies responsible for enforcing strong laws and regulations. This alarming erosion has already started to reduce public trust in our prevention and response system.

In enacting the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, Congress determined that only when local citizens are involved in oil transport will the trust develop that is necessary to change the system from confrontation to consensus, and so the Act called for creation of citizen councils. Our Council is a unique partner for industry and regulators, giving them a platform to provide information, answer questions, listen to stakeholders, and cultivate the long-term relationships that are necessary to establish public trust.