Council board meeting held in Anchorage

The council’s board of directors met on January 19 and 20, 2017.

Topics included on the agenda included:

  • Presentations by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and PWSRCAC regarding the change in Alyeska’s marine services contract provider from Crowley Maritime to Edison Chouest Offshore set to take place July 1, 2018. These services include key oil spill prevention and response assets such as escort tugs, oil recovery barges and associated personnel for service in Prince William Sound.
  • A presentation by council contractor Robert Allan LTD outlining some concerns and recommendations on the new escort and support tugs being built by Edison Chouest Offshore for the marine services transition. Robert Allan LTD is a firm of internationally-recognized naval architects and marine engineers known for their innovative designs for vessels of almost all types, from high-performance tugs to ferries to sophisticated research vessels.
  • A presentation by the co-chair of the Alaska Regional Response Team on their recent activities. The Alaska Regional Response Team is in charge of planning responses to oil spills in Alaska waters.
  • A presentation by council staff on the Alaska Regional Response Team’s public outreach efforts to identify dispersant use avoidance areas. This process is part of the January 2016 update to Alaska’s Dispersant Use Plan for Alaska, and is designed to help identify areas 24 to 200 miles from Alaska’s coastline where the use of dispersants should require additional consideration prior to being used.
  • A presentation from council staff regarding cracking that was found and repaired in the lining of one of the secondary containment systems at the Valdez Marine Terminal. In the event of a spill from a crude oil storage tank, secondary containment systems are designed to prevent oil from polluting surface or groundwater resources.

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Science Night 2016

2016-science-night-live-flier-jpgThe council held our annual Science Night on Thursday, December 8. Presentations by scientists conducting research into areas of council interest are highlighted. This post has been updated with links to presentations. See below.

“Lingering Oil in Prince William Sound: What we know, past and present”
Presenter: Mandy Lindeberg, NOAA Auke Bay Laboratories

“Mom Knows Best: Family Specific Patterns Among Killer Whales in Prince William Sound”
Presenter: Dan Olsen, North Gulf Oceanic Society

“Regional Weather Forecast Modeling”
Presenter: Peter Olsson, Alaska Experimental Forecast Facility

“Are you a ShoreZone user? A brief introduction to the Alaska ShoreZone Program”
Presenter: Mandy Lindeberg, Auke Bay Laboratories

“Zooplankton: Big Talk about Tiny Critters”
Presenter: Caitlin McKinstry, Prince William Sound Science Center

Oil spills and the open ocean

How can an oil spill affect the open ocean? This graphic shows some of the species that live in the open ocean and how an oil spill can affect them.

Please note that the original interactive version of this image is not available at this time. Click image for higher resolution poster:

Oil spills and the intertidal zone

How can an oil spill affect the environment in the intertidal zone? This graphic shows some of the species that live in the intertidal zone and how an oil spill can affect them.

Please note that the original interactive version of this image is not available at this time. Click image for higher resolution poster:

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