Online Observer Archives | Page 54 of 93 | Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council

Peer Listening: Building resilience in communities affected by human-caused disasters

July 21, 2025September 22, 2016

Community Corner

By Lisa Matlock, Outreach Coordinator

Image of the harbor at Cordova, Alaska. The original peer listener manual was developed after a study of the social effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on the community of Cordova. — The Peer Listener Training Manual (updated in 2023) can help you be a better listener.

Until 2010, the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill was the largest oil spill disaster in U.S. waters. That March, people around the world turned on the news to see our devastated wildlife and beaches. No one doubted that the environment of Prince William Sound and other downstream areas were hurt. What was not apparent to almost everyone was the short and long term damage to the people in the region’s communities.

Technological disasters, such as an oil or chemical spill, a nuclear accident, or a large building fire or collapse, affect communities differently than natural disasters. A technological disaster is caused by humans, and there is a person or persons who can be blamed for the incident. Natural disasters have no one to blame. Natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes, can often be predicted and prepared for. Technological disasters are often unexpected.

After the Exxon Valdez spill, the council funded research on how technological disasters affect people living in the area compared to natural disasters.

From the President and Executive Director: Partnerships build trust and help prevent oil spills

October 10, 2024September 22, 2016

By Amanda Bauer, President of the Council’s Board of Directors and Donna Schantz, Executive Director.

In 1990, just after the worst oil spill the U.S. had ever seen, Congress was tasked with creating legislation that would prevent such a disaster from happening again. One goal of the resulting legislation, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, was to foster long-term partnership and build trust between industry, government, and local communities. To help accomplish this, the Act mandated regional citizens’ advisory councils to help monitor the oil industry in Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet.

Great visionaries began this experiment in building partnership and trust. While some of these people are no longer with us, we still share the vision that motivated them.

Today, the council still works to find common ground between citizens, the oil industry, and regulators in order to develop the trust necessary to build and maintain the safest marine transportation system in the world.

From Alyeska: Pipe inspections on terminal finds no repairs needed

September 22, 2016

Submitted by Alyeska Corporate Communications.

Alyeska staff implement new technology that can inspect areas of pipe that were previously impossible to inspect. Photos courtesy of Alyeska.

This summer, Alyeska’s multi-year internal inspection program of Valdez Marine Terminal piping included inspecting buried relief system and crude oil piping in and around the East Metering building, and from West Metering to the end of Berth 5. Much of this piping is encased in concrete and was considered “uninspectable” until recent advances in inspection technology.

Crews started in the spring, working in and around the East Metering building where oil enters the Terminal and is measured as part of the pipeline leak detection system. They built containment and installed equipment to allow for system isolation. The roof was modified so cranes could remove large segments of pipe from the building and return them after the inspection.

During a scheduled maintenance shutdown in June, TAPS personnel drained down and isolated the impacted piping around East Metering. Once the shutdown was completed, a contractor cleaned the pipe with special equipment that limited physical entry into the pipe. Crews removed several 90-degree pipe segments to create access points for the crawler pig (see photos) that carries the inspection tool through the pipe. Pigs inspected approximately 2,100 feet of pipe ranging from 16 to 36 inches in diameter.

Alyeska integrity management staff analyzed the data, and found no needed repairs and no significant impact to pipeline or Terminal operations. The piping has returned to service.

Council’s executive committee re-elected to another term in office

September 22, 2016

Left to right: Treasurer Wayne Donaldson, who represents the City of Kodiak; Vice President Thane Miller, represents Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation; President Amanda Bauer, represents the City of Valdez; Member-at-Large Robert Archibald, representing the City of Homer; Member-at-Large Patience Andersen Faulkner, representing the Cordova District Fishermen United; and Member-at-Large Melissa Berns, who represents the Kodiak Village Mayors Association. Not pictured is Secretary Bob Shavelson, who represents the Oil Spill Region Environmental Coalition.

The council board held annual elections to choose its seven-member executive committee at its May meeting in Valdez.

Amanda Bauer of Valdez was elected to her fourth consecutive term as president. Thane Miller, who represents Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation on the board, was elected to his fourth consecutive term as vice-president. Bob Shavelson, who represents the Oil Spill Region Environmental Coalition, was re-elected as secretary. Wayne Donaldson, who represents the City of Kodiak, was elected as treasurer.

Long-time board member Patience Andersen Faulkner, who represents the Cordova District Fishermen United, Robert Archibald, who represents the City of Homer, and Melissa Berns, who represents the Kodiak Village Mayors Association were all re-elected to serve as at-large members of the executive committee.

These officers will serve until the next elections in May 2016.

Duffy resigns from board

Pat Duffy, who served on the council’s board of directors since September of 2007, resigned in May. Duffy represented the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce. He served several terms as vice president and as member-at-large. He also served on the council’s finance committee, helping to oversee development of the council’s annual budget and other financial matters.