Online Observer

Review of proposed contingency plan shows some areas improved, others need more detail

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By LINDA SWISS
Council project manager

The council has been analyzing proposed changes to the Valdez Marine Terminal Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plan during a recent public review.

This plan, created and managed by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, describes how the company would contain and clean up oil spilled from the terminal in Valdez.

The current plan is being reformatted into four separate volumes. One of the new volumes describes tactics specific to oil spilled on land. The council applauded creation of this user-friendly manual.

The council also supports the addition of a technical manual which focuses on marine spill response operations. This manual is part of the tanker oil spill contingency plan, which underwent a similar review process in 2012.

The council has expressed concerns that the proposed new plan may not contain enough detail to demonstrate Alyeska’s ability to fully respond to a spill as required by state and federal regulations.

The review was extensive, requiring a page-by-page comparison between the proposed plan and the previous plan. The changes were significant enough to require a separate document explaining why some information was deleted and where that information, if still required, now appears in the plan.

During the first phase of the public review, the council submitted requests for additional information to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the agency in charge of the review process. The council was looking for more information on prevention and response training, facility descriptions, and additional details on preventing a spill.
The council identified several areas of concern, including:

  • Integrity of the secondary containment liners for the terminal’s crude oil storage tanks. The liners serve as a barrier in the event a tank ruptures, and must remain “sufficiently impermeable” according to state regulations. If the liner is considered still in good condition, Alyeska is able to plan for a smaller spill, thus requiring less personnel and equipment for a response.
  • Whether adequate equipment and personnel with the necessary level of training are available to respond to a spill.
  • Lack of details on prevention and response training.
  • Specifics on handling, transporting and disposing of waste generated from a spill, available in the current plan, are not included in the proposed plan.
  • Making sure that enough detail exists on required prevention measures such as leak detection, tank overfill alarms, and inspection schedules.
  • Information that was previously available in the plan such as facility diagrams and maps have been removed.

The plan is reviewed and updated every five years. The last time the plan was renewed was 2008.

The first version of the proposed new plan was submitted by Alyeska to the agency for a “sufficiency review” in October 2012. That review was to determine whether the plan contained sufficient information for the next step of the process, the public review. The agency found that the draft plan needed additional information before being reviewed by the public. Alyeska revised the plan and the agency deemed it satisfactory for review on February 14, 2013.

The council submitted requests for information in March. Once the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation reviews all input from the public, they will determine areas where more detail is needed, and issue requests for more information to Alyeska.

The next step will be for Alyeska to respond to the department.

The current plan expires on May 9, 2013.

Colder and saltier water increases toxic effects of dispersed oil

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Temperature and salinity of water can have an effect on how toxic dispersed oil is to organisms in the environment, a council study has found.

The Canadian Centre for Offshore Oil, the Bedford Institute of Oceanography and Department of Fisheries and Oceans conducted a council-sponsored study to look at the absorption of dispersed crude oil during the early life stages of herring, salmon and cod when the fish are most sensitive to toxins.

For example, the study found two main causes of higher toxic effects on herring:

  1. Herring in cold waters develop at a slower rate than their warm water counterparts.
  2. The breakdown of chemicals in cold water is significantly slower than in warm water.

These two factors mean the herring are exposed to toxins for a longer period during their early, more sensitive, life stages.
The study also found that herring were 200 times more sensitive to chemically dispersed crude oil than previously reported.

The council has long endorsed mechanical recovery as the primary tool to combat an oil spill. Unlike dispersant use, which spreads the oil through the water, mechanical recovery with booms and skimmers removes oil from the water.

For more on the council’s research on oil spill dispersants, visit our Dispersants project page.

 

Council studies effects of low level exposure to chemically dispersed crude oil on zooplankton

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The long and short term effects of low level exposure to chemically dispersed crude oil on zooplankton needs more research, according to the council’s science committee.

Studies have been conducted on the effects of high-level exposure to crude oil on large animals, such as sea otters and birds. However, not as much is known about the effects of oil on smaller species, such as zooplankton.

Zooplankton and other small species are important to the health of any marine ecosystem. They are the building blocks of the food chain, providing food for larger animals.

One of the first steps in beginning such research is finding out what information already exists. This step helps identify gaps where more research is needed.

A recent council report put together information about research on the effects of chemically dispersed oil on zooplankton and fish larvae.

Chemical dispersants are substances applied to spilled oil with the goal of dispersing oil into the water column rather than leaving it floating on the surface in a slick to be removed or to disperse naturally. Oil slicks treated with dispersants can create underwater plumes of tiny droplets of dispersed oil.

The report indicated that an application of dispersants after an oil spill in Alaska and Prince William Sound could lead to the formation of dispersed oil droplets which could be ingested by zooplankton and other small species.

The researchers looked at the results of studies conducted after large spills such as the Exxon Valdez spill and BP’s Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010.

The previous research showed three main points that need to be considered in future council studies:

  1. An underwater plume of dispersed oil can form after application of dispersant to a large oil spill.
  2. Zooplankton have been shown to ingest dispersed oil both in the field and laboratory.
  3. Studies carried out after oil spills treated with dispersants have shown effects on the growth and reproduction of zooplankton.

The study also identified priority areas for future research on effects of dispersed oil on zooplankton, including effects on growth and reproduction and whether the cold water zooplankton found in Prince William Sound would respond differently to exposure than warmer water zooplankton.

The council is interested because dispersed oil can impact important subsistence, sport and commercial fisheries species such as herring and salmon.

To read more about the council’s studies on the effects of crude oil, visit our Hydrocarbon Toxicity project page.

Harold Blehm: New council committee member has long history of volunteering in Prince William Sound communities

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Volunteer Spotlight

Harold Blehm
Harold Blehm

Harold Blehm, newest member of the council’s Terminal Operations and Vessel Traffic System committee is passionate about using his time to help make Valdez, Prince William Sound, and the Chugach mountains a better place.

Blehm first moved to Alaska in 1982, after he graduated from Colorado State University’s School of Forestry with a degree in outdoor recreation administration.

Colorado’s population has grown so much that Blehm said he doesn’t think he could ever return there.

“All the lakes we used to fish in are now inside city limits and you can’t fish there anymore,” Blehm said, “It’s sad.”

For his first few years in Alaska, Blehm worked for the City of Valdez as a firefighter, emergency medical technician and police officer. In 1988, Blehm finally got his dream job with the Alaska State Parks as district ranger for the Copper Basin Ranger District in Tazlina, Alaska.

“I got that job in ‘88, and in ’89, guess what happened?”

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