Council News Archives | Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council

Council to meet in Cordova

September 9, 2025August 18, 2025 by Amanda Johnson

The Council’s Board of Directors will meet in Cordova, Alaska at The Cordova Center on Thursday and Friday, September 18 and 19, 2025.

Meeting materials and a final agenda are now available: Board of Directors Meeting in Cordova

Public events:

Tuesday, September 16, 5:30 P.M. – “Tuesday Night Talk” with the PWSRCAC & the Prince William Sound Science Center – Dr. Danielle Verna will give a talk titled Policy in Practice: How OPA 90 Shapes Science in the Sound. Learn about the Council’s latest research, long-term monitoring, and how the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) continues to shape science in the Sound 35 years after it was signed into law.
Wednesday, September 17, 4:00 – 6:00 P.M. – Become a Master of Disaster at our educational event at Mt. Eccles Elementary School – All ages are invited to learn about oil spill response, tankers, and related ocean science through interactive stations!
Thursday, September 18, 5:30 – 7:30 P.M. – Public reception at the Reluctant Fisherman. The Council will be co-hosting a public reception with Repsol. Hors d’oeuvres provided—cash bar. Visit with us, learn more about the Council, and share ideas!

Board meeting: Thursday and Friday, Sept. 18-19

The meeting will be located at the Cordova Center. Those interested in attending can do so in person, by teleconference or videoconference: Details about joining the meeting

The tentative schedule for the Thursday session is from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. On Friday, the meeting is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3:35 p.m. The meeting is open to the public, except for executive sessions. Public comments are scheduled to be taken on Thursday starting at 9:25 a.m. Those wishing to speak during public comments are highly encouraged to sign up ahead of time by emailing Jennifer Fleming: fleming@pwsrcac.org.

On the agenda

The Council will be conducting regular business during the meeting, including updates from Council ex officio members, staff and committees. Other topics included on the agenda are:

An activity report by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company on the Valdez Marine Terminal and Ship Escort Response Vessel System operations.
A presentation by representatives from Alaska Tanker Company on recent tanker engine upgrades.
Update on a project to develop updated geographic response strategies for the Copper River Delta and Flats area.
A presentation from representatives from Teekay Shipping on their training programs for their foreign flagged fleet.
A report summarizing the recent Subsistence Memorial Gathering Workshop and resulting recommendations.
A summary of a recent analysis of Alaska North Slope crude oil properties commissioned by the council.
An update on recent changes to dispersants regulations and stockpiles in Alaska.
A technical review of the maintenance of Ballast Water Storage Tank 93 at the Valdez Marine Terminal.
An update on integrity testing methods for the terminal’s secondary containment system liner.

Anyone exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, flu or cold should attend virtually.

More details: Meeting materials and agenda for September 18 & 19 PWSRCAC Board of Directors meeting.

The meeting agenda is subject to change before or during the meeting. Council board meetings are routinely recorded and may be disseminated to the public by the council or by the news media.

Media release: Prince William Sound RCAC board to meet in Cordova, September 18-19

Anchorage office has relocated

June 25, 2025April 26, 2025 by Amanda Johnson

The Council is excited to announce that our Anchorage office has moved!

MAP to new location: RAM Building at 2525 Gambell Street, Suite 305.

New mailing address:

Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council
2525 Gambell Street, Ste 305
Anchorage, AK 99503

All other contact information for the Anchorage and Valdez offices will remain the same.

Questions? Please call 907-277-7222.

New member entity joins Council

May 6, 2024February 29, 2024 by Amanda Johnson

Area recreation enthusiasts now have permanent, dedicated representation on the Council’s Board of Directors.

The newly-formed Oil Spill Region Recreational Coalition was added to the Council’s roster of member entities at the January meeting. Jim Herbert was chosen by the coalition as its representative.

Herbert had been serving as a temporary recreation representative for the past year while the while the council solicited interest from recreational organizations to potentially fill the seat. Herbert previously represented the City of Seward from 2013 to 2015. He is also the current chair of the Council’s Oil Spill Prevention and Response Committee.

The new coalition’s mission is to assist the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council in promoting environmentally safe operation of the Alyeska Pipeline Terminal and associated tankers in a manner that will protect the natural recreational resources of Prince William Sound and other areas affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

The three founding members of the coalition are the Prince William Sound Stewardship Foundation, the Valdez Adventure Alliance, and the Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park. The group welcomes other organizations who promote recreation in the Exxon Valdez oil spill region.

The Prince William Sound Stewardship Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping Prince William Sound healthy, clean and wild, for all to enjoy. Visit them online at: www.princewilliamsound.org

The Valdez Adventure Alliance seeks to improve quality of life through equitable access to outdoor recreation resources, education, and events. Visit them online at: www.valdezadventurealliance.com

The Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park promotes the enhancement, preservation and protection of the natural recreational, scientific and historical resources of Kachemak Bay State Park. Visit them online at: www.friendsofkachemakbay.org

This article has been edited to correct the mission of the coalition.

35 years after Exxon Valdez

March 20, 2024February 27, 2024 by Amanda Johnson

How has oil transportation changed in Prince William Sound?

In this photo, three fishing vessels practice pulling bright orange oil spill boom in proper formation, with a skimmer in the middle of the boom. This configuration creates a channel for collecting and skimming oil. — The Exxon Valdez oil spill taught many lessons about preparedness, including local mariners’ knowledge about the waters in our region is vital to spill response. Today, over 300 vessels and their crews are trained and on contract to Alyeska’s Ship Escort Response Vessel System, or SERVS, to respond in the event of a spill. The fishing vessel program is a major improvement to the oil spill response system, which was not in place during the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In this photo, the crews of several Homer fishing vessels practice using oil spill boom and skimmers during annual contracted vessel training. Photo by Cathy Hart.

In 1989, the few measures in place were inadequate to prevent the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the available response resources were insufficient to contain and clean it up. Congress found that complacency among the oil industry, and the regulatory agencies responsible for monitoring the operation of the Valdez Marine Terminal and vessel traffic in Prince William Sound, was also a contributing factor in the disaster.

In the years following the spill, regulatory agencies, industry, and citizens worked together to make sure the painful memories and hard lessons of the Exxon Valdez were not forgotten. Changes were enacted to reduce the chances of another spill and to prepare for an effective cleanup if another should occur.

Much has improved in the intervening decades, but there are lingering concerns.

See also: Then & Now: 35 Years After the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Laws and regulations

One of the most important results of the oil spill was the enactment of the federal Oil Pollution Act of 1990, or OPA 90, which addressed many deficiencies, including liability, compensation, and oversight. It also established permanent, industry-funded citizen oversight groups for Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet.

Both federal and state laws now require more comprehensive prevention measures and planning for larger spills and require more spill response equipment to be immediately available.

An unlikely alliance of regulators, politicians, oil industry executives, and international spill response experts came together after the spill to reimagine oil spill preparedness and response in Prince William Sound. More: How Alaskans redefined oil spill prevention and response

Prevention: The most effective protection

Photo of weather buoy near Valdez Marine Terminal. — Modern technology means weather buoys can stream real-time weather conditions to help make better operational decisions. Photo by Rob Campbell.

No oil spill can ever be completely cleaned up. Preventing an oil spill is the most effective way to protect human health, local communities and economies, and the environment. Since 1989, improvements have drastically reduced the risk of oil spills.

Double hulls

All tankers transporting oil through Prince William Sound are now double hulled. Double hulls, basically two steel skins separated by several feet of space, can reduce or eliminate spills that result from groundings or collisions.

Alyeska’s Ship Escort Response Vessel System

The Ship Escort Response Vessel System, known as SERVS (SERVS’ website), was developed after the Exxon Valdez spill. SERVS’ mission is to prevent oil spills by helping tankers navigate safely through Prince William Sound and to begin an immediate response if there is a spill.

Improved tanker escorts

A major component of SERVS are the powerful tugs that escort tankers safely through our waters. Two tugs accompany each laden tanker out of Prince William Sound. These tugs can assist should the tanker experience a malfunction and begin immediate spill response if needed. SERVS also keeps trained response crews on duty around the clock and has spill response equipment ready.

Cleaning up a spill: Must be quick and effective

Photo of Prince William Sound escort tug. — In 2018, Alyeska began work with their new spill prevention and response contractor, Edison Chouest Offshore. These services include operation of escort tugs, oil recovery storage barges, and associated personnel. These resources are key oil spill prevention and response assets for Prince William Sound.
To fulfill their contract, Edison Chouest built new purpose-built tugs, such as the Elrington above; and spill response barges, such as the new OSRB-5. These vessels represented a significant improvement for the oil spill prevention and response system. In some cases, new general-purpose tugs replaced conventional tugs that were over 40 years old. Photo by Jeremy Robida.

While prevention measures are the best way to avoid damage from oil spills, even the best system cannot remove all risks. Alyeska’s SERVS has implemented many improvements since 1989, creating the world-class oil spill prevention and response system in place today.

Contingency plans

Contingency plans, extensive documents which contain details on preventing and cleaning up oil spills, are required by state and federal law.

Some changes in the contingency plans since 1989 include:

Local fishing vessels and crews are an integral part of response plans. The vessels – located in the ports of Valdez, Cordova, Whittier, Homer, Seward, and Kodiak – are contracted by Alyeska to respond in the event of a spill and trained every year in spill cleanup methods.
More emphasis on open-water and nearshore response systems, and wildlife protection.
Special strategies have been developed to protect specific areas that have been identified as a sensitive area or a critical resource, such as salmon streams or hatcheries.

Spill drills

Before 1989, few oil spill drills were conducted in Prince William Sound. Today, three major exercises take place per year, along with several smaller drills. The drills provide opportunities for response personnel to work with equipment and practice procedures.

1989 vs 2024: Spill response equipment

In 1989, there were only 13 oil-skimming systems in Alyeska’s response inventory; today, 90 are available. Only 5 miles of oil spill boom were available in 1989; today, around 40 miles are on hand. Alyeska had only one 500,000-gallon barge at that time to store recovered oil and the water that comes with; today, storage capacity is now 37 million gallons.

This image is a bar chart graphic that shows the difference in equipment between 1989 and 2024. It compares 13 oil skimmers compared to 90, 5 miles of boom compared to 40, and 500,000 gallons of capacity compared to 37,000,000 today.

Concerns remain

Although there have been many improvements, there are still many areas of concern, meriting the continued attention and sustained efforts from the Council. A few of these include:

Risks and safety culture at the terminal: In 2023, the Council released an assessment of risks and safety culture at the Valdez Marine Terminal, concluding that there is currently an unacceptable safety risk present, although Alyeska has been working to address the concerns outlined in the report.
Response gap: Studies by the Council have shown that it is not possible to effectively clean up an oil spill during the most extreme winds and waves in which tankers are allowed to transport oil.
Aging infrastructure: The terminal is over 40 years old and still moving large volumes of crude oil. Constant vigilance of this aging infrastructure is needed to ensure that the necessary inspection and maintenance is performed to assure continued safe operations. A recent example the Council has been focusing on is the potential degradation and/or damage to the secondary containment liner system at the terminal.
Complacency: As the years pass, many of those who experienced the spill and worked to improve the system have retired or passed away. Details about why protections were put in place can be lost. At the same time, state and federal environmental protections are being rolled back or weakened.

Council report on changes:

More about improvements and remaining concerns in the publication “Then & Now: 35 Years After the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill”