The council is collaborating with the Prince William Sound College and the Smithsonian for a two-day Marine Invasive Species Bioblitz on September 9 and 10 in Valdez. Learn about invasive species that threaten Prince William Sound and look for them in Valdez Harbor.
Your help with this bioblitz will help establish critical baseline data for future research, invasive species management, and conservation initiatives.
Dates:
Pre-training workshop on Friday, September 9.
Expedition to look for invasive species in Valdez harbor.
A new council study found that the low-sulfur fuel used in oil tankers has resulted in far less air pollution from crude oil tankers than just a few years ago.
The study, by Starcrest Consulting Group, evaluated the air pollution from tankers that traveled through Prince William Sound during 2014. The study looked at three air pollutants: nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and sulfur oxides. These pollutants are produced by internal combustion engines and released in a vessel’s exhaust. Each of the pollutants can have negative impacts on human health, contributing to heart and lung disease. Researchers calculated the amount of each of these pollutants that would have been released if the tankers had been using fuel with a sulfur content of 2.7, 1.0, or 0.1 percent. The results were then compared to determine the amount reduced.
UPDATED (Dec 8):Â All presentations are now available for download. Please see the links below.
Original post:
Science it up with us! On Thursday, December 3, the council is hosting our annual Science Night at The Lakefront Anchorage (formerly The Millenium). Hear about the latest research that affects the safe transportation of oil through Prince William Sound.
This event is an initiative of the council’s Scientific Advisory Committee. SAC, as it’s known, ensures council projects are based on the best science.
The council’s directors in Kodiak at the September 2015 board meeting.
On Friday, September 18, 2015, the council’s board of directors unanimously passed a resolution in support of the “Reopener for Unknown Injury” from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Multiple citizens called in during the public comment period to voice their opinions about this important issue.
Resolution 15-07 – “Supporting Habitat Restoration Pursuant to Damages Caused by the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill – in support of a meeting between the United States, the State of Alaska, Exxon, Inc., and the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustees Council.”
Full text of Resolution 15-07
Supporting Habitat Restoration Pursuant to Damages Caused by the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
WHEREAS, the Exxon Valdez Settlement Agreement contains a reopener clause allowing the federal or state government to request additional funds from Exxon due to unanticipated remaining oil in the environment and subsequent failure of species to recover within Prince William Sound;
WHEREAS, in 2006, the United States and the State of Alaska presented to Exxon a comprehensive project plan for the cleanup of lingering oil at an estimated cost of $92 million;
The council is collaborating with the Prince William Sound College and the Smithsonian for a two-day Marine Invasive Species Bioblitz on September 9 and 10 in Valdez. Learn about invasive species that threaten Prince William Sound and look for them in Valdez Harbor.
