Tim Robertson: Real-life experiences improve oil spill response

Volunteer Spotlight

Photo of Tim Robertson on a small motorized boat on the ocean with a rocky coast in the background.
Tim Robertson is a member of the Council’s Oil Spill Prevention & Response Committee. The committee works to minimize the risk and impacts associated with oil transportation through research, advice, and recommendations for strong and effective spill prevention and response measures, contingency planning, and regulations.

Growing up in western North Carolina, over 3,000 miles away from Alaska, Tim Robertson and his brothers Roy and Andy knew all about the 49th state. His dad was obsessed.

“If there was a TV show or a movie or anything about Alaska, he drug the whole family to see it,” Robertson says. All three brothers ended up moving here.

These days Tim splits his time between Alaska and Hawaii. At first glance, it might seem like the two states are very different, but Tim’s values are present in both.

“I’m a small-boat guy on big water,” he says. “There’s the same connection with the ocean. A lot of mornings I watch the sun rise from the water. It’s a big part of what I am.”

Robertson spent his first few years in Alaska working in an oil-related field, first as a research biologist for Alaska Department of Fish and Game, then for an oil field service company.

He dreamt of a different career though. Robertson acquired land in Seldovia in 1985, and partnered with another family to build Harmony Point Wilderness Lodge, an ecotourism business. They had only been in business a few short years when the Exxon Valdez ran aground.

“The first time I ever heard of ICS [Incident Command System] was when we had a community meeting after the spill,” says Robertson.

The Incident Command System is a standardized structure that is used to organize the response during all types of emergencies. It was first developed in the 1970s to manage wildfires.

Seldovia’s fire chief taught the system to the group that showed up to that meeting.

“Which was essentially every able-bodied adult in the community,” Robertson says. “At least for the first few months, that how it all came together. We used a lot of fishermen ingenuity.”

Oil spill response then wasn’t well-planned out and documented like it is today. Community members had to get creative. They built thousands of feet of oil spill boom and planned out how to protect their local shores.

“I knew the coast really well, I knew the outdoors, I knew the fishermen, I knew our community, and I was learning about tourism at the time, but I didn’t really know anything about picking up oil,” Robertson says.
“Pulling boom is really no different than pulling a net and skimming oil off the water’s not real different than sucking up fish with a trans-vac fish pump.”

Later on, Seldovia’s mayor asked Robertson if he would go to Anchorage and meet with a group who was forming a new kind of organization. He accepted. That organization was eventually named the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council.

Robertson was elected the Council’s first vice president and first chair of the Oil Spill Prevention and Response, or OSPR, Committee. He left the Council’s Board after a few years, but remained an advocate for improving oil spill prevention and response.

In the mid-1990s, Robertson traveled to Washington, D.C., to help improve the national oil spill contingency plan. He says that before the spill, most contingency plan regulations were managed by individual states. Requirements stemming from the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 led to many changes and Robertson was right in the middle of it, representing others who were affected by oil spills.

“I was pretty passionate about it because I had worked in the oil industry, and I felt somewhat responsible for producing the oil that ended up on the beaches that I loved and impacting my friends and community.”

Robertson stayed involved with the Council over the years as a contractor. He co-founded Nuka Research and Planning Group, an environmental consulting firm that has supported many of the Council’s projects.

Robertson retired in 2023. He now volunteers for the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council and recently re-joined the Prince William Sound Council’s OSPR Committee.

“It’s really cool to come full circle back to the Council and contribute as a volunteer. It’s been a big part of my life.”

Robertson and his fellow Seldovians’ plans to protect their shores later evolved into an official part of Alaska’s oil spill response plans. Geographic Response Strategies, or GRS, are plans that are developed for specific, unique areas that are particularly sensitive to contamination. Responders practice these from time to time.

“It’s almost impossible to deploy one and not learn something,” Robertson says. OSPR works to get such lessons incorporated into spill contingency plans.

He says that it’s important for citizens to have a say in decisions that will directly affect them.

“Continual pressure tends to swing regulation toward the industry’s favor,” he says. “We talk about risk makers and risk takers. The industry are the risk makers and people along the coast of Alaska are the risk takers.”
“That’s what RCAC does so great,” he adds. “Because they put people at the table that are reasonable and understand the policies, technologies, and science.”

Photo of Tim Robertson paddling a kayak on the ocean.
Tim Robertson: small boat guy on big water

More about the early days of the Council

As one of our founding Board members, in 2013, Robertson was asked to reflect on the formation and early years of the Council. Tim’s story, along with 20 other folks who were involved early on can be found in the Council’s publication Stories from a Citizens’ Council.


Nuka Research reports authored by Tim Robertson

The following are some of the reports Robertson authored or co-authored for the Council. This is not a complete list of all of Robertson’s work.

Link to additional detailsDateDescriptionView Full Report
Prince William Sound Out-Of-Region Oil Spill Response Equipment SurveySeptember 1, 2022This report presents a survey of oil spill response equipment available from outside the Prince William Sound (PWS)/Gulf of Alaska region to supplement the response to an oil spill from …
Geographic Response Planning for the Copper River Delta and FlatsMarch 1, 2022This report by Sierra Fletcher, Breck Tostevin, and Tim Robertson of Nuka Research documents the history of the development of geographic response strategies (GRS) for the Copper River Delta and …
Alaska’s Oil Spill Response Planning Standard (Graphic Version)November 8, 2019This is a graphic synopsis of the full report: ‘Alaska’s Oil Spill Response Planning Standard – History and Legislative Intent’ (PDF/5.6MB).
Alaska’s Oil Spill Response Planning Standard – History And Legislative IntentAugust 8, 2018This report tells the story of how and why an unlikely alliance of regulators, politicians, oil industry executives, and international spill response experts used the Exxon Valdez oil spill as …
Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Optimization AnalysisFebruary 1, 2017This study analyzed potential options to increase oil recovery by optimizing both the open-water and nearshore on-water recovery systems based in Prince William Sound.
Oil Simulants Workshop ProceedingsJune 21, 2013This report summarizes a workshop of national experts to address key questions regarding the potential permitting and use of oil simulants in US waters to improve oil spill response planning …
Non-mechanical Response Gap Estimate for Two Operating Areas of Prince William Sound – 2008April 15, 2008The ‘response gap’ is the window between the upper limits of the response system (in terms of environmental conditions) and the conditions at which Hinchinbrook Entrance is closed to laden …
Non-mechanical Response Gap Estimate: Literature Review and Recommended Limits – 2007August 21, 2007This report analyzes the response gap that exists for non-mechanical response operations at two locations in Prince William Sound.
Response Gap Estimates for Two Operating Areas in Prince William Sounds – 2007February 8, 2007In 2006, the Council commissioned a study to determine the frequency and duration of any Response Gap that exists in Prince William Sound.
Response Gap MethodsMay 5, 2006In 2006, the Council commissioned a study to determine the frequency and duration of any Response Gap that exists in Prince William Sound.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fishing for answers: Geneticist using DNA to decode Alaska salmon’s family ties

Wei Cheng is a member of the Council’s Scientific Advisory Committee. The committee is made up of scientists and citizens working to promote the environmentally safe operations of the terminal and tankers through independent scientific research, environmental monitoring, and review of scientific work.

Volunteer Spotlight: Wei Cheng

Wei Cheng says she is happy and fortunate to be able to use her expertise in genetics to help protect Alaska’s salmon.

At her job with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, or ADF&G, she analyzes genetic changes in fish to map the relationships among populations of salmon and other species of fish. The information she gains helps fisheries managers make decisions protect the integrity of wild populations of fish species.

Cheng is surprised at how much she enjoys the work. “To be honest, I was not interested in fisheries at all at the beginning,” she laughs.

Before coming to the United States from China, she graduated from medical school. Her area of interest was in human genetics and diseases, so she moved to Pittsburgh for graduate work in molecular biology at Duquesne University.

After graduation, her husband’s work brought them to Juneau.

“In Alaska we don’t have medical schools, pharmaceutical companies, or medical research labs,” Cheng says about her search for a job.

But she got lucky. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Auke Bay Laboratories reeled her in to help with studies using genetic analysis.

“That’s where I started working in fisheries.”

Cheng and her family eventually ended up in Anchorage, where she now works at ADF&G’s Gene Conservation Laboratory.

She has studied the population structure of pink salmon in Prince William Sound This study is the initial step to examine the interactions of wild and hatchery pink salmon in the area.

Salmon tend to spawn in the streams and rivers where they were born. But Cheng says sometimes they stray.

“Hatchery-origin fish may stray into natural streams. They may interact with wild fish and influence wild fish populations through ecological or genetic effects.” Cheng adds.

To protect the populations of wild fish, hatchery programs are required to collect their eggs from local fish. Using fish with local genetic profiles means that strays are less likely to harm local populations if they interbreed.

“I never did field work before I started working for Fish and Game,“ she says. “Alaska is a very beautiful state, especially during summertime. Although the work is really hard, Prince William Sound is so beautiful. I really appreciate seeing the project from the field to the final results.”

Joining the Scientific Advisory Committee

A few years ago, the committee started developing projects that involved genetic analysis, such as a recent study of mussel DNA to learn more about how genes respond to stressors such as crude oil, among several others. So the committee sought out an expert on the topic. Cheng says it’s been a great fit.

“For me, it is nice to use my expertise to help the community.”

Cheng says there are other ways genetic tools could help further the Council’s mission. One possibility she finds interesting is analyzing the waters of Prince William Sound for environmental DNA, referred to as “eDNA,” to monitor for invasive species.

This could be useful for the early detection of invasive species such as European green crab. Current monitoring methods are labor-intensive, requiring placement of traps in waters where invasive crab are likely to take hold. Early in an invasion, there may only be a few individuals.

All living beings shed cells into their environment.

“We can collect water and the water sample can contain eDNA if those animals exist in that environment.”

Cheng has helped the Scientific Advisory Committee develop several projects using genetic analysis tools. You can read about several of these here on our website:
Genetics as a monitoring tool

Trent Dodson: Bait the education hook early to reel in later learners

Volunteer Spotlight

Trent Dodson

In college, Trent Dodson was most fascinated in his biology classes. He tells a story of one of his professors, a parasitologist, who took the class out to a stream to look for snails. Dodson was hooked. He went on to take classes on insects and other critters, eventually settling on ichthyology, the study of fish.

After graduating, he taught school for a year. But it wasn’t for him, and he decided to look for something different. That search brought him to Alaska in 2001.

“I came up to work a summer job for Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association,” he says. In the fall, they asked him to stay on. Dodson has been an Alaskan ever since.

He mainly managed projects, but with his background in education, he ended up with some public outreach duties. He discovered that he liked teaching when it wasn’t in a structured classroom.

Joining the citizen oversight club

While at the association, Dodson was elected to serve as the commercial fishing representative on the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council. He enjoyed this partnership so much that, later, when a position opened up in 2007, he applied to become their public outreach coordinator.

After a few years there, Dodson started to miss working directly with fish and in the outdoors. Then, on a trip to Kodiak, he fell in love with that community. Conveniently, the Kodiak Regional Aquaculture Association was hiring, so he got back to his aquaculture roots.

Dodson is currently the production and operations manager at Kodiak Regional Aquaculture Association.
The association enhances and rehabilitates salmon runs on and near Kodiak Island. Each year, they collect hundreds of millions of eggs from five salmon species and rainbow trout. The fry from these eggs are raised at their two hatcheries until they are older and able to better fend for themselves. The association also conducts research and monitoring of wild salmon habitats. This work ensures that enough fish are available for commercial, sport, and subsistence fishing.

Dodson’s job is to make sure they have all the right permits kept up to date and that their facilities are staying in compliance and meeting production goals.

“As you would imagine, you have to be highly regulated to release fish here and there, raise fish, and manage net pens in the ocean.”

He says oil spills are a concern in that industry.

“Aquaculture associations directly saw ramifications from the Exxon Valdez oil spill,” Dodson said. “If commercial fisherman can’t fish, that’s where we get our money to produce fish.”

Growing up in Indiana, volunteering wasn’t something he gave much thought to. But now, whether it’s his nephew’s fourth grade basketball team, the local chamber of commerce, or the Kodiak Maritime Museum, he’s always helping someone. He says his role on the IEC is a good fit for many of his interests. It scratches his itch for education that he doesn’t get elsewhere.

IEC’s projects engage audiences of all ages, but his favorite involve kids. He loves helping with the Masters of Disaster program that brings the Council’s lesson plans to life in the communities.

“You’re teaching at a very small, focused level, but these are building blocks to more complicated lessons for older kids and teenagers and adults.”

He also says it’s important to spread awareness of the Council’s work and the concept of regional citizens advisory councils.

“With the IEC, we can go out and help educate those people that may not even be aware of what is happening.”

“This mechanism [regional citizens advisory councils] doesn’t really exist anywhere else. It allows us to help prevent a disaster like we saw before.”

Matt Cullin builds life of growth and success out of expertise in corrosion and failure analysis

Volunteer Spotlight

Cullin is a member of the Terminal Operations and Environmental Monitoring Committee. Volunteers like Cullin dedicate their time and expertise on committees who advise the Council’s Board of Directors on technical issues related to the safe transportation of oil through Prince William Sound.

At his job as the director of the University of Alaska Anchorage’s BP Asset Integrity and Corrosion Lab, Matt Cullin imagines himself as a detective.

“I do a lot of failure analysis work for the oil and gas industry,” he says. “Basically when stuff breaks, we do the CSI forensics to figure out why things broke and why they failed.”

They get big projects and a lot of smaller failures too. “Every couple of months somebody shows up with an old piece of pipe and asks us to tell them what happened.”

His goal isn’t just to solve the crime, though, he wants to learn how to prevent corrosion. For all of these projects, Cullin says his next question is always “how can you keep it from failing in the first place?”

Volunteering for the Council

Cullin also puts his background in mechanical engineering with a specialty in corrosion, materials, and failure analysis into use for the Council as a member of the Terminal Operations and Environmental Monitoring, or TOEM, Committee. He says working with the committee helps him better understand the pipeline and terminal. The students in his classes at UAA benefit too.

“Students have a lot of questions about the pipeline and the terminal,” Cullin says. “These are engineers who might go to work for the state or Alyeska and for them to have that information before they graduate is pretty neat. It’s not a given, when you get a university degree, that you’ll get to study this applied information that’s relevant to your local installation.”

“It’s a cool symbiotic relationship,” he adds.

Cullin recently partnered with a fellow TOEM member, Tom Kuckertz, and staff member Austin Love to create a model to help the committee estimate how much oil could potentially leak through a secondary containment liner at the terminal, if that liner was damaged.

“Typically, when you’re talking about modeling, you want to understand the physics,” he explains.
Th

“I’m good at computer programming, so if you explain the model to me, and the equations that govern it, I can program almost anything. Once you have the equations, solving is the easy part.”

Cullin says you have to be willing to keep an open mind in this line of work. It requires a lot of “let’s figure this out” which he loves.

“Otherwise, it would be boring!”

Cullin says that taking things apart and figuring out how they work is the introductory spark for a lot of engineers. “You don’t have to have that to become an engineer, but it certainly helps to have that curiosity.”

“I really appreciate how it links everything together and you can describe the world in a mathematical form.”

‘Alaska gets its hooks in you’

Cullin’s dog Eva photobombs a scenic portrait. Photo courtesy of Matt Cullin.

ey figured out the physics that governed how the fluid would flow through the materials and then Cullin says it’s just a matter of programming.

Outside of work, Cullin has developed a passion for all things outdoors. He hikes, bikes, skis, packrafts, fishes, camps, and recently took up white water kayaking. He loves the variety of activities Alaska provides and just being outdoors.
“That’s what you’ve gotta do. I can’t just sit inside the house, especially during shoulder season. That doesn’t make me unique, though, just makes me like everybody else in Alaska.”

“When I was in Pennsylvania, I was not outdoorsy,” Cullin adds. “Alaska gets its hooks in you, you start doing this stuff, and then someone says ‘there’s a good job opportunity down in Arizona,’ and you’re like ‘yeah but they don’t have real mountains.’”

“The people that really embrace it, you’re not going to be able to leave.”

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