annual report prince° william ° sound r e g i o n a l c i
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REGIONAL CITIZENS’ ADVISORY COUNCILP R I N C E ° W I L L I A M ° S O U N D
Annual Report
2004-2005 IN REVIEW
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENTAND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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MAP OF CITIZENS’ COUNCIL REGION
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MISSION AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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2004-2005 ACTIVITIES:~OIL SPILL
PREVENTION
4~ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTIONAND SCIENCE
7~OIL SPILL
PREPAREDNESSAND RESPONSE
13~COMMUNITY
RESPONSE PLANNING,MEMBER RELATIONS,,AND
EXTERNAL RELATIONS
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WHO WE ARE
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COMMITTEES
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PRESENTATIONS, REPORTS,AND
NEWS RELEASES24
STAFF AND OFFICESINSIDE
BACKCOVER
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In the past year, one issue has emerged as perhaps themost important the council has faced since its birth: thefuture of the Prince William Sound tanker escort system.
That system, instituted after the Exxon Valdezoil spill of 1989, requires two powerful tugs toaccompany each loaded oil tanker out of theSound. The tugs can rescue a tanker if itruns into trouble, or begin the responseif, despite all efforts, an oil spill occurs.
However, the oil industry and itsgovernment regulators have discussedreducing the requirement to a single tug.Moreover, under the Oil Pollution Act of1990, federal escort requirements disap-pear altogether when the tanker fleetserving the Valdez oil terminal hasswitched entirely to double-hull vessels.As this report went to press, the councilwas seeking a written agreement with the oil industry that nochanges will be made to the Prince William Sound escort sys-tem until a definitive study has demonstated that no increasein risk will result.
The oil industry is seeking cost reductions inother areas, as well. One example is plans byAlyeska Pipeline Service Co. for majorchanges at the Valdez tanker terminal, asdiscussed later in this report. The com-pany’s stated goals are to simplify thefacility and reduce costs. The councilhas commented extensively on this pro-posal, and will continue to monitor theprocess as it moves forward.
Even as we address the technicalaspects of such issues, we are also tacklingthe common thread that increasingly runsthrough them: the oil industry’s claimthat cutbacks and other changes are nec-essary for financial reasons. For this reason, the council inautumn 2004 commissioned a study of oil-industry profitsin Alaska.
That study, by Fairbanks economic consultant Dr.Richard Fineberg, shows that the industry unsurprisinglymakes enormous profits — more than $5 billion a year — atoil prices around the $50-a-barrel level seen recently. But italso shows the industry made a healthy return of about $800million in Alaska even in 1998, when prices were as low as $13a barrel. So, at any imaginable price level, oil companies canafford to protect our environment, and Alaskans needn’t worry
the cost will drive the industry out of the state.However, the council’s right to conduct such studies is
under attack from Alyeska Pipeline. Several months after Dr.Fineberg was retained, but before his report was fin-
ished, the company served notice it considersprofitability analysis outside the scope of its
contract with us, and demanded that we notuse Alyeska Pipeline contract funds to payhim. Because we believe this type ofinformation to be essential in dealingwith the financial arguments being made
more and more frequently by AlyeskaPipeline, we went to court in May 2005 toestablish our right to conduct such studies.
Although we sometimes find ourselvesat odds with the industry, we know theyshare our desire to make sure nothing likethe Exxon Valdez spill befalls Alaska again.
So we are always eager to give credit where credit is due andto spotlight noteworthy accomplishments. Such was the casewhen we recommended that the Valdez oil shippers —ConocoPhillips’ Polar Tankers unit, ExxonMobil’s SeaRiver
Maritime, Tesoro’s Seabulk Tankers, and Alaska TankerCo., which hauls oil for BP — receive a 2004
Legacy Award for spilling no oil to the sea theprevious calendar year. The award is given
annually by the Pacific States/BritishColumbia Oil Spill Task Force for com-mendable work in the areas of oil spillprevention, preparedness, or response.
In addition, we were happy to spon-sor another symposium this spring fortraining land-based firefighters to combatfires aboard ships. As usual, we had manypartners, but we were particularly gratifiedthat ConocoPhillips made available its PolarEndeavour, allowing the firefighters to see
for themselves what the new double-hull tankers enteringservice are like.
As noted above, the next few years promise to confrontthe council with some very high-stakes issues, the two mostnoteworthy being the prospect of reductions to the escort sys-tem, and Alyeska Pipeline’s proposed overhaul of the tankerterminal in Valdez.
Through it all, the council will bear in mind its centralmission: making sure the oil transportation system in PrinceWilliam Sound is as safe as can be, so that future Alaskans canenjoy the state’s natural wonders as much as we do today.
FROM THE
PRESIDENT AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORL E T T E R
STAN STEPHENSPresident
JOHN DEVENSExecutive Director
MI S S I O N A N D
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ES P O N S
The Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’Advisory Council is an independent non-profit corpora-tion guided by its mission: citizens promoting environ-mentally safe operation of the Alyeska Pipeline ServiceCo. terminal in Valdez and the oil tankers that use it.
The council’s 18 member organizations arecommunities in the region affected by the 1989 ExxonValdez oil spill, as well as aquaculture, commercialfishing, environmental, Alaska Native, recreation, andtourism groups.
Consistent with its mission, the council’s struc-ture and responsibilities stem from two documents.The first is a contract with Alyeska Pipeline, whichoperates the trans-Alaska pipeline as well as the Valdezterminal. The council's basic operating funds comefrom this contract.
The second guiding document, enacted after thecouncil was created, is the federal Oil Pollution Act of1990, which required citizen oversight councils forPrince William Sound and Cook Inlet. Their purposeis to promote partnership and cooperation among localcitizens, industry and government, and to build trustand provide citizen oversight of environmental compli-ance by oil terminals and tankers.
The Act allows an alternative, pre-existing organi-zation to fulfill the requirement for a citizen groupand our council has done so for Prince William Soundsince 1991. Each year, the U.S. Coast Guard assesseswhether the council fosters the general goals and pur-poses of the Oil Pollution Act and is broadly represen-tative of the communities and interests as envisionedin the Act.
Citizens PromotingEnvironmentally
Safe Operation of the Alyeska Terminal and
Associated Tankers
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SThe council’s contract with Alyeska Pipeline pre-
dates the Oil Pollution Act, but the similarities in thepowers and duties given the council in the two docu-ments are not coincidental. Many people involved in theestablishment of the council also actively promoted citi-zen involvement provisions in the federal law.
In accordance with the provisions of the two docu-ments, the council performs a variety of functions aimedat reducing pollution from crude oil-transportationthrough Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska:
❍ Monitor, review and comment on oil spillresponse and prevention plans prepared by AlyeskaPipeline and by operators of oil tankers.
❍ Monitor, review and comment on the environ-mental protection capabilities of Alyeska Pipeline andthe tanker operators, as well as on the environmental,social and economic impacts of their activities.
❍ Review and make recommendations on government
policies, permits, and regulations relating to theoil terminal and tankers.
As part of these undertakings, the coun-cil regularly retains experts in various fieldsto conduct independent research on issuesrelated to oil transportation safety.
The Alyeska Pipeline contract also callsfor the council to increase public awarenessof the company’s oil spill response, spill pre-vention and environmental protection capa-bilities, as well as the actual and potentialenvironmental impacts of terminal andtanker operations.
The contract statesthat the council may work on otherrelated issues not specifically identi-fied when the contract was written.
The council was initially fundedat $2 million a year. The funding isrenegotiated every three years; cur-rent Alyeska Pipeline funding isapproximately $2.8 million a year.The council's total budget is about$3.5 million.
Although the council worksclosely with and is funded chiefly byAlyeska Pipeline, the council is anindependent advisory group. Thecontract is explicit: “Alyeska shallhave no right . . . to have any degreeof control over the formation oroperation of the corporation . . .”
Loaded oil tankers in Prince William Sound areescorted by two powerful tugs. For part of thetrip, one must be tethered to the tanker’s sternfor immediate response in emergencies.
This Alyeskaworker partici-
pated in oilspill responsetraining near
Cordova inApril 2005.
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The escort tugs inPrince WilliamSound are amongthe best on earth.The Attentive,shown here, isa Prevention/Response Tug.
PHOTO BYSTAN JONES
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To ensure a maximum level of safety, the council
reviews all aspects of the oil transportation system in
Prince William Sound. These include operations of
oil tankers and the Valdez Marine terminal, spills and
other incidents, and the adequacy and maintenance
of the Vessel Traffic System.
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TANKER SAFETY
Escort System
The heart of the oil spill prevention system in PrinceWilliam Sound is the fleet of rescue and response tugsthat accompany loaded tankers out into the Gulf ofAlaska. Thanks to years of study
and analysis, and considerable invest-ment by the shipping industry, this sys-tem is widely considered the best in theworld. The fleet, operated by AlyeskaPipeline's Ship Escort/Response VesselSystem, includes five state-of-the-art10,000-horsepower tugs that have provedtheir capabilities in actual incidents, aswell as in sea trials observed and reviewedby the council.
Over the past year, however, the oilindustry has initiated discussions withregulators about reducing the presentrequirement that two tugs escort each loaded oil tanker. Theindustry has also begun a separate study of reducing the sizeof the tug fleet — which now totals ten vessels — even if thetwo-tug escort requirement is preserved.
These moves are of grave concern to the council, whichhas taken a formal position that the double-escort require-ment should be preserved, and has concerns about themethodology of the separate study of whether a smaller tugfleet could meet the present requirement. Many of the coun-cil’s member entities have passed resolutions also supportingthe double-escort rule.
One likely step in any industry effort to reduce escortrequirements is a type of study called a risk assessment,which attempts to calculate the increase or decrease inrisk associated with any change to a complex system. The
council retained an expert on the subject, Dr. MarthaGrabowski, to travel from New York to Valdez in spring 2005to make a presentation to the council staff, board members,and committee volunteers on the standards for conducting aproper risk assessment.
As this report goes to press, the industry has not pre-sented a formal proposal to any regulator for changes to the
escort requirement or tug fleet, but thecouncil anticipates that one or moresuch proposals could be advanced in thecoming 12 months. We will remain vig-ilant to make sure that no reduction isallowed in the protections for PrinceWilliam Sound developed since theExxon Valdez spill 16 years ago.
More information on this issue —including Dr. Grabowski’s report on riskassessments — is available at the coun-cil’s website, www.pwsrcac.org.
Iceberg Detection and Avoidance
Icebergs have proven to be one of the greatest hazardsto tanker navigation in Prince William Sound. In1989, the Exxon Valdez left the tanker traffic lanes toavoid icebergs. The rest is history. In 1994, a tanker
coming into Port Valdez collided with an iceberg, causingsignificant damage to the hull. Fortunately, that tanker wasempty and no spill resulted.
Council-sponsored research has determined that icefrom Columbia Glacier will continue to flow into the tankerlanes, and most likely increase, over the next decade or two.After investigating several ice detection and reporting tech-nologies, the council, along with several partners, launcheda major project to use radar to reduce the navigational riskposed by ice.
5The SeaRiver Baytown heads out of Prince William Sound with its two tug escorts.
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Dr. Martha Grabowski, an expert onrisk assessments, chats with councilvolunteer Tex Edwards during avisit to Valdez in June 2005.
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citizens represented by the council, as well as regulators whowould have to make the decision on where to tow a disabledtanker. The project’s end-product is a document called thePotential Places of Refuge Matrix. A draft version was expect-ed to be out for public comment by the end of 2005.
VALDEZ MARINETERMINALWhile the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill focused worldwide atten-tion on the dangers of spills from tankers under way, there isalso significant risk of spills and other accidents during crudeoil loading operations at Alyeska Pipeline's tanker terminal inValdez. The terminal is at the end of the trans-Alaska pipeline,which brings more than 800,000 barrels of oil south each dayfrom Prudhoe Bay and other North Slope fields.
Valdez was one of many places in Alaska devastated by theGood Friday Earthquake of 1964. Because the area is at riskfor major earthquakes in the future, the council is moving toreview the design of the tanker terminal to be sure it meetsappropriate seismic engineering standards. Specific concernsinclude the stability of containment dikes around storagetanks, slope stability, stability of earth and rock support understorage tanks, and the structural integrity of the terminal’s oil-handling equipment, especially where weakened by corrosionsince the terminal’s construction 30 years ago. The councilwas in the process of recruiting a contractor for the seismicreview of the terminal as this report went to press.
A VHF (Very High Frequency) radar system was installedon Reef Island, near Bligh Reef, scene of the Exxon Valdezdisaster. This system began operation in late 2002 and con-tinues to operate successfully with minimal maintenance. Itis linked to Alyeska Pipeline's escort system facility and to theCoast Guard’s Vessel Traffic System, both in Valdez, enablingoil shippers, coastal pilots, escorts, and the Coast Guard tomake informed decisions about shipping schedules and otherice avoidance measures.
Marine Firefighting Symposium
Vessel fires are always a pollution threat to Alaskawaters, and a fire on a crude oil tanker has the poten-tial for major environmental damage to Prince WilliamSound. Using proper marine firefighting techniques is
one method of reducing this threat, so the council has forseveral years sponsored symposiums for training land-basedfirefighters to respond to vessel fires.
The latest of these took place in Valdez in May 2005.Firefighters attended from coastal communities as far apartas Ketchikan and Unalaska. The training included classroomsessions as well as exercises aboard the double-hull tankerPolar Endeavour and on a smaller vessel.
Places of Refuge
The 2002 sinking of the fuel tanker Prestige off the coast ofSpain focused the world's attention on the need for placesof refuge for vessels in distress. The Prestige began to leakand was towed offshore while the Spanish government
tried to decide what to do. But the vessel broke up and sank intwo miles of water, where it continued to leak, eventually foul-ing both Spanish and French coastlines.
Many observers believed that environmental damagewould have been less if the vessel could have been towed to aplace of refuge — a protected bay where the leaking oil couldhave been contained while repairs were made on the ship.
Accordingly, the council has been involved in a projectto establish potential places of refuge in Prince WilliamSound by pre-identifying sensitive resources and geographicresponse options. This very delicate issue required extensivecommunication with landowners in the Sound and other
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The tanker Overseas New York takes on oil at Alyeska’sValdez terminal.
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PHOTO BYLISA KA’ AIHUE Researcher Bill Driskell
collects mussels for thecouncil’s Long-TermEnvironmentalMonitoring Program.
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Ballast WaterTreatment
Tankers arrive in Valdez with significant quantities ofoily ballast water carried in cargo tanks to provide nav-igational stability during the trip north. The water iscleaned at the terminal's Ballast Water Treatment
Facility, where concentrations of specified pollutants arereduced to a few parts per million before the water is dis-charged into Port Valdez. These discharges occur under aNational Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permitissued by EPA and a separate permit issued by the AlaskaDepartment of Environmental Conservation. Both permitswere renewed in January 2005.
Air Quality
The terminal is a major source of volatile organic com-pounds and other air pollutants, primarily from theBallast Water Treatment Facility. Some of these emis-sions are known carcinogens and may be affecting
health or the quality of life in Valdez. The council is workingto reduce concentrations of hazardous air pollutants inValdez and at the terminal.
The council has been active on multiple fronts in pur-suit of this goal.
We have worked for several years to have emissions fromthe facility made subject to EPA limits under a regulationcalled the National Emission Standards for Hazardous AirPollutants — Organic Liquids Distribution (or NESHAP-OLD) Rule.
However, the final NESHAP-OLD rule adopted inFebruary 2004 exempted emissions from the ballast waterfacility. The council filed a Petition for Reconsideration withthe EPA, which the EPA granted. In January 2005, EPAannounced that the reconsidered rule would regulate emis-sions from the facility and was expected to be issued in finalform in early 2006.
Alyeska’s current air quality permits (which do not applyto the ballast water facility) were developed by the AlaskaDepartment of Environmental Conservation with many com-ments from the council and are now before EPA for finalapproval. If approved as submitted to EPA, they will includesome new provisions inserted on the council’s recommenda-tion. These include requirements for testing two of the ter-minal’s three vapor incinerators for the first time in the facil-ity’s history, and requirements for monitoring oil tankersmokestack emissions to ensure they produce no visiblesmoke in violation of state opacity regulations.
The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 says the council should review,monitor and comment on Alyeska Pipeline’s environmentalprotection capabilities, as well as the actual and potentialenvironmental impacts of terminal and tanker operations. TheAct also calls on us to develop recommendations on environ-mental policies and permits. The council carries out this workthrough two major programs: Terminal Operations andEnvironmental Monitoring. Under the leadership of theScientific Advisory Committee and the Terminal Operationsand Environmental Monitoring Committee, the councilengages in scientific studies to determine actual or potentialrisks, to document levels of pollution and biological effects,and to better understand new technologies and what environ-mental costs or benefits might be associated with their use.
TERMINALOPERATIONSBesides posing the risk of a major oil spill caused by accidentor earthquake, the Valdez tanker terminal produces ongoingpollution from routine operations, as allowed by its permitsfrom regulatory agencies. The council oversees terminaloperations in an effort to make sure that pollution is withinregulatory limits and that those limits are set at the lowestfeasible levels.
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In August 2004, Alyeska tested this device — called anInduced Gas Flotation System — for removing oil remnantsfrom tanker ballast water.
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StrategicReconfiguration
Since 2002, AlyeskaPipeline has beenengaged in reconfig-uring its manage-
ment, business, and opera-tional practices, as well asthe Valdez tanker terminaland the trans-Alaskapipeline. Alyeska Pipeline’sstated goals are to simplifythe terminal and to reducecosts by replacing outmod-ed facilities.
The council has beenworking to ensure thisprocess — called StrategicReconfiguration — willresult in a redesigned ter-minal that operates withthe minimum feasible levelof environmental risk.(Reconfiguration of thetrans-Alaska pipeline isoutside the council’spurview.)
Alyeska Pipeline origi-nally identified the follow-ing items as some of theelements to be consideredfor the Strategic Recon-figuration project:
❍ Redesign or replacement of the Ballast WaterTreatment Facility
❍ Removal from service of up to eight of the 18 crude oilstorage tanks now operating at the terminal
❍ Installation of internal floating roofs on the remainingstorage tanks
❍ Conversion of the current salt-water fire system to agravity-fed fresh water system
❍ Switching from onsite power generation (using hydro-carbon vapors given off by the crude oil handled at theterminal) to purchased power from the local electricalutility, with emergency backup generators onsite
❍ Installation of a combustion system to burn vapors nolonger used for power generation
❍ Installation of control, data-acquisition and communi-cations systems capable of operating the terminal(and the pipeline) remotely.
After extensive review and comment by the council, theU.S. Department of the Interior gave conceptual approval toAlyeska Pipeline’s formal reconfiguration proposal in Marchof 2005, though each project will require specific approvalfrom regulators before proceeding.
Nonetheless, the future of Strategic Reconfiguration atthe Valdez terminal is unclear. On one hand, AlyeskaPipeline has advised the council that most StrategicReconfiguration activities at the terminal have ceased for thepresent and that no projects are likely to proceed before theend of 2005.
On the other hand, some activities, such as those per-taining to a switch from seawater to fresh water for the ter-minal’s firefighting system, are continuing as projects inde-pendent of Strategic Reconfiguration. As this report went topress, the council was requesting information from AlyeskaPipeline as to the scope and schedule for these projects.
ENVIRONMENTALSCIENCE
Chemical Dispersants
Chemical dispersants are substances that, when appliedto spilled oil, do as their name suggests: they disperseit into the water column, rather than leaving it floatingon top in a slick. Because of concerns about the effica-
cy and toxicity of dispersants, the council urges regulatoryagencies to take a conservative approach towards their useand supports mechanical recovery as the primary oil spillresponse strategy.
The council promotes research and testing to increaseknowledge about dispersants and the consequences of their use
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Oil is poured into a Canadian seawatertank designed to test chemical dispersants.
The Ohmsett test tank, located in New Jersey,is operated by the federal government.
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In-Situ Burning
One technique for dealing with spilled oil is to burn it inplace – on the surface of the water. This is known as in-situ burning. As logical and straightforward as it maysound, this approach presents many problems, including
the effects of the burn residue on the sea life underneath.Over the past year, the council reviewed the research on
in-situ burning and the board adopted a position paper onthe subject in December 2004. The position favors mechan-ical response, such as booming and skimming, over in-situburning. However, it recognizes there are times when burn-ing may be appropriate, such as when oil is spilled in brokenice or trapped by natural barriers. The paper outlines need-ed future research, such as tests of the toxicity of burn
on oil spills in Alaska waters. Over the next several years, wehope to determine if chemical dispersants stockpiled in ourregion are effective and how toxic they are to the environment.
The council participates in two dispersant work groupsoperating under the auspices of the Alaska RegionalResponse Team (an advisory group to the federal and stateofficials who manage oil spill response).
One of the work groups identifies research gaps in thedispersants field and recommends ways to fill them. Theother is reviewing and revising the guidelines for dispersantuse in Prince William Sound. The guidelines now in effectwere adopted before the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989.
The council has also sponsored its own research andinvestigations, including a report that evaluated the effect ofsalinity on dispersants. Another report pro-vides an overview of various wave tanksaround the world that could be used for test-ing dispersant effectiveness and toxicity.The council also sent staff and volunteers toobserve demonstrations at the newly builtwave tank in Nova Scotia, Canada and at thefederal Ohmsett tank in New Jersey.
The council's research reports on dis-persants are available to the public. Someare listed near the end of this report.Additional information is available on thecouncil website at www.pwsrcac.org.
A significant national effort on disper-sants was undertaken this past year underthe auspices of the National ResearchCouncil of the National Academies.Former board member Tom Copeland,after being nominated by the council, wasappointed to a committee created to reviewexisting research on dispersants and identi-fy information gaps. The committeerecently released its findings in“Understanding Oil Spill Dispersants:Efficacy and Effects.” The report outlines anumber of areas where more research isneeded to guide oil spill responders indeciding whether to use dispersants.
10In-situ burning refers to burning oil where it spills. This photo shows anin-situ burning test on the North Slope in 1994.
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residue on sea life. These will be started in the next year.The council is also involved in the state of Alaska’s process
for revising its in-situ burning guidelines for oil spill response.
Aquatic Nuisance Species
Not all ballast water discharged in Port Valdez requirestreatment to remove oil. Some tankers employ segre-gated ballast tanks where “clean” sea water is used forstability and then discharged untreated into Prince
William Sound as tankers approach Alyeska Pipeline’s ValdezMarine Terminal for loading. Because of the potential forharmful invasion created by the billions of living organismspresent in this discharged ballast water, the council has madenon-indigenous marine species a high priority since 1996.
We lead a multi-stakeholder working group to coordi-nate programs in our region. In addition, we hold seats onthe national Invasive Species Advisory Committee and on theWestern Regional Panel of the National Aquatic NuisanceSpecies Task Force.
In partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,NOAA’s Sea Grant program, Alyeska Pipeline, and theUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks, the council has co-sponsoreda series of scientific studies by the SmithsonianEnvironmental Research Center since 1996.
The Smithsonian submitted a report detailing theresults of ballast water exchange experiments, and conclud-ed that ballast water exchange is an effective way to reducethe problem of harmful aquatic nuisance species arriving inAlaska waters.
The council also played a significant role in hosting theWestern Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species. Thispanel is comprised of Federal, State, Canadian, Tribal, andother members based in the western region of NorthAmerica. Their annual meeting was held in Anchorage this
past year with the council’s assistance. Over the past year, the council added material to the
Non-Indigenous Species section on its website, includingmore information on ballast-water treatment technologies.These web pages provide a friendly interface for users toexplore the vast amount of information on invasive speciesthe council has compiled over the years. It also includesinformation on current laws and regulations; useful links toother websites; and fact sheets on species and technology.
Council staff continued to monitor for the presence ofthe European green crab, a potential ballast-water-borneinvasive species, in Port Valdez, by setting out specially
designed crab traps. Thecrab is an efficient preda-tor and poses a significantthreat to indigenousmarine life. Local schoolchildren help with thetrapping. Fortunately, nogreen crabs have beenfound to date.
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One technique for combating aquatic nuisance species in ballast water is at-sea exchange,shown here.
The council sets traps to detect the presence of theEuropean green crab, a non-indigenous species that hasinvaded ports on the U.S. West Coast. Students areinvolved in the project to educate them about the issue.So far, the project has succeeded by failing — no greencrabs have been found in Prince William Sound!
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are an important species inthe food chain, and they canreadily accumulate hydrocar-bons from the surroundingwater.
Using nets designed forcapturing plankton, thecopepods were harvestedfrom several sites in PortValdez and a site outside ofthe Port in late April 2004.Direct water samples werealso taken.
Study results showedthat hydrocarbons from theoily ballast water were pres-ent in Port Valdez water andhad accumulated in thecopepods; however the con-centrations were very low.
At the current rates of discharge into Port Valdez, ballast-watereffluent likely has little effect on the plankton community.
Monitoring Ultraviolet Radiation
Trained staff continued to take measurements of ultra-violet radiation as part of an on-going effort to charac-terize it in Prince William Sound. This work is a con-tinuation of our investigation into the photoenhanced
toxicity of chemically dispersed oil. Research supported bythe council in 2003 demonstrated that chemically dispersedoil is more toxic in the presence of ultraviolet radiation, acomponent of sunlight. This phenomenon is known as pho-toenhanced toxicity or phototoxicity. Measurements aretaken seasonally at several sites in Prince William Sound.This will continue into 2006 so as to compile a robust dataset for any future assessment work on the toxicity effects ofultraviolet radiation.
Regional Environmental Monitoring
The council established a Long-Term EnvironmentalMonitoring Program (LTEMP) in 1993 that continueswith an annual studyplan designed to
address trends and new cir-cumstances. Mussels are col-lected at 10 intertidal sites inPrince William Sound andthe Gulf of Alaska. Tissuesfrom the mussels are ana-lyzed in a laboratory to deter-mine whether hydrocarbonsare accumulating and, if so,their source. The LTEMPcontractor presents an annu-al report to the council. Allthe data collected over theyears is available to the publicvia the council website.
During the past year, thecouncil entered into a part-nership with NOAA’s AukeBay Laboratory in Juneau toobtain funding from theExxon Valdez Oil SpillTrustee Council for anexpanded sampling effort inthe summer of 2005.
Reports and other infor-mation on the LTEMP pro-gram are available at www.pwsrcac.org.
Copepod Testing
The council routinely sponsors research to determinethe impact of oil discharged as a result of crude oilindustrial activities in Prince William Sound. A studywas initiated this year to determine if Alaska North
Slope oil released by the Ballast Water Treatment Facility atAlyeska Pipeline’s Valdez Marine Terminal was accumulatingin Neocalanus plumchrus, a common copepod in the zoo-plankton community. Copepods were chosen because they
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For more than a decade, the council has checked for tracesof oil in the marine environment by analyzing musseltissues from various sites in the council region. Here,researcher Bill Driskell collects samples at Sleepy Bayin Prince William Sound.
PHOTOS BY LISA KA’AIHUE
A hoist on a responsebarge lifts equipmentfor transfer to afishing vessel duringa spring 2005 oil spilltraining exercise.
PHOTO BYROY ROBERTSON
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spills, but that risk cannot be eliminated entirely. We must be pre-pared to respond quickly and effectively when prevention measuresfail. Two council programs address emergency preparedness andresponse: Oil Spill Prevention and Response Planning, and Oil
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Geographic Response Strategies
These are oil spill response mini-plans specific to sensi-tive areas and resources, such as salmon streams andclamming beaches. The council has worked to havethem included in oil spill contingency plans for Prince
William Sound, the Gulf of Alaska, Kodiak, and the KenaiPeninsula — all areas that received oil from the ExxonValdez spill. As of June 30, 2005, more than 220 GeographicResponse Strategies were in place or under development inthe council region.
More information about these strategies is availableat http://www.state.ak.us/dec/spar/perp/grs/home.htm onthe Internet.
Oil Spill Response Outside Prince William Sound
The “downstream communities” south and west of PrinceWilliam Sound are at risk from spilled oil because cur-rents and wind are likely to carry it out of the Sound, ashappened after the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill.
The council works to ensure that industry and regula-tors are committed to protecting these areas and thatdetailed plans exist for doing so. An important component ofthe plans is to guarantee that sufficient equipment is avail-able and can be transported into the area in a timely mannerin the event of a spill.
The council launched its project with a white paper toprovide a framework for downstream planning. The councilissued a press release to publicize this effort in the down-stream communities. The council continues to work to seethat the downstream response plan is formally incorporatedinto the contingency plans maintained by regulators and theoil industry.
Coastal CommunityOil Spill Response
This study examined the feasibility of creating a networkof community-based oil spill response cooperatives inthe council region, and evaluated the related"Firehouse Response Model" proposed by the Alaska
Department of Environmental Conservation. Under thismodel, each region of Alaska would have its own spill-response organization overseeing a network of community-based response teams around the region. The central oil spillorganization would be staffed with full-time professionals,while the community-based response teams would be com-prised primarily of part-time staff and volunteers. These
OIL SPILLPREVENTION ANDRESPONSE PLANNING
State and federal laws require the operators of oil tankers, theValdez Marine Terminal, and the trans-Alaska pipeline to pre-pare detailed plans showing how they will respond to oil spills,should prevention measures fail. The council devotes muchtime and attention to oversight of these all-important plans.
In some cases, the council participates with governmentand industry on working groups that develop the plans,known as contingency plans. In other cases, the councilconducts independent reviews and submits commentsand recommendations.
The council promotes compliance, enforcement, andfunding for state and federal regulations and oversight, andsupports the Alaska Coastal Management Program. Alongwith local communities, the council encourages the incorpo-ration of local knowledge of sensitive areas into contingencyplanning.
This year’s efforts in the program focused on follow-upsto the 2003 approvals of contingency plans for AlyeskaPipeline’s Valdez Marine Terminal and for the oil tankers thatuse it. The council also participated in a state process forrevising oil spill response regulations, and another forreviewing the Prince William Sound tug escort system.
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These fishing vessels participated in oil spill training exercises nearthe village of Chenega Bay in spring 2005.
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teams could both respond to small local spills and join thecleanup effort for major regional spills like the Aware.
While the idea of regional co-ops wasn’t adopted, sever-al areas of the state were identified where the concept couldwork on a smaller scale, including the council region inPrince William Sound, Kodiak and the Kenai Peninsula. Inthese areas, there are several small organizations and com-munities that could benefit from increased networking andshared resources.
To evaluate the potential of the small-scale community-response concept, our council and the citizens’ council forCook Inlet co-sponsored a forum on community-basedresponse in January 2005 for representatives of agencies,industry and communities. More than 40 participants camefrom around the council region and a final report with rec-ommendations was issued in mid-summer 2005. Our councilhas been asked to present the concept at the annual meetingof the state harbormasters this coming winter.
Scientific Response Plan
If there is another major oil spill, it will be crucial toinstantly begin monitoring the environmental changesthat follow. The council is conducting a multi-year proj-ect to develop a scientific contingency plan to guide this
work and other scientific research activities related to amajor oil spill response. One component is the developmentof a water sampling plan for areas of the Sound that would beaffected by a spill.
Weather and Current Data Collection
Weather conditions and sea currents affect nearlyevery aspect of oil-transportation safety. They canplay a role, sometimes the determining role, inefforts to prevent or to clean up oil spills.
Consequently, the council promotes constant improvementsin the system for collecting weather and current informationfor Prince William Sound.
We are partners with the Cordova-based Oil SpillRecovery Institute in a project to install weather stations inthe Sound. The Institute has completed upgrades to theweather stations by switching from a radio-based network toa satellite-based network. The council funded the upgrade ofthe station at Nuchek, which is of prime interest because ofits proximity to Hinchinbrook Entrance.
In addition, we co-funded a University of Alaska project toinstall radar stations at two sites near the tanker lanes in the cen-tral part of the Sound to measure surface ocean currents. Thenetwork was installed in May 2004 and is fully operational today.
Understanding current patterns in the Sound is important indeveloping accurate models for predicting the path of spilled oil.It can also be useful for navigation and for spill-response opera-tions. Measuring actual currents makes it possible to test pre-dictive models against reality.
OIL SPILL RESPONSEOPERATIONS
It takes more than volumes of carefully written and reviewedcontingency plans to effectively respond to an oil spill. Ittakes equipment, trained people, and a management systemto implement the plan; and it takes practice, practice, prac-tice. The council’s oil spill response operations program istasked with monitoring the operational readiness of theAlyeska Pipeline Ship Escort/Response Vessel System and thetanker companies, and with making sure the council is pre-pared to respond to an oil spill.
Council staff members, volunteers, and contractors mon-itor and report on spill response drills, exercises, and trainingthroughout the region to provide citizens, regulatory agen-cies, and responders with information about the state of readi-ness and to make recommendations for improvement. Most ofthe monitoring work is done by two council staffers, who pres-ent annual reports summarizing each year’s activities, lessonslearned, recommendations, and outstanding issues.
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A fishing vessel deploys oil spill boom during training exercisesin the spring of 2005.
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The council monitored the process as regulators,Alyeska Pipeline, and its contractors analyzed the problem.This analysis led to modifications of the winch drums on theAware and its two sister tugs in the fleet. Procedures forwinding the towlines onto the winches were also revised.
Oil Spill Response Depots
Federal regulations require regular inspections of the oilspill response equipment stored in depots around thecouncil region. But, in the spring of 2005, a confiden-tial source provided the council with photographs indi-
cating that snow banks had been allowed to build up andblock access to equipment containers at the Main Bay depot,established to protect a salmon hatchery in the western partof the Sound. The council reported the problem to theAlaska Department of Environmental Conservation, whichrequested from Alyeska Pipeline an explanation of its main-tenance program for the remote depots. The council alsorequested that Alyeska Pipeline retain an independent con-tractor to inspect the depots and catch such problems early.
The Response Gap
Through a quirk in the regulations, loaded tankers canlegally depart Valdez in weather so severe that noresponse would be required should an oil spill occur.This problem, known as the response gap, has long
been a council concern.To address it, the council is recruiting a contractor who
can analyze the problem, identify possible solutions, andadvise on how to proceed.
Towline Partings
During the year covered by this report, a series of tow-line partings occurred on one of Alyeska Pipeline’sescort tugs, the Aware. The council viewed this withgreat concern, because such a break during a tanker
emergency could lead to a catastrophic oil spill, possibly withhuman casualties.
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Contractors with Alyeska Pipeline receive training in theuse of an oleophilic disk skimmer.
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A fishing vessel crew member prepares to tow a skimmingsystem into place during oil spill training exercises in thespring of 2005.
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PHOTO BYLINDA ROBINSON Wei Wei Callaway colors
a sea-life picture at thecouncil booth duringthe Homer ShorebirdFestival in May 2005.
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and the International Oil Spill Conference.The council conducted receptions in Homer and Kenai,
and we participated in outreach activities for the KodiakGeographic Response Strategies Project and the InvasiveSpecies Project.
And a coloring book produced by the council went intoits third edition in the summer of 2005. It features drawingsby artists from inside and outside Alaska. Subjects includecoastal fish, mammals and plants; human activities such asfishing; and scenes from coastal communities. For a copy,contact our Anchorage office (see back cover).
EXTERNAL RELATIONS
Publications
The council increases public awareness on a wide rangeof issues pertaining to crude oil transportationthrough printed and electronic publications.
The Observer, a free quarterly newsletter, is distrib-uted throughout Prince William Sound, the northern Gulf ofAlaska, lower Cook Inlet and the Kodiak Archipelago. TheObserver is also sent on request to interested citizens else-where, as well as to regulators and industry.
The Observer covers council activities, developments inthe oil transportation industry and news about policy andoperational issues related to marine oil transportation. Majoroil spill drills are covered, and Alyeska Pipeline is invited tosubmit a column for each issue. In the course of preparing
MEMBERRELATIONS
The council devotes a full-time staff posi-tion, called Community Liaison, to main-taining productive relations with the 18communities and interest groups thatmake up its membership. The liaisonvisits communities in the region, attendsmember group functions, gives presenta-tions, coordinates special events involv-ing the council and its member groupsand generally encourages citizen involve-ment in the council's work.
During the past year, the liaisonand other staffers represented the coun-cil at numerous trade shows and confer-ences, as well as events sponsored bymember entities. These included con-ferences of the Society of Environmental Toxicology andChemistry; commercial fishing trade shows in Seattle andKodiak; the annual Arctic Marine Oilspill Program confer-ence in Canada; Alaska Oceans Festival, Kenai IndustryAppreciation Day, Alaska Forum on the Environment, KodiakWhalefest, July 4 celebration in Valdez, Goldrush Celebrationin Valdez, Valdez Marine Expo, Homer Shorebird Festival,
The Sea Slug, a giant bladder for holding recovered oil in a spill, was on displayat the International Oil Spill Conference in Miami Beach in May 2005.
Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., here represented byemployee Diana Manning, was an exhibitor at theMiami oil spill conference.
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articles for The Observer, the council frequently invites feed-back from appropriate industry and regulatory personnel.
Once a year, the council summarizes its work in anannual report such as this one.
The council maintains an extensive, award-winning web-site, www.pwsrcac.org, that provides information about ourwork, structure, membership, mission, and research. Thisyear, we revamped the site with new categories for easier nav-igation, updated information and photos, and a cleaner look.
The council makes available a 14-minute video about itsorigins, mission and activities. This video, titled A NobleExperiment: The Story of the Prince William SoundRegional Citizens’ Advisory Council, is shown at conferencesand other events attended by the council, and is distributedfree to member entities for use in informing their con-stituents about the council.
State Government Relations
The council monitors state actions, legislation and regula-tions that relate to terminal or tanker operations, or to oilspill prevention or response. To track developments in thestate capital, the council retains a monitor under contract
during the legislative session. This area of council activity iscoordinated by a Legislative Affairs Committee made up ofmembers of the council board.
Federal Relations
The council monitors federal government actions andissues through a law firm in Washington, DC. Over thepast year, we have had two main concerns at the feder-al level. One is the future of the Prince William Sound
escort system, and the other is federal policy on combatingnon-indigenous species. Both topics are discussed at lengthelsewhere in this report.
Recertification
The Coast Guard certifies the council as the federallyapproved citizens’ advisory group for Prince WilliamSound, pursuant to the Oil Pollution Act. The councilhas been the certified group since 1991. Under the
annual recertification process, the Coast Guard assesseswhether the council fosters the general goals and purposes ofthe Act and is broadly representative of the communities andinterests as envisioned in the act.
As part of its recertification process, the Coast Guardconsiders comments from industry, interest groups, and cit-izens. The council fulfills the requirement for an industry-funded citizens advisory group, but it was established beforethe law was enacted.
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Deputy Director Marilyn Leland and Executive Director John Devens greet visitors to the council display at theInternational Oil Spill Conference in Miami Beach, May 2005.
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The council is an organization oforganizations. Our membersinclude state-charteredcities and boroughs, tiny
Alaska Native villages withtribal governments, Nativecorporations, commercialfishing organizations, anenvironmental consor-tium, and groups rep-resenting the tourismindustry.
Each memberentity chooses onerepresentative toour board. Thelone exception isValdez. It hastwo representa-tives, giving ourboard a total of19 members.The boardmeets threetimes a year: inJanuary, Mayand September.The Januarymeeting is inAnchorage, theMay meeting is inValdez, and theSeptember meetingrotates among othermember communitiesin the oil spill region.
Who serves on theboard?
The names and faceschange, but current andrecent board members haveincluded commercial fishermen,a schoolteacher, a college presi-dent, the chief executive of a regionalNative corporation, tour-boat operators,an oilfield engineer, and a village mayor.
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ExecutiveCommittee
STAN STEPHENSPresident
Alaska Wilderness Recreationand Tourism Association
STEPHEN LEWISVice PresidentCity of Seldovia
NANCY BIRDMember at Large
City of Cordova
JANE EISEMANNTreasurer
City of Kodiak
MARILYNN HEDDELLSecretary
City of Whittier
BLAKE JOHNSONMember at Large
Kenai Peninsula Borough
CONNIE STEPHENSMember at Large
City of Valdez
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Ex-OfficioBoard
Members(Non-Voting)
RON DOYELAlaska Department of
Environmental Conservation
MARK FINKAlaska Department of Fishand Game/Habitat Division
SHARON RANDALLU.S. Forest Service
JOE HUGHESAlaska Department of
Natural Resources
MICHELLE HEUNAlaska Division of
Homeland Securityand Emergency Mgmt.
CARL LAUTENBERGERU.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency
DOUG MUTTERU.S. Department
of the Interior
COMMANDER
MICHAEL S. GARDINERU.S. Coast Guard/Marine
Safety Office Valdez
CARL SCHOCHOil Spill Recovery Institute
JOHN WHITNEYNational Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
OtherDirectors
JOHN ALLENCommunity of Tatitlek
AL BURCHKodiak Island Borough
JOHN FRENCHCity of Seward
PATIENCE ANDERSEN FAULKNERCordova District Fishermen United
SHERI BURETTAChugach Alaska Corp.
TOM JENSENAlaska State Chamber
of Commerce
SHARRY MILLERPrince William Sound
Aquaculture Corp.
JIM NESTICKodiak VillageMayors Assoc.
WALTER PARKEROil Spill Region
Environmental Coalition
JOHN VELSKOCity of Homer
PETE KOMPKOFFCommunity of Chenega
JOANN C. MCDOWELLCity of Valdez
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O S P ROIL SPILL PREVENTION
AND RESPONSE
COMMITTEE:Promote strong oil spill prevention and
response capability in the Exxon Valdez oil
spill region by advising the council’s Board
of Directors.
JOHN FRENCH — Chair, Council Director
JERRY BROOKMAN — Kenai
SARA BRUCE — Kodiak
FREDDIE CHRISTIANSEN — Anchorage
JON DAHLMAN — Seward
NATASHA EDWARDS CASCIANO — Cordova
JOE JABAS — Valdez
JOHN LECLAIR — Anchorage
WALTER PARKER — Council Director
GORDON SCOTT — GirdwoodS A CSCIENTIFIC ADVISORY
COMMITTEE:Ensure that council-sponsored research, monitoring,
and testing projects are based on the best available
scientific information, serve the best interests of the
public, and are carried out in accordance with the
policies and priorities established by the council and
mandated by its contract with Alyeska Pipeline and
the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
RICHARD TREMAINE — Chair, Anchorage
PETER ARMATO — Seward
JOHN FRENCH — Council Director
ROGER GREEN — Hope
JOHN KENNISH — Anchorage
PETE KOMPKOFF — Council Director
ANDRA LOVE — Anchorage
LESLIE MORTON — Soldotna
MICHELLE HAHN O'LEARY — Cordova
AJ PAUL — Fairbanks
John Kennish,a member of theScientific AdvisoryCommittee, is an avidoutdoorsman.
Jerry Brookman,a member of the Oil
Spill Prevention /ResponseCommittee, won a 30-minute ride
on this B-17 Flying Fortress when the World War II bomber visited Kenai in 2000.
Four standing committees advise the Board ofDirectors and council staff on projects and activi-ties. Committee volunteers also assist the staff onindividual projects. The advisory committees are
made up of interested citizens, technical experts, andmembers of the council board. Committee volunteersare selected through an annual application process.They are appointed to two-year terms and may serveconsecutive terms.
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COURTESY OFJERRY BROOKMAN
COURTESY OFJOHN KENNISH
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T O E MTERMINAL OPERATIONS AND
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING
COMMITTEE:Detect and monitor all existing and potential envi-
ronmental impacts of the Valdez Marine Terminal
and associated tankers, and advise the council of
the committee’s findings.
BOB BENDA — Chair, Valdez
JO ANN BENDA — Valdez
JON BOWER — Juneau
LYNDA HYCE — Valdez
DENISE SAIGH — Anchorage
GEORGE SKLADAL — Anchorage
STAN STEPHENS — Council Director
CORY NOEL TOYE — Anchorage
JANICE WIEGERS — Fairbanks
P O V T SPORT OPERATIONS AND
VESSEL TRAFFIC SYSTEMS
COMMITTEE:Advise the council concerning the safe load-
ing, transit and escort of North Slope crude
oil tankers in Prince William Sound and the
Gulf of Alaska.
BILL CONLEY — Chair, Valdez
DUANE BELAND — North Pole
CLIFF CHAMBERS — Valdez
TEX EDWARDS — Anchorage
JANE EISEMANN — Council Director
PETE HEDDELL — Whittier
AGOTA HOREL — Valdez
ROBERT JAYNES — Valdez
LINDA LEE — Valdez
CONNIE STEPHENS — Council Director
Jon Bower ofJuneau serveson the TerminalOperations andEnvironmentalMonitoring Committee.Before moving to Alaska in 2001, heplayed with various punk rock bands in the San Francisco Bay area. In this shot, he’s at the upper right with the white arrow pointed at his head.
Valdez resident Agota Horel isa member of the Port
Operations and VesselTraffic Systems
Committee.
PHOTO BYSTAN JONES
COURTESY OFJON BOWER
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Report titled “METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN MMS SPONSORED COLD
WATER DISPERSANT TESTS AT OHMSETT.” Prepared by PWSRCAC,citizens’ council, 7/14/2004. 955.431.040714.OhmsettSum.doc
Report titled “HEATED OIL AND UNDER-REPORTED DISPERSANT VOLUMES
MAR MMS/EXXON COLD WATER DISPERSANT TESTS AT OHMSETT.”Prepared by PWSRCAC, citizens’ council, 7/14/2004.955.431.040714.OhmsettMeth.doc
Presentation titled “HISTORY OF THE PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND REGIONAL
CITIZENS’ ADVISORY COUNCIL. John Devens, citizens’ council execu-tive director, 7/14/2004. Speech and PowerPoint presentation tothe Pacific States/BC Oil Spill Task Force.800.107.040714.BCStatSpeech.doc,800.107.040714.BCStatPresnt.ppt
Report titled “COMBINING THE FIREHOUSE MODEL AND COMMUNITY-BASED RESPONSE TEAMS FOR AN IMPROVED REGIONAL OIL SPILL
RESPONSE SYSTEM IN ALASKA.” Nuka Research & MAC Services,Nuka Research, 10/1/2004. 659.431.041001.CommbasedRes.pdf
Report titled “STRATEGIC RECONFIGURATION WORKING GROUP (SRWG)PRELIMINARY DRAFT COMMENTS ON THE ALYESKA PIPELINE SERVICE
COMPANY STRATEGIC RECONFIGURATION OF THE VALDEZ MARINE TERMINAL
ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT DATED AUGUST, 2004.” Citizens’ council,10/5/2004. 500.431.041005.SRWGprelimEA.doc
Report titled “PWSRCAC’S POSITION ON THE USE OF IN SITU BURNING
DURING AN OIL SPILL IN THE PWSRCAC REGION THAT INCLUDES PRINCE
WILLIAM SOUND AND THE GULF OF ALASKA.” Citizens’ council,11/2/2004. 934.431.041102.ISBposition.doc
Report titled “DISPERSANTS, SALINITY AND PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND.”Merv Fingas, Environment Canada, 12/1/2004.955.431.041201.SalinityPWS.pdf
Report titled “COPING WITH TECHNOLOGICAL DISASTERS: A USER FRIENDLY GUIDEBOOK.” Citizens’ council, 12/1/2004.656.431.041201.CopTechDisP1.pdf
Report titled “IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING THE PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
ESCORT SYSTEM FOR DOUBLE-HULLED TANKERS.” NUKA Research, citi-zens’ council, 12/3/2004. 801.431.041203.DblEscortPos.pdf
Report titled “FINAL COMMENTS TO THE JPO/BLM ON THE
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EA) AND DRAFT RECORD OF DECISION AND
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (FONSI) FOR ALYESKA’S STRATEGIC
RECONFIGURATION PROPOSAL FOR THE VALDEZ MARINE TERMINAL.” JohnDevens, citizens’ council - SR Working Group, 12/30/2004.500.431.041230.BLMsrEAcmts.doc
Presentation on the Port Valdez Sediment Coring Project. Tony Parkin, citizens’ council project manager, 3/14/2005.Association for Environmental Health and Sciences.961.107.050314.AEHSsdCoring.ppt
Presentation titled “MICROBIAL DEGRADATION IN BIOLOGICAL
TREATMENT TANKS AT VALDEZ MARINE TERMINAL BALLAST WATER
TREATMENT FACILITY.” Tom Kuckertz, citizens’ council projectmanager, 4/5/2005. American Water Resources Association.557.107.050405.AWRAMicrobil.ppt
Report titled “PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND RCAC LONG-TERM
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING REPORT FOR 2003-2004.” James R.Payne, Ph.D., William B. Driskell, Jeffrey W. Short, Ph.D.,4/18/2005. 951.431.050418.AnnualLT2004.pdf
Report titled “HYDROCARBON BIODEGRADATION IN THE BALLAST WATER
TREATMENT FACILITY, ALYESKA MARINE TERMINAL.” James Payne,Payne Environmental Consultants, Inc., 5/2/2005.503.431.050502.PECIMcrblRpt.pdf
Report titled “TELECOMMUNICATIONS REVIEW WITHIN PRINCE WILLIAM
SOUND.” Stephen Hall, SHall Engineering, 5/12/2005.700.431.050512.TelecomsRpt.pdf
Report titled “THE PROFITABILITY AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF ALASKA
NORTH SLOPE AND ASSOCIATED PIPELINE OPERATIONS.” RichardFineberg, Research Associates, 6/2/2005.451.431.050602.ANSProfitRpt.pdf
R E P O R T S A N D P R E S E N T A T I O N S
Work against alien invaders is vital to Alaska's future.Guest opinion by Marilyn Leland, Deputy Director, Aug. 25, 2004
When the oil stops flowing, who will pay for cleaning up thepipeline route? Guest opinion by John S. Devens, ExecutiveDirector, Oct. 4, 2004
Does Puget Sound need a citizens' advisory council? Guest opin-ion by John S. Devens, Executive Director, Oct. 29, 2004
World-class Prince William Sound escort system could be in peril.Guest opinion by John S. Devens, Executive Director, Jan. 13, 2005
Citizens' group seeks better oil spill plans for Kenai Peninsula,Kodiak. News release, Jan. 18, 2005
Valdez tour-boat operator elected president of citizens' council.News release, March 11, 2005
Citizen group goes to court over oil profits report. News release,May 27, 2005
Report shows oil industry profits are consistently high in Alaska,even when prices are low. News release, June 2, 2005
Contact the council's Anchorage office for copies.
N E W S R E L E A S E S A N D G U E S T E D I T O R I A L S
These are a few the many council reports and presentations produced during the year. For further information, or toobtain copies, visit the council web site or contact our Anchorage office.
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Executive Director: JOHN S. DEVENS, PH.D.
A N C H O R A G E
Deputy Director: MARILYN LELAND
Public Information Manager: STAN JONES
Financial Manager: GREGORY M. DIXON
Community Liaison: LINDA ROBINSON
Project Managers: JOE BANTA, LISA KA'AIHUE, SUSAN SOMMER, LINDA SWISS
Administrative Assistant: MARY SCHONBERGER
Document Management Specialist: BARB PENROSE
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
REGIONAL CITIZENS’ ADVISORY COUNCIL
3709 Spenard Road, Suite 100Anchorage AK 99503 USA907-277-7222Fax: 907-277-4523Toll-free: 800-478-7221
V A L D E Z
Executive Assistant: JENNIFER FLEMING
Program Coordinator: DONNA SCHANTZ
Project Managers: TOM KUCKERTZ, RHONDA WILLIAMS, TONY PARKIN, ROY ROBERTSON, DAN GILSON
Administrative Assistant: TAMARA BYRNES
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
REGIONAL CITIZENS’ ADVISORY COUNCIL
P.O. Box 3089Valdez AK 99686 USA907-835-5957Fax: 907-835-5926Toll-free: 877-478-7221
I N T E R N E T
Worldwide Web: http://www.pwsrcac.orgEmail: [email protected]
www.pwsrcac.org
3709 Spenard Road, Suite 100 • Anchorage, Alaska 99503 • 907.277.7222 • 907.277.4523 fax
P.O. Box 3089 • Valdez, Alaska 99686 • 907.835.5957 • 907.835.5926 fax