The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
A Report to the President
from
Samuel K. Skinner
Secretary, Department of Transportation
and
William K. Reilly
Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
Prepared by
The National Response Team
May 1989
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CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1
II. THE INCIDENT 3
III. PREPAREDNESS AND PREVENTION 5
Preparedness 5
National Response System 5
Contingency Plans 6
Contingency Plan Findings 8
Early Lessons Learned/ 1?
Recommendations: Preparedness 10
Prevention 10
IV. THE RESPONSE 12
Assessment And Initial Response 12
Response 12
Strategy 12
Logistics 13
Exxon Actions 13
OSC Actions And Activities In
Support Of The OSC 15
State of Alaska Actions 16
Clean-up Methods 17
Shoreline Cleanup 20
Response Organization 21
Public Information . 22
Early Lessons Learned/Recommendations ... 22
V. THE EFFECTS . 1 24
Environmental Effects 24
Background 24
Effects On Birds And Marine Mammals . . 27
Effects On Fisheries and
Other Marine Resources 27
Federal And State Action
To Address Environmental Impact 28
Early Lessons Learned/Recommendations . 29
Energy Effects 29
Importance Of Alaska North Slope Oil ... 29
Market Impact Analysis 29
Early Lessons Learned/Recommendations . 30
Effects On The Alaskan Economy 31
Commercial Fisheries 31
Recreation 31
Native Villages 32
Timber 32
Early Lessons Learned/Recommendations . 32
Health Effects 32
Food Safety 32
Mental Health 32
Occupational Health And Safety 33
Early Lessons Learned/Recommendations . 33
VI. LIABILITY AND COMPENSATION 34
Description Of Compensation And Liability
Provisions 34
Early Lessons Learned/Recommendations ... 35
VII. GENERAL LESSONS LEARNED/
RECOMMENDATIONS 36
Contents-1
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APPENDICES
A. Chronology 1
B. Response Forces On Scene 20
C. Glossary For Key Equipment On Scene ... 21
D. Dispersants 23
E. State Of Alaska Dispersant Use
Decision Matrix 25
F. National Response Team Members 26
G. Acronym Glossary 27
H. Shoreline Impacts 28
FIGURES
1. Exxon Valdez 3
2. Schematic Of Exxon Valdez
Showing Damaged Tanks 4
3. Prince William Sound 4
4. Total Number Of Vessels On Scene 13
5. Air Freight Delivered By Exxon 14
6. Exxon Equipment On Scene 14
7. Exxon Personnel On Scene 14
8. Federal Equipment On Scene 15
9. Federal Personnel On Scene 15
10. Zones Of Dispersant Use
In Prince William Sound 18
11. Number Of Skimmers On Scene 20
12. Number Of Skimmers In Operation 20
13. Estimated Cumulative And Daily
Volumes Of Oil Recovered 20
14. Representation Of Oil Behavior
In Prince William Sound 24
15. Environmentally Sensitive Areas 25
16. Leading Edge Of Oil Spill
(through April 23) 26
17. Alaskan Oil Pipeline Throughput 30
Contents-2
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Shortly after midnight on March 24, 1989, the
987-foot tank vessel Exxon Valdez struck Bligh
Reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. What fol-
lowed was the largest oil spill in U.S. history. The
oil slick has spread over 3,000 square miles and onto
over 350 miles of beaches in Prince William Sound,
one of the most pristine and magnificent natural
areas in the country. Experts still are assessing the
environmental and economic implications of the
incident. The job of cleaning up the spill is under
way, and although the initial response proceeded
slowly, major steps have been taken.
The very large spill size, the remote location,
and the character of the oil all tested spill prepared-
ness and response capabilities. Government and
industry plans, individually and collectively, proved
to be wholly insufficient to control an oil spill of
the magnitude of the Exxon Valdez incident. Initial
industry efforts to get equipment on scene were
unreasonably slow, and once deployed the equip-
ment could not cope with the spill. Moreover, the
various contingency plans did not refer to each
other or establish a workable response command
hierarchy. This resulted in confusion and delayed
the cleanup.
Prepared by the National Response Team, this
report was requested by the President and under-
taken by Secretary of Transportation Samuel K.
Skinner and Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator William K. Reilly. The report ad-
dresses the preparedness for, the response to, and
early lessons learned from the Exxon Valdez inci-
dent. The President has also asked Secretary Skin-
ner to coordinate the efforts of all federal agencies
involved in the cleanup and Administrator Reilly to
coordinate the long-term recovery of the affected
areas of the Alaskan environment. These efforts are
ongoing.
While it remains too early to draw final con-
clusions about many spill effects, the report addres-
ses a number of important environmental, energy,
economic, and health implications of the incident.
The lack of necessary preparedness for oil spills
in Prince William Sound and the inadequate re-
sponse actions that resulted mandate improvements
in the way the nation plans for and reacts to oil
spills of national significance.
This report starts the critical process of docu-
menting these lessons and recommending needed
changes to restore public confidence and improve
our ability to plan for and respond to oil spills. The
following points deserve special emphasis:
1. Prevention is the first line of defense. Avoid-
ance of accidents remains the best way to assure the
quality and health of our environment. We must
continue to take steps to minimize the probability of
oil spills.
2. Preparedness must be strengthened. Exxon was
not prepared for a spill of this magnitude—nor were
Alyeska, the State of Alaska, or the federal govern-
ment. It is clear that the planning for and response
to the Exxon Valdez incident was unequal to the
task. Contingency planning in the future needs to
incorporate realistic worst-case scenarios and to
include adequate equipment and personnel to handle
major spills. Adequate training in the techniques
and limitations of oil spill removal is critical to the
success of contingency planning. Organizational
responsibilities must be clear, and personnel must be
knowledgeable about their roles. Realistic exercises
that fully test the response system must be under-
taken regularly. The National Response Team is
conducting a study of the adequacy of oil spill
contingency plans throughout the country under the
leadership of the Coast Guard.
3. Response capabilities must be enhanced to reduce
environmental risk. Oil spills—even small ones—
are difficult to clean up. Oil recovery rates are low.
Both public and private research are needed to
improve cleanup technology. Research should focus
on mechanical, chemical, and biological means of
combating oil spills. Decision-making processes for
determining what technology to use should be
streamlined, and strategies for the protection of
natural resources need to be rethought.
4. Some oil spills may be inevitable. Oil is a vital
resource that is inherently dangerous to use and
transport. We therefore must balance environmental
risks with the nation's energy requirements. The
nation must recognize that there is no fail-safe
prevention, preparedness, or response system.
Technology and human organization can reduce the
chance of accidents and mitigate their effects, but
may not stop them from happening. This awareness
makes it imperative that we work harder to establish
environmental safeguards that reduce the risks
associated with oil production and transportation.
The infrequency of major oil spills in recent years
contributed to the complacency that exacerbated the
effect of the Exxon Valdez spill.
ES-1
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5. Legislation on liability and compensation is
needed. The Exxon Valdez incident has highlighted
many problems associated with liability and com-
pensation when an oil spill occurs. Comprehensive
U.S. oil spill liability and compensation legislation
is necessary as soon as possible to address these
concerns.
6. The United States should ratify the International
Maritime Organization (IMO) 1984 Protocols.
Domestic legislation on compensation and liability
is needed to implement two IMO protocols related
to compensation and liability. The United States
should ratify the 1984 Protocols to the 1969 Civil
Liability and the 1971 Fund Conventions. Ex-
peditious ratification is essential to ensure interna-
tional agreement on responsibilities associated with
oil spills around the world.
7. Federal planning for oil spills must be improved.
The National Contingency Plan (NCP) has helped to
minimize environmental harm and health impacts
from accidents. The NCP should, however, con-
tinue to be reviewed and improved in order to
ensure that it activates the most effective response
structure for releases or spills, particularly of great
magnitude. Moreover, to assure expeditious and
well-coordinated response actions, it is critical that
top officials—local, state, and federal—fully under-
stand and be prepared to implement the contingency
plans that are in place.
8. Studies of the long—term environmental and
health effects must be undertaken expeditiously
and carefully. Broad gauge and carefully structured
environmental recovery efforts, including damage
assessments, are critical to assure the eventual full
restoration of Prince William Sound and other
affected areas.
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I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
At 0004 on March 24, 1989, the 987-foot tank
vessel Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef in Prince
William Sound, Alaska. What followed was the
largest oil spill in U.S. history: over ten million
gallons of crude oil flooded one of the nation's most
sensitive ecosystems in less than five hours. The oil
slick has scattered over 3,000 square miles and onto
over 350 miles of shoreline in Prince William Sound
alone. The initial response was slow and insuffi-
cient. Major steps have now been taken to clean up
the spill, and these efforts will continue throughout
the summer.
The purpose of this report by the National
Response Team (NRT) is to address preparedness
for, the response to, and the early lessons learned
from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. It was requested
by the President and has been undertaken at the
direction of Secretary of Transportation Samuel K.
Skinner and Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency William K. Reilly. The 14
agencies comprising the NRT worked together
closely in preparing this report. Except where
otherwise stated, the report covers the period from
the incident through April 26.
The report describes the status of preparedness
and response actions taken in the month after the
incident. Preliminary environmental, energy,
economic, and health effects of the spill are dis-
cussed. Preliminary recommendations for follow-
up steps to prevent similar spills are identified. The
report represents an important first step in examin-
ing the spill and improving both preparedness and
response capabilities in the future through steps
such as research and enhancement of liability and
compensation provisions.
Concurrently, other studies of the Exxon Valdez
incident are being undertaken, and other reports
will follow. The National Transportation Safety
Board, Coast Guard, State of Alaska, and other
authorities are looking into the spill. This report
complements these efforts. Together, they will help
to provide a complete picture of the oil spill's
causes, its effects, and needed follow-up actions.
In his statement of March 30, the President
described the Exxon Valdez oil spill as "an environ-
mental tragedy." The incident has both short-term
and long-term implications. Prince William Sound
is a region rich in biological diversity, and the oil
spill has caused ecological harm. The spill has
affected directly the livelihoods of many Alaskans.
It also has impaired the beauty of a spectacular wild
area that has provided inspiration not only to those
persons who live and work along its shores, but also
to the growing numbers of people from the rest of
Alaska and elsewhere who enjoy its recreational
opportunities. Alaska represents a last unspoiled
frontier in the eyes of many Americans. That an
incident like this oil spill can cause such damage in
such a short time is a frightening realization.
Another reality is the fact that both Alaska and
the rest of the United States depend on Alaskan oil.
Although the reduction in oil pipeline throughput
resulting from the spill was of relatively short
duration, the interruption of Alaskan crude oil
created serious concern regarding future supply
curtailments. Americans consume about 700 million
gallons of oil daily. Alaskan oil helps to limit the
country's balance of trade deficit, and its steady
supply also plays a role in protecting national
security. In addition, oil revenues account for over
80 percent of Alaska's state income. The oil in-
dustry provides many Alaskans with jobs.
The .Exxon Valdez incident therefore dramatizes
the difficult decisions that must be made in balanc-
ing environmental protection and economic growth
in Alaska. In the words of former Governor of
Alaska Jay S. Hammond, "We are called upon at
once to be oil barrel for America and national park
for the world." On one hand, the Alaska National
Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 demon-
strates the priority given to preserving Alaska's
natural beauty by setting aside over 100 million
acres as national conservation units. On the other
hand, the U.S. Government has taken steps to
develop Alaska's vast energy reserves. The Trans-
Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act provided the
means by which oil could be transported to the Port
of Valdez for shipment to the lower 48 states. The
truth brought to bear by the Exxon Valdez incident
is that accidents can occur that threaten the coexist-
ence of conservation and energy interests.
Actions have been taken to decrease the proba-
bility of such accidents, to prepare for them, and to
mitigate their impacts if they occur. More, how-
ever, can and must be done. The many possible
causes of an accident make prevention difficult.
These causes include: mechanical or structural
failure, human error, acts of God, inadequate or
inappropriate design, and sabotage.
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Once the Exxon Valdez spill occurred, a number
of circumstances combined to complicate the re-
sponse action. That the spill took place in a remote
location complicated an expeditious and effective
response. The sheer size of the spill, which was
larger than contingency planning had anticipated,
posed particular problems. The magnitude of the
spill was beyond the physical capability of skimmers
and booms currently being used in the United
States. Moreover, the first equipment to control the
spill arrived on scene over ten hours after the
incident after more than 10 million gallons of oil
already were in the water.
A number of contingency plans were in place.
Alyeska had a contingency plan. National, regional,
and local plans mandated by federal regulation all
had been developed. These contingency plans
served as the basis for response actions.
In the absence of realistic worst-case scenarios
and without adequate booms and barges on hand to
contain the spill, however, these plans had an unreal
quality and arguably served to reinforce a dangerous
complacency.
It also is important to remember that the isolated
location minimized human health impacts. With
respect to environmental impacts, nature's remark-
able resilience has enabled eventual recovery from
large oil spills in other areas in the past.
The next step is to evaluate the adequacy of
these contingency plans, both with respect to their
specific requirements and their implementation. In
the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez incident, ques-
tions have been raised about contingency planning
requirements for oil spills in general and about
appropriate spill liability and compensation provi-
sions. More study of long-term environmental
effects associated with persistence of oil in Prince
William Sound and its implications for the food
chain are needed. Research and development to
improve response capabilities should be fostered.
This report begins the task of investigating these
and other issues raised by the Exxon Valdez oil
spill.
Alaska has been called upon to be both a source
of energy for America and a seemingly endless
frontier where nature is preserved. The difficult
job ahead is to maintain this delicate balance.
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II. THE INCIDENT
The American-registered motor tankship Exxon
Valdez departed the Alyeska marine terminal in
Valdez, Alaska, on the evening of March 23, 1989.
The vessel was under the control of its captain, the
guidance of an Alaska state pilot, and monitored by
the U.S. Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service (VTS).
The VTS monitors moving vessels by radar from
Valdez and Potato Point. The ship was enroute to
Los Angeles/Long Beach and was loaded with
53,094,510 gallons of Prudhoe Bay (North Slope)
crude oil.
The Exxon Valdez is a two-year-old tankship of
single skin, high-strength steel construction. It is
987 feet long, 166 feet wide and 88 feet deep. The
ship weighs 213,755 deadweight tons and has 11
cargo tanks. In lieu of double bottoms, the ship has
seven protectively-located segregated ballast tanks
(see Figure 2).
At 2325, the captain advised the VTS that the
pilot had departed. He further stated that the ship
probably would leave the outbound traffic lane and
cross the separation zone into the inbound lane in
order to avoid ice. The next call from the ship
stated that it was reducing speed to 12 knots to wind
its way through some ice and that the VTS would be
advised after the ice had been cleared.
The Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef,
Prince William Sound, Alaska, four minutes after
midnight on Good Friday morning, March 24, 1989
(see Figure 3). At the time of the grounding, the
Exxon Valdez was loaded to a draft of 56 feet. The
charted depth where the vessel grounded was 30
feet at low tide. The severity of the grounding is"
attributed to the sound's rocky bottom, coupled with
the vessel's momentum. Subsequent damage surveys
showed that eight of the 11 cargo tanks, extending
the full length of the vessel, were torn open. Three
salt-water ballast tanks also were pierced. A total
of 11 tanks on the center and starboard side of the
vessel were damaged.
The enormous damage caused a rapid loss of
cargo. Within five hours, 10.1 million gallons had
been spilled. About 80 percent of the ship's cargo
remained on board, however, and the vessel came to
rest in a very unstable position. The Exxon Valdez
was in danger of capsizing if it floated off the reef.
Both oil spill response and removal of the remaining
oil from the ship became top priorities.
FIGURE 1
Exxon Valdez
*•*?/ -/ ;;' '
Source: EPA, 1989.
This report is not intended to replace any
investigations concerning the Exxon Valdez oil spill
currently being conducted under existing federal or
state statutes. Certain aspects of the incident
therefore are the responsibility of the following
parties:
o The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
is conducting a fact-finding investigation that
can be expected to identify responsibility for
the Exxon Valdez oil spill, as well as to make
recommendations for avoiding such accidents in
the future. An NTSB report typically requires
eight to 12 months to prepare.
o The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the role of
the VTS and will address any circumstances that
may have played a part in the spill.
o The U.S. Coast Guard also is conducting a marine
casualty investigation that will examine any
evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the
captain, officers, or crew of the Exxon Valdez.
This investigation will determine if the Coast
Guard will initiate suspension and revocation
proceedings against the licenses or documents of
personnel aboard the ship.
o The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigat-
ing whether there were criminal violations of
the Clean Water Act and other applicable federal
statutes.
o The Attorney General for the State of Alaska is
investigating issues of negligence and liability
resulting from violations of state laws.
Appendix A contains a chronology of events.
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FIGURE 2
Schematic of Exxon Valdez Showing Damaged Tanks
Starboard
Protectively located segregated salt water ballast tanks
Flooded (due to grounding)
FIGURE 3
Prince William Sound
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
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III. PREPAREDNESS AND PREVENTION
A. PREPAREDNESS
When the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on
Bligh Reef, six contingency plans were in place,
ranging from the National Contingency Plan (NCP)
to site-specific plans for Prince William Sound.
They were designed to bring about an effective and
coordinated national, regional, state, local, and
industry oil spill response effort. The NCP and the
Alaska Regional Oil and Hazardous Substances
Pollution Contingency Plan (RCP) established
federal responsibilities for response and identified
the Coast Guard as On-Scene Coordinator (OSC).
The Alaska State Oil and Hazardous Substances
Pollution Contingency Plan outlined the state role.
Initial responses were identified in both the
local Coast Guard Marine Safety Office (MSO) plan
for the Port of Valdez and industry's Alyeska
Contingency Plan for Prince William Sound. The
Alyeska plan guided the Exxon Valdez spill re-
sponse before the Exxon Company took respons-
ibility on March 25 for the incident and put its own
plans into effect.
Oil spill preparedness is a constantly evolving
process of incorporating lessons learned from
simulated spills and actual incidents. Contingency
planning grows from this continuing distillation of
experience, shaping new requirements for response
training, drills and exercises, equipment, and other
resources.
1. National Response System
Composed of 14 federal agencies, the National
Response Team (NRT) has broad responsibilities for
the coordination of federal planning and prepared-
ness. The NRT provides national support for
response actions related to oil discharges and haz-
ardous substance releases. Primarily through Re-
gional Response Teams (RRT), the NRT supports
emergency responders at all levels by means of
technical expertise, equipment, and other resources.
It also assists in the development of training, coor-
dinates responses with neighboring countries, and
manages the National Response System (NRS).
The umbrella NRS includes key elements of any
federal response effort. Legally, the NRS functions
under the NCP which, in turn, was created by the
Clean Water Act (CWA). The Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA/Superfund) also is imple-
mented through the NCP. Section 311(k) of the
CWA provides a fund for federal responses to oil
spills.
Persons involved in a spill or release of more
than a "reportable quantity" of oil or hazardous
substance (as defined by Superfund) are required by
law to notify the National Response Center (NRC)
in Washington, D.C. immediately. Staffed by Coast
Guard personnel and funded by the Department of
Transportation and the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), the NRC provides a central location
for reporting spills of oil and hazardous substances.
When not convened for a specific incident, the
RRT is a standing body responsible for maintaining
up-to-date regional planning and preparedness.
The 13 standing RRTs (one for each of the 10
federal regions, plus one each for the Pacific Basin,
Caribbean, and Alaska) under the NRT are essential
to effective federal-state coordination in any oil
spill response. Working closely with state govern-
ments and federal OSCs in its region, the RRT
ensures that appropriate federal agencies provide
assistance at spill scenes when federal help is re-
quested.
Typically, the "incident-specific" RRT consists
of selected federal agency and state representatives
who have technical expertise or contacts needed by
the OSC for a particular incident. Depending on
OSC needs, incident-specific RRT members may
provide technical advice or actual resources such as
equipment or manpower needed on scene. The
RRT also serves as an information conduit for
federal agency field offices and state staffs. Each
RRT develops a Regional Contingency Plan (RCP)
to delineate clearly roles and responsibilities at all
levels of government during a response.
An RRT will review OSC spill reports to iden-
tify problems in regional response capabilities and
help OSCs develop contingency plans for specific
areas in its region. Also, RRT member agencies
may provide training for contingency planners and
conduct simulation exercises of regional and OSC
contingency plans to test federal response capabili-
ties.
A detailed report on the National Response
System is provided in the NRT's 1988 annual report.
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2. Contingency Plans
The following section describes contingency
plans identifying the responsibilities of response
personnel in the event of an oil spill in Prince
William Sound.
a.The Alyeska Plan
The Alyeska Pipeline Service Company's oil spill
contingency plan for the pipeline, terminal and
Prince William Sound is an industry plan required
under state law. The plan incorporates federal
requirements applicable to the terminal and pipe-
line. For tankers, the plan includes "General Pro-
visions" covering Alyeska's oil spill response capa-
bility for terminal and tanker operations, a more
detailed "Port of Valdez" section, and a "Prince
William Sound" section which addresses tanker
operations from the terminal to Hinchenbrook
Entrance. The Alyeska plan incorporates a Prince
William Sound plan developed specifically for rapid
and effective responses to spills from vessels in
trade with Alyeska's Valdez Terminal.
The plan states that Alyeska will "direct cleanup
operations of spills" from tankers carrying Trans-
Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) oil through Prince
William Sound in such a way as to make federal or
state intervention or takeovers unnecessary. It
describes equipment and lays out procedures for oil
spill detection and assessment, emergency notifica-
tion and coordination, and control actions covering
cleanup, disposal, and restoration.
The Alyeska plan gives priority to containment
and cleanup of oil spills to prevent or minimize the
amount of oil reaching sensitive areas. The plan
lists 136 sensitive areas to be protected in and
around Prince William Sound. The Alyeska plan
addresses response actions, reconnaissance, exclusion
booming sites, response times (including a five-hour
objective for initial spill response), oil transfer
activities, spill trajectories, climate, oceanography,
and fish and wildlife resources.
The plan covers scenarios for three spill sizes,
including an 8.4 million gallon spill in Prince Wil-
liam Sound remarkably similar to what actually
occurred on March 24. This scenario estimates that
approximately 50 percent of the oil would be
recovered at sea either directly after the spill or at
a later time. The Alyeska plan also establishes
public relations guidance and sets forth a training
program and an annual full-scale, company-wide
field exercise.
Chain of command responsibilities in the Alyes-
ka plan generally parallel the NCP. The Alyeska Oil
Spill Coordinator (AOSC) heads the Oil Spill Task
Force responsible for providing response and fol-
low-up activities for all oil spills. The terminal
superintendent heads reconnaissance and directs
response supervisors. The immediate response teams
'evaluate a spill and begin cleanup. If, at that stage,
the spill cannot be contained, additional resources
are requested from the AOSC, who can activate any
or all remaining task force resources.
In addition to other response strategies, the
Alyeska plan addresses use of dispersants, con-
forming with the NCP restrictions. The plan ac-
knowledges the need to receive approval from state
and federal governments before dispersants can be
applied to a spill. However, the Alyeska plan
concludes that, "it would be difficult to effectively
apply dispersants..." because of the need to bring
equipment in from Arizona and because of the
approval process. Nevertheless, the plan emphasizes
the use of dispersants as an option for spill manage-
ment.
b. Captain of the Port (COTP) Prince William Sound
Pollution Action Plan (OSC Plan)
This plan implements provisions of the NCP and
the Alaska Regional Oil and Hazardous Substances
Pollution Contingency Plan (RCP). It takes into
account the Alyeska plan for Prince William Sound
and the Port of Valdez.
The plan provides information on port area
geography, including a general description of Prince
William Sound and a more detailed discussion of the
Port of Valdez and Orca Inlet. It provides a listing
and brief description of waterfront facilities in the
Captain of the Port .(COTP) zone. Procedures for
notifying local, state, and federal agencies, includ-
ing the Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation and other RRT members, are address-
ed. The plan discusses planned response actions for
oil spills in five areas of the port: Hinchinbrook
Entrance, Central Prince William Sound, Valdez
Arm and Narrows to Middle Rock, Middle Rock to
Port Valdez, and the remainder of the sound. A
COTP Valdez response organization with a descrip-
tion of duties for each billet is provided, and proce-
dures for gaining access to response resources
(including special forces) are addressed. A list of
federal, state, and local response resources extends
from the NRT and Strike Teams to the Homer
Harbor Master. The plan cites access to a computer
listing of clean-up equipment in Alaska.
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c. National And Regional Contingency Plans
Both the Alyeska and COTP Prince William
Sound plans spell out a multitude of site-specific
response recommendations and directives. They
operate in the context of national and regional
response policies established through the NCP and
RCP. The principal task of the NRT is to coor-
dinate all federal oil spill response actions and
policies. Through federal regulation, the NCP
provides guidance for the more site-specific RCP
and OSC contingency plans.
The RCP is the region-specific plan that es-
tablishes a regional response team. It predesignates
federal OSCs and outlines all regional mechanisms
for coordinated response activities involving federal
and state personnel. The OSC monitors the spiiler's
(the responsible party's) activities to terminate,
contain, and remove an oil discharge. The OSC
manages a response action when the spiller is un-
known or unable to provide a response.
The RCP, revised in 1988, establishes a RRT
for the area that includes Prince William Sound.
The plan outlines the regional response system that
establishes mechanical oil removal as a primary spill
response strategy. In one of the first planning
efforts of its kind, the RCP includes chemical
dispersant preauthorization procedures for use in
Prince William Sound. Preauthorization by the
RRT, which is provided for in the NCP, is meant to
assist the OSC in making timely dispersant-use
decisions by providing him with authority to allow
dispersant use in specified areas without RRT
concurrence. Where preauthorization is not granted,
the OSC must first obtain the concurrence of the
RRT. The RCP also contains wildlife protection
guidelines for an oil spill.
Like most regional plans, the RCP provides a
mechanism for coordination of state and federal
assistance after a spill in support of the federal
OSC's basic responsibility to either monitor the
cleanup or conduct a response. In either case, the
OSC is provided technical assistance by the special
forces and teams listed in the RCP. The RRT also
furnishes equipment and other resources. When not
convened for a specific incident, the RRT is a
standing body responsible for maintaining up-to-
date regional planning and preparedness.
The RRT's Fiscal Year (FY) 1989 work and
training plans establish a priority listing of tasks
designed to improve Alaskan regional preparedness.
In FY 1989, the RRT had planned to prepare
guidance to help local planners effectively use
federal oil spill response resources. The RRT
completed planning guidelines for the rehabilitation
of oiled wildlife.
d. State of Alaska Contingency Plan
And Response Program
The Alaska oil spill response program, in place
since 1977 to address rapid gas and oil development
in the state, is administered by the Alaska Depart-
ment of Environmental Conservation (ADEC). The
state response program serves a number of func-
tions: review and approval of all oil spill contingen-
cy plans; maintenance of the state's Oil and Haz-
ardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan;
inspection of state oil facilities; prevention and
cleanup of underground spills; response and clean-
up or oversight of responsible party cleanup of oil
spills; and enforcement of many other authorities.
The ADEC approves oil spill contingency plans for
over 450 tankers, barges, onshore terminals, and
offshore facilities. The ADEC does not maintain
full-time oil spill response teams or large clean-up
equipment inventories.
The plan lists the U.S. Coast Guard as having
"basic investigative and enforcement responsibilities
for oil spills that occur on coastal waters bordering
Alaska." It adds that the U.S. Coast Guard Captain
of the Port of Valdez "is the federal OSC for the
coastal waters of Prince William Sound from Cape
Puget to Castle Island near Cordova." The plan
establishes ADEC as the lead state agency respons-
ible for oil spill emergencies within Alaska and its
coastal waters.
Under the state plan, responses to moderate
(1,000 to 100,000 gallons in coastal waters) or large
(over 100,000 gallons) oil spills fall under the
province of the U.S. Coast Guard or Environmental
Protection Agency OSC. In these cases, the state
OSC will act as an advisor to the federal OSC
regarding such state issues as availability of state
and local resources, assignment of priority areas for
cleanup and protection, response equipment and
manpower staging areas, potential disposal areas,
threats to humans and wildlife habitats, adequacy of
cleanup, activation of the RRT, and activation of a
state-funded response.
-------
In response to a large spill, the state QSC func-
tions as the state representative to the RRT. In this
situation, response jurisdiction is assumed by the
federal government once the federal OSC arrives on
scene. The state then provides the federal OSC with
appropriate assistance. Specifically, Annex XVII to
the state plan gives ADEC authority to respond to
catastrophic oil discharges which constitute a dis-
aster emergency under Alaska Statute 26.23.010-
230. Under Alaska Statute 46/04.010, ADEC also is
authorized to seek reimbursement of clean-up or
containment expenses. Spillers are responsible
under state law to contain and clean up any oil
discharge except in cases where containment and
cleanup is not technically feasible or will cause more
damage than the spill itself.
Other state agencies also share oil spill response
responsibilities. For example, the Alaska Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife provides for protection of
fish, game, and aquatic plant resources. Other state
and local agencies regulate operations that affect
health and safety.
e. The Exxon Plan
The Exxon Shipping Company Headquarters
Casualty Response Plan, a voluntary document not
required by^federal law or regulation, establishes a
company Casualty Management Team and a Head-
quarters Oil Spill Assistance Team. The plan made
available by Exxon for purposes of developing this
report defines the organization and responsibilities
of each team during a marine incident, but it is not
specific to any location. The Exxon plan has no
specific details. It includes no explanation of any
interaction with the NCP, RCP, Alyeska, state or
Coast Guard plans. The Exxon plan contains no
information specific to the Prince William Sound or
Valdez Terminal and no equipment list other than
mention of a van and sampling equipment. The
plan also does not prescribe uses of booms, skim-
mers, and dispersants. The Exxon Plan required no
approval by federal or state government.
3. Contingency Plan Findings
Contingency planning coordination:
o Government and industry plans, except the Aly-
eska plan, did not assume a spill of the mag-
nitude of the Exxon Valdez spill and the Alyes-
ka Plan did not provide sufficient detail to guide
the response. The Alyeska plan, approved by
the state, was the primary plan for purposes of
direct spill cleanup involving oil from the
Trans-Alaska Pipeline in the Valdez Ter-
minal/Prince William Sound area. The Exxon
plan states that the Exxon Shipping Company is
responsible for containment, cleanup, and
claims settlements related to spills in the waters
. of the U.S. from Exxon vessels. These plans do
not refer to each other or establish a response
, command hierarchy that would take precedence
in the event of a spill either at the Valdez
Terminal or in Prince William Sound.
Responsibility for response:
' o For the Port'of Valdez, all of these plans assumed
that the spiller will be the responder initially.
The plans assumed that the supporting OSC,
state, and RRT would evaluate response actions,
providing approvals when necessary unless the
spiller cannot be found. There appears to have
been insufficient planning, however, to assure
that either the responsible party would be able
.to respond effectively or, if necessary, gov.ern-
, , .ment parties could respond to a spill of this
magnitude.
Exercises:
o Although several exercises required by the Aly-
eska plan already have been conducted, Alyeska
did not utilize critiques of these exercises ade-
quately. A critique advanced by the State of
Alaska had recommended revisions to the plan.
.One critique had pointed out that the Alyeska
on-scene coordinator is needed at the spill site
to direct and supervise clean-up operations, and
to interact with on-scene government agency
. , personnel. The Alyeska on-scene coordinator
did not go with the Coast Guard to the site.
Training:
o Because planners could not anticipate the man-
power needed to respond to a very large, very
widespread spill; there was a lack of personnel
skilled in oil spill response techniques. Valuable
time was used to train inexperienced workers.
In addition, some response personnel and gover-
nment representatives did not fully understand
the NRT/RRT structure and how it works,
reducing the effectiveness of available on-scene
organizations and resources through unrelated or
overlapping efforts and management chains.
Spills of national significance:
o The National Oil andHazardous Substances Pollu-
tion Contingency Plan (40 CFR 300) is adequate
for handling almost all oil spills. It should be
reviewed and amended, as needed, however, to
ensure that it activates the most effective re-
sponse structure for releases or spills of national
significance.
-------
COTP (OSC) plan:
o The COTP Prince William Sound Plan considers
the Alyeska plan but not the Exxon plan. Lack
of coordination between the Alyeska and Exxon
plans appears to have caused confusion in
structuring the response to the Exxon Valdez
incident. For example, the State of Alaska was
not notified by Alyeska as required when Exxon
assumed responsibility for the spill response. In
addition, there was no provision for review by
the federal OSC, who establishes priorities for
response actions. Therefore, coordination was
further limited. As it turned out, the Alyeska
plan was used for- immediate response and the
COTP Prince William Sound plan served as a
basis for guiding the actions of the OSC.
Alyeska contingency plan:
o Alyeska did not carry out the objectives of its
plan to direct the spill response in a manner that
ensured a rapid response and the availability of
adequate and usable equipment. Nor did it
provide the State of Alaska with timely infor-
mation on when Alyeska had turned over its
responsibility to Exxon. Alyeska was not
prepared to respond to this spill.
Equipment:
o Equipment adequate to contain and clean up the
spilled oil was not available during the initial
days of the incident. This is because of the
magnitude of the spill, the fact that the oil barge
was not certified to receive oil and was dam-
aged, and because equipment that would have
been useful was not in the inventory. A large
self-contained oil skimmer would have been
useful during the spill response, notwithstanding
the magnitude of the event.
Response strategies:
o All the basic contingency plans—the Alyeska,
Exxon, Prince William Sound, Alaska RRT and
state—appear to agree that the principal re-
sponse strategy is physical containment and
removal, along with diversion booming to
protect sensitive ecosystems. They agree that
other such response strategies as chemical dis-
persion and in-situ burning will be employed to
supplement this strategy.
o Except for the Alaska RRT plan, criteria for
requesting employment of additional technol-
ogies are absent from these plans. The Alaska
RRT plan contains specific criteria and a de-
tailed checklist containing evaluation factors for
determining whether to approve the use of
dispersants. No similar criteria, however, have
been developed for in-situ burning. Early use
of dispersants in most major oil spills in coastal
waters is a controversial OSC.and RRT decision.
o Dispersant-use decisions, can be critical to re-
sponses. Detailed and thoughtful dispersant-use
preplanning can greatly improve the technical
quality of such decisions.
Response implementation:
o Although the basic response strategy is outlined
clearly in the Alyeska plan, guidance to help
responders implement this strategy was inade-
quate in the Exxon Valdez spill. For example,
the plan identifies sensitive habitats in detail
and ranks them in order of response priority. It
even calculates the amount of diversion booming
needed to protect these habitats. The Alyeska
plan does not provide clear guidelines, however,
on the manpower or equipment needed to de-
ploy this booming or the time it would take. As
a result, the amount of equipment actually
stockpiled at the Valdez Terminal and elsewhere
in the state was not known before the response
was undertaken. Several of the plans also men-
tion the difficulty of planning for, and respond-
ing to, spills in remote areas, but they do not
identify specific measures to address this prob-
lem.
o It appears that the Alaska RRT and State of
Alaska plans did not adequately consider
equipment, manpower, and the logistical prob-
lems associated with such a large spill.
-------
4. Early Lessons Learned/
Recommendations: Preparedness
Contingency planning:
o Planning for a large self-contained oil skimmer
and other necessary response equipment was
inadequate.
o The National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollu-
tion Contingency Plan (40 CFR 300) should be
reviewed and amended as needed, to ensure that
it activates the most effective response structure
for releases or spills of national significance.
Such releases or spills should be defined, thres-
hold criteria should be formulated to establish
when this condition exists, and a pre-es-
tablished, integrated command and control
mechanism should be identified to address them.
This mechanism is necessary in order to utilize
effectively the resources of the parties respons-
ible for the spill, the 14 federal agencies in the
NRT/RRT structure, and the affected state or
states and local governments.
0 The federal government should consider the
extent to which contingency planning should be
implemented under the CWA and other appro-
priate authorities in major port areas. Title 33
of the Federal Code, that addresses oil pollution
prevention regulations for marine oil transfer
facilities, provides a starting point for this
effort. At this time, there is no specific re-
quirement for the operators of major oil ter-
minal facilities to develop oil spill contingency
plans. The EPA and the Coast Guard do require
spill prevention plans. That Alyeska is required
by the State of Alaska to have such a plan is
atypical. Many other states leave contingency
planning to industry on a voluntary basis.
o The Exxon Valdez spill and analyses of the con-
tingency plans for Prince William Sound raise
concerns about the adequacy of contingency
planning in other major port areas. The Presi-
dent has ordered a nationwide review of contin-
gency planning in major ports to be completed
within six months. The review will be con-
ducted by the National Response Team. The
Vice Chair of the NRT, the Coast Guard repre-
sentative to the NRT, will direct the review.
With support from the other 13 federal agencies
represented on the NRT, the Coast Guard will
be the lead agency conducting the study. Re-
gional Response Teams and Coast Guard COTP
will assist in review of port plans. Key issues
will include ensuring that plans in other port
areas address maximum probable spill assump-
tions and associated levels of manpower and
equipment. Another issue is the reinstatement
of the spills inventory system, which identified
the location of oil spill response equipment
world-wide.
Training:
o Training programs in oil spill clean-up techniques
and responsibilities of agencies under the NCP
should be reviewed and expanded to include all
persons who would be relied on for response to
a major oil spill. Adequate training, both in the
techniques and limitations of oil spill removal
and in the roles and responsibilities of the
various response and support organizations
under the NRT/RRT structure, is critical to the
success of industry and government contingency
plans. In a spill of national or region-wide
significance, persons and organizations not
normally involved in oil spill response may be
required to function in key roles.
o There should be adequately trained personnel on
hand in the event of a spill.
Exercises:
o Contingency plans are important. It is equally
important to test the plans in a realistic manner
to ensure an effective response. Computer-
aided table-top exercises and field exercises that
put stress on the response system should be
expanded by the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration, EPA, and the Coast
Guard. RRTs should ensure as a part of their
planning process that contingency plans are in
place for areas in which major oil spills rea-
sonably can be expected. In addition, unan-
nounced drills should be conducted to ensure
that plans and organizations can deliver respons-
es as planned. RRTs need to ensure that train-
ing is current, that realistic evaluations of drills
are conducted, and that formal revisions of
plans are required based on the results of exer-
cises.
B. PREVENTION
Prevention is the principal defense against oil
spills. The old adage that an ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure remains valid: the best way
to protect the environment is to prevent spills from
occurring in the first place. This truth is vividly
evident in the enormous costs of the Exxon Valdez
oil spill.
10
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Although both government and industry have
critical roles to play, prevention of oil spills cannot
be accomplished without industry action to safe-
guard oil transport. Industry immediately should
review all elements of the oil transportation and
distribution system for vulnerabilities that could
lead to serious oil spills. It is industry's respons-
ibility to ensure that facilities and equipment are
properly designed, safely operated, and correctly
maintained.
Industry already has taken steps in an attempt to
reduce the risks of oil spills. The American Pe-
troleum Institute has undertaken a review of in-
dustry operations and will report a recommended
program in three months. The review will examine
manning of ships, as well as preparedness and
response issues. The major owner companies of the
Alyeska Pipeline also have announced plans to
improve the industry's ability to prevent oil spills in
Alaskan waters.
Subject
Human error is a major factor in many types of
accidents. Any comprehensive prevention program
must address human error through better training
and equipping of personnel, safety programs, and
steps to ensure that constant vigilance is exercised
by management. For example, legislation, regula-
tion, and studies under consideration address ways
to prevent drug and substance abuse in the work-
place. Prevention of such abuse is especially impor-
tant for vital transportation services.
Government also must take steps to help prevent
oil spills. Federal and state agencies currently are
conducting investigations to address the cause of the
accident. These investigations will examine whether
navigation controls were adequate. They will look
into licensing of the captain and crew and issues of
negligence, liability, and criminal violation. Results
from these investigations can have an important
impact on preventing future oil spills.
Prevention is a complex area, and actions to
address concerns about prevention will require
examination in the near future of key issues by
appropriate authorities. Several areas for follow-up
action appropriate by federal, state, and local
agencies and by industry deserve special mention
here- Following is an initial list of the prevention
areas that should be considered and the agencies re-
sponsible for addressing them:
Party Responsible
Ship design and construction (e.g., double hulls,
smaller tankers)
Manning of ships (e.g., licensing of officers and
crew, alcohol/drug testing)
Ship movement (e.g., piloting, vessel traffic con-
trol, speed limitations, navigational hazard mark-
ing)
Spill prevention plans and operations manuals
(terminals and transfer facilities, on-board re-
sponse capabilities)
Training of government workers in prevention
responsibilities
Safety programs and training for operators
(management oversight)
USCG, industry
USCG, industry
USCG, industry
EPA and USCG,
state/local agencies,
industry
Federal/state/local
agencies
Industry
11
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IV. THE RESPONSE
A. ASSESSMENT AND INITIAL RESPONSE
Upon notification by the Exxon Valdez to the
Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) of the incident at 0028,
the Commanding Officer, Marine Safety Office
(MSO) Valdez, in his capacity as the predesignated
federal On-Scene Coordinator (OSC), immediately
closed the Port of Valdez to all traffic. The OSC
notified the National Response Center (NRC), the
state, and Alyeska of the spill. By 0100, a pilot boat
with a Coast Guard investigator and an Alaska
Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC)
representative aboard was enroute to the vessel.
At 0330, the Coast Guard investigator reported
that approximately 5.8 million gallons of oil had
been lost from the damaged tanks. By 0530, an
estimated 10.1 million gallons of crude oil had
spilled into Prince William Sound.
Alyeska accepted responsibility for the cleanup
and activated its emergency operations center
45 minutes after receiving word of the spill. A
second operations center in Anchorage was estab-
lished 15 minutes later. By 0500, 70 people had
been called, and 28 people were working at the
terminal.
By 0730, Alyeska had a helicopter aloft with a
Coast Guard investigator aboard. Videotape record-
ed during this overflight showed a slick 1,000 feet
wide by about four miles long.
B. RESPONSE
1. Strategy
Several goals were developed by the responsible
party and the OSC in structuring the response. Of
primary importance were steps to prevent the spill
of additional oil. The Exxon Valdez was unstable.
Genuine concern was expressed that the vessel could
capsize and spill the 43 million gallons of oil re-
maining on board (80 percent of the total load) into
the water.
Environmentally sensitive areas needed protec-
tion. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) had identified these areas
prior to the incident. This information was used to
set priorities for sensitive areas, such as fish hatch-
eries. Four fish hatcheries were singled out as
priorities, and equipment was deployed to protect
them. The OSC faced the decision to use the
limited available booms and skimmers to protect
other sensitive areas or to contain the oil, because
not enough equipment was on hand to do both tasks.
Personnel safety was. another major concern.
Flammable, toxic fumes made response actions
dangerous. To address this danger, Exxon establish-
ed a nine-member health and safety task force,
developed a safety plan, and trained all personnel on
scene. No one was seriously injured in this case.
Finally, strategies were developed for the contain-
ment and recovery of the 10.1 million gallons of oil
that had entered the environment.
The response began on several fronts. The OSC
mobilized the National Strike Force to assist with
controlling the release of additional oil from the
Exxon Valdez. Personnel from the MSO were
recalled and the pre-arranged response organization
put in place. Exxon activated its emergency center
in Houston and mobilized equipment to stabilize the
stranded vessel. The Exxon Baton Rouge was
directed to the scene to offload the remaining cargo.
Within 24 hours of the incident, the oil on the
Exxon Valdez was being pumped off.
Major problems began to arise, however, within
three hours of the incident. Alyeska response
equipment shortages and casualties delayed any
opportunity to contain the spilled oil early on. A
barge specified by Alyeska in its contingency plan
to provide containment equipment at the scene of
an oil spill within five hours of notification had
been stripped of its equipment for repairs. Reload-
ing the barge was time consuming and further
delayed when the cranes loading the equipment on
the barge were redirected by Alyeska to load trans-
fer equipment aboard a tug. The barge left for the
vessel ten hours after the spill and arrived on scene
two hours later.,
•12
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2. Logistics
The spill occurred in a remote location of the
country, and, as the oil spread, it moved to even
more difficult and remote areas. The town closest
to the spill site is Valdez, which has less than
4,000 residents. The small airstrip in Valdez norm-
ally handles about 10 flights a day, but this figure
jumped to between 750 and 1000 flights a day
during the spill response. The Federal Aviation
Administration set up and manned a temporary air
traffic control tower to manage this increase in
traffic. The largest plane Valdez can accommodate
is a C-130 with load restrictions. Larger planes
carrying clean-up equipment were forced to fly into
Anchorage. The drive from Anchorage can take up
to nine hours by,truck, and the roads sometimes are
closed due to bad weather and avalanches. The only
other town close to the oil spill is Cordova, which
can be reached only by boat or plane. Its only ferry
has been used as part of the response action.
Valdez has limited accommodations and could
not handle the number of spill response personnel,
government officials, and reporters who descended
on the town in the spill's wake. Because of a
limited phone system, during the first week after
the spill several thousand calls into or out of Valdez
were not connected. This lack of phone lines
initially delayed responders from requesting the
resources they needed to handle the spill. Only the
Coast Guard OSC had a direct line out of Valdez.
The phone problem was alleviated somewhat during
the second week when the phone company increased
the number of lines into town.
Even when equipment and clean-up personnel
arrived in Valdez, the spill site still was two hours
distant by boat. By April 13, the oil covered 1,000
square miles and reached 80 to 90 miles from
Valdez. It took eight to 10 hours by boat, at
10 knots, to go from one end of the spill to the
other. It took 14 hours to tow a skimmer 35 miles
across the width of Prince William Sound. It was an
hour flight by helicopter to reach affected beaches.
Staging had to be done on scene from mobile plat-
forms, requiring that equipment be air-dropped or
delivered by boat. All of these factors exacerbated
the slow delivery of clean-up equipment.
Radio transmissions cannot travel great distances
without repeaters in mountainous terrain. The large
number of boats involved in clean-up activity (see
Figure 4) resulted in multiple, simultaneous trans-
missions and led to many radio channel violations.
This problem was eliminated when the Coast Guard
cutter Rush arrived on scene and began enforcing
proper radio procedures.
FIGURE 4
Total Number of Vessels On Scene
200-
250
200
150
100
50
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
March April
Source: U.S. Coast Guard, 1989.
3. Exxon Actions
Exxon Shipping Company assumed financial and
clean-up responsibility from Alyeska on the second
day after the spill; part of the normal response
process and not unanticipated. Exxon designed a
plan to transfer the remaining 43 million gallons of
oil and salvage the vessel with the assistance of the
National Strike Team. The oil was removed by
April 4 without further damage to the vessel,
additional spillage, or injuries. The vessel was
refloated and towed to a sheltered harbor for dam-
age assessment and temporary repairs the next day.
Exxon also initiated a communications network.
Exxon built a remote transmitter by day four of the
spill, and on day six sent a communications trailer
out on a boat. Eventually, a complete communica-
tions network was established. It consisted of four
repeater stations: one on a mountain, one on Knight
Island, and two on vessels.
The weather changes quickly and varies from
one part of the sound to another. Clean-up person-
nel had to be placed on and removed from steep
rocky shores which experience 10- to 12-foot tide
changes twice a day. Bad weather grounded heli-
copters used to transport these personnel. Vessels
needed warning to move equipment to safe harbors
during rough seas. The Bureau of Land Manage-
ment had portable weather stations for remote
locations that could relay weather information
through a satellite link. Because weather forecast-
ing was critical to the response operation, Exxon
worked with NOAA to set up five weather stations
around Prince William Sound.
13
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Fuel required for transit from Valdez to clean-
up sites left helicopters with only about 25 minutes'
worth of fuel to remain on scene. Exxon set up a
refueling station in Seward to increase on-scene
time for helicopters. Questions were raised con-
cerning the spill's effect on water quality and on
the fishing industry. Exxon developed a water
sampling plan and selected 25 sites to monitor on a
regular basis.
The Exxon emergency center in Houston opened
shortly after receiving word of the incident. By the
end of the fourth day after the spill, a total of
274 tons of booms, skimmers, dispersant, and
dispersant application equipment had arrived. This
equipment was flown in from around the world (see
Figure 5).
Exxon also mobilized a fleet of vessels. By the
second day after the spill, Exxon had contracted for
52 vessels. This steady build up continued until
April 13 when the number of vessels hired leveled
off at about 110. As of April 13, Exxon had 248-
vessels contracted (see Figure 6). Eighteen contract
aircraft were on site by April 13. By April 13,
aircraft had delivered 1,767 tons of equipment, and
twenty-five aircraft were contracted for use on site.
As of April 10, the response staff totaled 1,470 and
included 130 Exxon employees, 962 contract per-
sonnel, and 378 fishermen (see Figure 7).
FIGURE 5
Air Freight Delivered by Exxon
Tons
r2000
FIGURE 6
Exxon Equipment On Scene
250-
• — Vessels
"• Thousands of boom feet
200
150
100
50
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
March April
Source: U.S. Coast Guard, 1989.
FIGURE 7
Exxon Personnel On Scene
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
March April
Source: U.S. Coast Guard, 1989.
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
March April
Source: U.S. Coast Guard, 1989.
14
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4. OSC Actions And Activities
In Support Of The OSC
Within 24 hours of the spill, the Coast Guard
had supplemented the 34 personnel assigned to MSO
Valdez. Four members of the Coast Guard's Pacific
Area Strike Team (PACAREA) of the National
Strike Force arrived on scene from San Francisco,
and the Coast Guard began to mobilize over 1,000
personnel. The following day, the Coast Guard
mobilized several cutters, aircraft, and other equip-
ment (see Figure 8). As of April 24, over 250 per-
sonnel were working for either MSO Valdez or MSO
Anchorage, and 750 were crew aboard the nine
Coast Guard cutters and eight aircraft (see Figure
9).
FIGURE 8
Federal Equipment On Scene
FIGURE 9
Federal Personnel On Scene
30
25
20
15
10
— — - Vessels
—— Skimmers
••••• Aircraft
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
March April
Source: U.S. Coast Guard, 1989.
The National Strike Team supervised the off-
loading of the Exxon Valdez under the direction of
a salvage master. At any given time during the
crisis, the Strike Team has had at least 20 members
on scene. Virtually all of the PACAREA Strike
Team members have participated in this spill re-
sponse, as have some Atlantic Area (LANTAREA)
members.
500-
400
300
200
100
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
March April
Source: U.S. Coast Guard, 1989.
NOAA's Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) in
Anchorage was called the morning of the incident
and was on scene within hours. By the end of the
day, NOAA's Hazardous Materials Response Branch
had assembled a team of six people and a NOAA
helicopter to assist the OSC. Oil spill trajectory,
weather, and tide forecasts were available to the
OSC within the first 24 hours, and routine oil spill
overflights to map the extent of contamination
began on March 26. By the middle of April, NOAA
had staff in Valdez, Whittier, Seward, Homer, and
Kodiak to facilitate the coordination of scientific
activities.
Shortly after the incident, Alyeska contacted the
International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC)
and placed it under contract. IBRRC staff arrived
on scene March 25 and began to set up a bird
cleaning and rehabilitation center in Valdez.
Department of the Interior (DOI) and Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS) representatives arrived in
Valdez the evening of March 24. A specialist
arrived in Valdez from the Hubbs Marine Research
Institute in San Diego to set up a sea otter facility.
Exxon hired these animal rescue specialists pursuant
to the wildlife protection guidelines of the Regional
Contingency Plan (RCP).
•15
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A sea otter collection program began on March -
29. The sea otter cleaning and rehabilitation center
in Valdez was opened on March 30. Cleaning and
rehabilitation centers also were established in other
cities. In addition to sea otter collection by Exxon
contractors, FWS personnel are assisting in capturing
oiled sea otters.
A bird collection program began on March 29,
and the cleaning and rehabilitation center in Valdez
opened on March 31. As the oil progressed south-
ward, the IBRRC established centers in other cities.
In addition, Exxon is reviewing an FWS draft spring
migration bird protection plan. The plan focuses on
hazing birds from oil-contaminated areas and
establishing flight patterns to prevent aircraft from
moving birds from unoiled areas to oiled areas.
Other military resources have been mobilized to
clean up the spill. The Department of Defense,
through the normal RRT/NRT mechanism, provid-
ed U.S. Navy equipment on the second day of the
spill and increased the level of support throughout
the cleanup. The Army, Navy, and Air Force have
supported the response effort. (See Appendix B for
Forces On Scene). Funding for this support was
provided by Exxon through a previously developed
mechanism using the §311(k) Fund established by
the Clean Water Act (CWA). The OSC retained
responsibility for cost accounting.
Coast Guard administrative, management,
clerical, and support personnel from around the
country have been assigned to the spill. Coast
Guard public affairs officers and specialists are in
the Valdez area to answer media questions, escort
VIP visitors, and administer a long-term community
relations program.
In addition to the resources provided by the U.S.
government, state agencies, and private domestic
companies hired by Exxon, the governments and
private sectors of Canada, Denmark, France, Nor-
way, and the Soviet Union made generous offers of
assistance.
The RRT became actively involved in the clean-
up soon after the spill. The RRT convened for its
first teleconference call at 1200 on Friday, March
24, and continued to hold teleconference calls
virtually every day thereafter.
The National Response Team (NRT) was acti-
vated almost immediately. Less than four hours
after the spill was reported, the Coast Guard Vice
Chair, acting as NRT Chair for this incident,
directed the National Response Center to brief NRT
members. The Coast Guard had all of its pollution
reports sent directly to individual NRT agencies as
the OSC released them. Shortly after the spill, the
Chair and the Vice Chair visited the spill site and
returned to brief the NRT.
The NRT convened five times through April 26
in special session to receive updates on the incident
and discuss the activities of NRT agencies. The
NRT members established a communications net-
work for information and coordination and volun-
teered their resources and expertise, as needed. The
Coast Guard established a 24-hour crisis action
center adjacent to the NRC. Additionally, the NRT
sent a group of Coast Guard, EPA, DOI, and De-
partment of Energy representatives to Alaska for
firsthand input into this report.
5. State of Alaska Actions
The State of Alaska's participation in the re-
sponse to this incident began when the spill was
reported. An ADEC official went to the scene with
the Coast Guard investigator less than one-half hour
after notification of the spill. ADEC was an inte-
gral part of the contingency planning process before
the incident and an active participant in RRT and
subsequent management organizations in the early
stages of the response effort. It did, however,
assume a role largely independent of the federal
response organization as the cleanup proceeded.
For example, Alaska obtained recovery equipment
and a state ferry to use as a mobile operations center
on its own.
The Governor of Alaska personally surveyed
the damage by 0600 the first day and remained
involved with the state's efforts throughout the
response. On March 26, the Governor declared a
state disaster and implemented the Alaska Emer-
gency Plan. The following day, the Governor
requested a Presidential declaration of an emergency
under Title V of the Stafford Act. Specifically, he
asked for the appointment of a federal coordinator
and for technical and advisory assistance to the
federal, state, and local governments. On April 11,
the director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency advised the Governor that the National Oil
and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency
Plan (NCP) was operating. The NCP already pro-
vided the federal coordinator and technical assis-
tance specified in the governor's request.
16
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6. Clean-up Methods
a. Dispersants
Dispersant use became a controversial issue in
this response. The federal OSC is responsible for
ensuring minimal harm to the environment. The
OSC relies on advice from the Scientific Support
Coordinator, recommendations from the Regional
Response Team (RRT), and his best professional
judgment. The Alaska RRT was well prepared to
address questions of dispersant use (see Appendices
D and E) and had developed a new dispersant-use
plan in early March 1989 (see Figure 10). The plan
was incorporated into the RCP and reflected in-
depth study done in the area.
At the time of the incident, two different
dispersant use strategies were in effect. Each
strategy applies within discrete seasonal and geo-
graphic boundaries. The area of Prince William
Sound from two miles below the grounding site and
extending to the north (including Valdez Harbor) is
designated in the RCP as Zone 2 from March 1st
until October 15th. In Zone 2, RRT concurrence
with the OSC's recommendations is required prior to
dispersant use authorization. (This area is desig-
nated Zone 1 from October 16th until April 30th.)
The area beginning two miles south of the ground-
ing site, which was in the path of the slick, is
designated in the RCP as Zone 1 all year. In Zone
1, the OSC is preauthorized to use (or allow the
spiller to use) dispersants, with the only condition
that the EPA and state (ADEC) RRT representatives
be notified retroactively—but with minimal delay.
Approximately 30 minutes after the spill was
reported, the OSC contacted Alyeska to suggest it
consider calling aircraft to be used for dispersant
application. About 0430, the OSC discussed disper-
sant use with Exxon and advised that dispersants
were preauthorized by the RRT at the discretion of
the OSC for use in Zone 1.
The OSC contacted Alyeska at 0630 and advised
Alyeska to start the dispersant-use request process.
About 0830, Alyeska transmitted a 10-page formal
request to have both fixed-wing aircraft and heli-
copters spread 50,000 gallons of dispersant, beginn-
ing at 1400 that afternoon. At the time of the
request, Alyeska had less than 4,000 gallons of
dispersant at its terminal, no dispersant application
equipment, and no aircraft. A total of 8,000 gallons
of dispersant were available in Kenai, and an addi-
tional 8,800 gallons of dispersants were available in
Anchorage. Alyeska had contacted a dispersant
application equipment contractor in Kenai and its
contract dispersant aircraft in Arizona. The RRT
discussed dispersant use during its 1200 conference
call. At about 1500, by which time the oil had
spread south into Zone 1, the OSC granted permis-
sion for a trial application to determine the disper-
sant's effectiveness under the existing conditions.
Alyeska conducted the first trial application about
1800 that first evening using a helicopter and
dispersant bucket. The OSC decided the application
was ineffective because wave action was insufficient
to mix the oil and dispersant. However, the OSC
authorized additional applications in Zone 1 for the
following morning using a fixed-wing aircraft.
Exxon's fixed-wing aircraft arrived in Anchor-
age about 0615 the following morning, March 25.
At about 0945, the RRT met and discussed disper-
sant application in Zone 2 near the spill site. The
RRT concurred with the OSC that, despite calm
water and light winds which adversely affected the
dispersant's effectiveness, further trial applications
should be conducted. The OSC announced this
authorization for trial application at about 1200.
Full application in Zone 2 would depend on the
state and EPA RRT representatives' concurrence
with the OSC's recommendation. The second trial
application was conducted by Exxon using a fixed-
wing aircraft with 2,500 gallons of dispersant. The
aircraft arrived at the spill site around 1700.
Dwindling daylight prevented a complete evalua-
tion, but extremely calm seas and winds of less than
15 knots caused very little dispersing action to be
observed by the OSC. The OSC authorized another
trial application during daylight hours for the
following day, March 27.
17
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Figure 10
Zones Of Dispersant Use In Prince William Sound
f Vessel traffic lanes\
• anH spnaratinn ?nnfi ^
and separation zone
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
*•••*•••••••
^*
Hinchinbrook ^
*+*
OF ALASKA
1 —Acceptable and OSC preauthorized
2 —Conditional, RRT concurrence required
3 —Not recommended, RRT concurrence required
•18
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A third trial application was conducted about
1030 the third morning after the spill using 3,500
gallons of dispersant in a fix-wing aircraft. Me-
chanically, the test was not satisfactory because the
nozzles did not spray the dispersant evenly. This
caused some oil to be completely untreated and
some oil to be overdosed with the dispersant.
Throughout the day, the seas were increasing to
about four feet and the wind was increasing to
about 20 knots. Exxon conducted a fourth trial
application at approximately 1600 that day using a
different type of fixed-wing aircraft. The increas-
ed wave action created the mixing action needed to
make the dispersant effective. The OSC authorized
full scale use for the following day.
During the night, winds increased to gale force
and continued through the following morning,
grounding all aircraft. When the spotter helicopter
got airborne around noon, the oil had moved into
Zone 3 where dispersant use is not recommended.
The RRT was contacted and asked to grant permis-
sion to apply dispersants in this "not recommended"
zone. At 1400, the RRT granted permission for one
plane load of dispersant to be applied in this zone.
At about 1800, the OSC, along with ADEC and EPA
representatives, was aboard a spotter helicopter
awaiting the arrival of the dispersant aircraft. The
OSC cancelled the application around 1850 when the
aircraft had not arrived, daylight was waning, and
there was little oil left in the area. It was later
learned that, at the direction of the Exxon command
post, the aircraft had applied dispersant at about
1500 over an unauthorized location.
b. Burning
On the first day of the spill, Exxon requested
an open-burn permit from the State of Alaska. The
state responded the following day by authorizing an
effectiveness test for burning the spilled oil, and the
test was conducted toward evening of that same day.
Approximately 12,000 to 15,000 gallons were
burned. Disagreements arose between Exxon and
the State of Alaska about the success of this opera-
tion. Although the oil burned satisfactorily, there
were questions about residual smoke. Some resi-
dents several miles from the burn site reported
irritated eyes and throats. No further tests were
conducted. The ADEC took the position that it was
not opposed to burning as long as communities were
not harmed and their residents were notified of an
upcoming burn. The weather changed by the
evening of the third day, making conditions un-
favorable for another burn.
c. Mechanical Recovery
Mechanical recovery was the preferred method
of oil removal because mechanical recovery removes
oil from the environment without possible environ-
mental effects from contaminants, such as added
chemicals. Necessary recovery equipment included
various booms, skimmers, and containment vessels.
Equipment assembly was labor intensive and time
consuming. Booms required personnel who could
attach sections, set, and tend them. Some booms
are inflatable, but one such boom sank on the first
day of the spill. The booms had to be towed slowly
to prevent damage. Since Prince William Sound is
very large, the time necessary to relocate booms to
different areas of Prince William Sound was con-
siderable.
Skimmers are mechanical devices that remove
oil from water. They require tending during opera-
tion. Skimmers must be directed to oil locations
from aircraft to assure greater efficiency, thereby
increasing coordination problems. Few aircraft
were available initially to coordinate the deployment
of skimmers. With limited personnel available to
monitor and repair skimmers operating great dis-
tances from one another, long periods of inactivity
resulted when they became disabled. When break-
downs required shop work, they were towed back to
Valdez. For example, one skimmer with a gear box
problem required 12 hours to be towed to Valdez
for repairs. The repair shop was already working
on two other skimmers and repairs took all night to
complete.
19
-------
As is graphically shown in Figures 11 and 12,
63 percent to 85 percent of the skimmers on scene
were deployed at any one time after the first day.
For reasons mentioned above, not all of the deploy-
ed skimmers were recovering oil effectively. A
skimmer's efficiency depends on the type and
condition of the oil being recovered. After the oil
weathered in this spill, it had the thick, viscous
consistency of axle grease. Skimmer hoses clogged,
and only about 10 percent of the designed recovery
rate could be achieved (see Figure 13). Heavy kelp
concentrations also contributed to clogging.
FIGURE 11
Number of Skimmers On Scene
FIGURE 13
•70——
65
60
55
SO
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5 1
Exxon
Government
24 85 26 37 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
March April
Sourca: U.S. Coast Guard, 1989.
FIGURE 12
Number of Skimmers in Operation
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 15 17 19
March April
Sourco: U.S. Coast Guard Pollution Reports. 1989.
Estimated Cumulative and Daily Volumes
of Oil Recovered
Thousands of Gallons
•800
Amount of Oil Recovered
Each Day
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 45 6 7 8
March April
Source: U.S. Coast Guard Pollution Reports, 1989.
The third component of a mechanical recovery
system is the temporary storage vessel. A small,
temporary oil-containment device (oil bladder)
attached to the skimmer must be emptied at a large
oil recovery barge when full. This procedure was
slow because the transfer pumps had difficulty
moving the heavy, grease-like material. Conse-
quently, vessels would often queue up at the recove-
ry barge.
Weather also affected the pace and effectiveness
of oil recovery. Severe weather suspended opera-
tions a number of times, forcing vessels to tow
skimmers and booms to sheltered harbors and coves.
7. Shoreline Cleanup
Appropriate shoreline clean-up techniques vary
according to the type of shoreline, the nature of the
oil, and the natural resources present. One of the
primary selection criteria in choosing a clean-up
method is to ensure that the technique will not cause
greater harm than allowing natural processes to
cleanse the environment. Much of western Prince
William Sound is characterized by high vertical
cliffs frequently edged with gravel shorelines. The
inner sound is laced with fjords and more sheltered
rocky beaches. General recommendations for clean-
up methods for the variety of shorelines found in
the sound are shown in Appendix I-I.
•20
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After the Exxon Valdez incident, a multi-
agency group was tasked to advise the OSC by
identifying sensitive environments, delineating the
degree of affected shoreline, and ranking areas to
be cleaned. Clean-up guidelines were developed
and presented to the OSC. Exxon, federal, and state
agency personnel conducted field surveys to define
the shoreline, determine the amount of oil present,
identify logistical problems, and investigate other
concerns. Cleaning techniques were identified,
tested, and approved by the OSC. A streamlined
process was developed by Admiral Yost in mid-
April which requires OSC approval for any particu-
lar beach segment before actual cleaning work by
the Exxon teams. Initially, approval of shoreline
clean-up procedures was time consuming because of
the large number of participants in this process with
varying levels of knowledge. Special clearances
remained necessary to prevent damage to potential
archaeological sites commonly found along the
shores. Areas where seal pupping is expected to
occur around the third week in May received high
priority for cleanup.
C. RESPONSE ORGANIZATION
Under the National Contingency Plan (NCP),
the OSC is responsible for ensuring a proper
response by continuously assessing and monitoring
all response actions, and by "federalizing" a spill if
the response activities are unsatisfactory. In the
context of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Execu-
tive Order 11735, "federalize" is defined as the use
of federal funds for cleanup under the direction of
the federal OSC. If a response is not being carried
out properly, the OSC will notify the party respons-
ible for the spill of its liability for costs associated
with the removal under CWA and "federalize" the
response and cleanup. Lacking a finding that a
responsible party is not conducting a proper clean-
up, the NCP envisages a cleanup conducted and
paid for by the responsible party.
The OSC is the focal point in effectively coor-
dinating the response to an oil spill. The OSC pulls
together the various threads of expertise and prov-
ides oversight direction for the use of manpower,
equipment, and resources. In general, the OSC
classifies the size of the discharge; investigates the
source, type, and quantity of the discharge; and
monitors the response action to determine if the
discharger is carrying out the response properly. In
this case, the predesignated OSC was the Command-
ing Officer of the Coast Guard MSO in Valdez.
That office consists of 34 personnel and is respons-
ible for marine inspections, casualty investigations,
port safety, environmental response, and the VTS
system for the MSO Valdez area.
With Alyeska accepting responsibility for the
cleanup immediately after the spill occurred, the
OSC established a response organization in con-
formance with the NCP. The lack of preparedness
on the part of Alyeska to have the requisite equip-
ment pre-staged, however, effectively delayed any
meaningful response.
The spill's sheer size and complexity of the
required response taxed the initial OSC organization.
Additionally, public and media concerns over the
spill's potential environmental and economic effects
demanded the OSC's attention to a far greater
degree than that previously experienced during any
spill in U.S. history. It was quickly evident that this
spill would require additional assistance for the
OSC.
To alleviate pressure on the OSC, the Seven-
teenth Coast Guard District Commander was dis-
patched to the scene on the second day after the
spill. The presence of the District Commander at
the scene may have led to initial confusion as to
who was in charge, because he is the OSC's super-
visor. In fact, no transfer of authority took place,
and the OSC retained his role under the CWA. It
may be unrealistic to believe that any disaster of
national proportions such as this one will remain
under the full authority of a predesignated OSC for
very long.
As the response activities increased in intensity,
the response organization grew to accommodate the
increased demands placed on it. By the fourth day
of the spill, a high level management steering
committee, consisting of the Seventeenth Coast
Guard District Commander, the President of Exxon
Shipping, and the Commissioner of ADEC, evolved
to coordinate the response. This elevation of au-
thority was appropriate given the circumstances of
the spill.
"Federalization" is a potential response in any
spill. By continuously monitoring the responders -
first Alyeska, then Exxon - the OSC determined,
however, that the responsible party was mounting as
effective a response as possible. (See Appendix B
for Forces On Scene.) The OSC deemed it inappro-
priate to "federalize" the incident as long as Exxon
continued to cooperate with the federal OSC, fund
the entire operation, and perform satisfactorily.
•21
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On April 7, the President directed the Secretary
of Transportation to serve as the coordinator of
efforts by all federal agencies involved in the clean-
up, lie also directed the Commandant of the Coast
Guard to return to Alaska and assume personal
oversight direction of the spill response efforts. A
much larger federal organization, with the Coast
Guard Commander, Pacific Area, designated as
federal OSC, was established.
The President directed the Secretary of Defense
to make U.S. military resources available to assist in
the cleanup. The Secretary of the Army was desig-
nated as the executive agent for DOD's involvement
in clean-up activities, and the Director of Military
Support (DOMS) was designated the action agent to
coordinate, manage, and task all DOD support. To
ensure coordination of requests for support, a
DOMS Oil Spill Joint Task Force consisting of
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Joint Staff,
and Coast Guard representatives was activated in
the Army Operations Center, Pentagon. (See Ap-
pendix B for Forces on Scene.)
D. PUBLIC INFORMATION
The Coast Guard immediately activated its
existing public information plan after being notified
of the spill. A local petty officer acted as interim
spokesman until the District Public Affairs Officer
and a Public Information Assist Team member from
Headquarters arrived on scene. Their first actions
were to establish a Coast Guard news office and
request additional public affairs staff.
The huge number of media correspondents in
the area strained the Coast Guard's ability to pro-
vide information. Phone lines were jammed as
correspondents held them open to stay in contact
with their home offices. Media representatives soon
located themselves in a Valdez community building,
where subsequently they were briefed by members
of the response organization. Additional Coast
Guard public affairs staff arrived five days follow-
ing the spill and have run an integrated and respon-
sive operation under extremely trying conditions.
E. EARLY LESSONS LEARNED/
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Initial Response
o Mobilizing equipment and personnel in the initial
stages of an incident is difficult in all major oil
spill recovery operations. In the Exxon Valdez
spill, this problem was accentuated by the
remote location and the distances involved in
moving equipment. The time lag in transporting
and deploying equipment forced the responders
into catch-up efforts from the onset.
o Equipment staged at the Alyeska terminal was not
sufficient to cope with a spill of this magnitude.
The time lag in transporting additional equip-
ment to the scene from out-of-state led to a
perception of inaction.
o Given the limitation of existing plans and capabil-
ities, the quantity of oil released in such a short
period (10.1 million gallons in five hours) over-
whelmed recovery and containment efforts.
o Alyeska's initial efforts to get its equipment on
scene were slow because the response barge was
not ready. The response barge was stripped of
equipment, took ten hours to load, and took
another two hours to reach the Exxon Valdez.
Once started, oil recovery progressed very
slowly.
o The quantity and size of booms were insufficient
to respond to the spill adequately.
o Few skimmers were working on scene during the
first 24 hours. Alyeska also lacked a tank barge
into which the skimmers could discharge re-
covered oil.
o The issue of dispersant use remains in dispute.
Conflicting documentation from Exxon and the
OSC makes the decision process unclear. It is
clear, however, that neither Alyeska nor Exxon
had sufficient quantities of dispersant available
for the magnitude of the spill. The dispersants
that were available were not used immediately
because the OSC determined, as a result of three
trial applications, that they were not effective
due to the lack of wave action required to mix
dispersants with oil, and because they were
applied improperly. Dispersant use on catastro-
phic spills needs further study.
o Burning the oil was possible and was done.
Apparently, it was not continued because of a
misunderstanding between Exxon and the State
of Alaska over the conditions under which
burning could proceed. By the time the misun-
derstanding was worked out, the opportunity
had passed.
2. Wildlife Rescue
o Initial wildlife rehabilitation efforts were slow.
In light of the magnitude of the spill, all avail-
able resources should have been brought to the
scene more quickly.
o An overall plan should have been developed
during the initial stages of the spill to address
•22
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bird and sea otter collection, cleaning, and
rehabilitation programs that would extend
throughout the entire area potentially affected.
This plan is being developed now and will
include volunteers and effective oversight by
federal agencies responsible.
o The Alaska regional Oil and Hazardous Substances
Pollution Contingency Plan's Wildlife Protection
Guidelines should be expanded to include
information on dealing with wildlife impacts
when the responsible party assumes respon-
sibility.
3. Response Organization
o In general, most spills are managed using a "team"
concept. This approach involves the spiller, the
OSC, other federal agencies, and the state. This
team concept appeared to break down into
adversarial relationships that may have caused a
lack of communication and ineffectiveness in
the cleanup.
o The OSC spill-response organization outlined in
the NCP was not followed in this case. Public
and media interest required a disproportionate
amount of the OSC's time. Three different
organizations eventually evolved to deal with
this spill: the NCP-specified organization, the
steering committee, and Presidentially-directed
oversight by the Commandant of the Coast
Guard. An initial perception persisted that
strong oversight direction was not being exer-
cised.
o The NCP should be reviewed to determine the
most appropriate organizational structure for
catastrophic spills.
o The Commandant of the Coast Guard reestablish-
ed federal oversight of the response, clarified
lines of authority and management, and put
response actions back on course.
o "Federalization" of the spill was not considered
necessary because the OSC determined Exxon
was taking proper action to remove the spilled
oil and effective action to eliminate its threat to
the environment. Exxon assumed responsibility
for the spill quickly and showed the willingness
and capacity to acquire the equipment and
personnel necessary to carry out the response.
4. Response Policies
o When tested by a massive, open-water oil spill,
current response equipment is still inadequate
under less than ideal conditions. With existing
technology, booms and skimmers alone cannot
handle a 10-million gallon spill. Improvements
in response technology are needed.
o As in many previous incidents, open-water clean-
up attempts evolved into a decision to protect
sensitive areas by booming while awaiting shore
impacts. Final oil recovery strategies then are
based on shoreline cleanup. Significant oppor-
tunities to skim oil off the water in Prince
William Sound were lost due to the conflicting
priorities of protection.
o Use of dispersants and skimmers in cold-water oil
spill responses needs further study. The results
need to be shared with industry and incorporat-
ed into national plans.
o Beach-cleaning techniques for the conditions
found in Prince William Sound are labor- and
resource-intensive and not efficient. Further
lessons from this experience need to be shared
with all concerned.
5. On-Scene Communications
o Communications were a problem, given the large
area, the mountainous terrain, and the varied
armada of vessels involved. A hodgepodge of
radio equipment made communications difficult.
Voids in radio coverage were aggravated by
distances and geography inherent to Prince
William Sound. Exxon is to be commended for
putting together, with Coast Guard and DOD
assistance, an effective communications system
in short order.
6. Public Information
o The Coast Guard did not initially foresee the
magnitude of the public and media interest in
this incident. Consequently, the small number
of public affairs personnel assigned were over-
whelmed. This adversely affected the OSC
organization and its ability to carry out opera-
tional responsibilities. Future spills must in-
clude prompt, aggressive public information
support, including both the means to control
misinformation and rumors and the means to
coordinate with all relevant agencies, in order
to assist the OSC and give the public a more ac-
curate picture of the response.
o A public information program is necessary to deal
specifically with the collection, cleaning, and
rehabilitation of injured wildlife.
•23
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V. THE EFFECTS
It still is much too early to know the full extent
of the environmental, economic, and health effects
of the oil that spilled from the Exxon Valdez into
the waters off Alaska's south-central coast. The
discussion below, which describes these effects,
should be regarded as preliminary.
A. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
1. Background
The severity of oil spill effects on the environ-
ment varies greatly, depending on the conditions of
the spill. The type and amount of oil involved, its
degree of weathering, geographic location, seasonal
timing, types of habitat affected, sensitivity of the
affected organism's life stage, and adequacy of the
response all influence the severity of environmental
effects (see Figure 14). Many of the conditions
present during the Exxon Valdez spill increased,
rather than diminished, the severity of its impacts
relative to other large spills. The spill occurred at
a high latitude in a semi-enclosed body of water at
the beginning of spring. The 10.1 million gallons of
oil spilled from the Exxon Valdez are known to
have oiled over 350 miles of shoreline in Prince
William Sound alone. The figure will increase as
other affected areas are surveyed.
FIGURE 14
Representation Of Oil Behavior In Prince William Sound
Stranding and Weathering
Water-in-Oil Emulsion
(mousse)*
Ingestion and Egestion by Animals
"Mousse is the name given to the thick emulsion of water and oil (50-60% water) caused by the wind and waves.
•24
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FIGURE 15
Environmentally Sensitive Areas
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
Knight
Island
Salmon Hatchery
Marine bird concentration area
Combined bird and otter area
Sea otter concentration area
Herring spawning area
In contrast, only 240 miles of coastline were
affected by the Amoco Cadiz oil spill in 1978. The
Amoco Cadiz released 68 million gallons of oil when
it broke up on the rocks in stormy seas off France's
Brittany coast. Most of the elements of Brittany's
temperate zone environment largely recovered
within three to eight years from the effects of the
oil spill and ensuing clean-up operations. The
habitats of the south-central Alaskan coast generally
are more vulnerable to spilled oil than those of more
temperate climates because the lower temperatures
and resulting slower rates of physical weathering
and biodegradation allow the oil to persist. This
persistence provides the potential for long-term
exposures and sub-lethal chronic effects, as well as
short-term exposures and acute effects. In addition,
the remoteness of the affected Alaskan area and the
physical features of its coastline make cleanup more
difficult than it was in Brittany. Great care must
be taken in the Exxon Valdez cleanup to minimize
harm to sensitive environments.
•25
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r
Prince William Sound, the site of the Exxon
Valdez spill, is one of the largest tidal estuarine
systems on the North American continent. In terms
of water surface alone, it is about as large as Chesa-
peake Bay. Its many islands, bays, and fjords give
it a shoreline totalling more than 2,000 miles, nearly
one-quarter of Chesapeake Bay's total shoreline.
Prince William Sound is within the boundaries of
the Chugach National Forest. The western half of
the sound, the area most affected by the oil spill, is
within the Nellie Juan-College Fjord Wilderness
study area. This area is highly sensitive environ-
mentally.
FIGURE 16
Leading Edge Of Oil Spill (through April 23)
Patches of oil or oil-and-water emulsion
(mousse) now have moved with the prevailing winds
and currents in a southwesterly direction more than
250 miles from the accident site on Bligh Reef (see
Figure 16). The oil has moved out of Prince Wil-
liam Sound into the Gulf of Alaska and along the
Kenai Peninsula and the Kenai Fjords National Park
to the islands of Lower Cook Inlet and the Kodiak
Archipelago. There is no evidence to date that large
quantities of oil have entered the water column or
sunk to the bottom in Prince William Sound.
Tanker aground
March 24, 1989
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
«
GULF OF ALASKA
•26
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Much of this entire area was largely pristine
until the Exxon Valdez incident. It is an area of
great natural beauty, and its rich natural resources
form the basis for major commercial fisheries for
pink and chum salmon and Pacific herring. There
are smaller fisheries for halibut, sablefish, king,
Tanner and Dungeness crabs, and shrimp. The
Chugach National Forest in Prince William Sound
and Kenai Fjords National Park are relatively
accessible by air and boat from Anchorage, the
major population center in Alaska, making the area
a favorite location for recreational users. The sound
is the major food source for the Alaskan Native
villages on its shore.
2. Effects On Birds And Marine Mammals
Immediate spill effects were most visible on
marine birds and sea otters. These effects are
becoming much less severe as the oil breaks up into
smaller patches and, finally, into weathered tar
balls.
The bird population of Prince William Sound
and the Kenai/Kodiak area is diverse and abundant.
The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) counted more
than 91,000 waterbirds (mostly diving ducks,
grebes, and loons) in the sound immediately after
the spill. About half of these birds were in or near
areas affected by floating oil. As .the spring migra-
tion gets underway, large numbers of waterfowl and
shorebirds that stop to feed in the Prince William
Sound area potentially could be exposed to the
spilled oil. Many of these birds may.be affected
either directly by oil or indirectly through the loss
of food sources.
As the oil moves along the Kenai Peninsula and
the Kodiak Archipelago,,it will continue to affect
shorebirds and waterfowl.. The severity of the
impact will depend on the amount of oil that reach-
. es these areas, its degree of weathering and emulsi-
fication, .and how long it persists near the seabird
colonies. Seabirds are just beginning to occupy
colonies for this year's breeding season. The success
of this breeding season also could be diminished
because of habitat loss, loss of food resources, and
mortality of chicks and eggs. Oil transferred from
the feathers of brooding birds is toxic to embryos
within the eggs. For the reasons discussed above
and because of the difficulty in recovering bodies,
the 4,463 dead birds collected do not represent the
full toll.
Twenty-three species of marine mammals live
in the sound and the Gulf of Alaska either year-
round or during the summer. These mammals
include gray, humpback, and killer whales, various
porpoises and dolphins, harbor seals, sea lions, and
sea otters. Of these animals, the sea otters are by
far the most sensitive and vulnerable to spilled oil.
Because they are dependent upon fur for insulation,
they die of hypothermia and stress when it comes in
contact with oil. -Fumes from the floating oil also
may have contributed to their deaths. As many as
2,500 of Prince William Sound's estimated pre-spill
population of 8,000 to 10,000 sea otters are in the
western portions of the sound where they may be
exposed to oil from the Exxon Valdez. The number
of dead, currently at 479, is not regarded as an
accurate measure of the spill's impact on sea otters
because of the difficulty in recovering their bodies.
No estimates of total mortality yet have been made.
Other sea otter populations potentially at risk as
the oil moves through the Gulf of Alaska off the
Kenai Peninsula and the Kodiak Archipelago are
the estimated 2,500 to 3,500 otters along the penin-
sula and the estimated 4,000 to 6,000 around Kodiak
and other nearby islands. No other marine mammal
(e.g., dolphin, seal, or whale) mortality yet has been
attributed to the oil spill, but harbor seals will start
pupping in May. There is concern that oil remain-
ing in harbor seal pupping areas could injure or kill
the pups. Priority is being given to cleanup of these
areas, but the work must proceed cautiously in order
to minimize stress on the pregnant females at this
critical time. Terrestrial animals, such as river
otters, mink, bald eagles, bear, and deer, that, utilize
intertidal areas, also may be affected through scav-
enging of oiled carcasses on the beaches or browsing
on oiled kelp. . . .
3. Effects On Fisheries
And Other Marine Resources
Oil can affeqt microscopic plants and animals
(phytoplankton and zooplankton) adversely.' The
latter include the floating eggs and larvae of fish
that form the base of the marine food chain. In the
open waters of the sound and gulf, this impact
probably will be short-liyed and local because of
the quick replacement of plankton by the §ame or-
ganisms from unaffected areas. For some species,
however, mortality'of planktoriic eggs and larvae
may be reflected in long-term population effects.
Intertidal animals such as barnacles and mussels,
which live in a highly variable and stressful en-
vironment, have little or no mobility. Oil in many
intertidal areas within Prince William Sound and
elsewhere will result in severe mortality among
these animals. Recovery of their populations may
take several years.
•27
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As the oil from the Exxon Valdez moves into
the deeply indented coast by means of tidal and
wind action, it will affect increasingly sensitive
environments. Higher-risk, lower-energy environ-
ments are located deeper in fjords and bays. In
high-energy environments, such as the headlands
along the Kenai Peninsula, wave action tends to
remove what oil is stranded rather quickly. In low-
energy environments, such as shallow bays and
marshes, oil may remain for years with only slow
chemical and biological processes to degrade it. The
stranded oil will serve as a reservoir for the chronic
input of oil into the subtidal sediments, where it
may affect bottom dwelling (benthic) organisms
over the long term. The potential exists for oil
released in the Exxon Valdez spill to persist in and
on parts of this coastline for many years.
Long-term effects to the area's rich biota may
result from food chain and habitat disruption as
well as from decreased survivability and reproduc-
tive capability of animals directly exposed to oil.
Determining these impacts will require study of the
species of concern throughout their life cycle or
longer. For example, pink salmon have the shortest
life cycle among the five different salmon found in
the area. These salmon return to spawn two years
after their eggs are laid. Prince William Sound
alone accounts for 50 percent of Alaska's total
commercial harvest of the species.
A series of state and private hatcheries, two of
which are the world's largest, support the pink
salmon fishery. Hatchery-raised fry normally are
released in early April and spend up to three months
feeding and growing in the shallow, near-shore
areas of the sound before migrating into the Gulf of
Alaska. The fate of this year's fry, estimated to
exceed 650 million, is a cause for concern. The fry
may be killed by hydrocarbons in their nursery
areas (they are sensitive to very low concentrations
in the water column). Their growth rate may be
slower this year due to stress from hydrocarbons or
a decrease in the amount of available food. Because
smaller fish are more susceptible to predation, fewer
adult fish may return in 1991.
Another economically significant long-term
effect could be the possible loss of this year's young
herring from the affected areas. Pacific herring are
second in importance only to salmon among the
fishery resources of the area. Their roe (eggs)
provide one of the state's most valuable fish prod-
ucts per unit of weight. The herring and roe fishery
in Prince William Sound has been closed this year,
and restrictions have been placed on the herring
fishery off Kodiak because of the spill. Herring are
spring (April-May) intertidal and subtidal spawners.
They do not spawn until they are at least three years
old and return each year thereafter during their life
span to spawn in their natal areas.
Herring eggs can cover many miles of the
intertidal zone. They are both vulnerable and
sensitive to oil. The eggs may be smothered and die
outright, or oil may cause developmental abnor-
malities in the growing embryos. The persistence of
stranded oil in herring spawning areas may affect
not just the 1989-year class but also subsequent-
year classes. This impact can be determined best
by examining the spawning adults at areas of impact
in 1992, 1993, and 1994 for the percentage of the
population recruited from spawn in 1989 through
1991.
4. Federal And State Action
To Address Environmental Impact
Section 311(f) of the Clean Water Act (CWA)
authorizes the President and state officials to act on
behalf of the public as Trustees for natural re-
sources seeking recovery from Exxon for the costs
of restoring, rehabilitating, or acquiring the
equivalent of the injured resources. The State of
Alaska and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture,
Commerce, and the Interior have primary trust
resources affected by the spill.
Representatives of the Trustee agencies are
working together in Alaska to develop a plan for
assessing the short- and long-term effects of the
spill on their Trust resources, the extent of the
injury, the resulting economic damages, and the
probable cost of restoration. This plan is scheduled
tentatively for completion in early June.
Exxon has agreed to make up to $15 million
available initially to the Trustees to fund these
damage assessments, but Trustees believe that addi-
tional funding will be needed. Because some of the
potentially affected resources, such as salmon, have
two- to seven-year life cycles, estimating the extent
of their injury will require long-term studies. It
may be difficult therefore to assess fully all injuries
and economic damages for a number of years.
Where necessary and possible, restoration will
require even more time.
•28-
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The need for information about the environ-
mental aspects of the Exxon Valdez spill extends
beyond what will be learned as a result of assessing
injury and economic damages to natural resources.
The President has asked Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) Administrator William Reilly to
coordinate the long-range planning to restore the
environment of the sound. The expertise of leading
governmental and private scientists and oil spill
experts will be used in this work. To the extent
feasible, existing coordinating groups such as the
National Ocean Pollution Policy Board, an inter-
agency group established by Congress for the
coordination of marine pollution research develop-
ment and monitoring, will be included. Other
existing federal scientific advisory and coordinating
bodies will participate if possible.
5. Early Lessons Learned/
Recommendations
o The Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and
the Interior, as federal Trustees for the affected
natural resources, should work closely with the
state trustee agency, the Alaska Department of
Fish and Game, to plan and implement natural
resource damage assessments as quickly as pos-
sible. In doing so, they should coordinate their
activities with response authorities to avoid
interfering with the cleanup.
o The Trustees, together with EPA, should work in
coordination with the parties assessing long-
term environmental effects to avoid duplication
and develop the best possible scientific basis for
restoration of Prince William Sound and other
affected areas.
o Where applicable, results of past studies should be
used. New research should be used to confirm
earlier preliminary findings or to fill gaps.
o In future spills, damage assessment and restoration
should begin immediately and funding options
should be identified quickly.
o To facilitate response to future incidents, federal
Trustee agencies should develop an automatic
mechanism to resolve in advance such issues as
identification of lead Trustee, management of
assessment funding, delineation of restoration
responsibilities, and the allocation of restored
funds recovered from joint claims.
o Federal agency damage assessment capabilities
should be strengthened so that a small cadre of
trained and experienced personnel will be able
to go immediately to the scene of major spills in
the future.
o States that have not yet done so should be en-
couraged to designate Trustee agencies as pro-
vided under §107(f)(2)(B) of the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act, and §311(f)(S) of the CWA.
o Wildlife rescue efforts need to be implemented
immediately after a spill is reported. In addi-
tion, research procedures should be established
quickly to allow data collection required to
develop improved rescue efforts in the future.
B. ENERGY EFFECTS
1. Importance Of Alaska North Slope Oil
Alaskan North Slope (ANS) crude oil is produc-
ed in the Prudhoe Bay area of Alaska in the nor-
thern part of the state. During 1988, ANS crude oil
production made up about one-quarter of U.S.
crude production and about 12 percent of U.S.
petroleum consumption. Approximately two million
barrels of ANS oil per day is transported by a 48-
inch pipeline 800 miles to the Port of Valdez.
All ANS crude oil remains within the United
States and U.S. territories. During 1988, about
70 percent of ANS crude oil was transported to the
west coast, and slightly over 15 percent was trans-
ported to the Gulf coast. The remainder went to
the east coast, the midwest, and the U.S. territories.
2. Market Impact Analysis
The Department of Energy (DOE) intensified its
monitoring of available energy supplies and fuel
prices immediately after the Exxon Valdez spill
interrupted Alaskan crude oil shipments. In the
three weeks following the spill, gasoline prices rose,
but this increase was only temporary. Los Angeles
spot gasoline prices rose by 50 cents to $1.18 per
gallon at their peak on March 31. Nationally, un-
leaded regular gasoline prices increased, on average,
about 10 cents per gallon at both wholesale and
retail levels. Complete data for a thorough analysis
of market responses to this event are not yet avail-
able. Nonetheless, some observations and prelimi-
nary conclusions can be made.
•29
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Over the 13-day period before the Exxon Val-
dez was refloated, the reduction of Alaskan crude
oil production was approximately 13 million barrels
(see Figure 17, which shows pipeline throughput
quantities that are roughly equivalent to production
quantities). This amount is small by national stand-
ards. It represents the equivalent of about 17 hours
of total national petroleum consumption and less
than two percent of total annual production from
the ANS which eventually leaves the Port of Valdez.
Approximately 10 million of these 13 million bar-
rels, however, had been destined for west coast
refiners, and that region suffered a temporary,
disproportionate increase in retail gasoline prices.
The interruption of Alaskan crude oil also may have
contributed to price increases by creating serious
concern regarding future supply curtailments in
product oil markets.
RGURE 17
Alaskan OH Pipeline Throughput
Millions of Gallons Per Day
100
Expected First Quarter Average
24' 25" 2P 2r 28
March
Source: U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Information Administration, 1989.
• No tanker transport on these days.
In the two weeks following the spill, crude oil
from other producing regions offset west coast
crude oil losses by drawdown of refinery crude oil
stocks, by drawdown of product stocks, and by
product imports. Three weeks after the spill, other
crude supplies and crude oil accumulated at the
Valdez terminal nearly had compensated for the
earlier supply loss. The temporary reduction in
production should have no lasting or permanent
effect on gasoline prices.
Observed west coast retail gasoline price in-
creases, which began in February long before the
spill, can be attributed to several causes. Crude oil
prices (West Texas Intermediate) rose from a two-
year low of $12.58 per barrel in early October of
1988 to slightly above $20 by the day before the
Exxon Valdez incident. This price increase of $7.50
per barrel translates into an equivalent increase in
product prices of 18 cents per gallon.
Both average U.S. wholesale and retail prices of
gasoline, however, lagged behind the crude oil price
increase by about four months. Wholesale price
increases due to the crude oil increase had begun to
rise before the Exxon Valdez incident. Yet average
U.S. gasoline retail prices for the nation as a whole
had remained essentially unchanged over the period
from early October 1988 to mid-March of 1989.
Other factors also may have contributed to the rise
in west coast gasoline prices since February. These
factors include: strong seasonal gasoline demand,
lower refinery gasoline inventories due to routine
seasonal refinery maintenance, and new gasoline
specifications that reduce vapor emissions but
increase refining costs.
Fortunately, shortages have not occurred. Prices
in California have fallen from their reported peaks.
In the week ending April 17, Los Angeles spot
gasoline prices fell from $1.18 per gallon to $0.79
per gallon. Market forces have operated to provide
California markets with energy following the brief
interruption of Alaskan crude oil.
3. Early Lessons Learned/
Recommendations
o A variety of factors contributed to product price
increases observed following the Exxon Valdez
spill. Among these factors may have been
concerns regarding future supply curtailments in
product markets. Overall, however, market
forces appeared to have operated efficiently to
meet energy demands.
o Despite the tanker transportation safety record out
of Valdez, an incident like the Exxon Valdez
accident can crystallize public opinion against
the petroleum industry almost instantaneously.
o Conflicts need to be resolved on issues such as the
use of dispersants, the risk of fire, and the state
of readiness.
o Workable oil spill contingency plans and suffi-
ciently trained response personnel, along with
policies and practices to police the industry
workforce, must be in place. Industry must
operate at all times with a clear recognition of
the importance of environmental safeguards and
adequate responsiveness. Most important,
environmental protection should not be just
another regulatory burden, but the watchword
of every aspect of operations.
•30
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C. EFFECTS ON THE ALASKAN ECONOMY
The natural resources of the areas affected by
the Exxon Valdez spill are important to Alaska's
local and statewide economy. While it is too early
to know the full extent of the economic conse-
quences of the spill, the local and state economies
are likely to suffer economic losses in the following
categories.
1. Commercial Fisheries
Prince William Sound possesses rich commercial
fisheries for Pacific herring and salmon, along with
smaller halibut, sablefish, crab, and shrimp fisher-
ies. These fisheries are used on a permit basis by
commercial fishermen from as far away as Anchor-
age and Seattle. The Alaskan fishing ports nearest
the sound are Cordova, Seward, Homer, and
Kodiak. Cordova, probably the most affected of
the fishing ports, is the third largest in Alaska and
the ninth largest in the United States in terms of the
dollar value of commercial fishery landings.
Kodiak is the largest Alaskan fishing port and the
second largest in the United States.
Together, these two ports had commercial
fishery landings of all species valued at $174 million
in 1987. This catch represented over 18 percent of
the total for Alaska and nearly six percent for the
United States in that year. An estimated one-third
of Alaska's nearly 12,000 full- or part-time fisher-
men in 1987 worked in the area now affected by
the spill.
Prince William Sound's herring and herring roe
fishery (valued at $14 million in 1988) usually opens
in early April. Out of concern for additional harm
to the stocks and possible contamination of the
product, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game
closed the herring fishery after the spill and recent-
ly restricted part of the herring fishery off Kodiak.
It is unknown at this time whether or not the $33-
million pink salmon fishery in the sound, which
reaches its peak in July and August, will be closed
or restricted for similar reasons.
Closings or restrictions will harm not only
fishermen but also the area's important fish process-
ing industry. This industry employs an estimated
3,000 to 4,000 people annually. The State of
Alaska, with technical assistance from the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA), is taking precautions
to assure that oil-tainted fish products do not reach
the market. The state is assigning 40 extra inspec-
tors to the processing plants serving the affected
area and will continue to close fisheries, if neces-
sary, to protect the public (see Section D below).
If, despite these measures, consumers avoid Alaskan
fish products, the national prices for those products
may be depressed temporarily.
With the spill still spreading, the full economic
impact on commercial fishermen is unknown. The
immediate economic losses of many local fishermen
are being mitigated by their employment in Exxon's
clean-up efforts. Fishermen in the affected area
remain deeply concerned not only about their long-
term economic prospects, but also about possible
changes in their way of life.
2. Recreation
Recreation and tourism have been increasing
rapidly in Prince William Sound over the last 10
years. In the late 1970's, cruise ships did not visit
the sound, but, by 1987, ship visits had reached 88
per season. In the same year, an estimated 1.8
million people visited Prince William Sound for
recreation purposes. Much of the recreation and
tourism in Prince William Sound and the Kenai
Fjords National Park is related to the outstanding
scenic beauty of the area and its pristine wilderness
character. The Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act (ANILCA) created a 2.3-million
acre wilderness study area in Prince William Sound.
The oil spill can be expected to affect tourism
and recreation in the affected region of Alaska at
least through the approaching summer season. The
tourist industry already is reporting higher than
normal cancellations on bookings for this summer.
The magnitude and duration of these adverse
consequences will depend in part on the speed and
effectiveness of the cleanup and in part on the
public's perception of its effectiveness in restoring
the wildlife and scenic areas to their pre-spill
condition. The spill is not expected to have a major
detrimental impact on travel and tourism in the rest
of Alaska.
•31
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3. Native Villages
Native villages such as Tatitlek and Chenega on
the shores of Prince William Sound depend on the
animals, birds, fish, and plants of the sound and
surrounding lands for their food. The existence of
their traditional culture depends on the continuation
of this subsistence economy. Losses or reductions
in the availability of wild food sources cannot be
measured adequately in dollars. Although the
Natives are gaining some employment opportunities
from Exxon's clean-up efforts, they remain deeply
concerned about the long-term effects of the spill
on their subsistence culture. There also is concern
that beached oil and its cleanup may either destroy
cultural resources or affect the ability of
archaeologists to carbon date early sites. No single
mechanism is in place at this time through which
Alaska Natives can provide inputs on their par-
ticular concerns, or receive assistance for their
claims and subsistence needs.
4. Timber
Neither the oil spill nor its cleanup is expected
to affect timber harvesting on national forest lands
around Prince William Sound and on the Kenai
Peninsula, and economic losses are unlikely. Some
delay, however, in harvesting on Native Corporation
and national forest lands on Montague Island may
result from the spill. The U.S. Forest Service has
had to extend the review period for the draft En-
vironmental Impacts Statement because of oil spill
response activities.
5. Early Lessons Learned/
Recommendations
o The Department of the Interior, working with the
State of Alaska and local Native leadership,
should assist individual Alaska Natives and
Native organizations in providing input into
clean-up planning and filing claims for econo-
mic losses. This assistance should include the
emergency provision of subsistence needs wher-
ever required as a direct result of the spill.
o There is no existing legislation that allows im-
mediate aid to the local population affected by
the spill. In this incident, Exxon mitigated some
of the economic losses to fishermen, Alaskan
Natives, and other Alaskans through employ-
ment in the clean-up effort. Had there not been
a responsible party who willingly assumed this
financial burden, there would have been no
immediate financial relief available to the
affected population.
D. HEALTH EFFECTS
Potential human health impacts from the Exxon
Valdez oil spill include those associated with ex-
posure to contaminants either directly or through
the food chain; stress associated with loss of lifestyle
and possible economic impacts; and hazards workers
may encounter during clean-up operations.
1. Food Safety
It is important to keep dead fish and mammals
out of the food chain and allow harvesting of sea-
food only when its safety has been assured. Cur-
rently, organoleptic (sensory) testing is being used
to determine whether fish and shellfish should be
consumed. This testing method can be used to
determine freshness and presence of volatile oil
components. The FDA is now training state sani-
tarians in organoleptic techniques.
To ensure food safety properly over the long
term, however, a system involving both organoleptic
and chemical analytic testing needs to be developed.
FDA and other agencies and experts are obtaining
information on the characteristics of crude oil,
accumulation and dissipation of oil components in
fish and shellfish, analytical methodology, organo-
leptic detection in fish and shellfish, and toxicity
data relative to long-term consumption of oil com-
ponents. Information developed from these sources
will be evaluated, particularly in terms of the type
of food safety program needed.
2. Mental Health
With the assistance of a contracted disaster
psychologist, the State of Alaska is now assessing
the nature and extent of mental health problems
resulting from the spill among emergency workers,
fishermen, and others and present capabilities to
address these problems. The state plans to enhance
the service capabilities of its system based on this
assessment. The state will seek payment from
Exxon for short-term supplemental assistance to the
mental health system. U.S. Health and Human
Services agencies such as the Alcohol, Drug Abuse,
and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA) are
prepared to offer technical and other support.
•32
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3. Occupational Health And Safety
Since the spill, Exxon has employed boat owners
to assist in skimming and booming operations.
Exxon estimates the company will hire between
2,000 and 5,000 people to clean up oil-covered
shoreline. This cleanup is expected to continue
through the summer. The potential for worker
injury and other problems exists.
Workers have expressed concern to both state
and federal authorities about safety and health risks
in performing clean-up operations. These risks
include: inhalation exposure to volatile, and dermal
exposure to non-volatile, components of crude oil;
exposure to chemical dispersants; stress from long
hours; possible physical injury and hypothermia;
and lack of available information about the health
effects of materials being used.
Regulations that address these concerns are in
place. Alaska's Department of Labor is providing
advice to Exxon on personal protective equipment
and required training in hazard recognition and
prevention. The state also has established a field
headquarters in Valdez to improve communications
and monitor events. In accordance with the regula-
tions, a field headquarters for the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been
established in Valdez, and Exxon has set up a
training program for the clean-up crews. The
program covers areas such as proper clothing,
hazard recognition, and first aid and injury proto-
cols.
4. Early Lessons Learned/
Recommendations
Short—term
o FDA and the State of Alaska should undertake
biological monitoring of potentially affected fish
and mammals in the spill area on a continuing
basis. Strict guidelines for reporting and com-
paring analytic data should be determined in
collaboration with the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Sub-
stances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). All
relevant information should be disseminated
centrally within the State of Alaska.
o The mental health system should be monitored
continually by the State of Alaska, supported by
ADAMHA, to ensure its adequacy to meet the
mental health needs of the population.
o Worker training, appropriate protective equip-
ment, and occupational safety and health sur-
veillance should continue to be emphasized by
Exxon and coordinated with OSHA, organized
labor, the Alaska State Department of Health,
and the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health.
o The State of Alaska's Health Department has
relayed concerns from workers and the com-
munity regarding long-term effects of exposure
to oil chemicals and clean-up chemicals, and
long-term effects of consuming food possibly
contaminated by these chemicals. The U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services
(primarily through ATSDR, CDC, and FDA)
should continue to provide any needed technical
assistance to the state to assess the long-term
health effects of exposure to the spill of crude
oil, its degradation products, and dispersants
used in the clean—up effort.
•33
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VI. LIABILITY AND COMPENSATION
A. DESCRIPTION OF COMPENSATION
AND LIABILITY PROVISIONS
Exxon's exposure to liability for the grounding
of the Exxon Valdez stems from the Clean Water
Act (CWA), the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authoriza-
tion Act (TAPAA), general maritime law, and
Alaska state law.
Although aspects of both §311 of the CWA and
TAPAA apply to the Exxon Valdez spill, it is
unclear to what extent they may both be applicable
or how they will interrelate. As indicated, state and
general maritime tort laws also apply, but the legal
complexities of the incident ultimately may require
resolution in the courts.
Under the CWA, an owner of a vessel is liable
for both clean-up costs that may be incurred by the
federal government and for damage to natural
resources under the trusteeship of the federal and
state governments. Absent a successful defense,
Exxon has approximately a $14.3 million liability
cap. If "willful negligence or willful misconduct"
can be proven, however, Exxon's liability under the
CWA is unlimited. Without proof of willful negli-
gence or misconduct, §311(f)(l) of the CWA limits
Exxon's liability to $150 per gross ton of the vessel
($14.3 million). Each natural resource damage claim
is prepared by the Trustees: the Department of the
Interior, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) of the Department of
Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, and the
State of Alaska.
Section 311(k) of the CWA authorizes creation
of a revolving fund to finance, among other things,
the removal of oil and hazardous substances spilled
from vessels. The §31 l(k) Fund has been used since
the first day of the spill. It has not been used to
finance federal removal costs; rather, it has served
as authorized by the CWA to facilitate Exxon's use
of federal resources. As of April 14, $13 million
had been spent or obligated from this fund in
connection with the use of those resources.
Through that date, Exxon had reimbursed the
§311(k) Fund a total of nearly $10 million.
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline Liability Fund (the
TAP Fund) is available to pay damage claims
resulting from spills of oil that has been transported
through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and loaded on a
vessel to be carried to another U.S. port. The TAP
Fund was created as part of the statute in which
Congress authorized the construction and operation
of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline in 1974. Money
charged on each barrel of pipeline oil loaded on a
vessel financed the fund. The amount of money
currently in the fund is approximately $250 million.
Under the statute and the regulations promul-
gated by the Secretary of the Interior to govern the
TAP Fund's administration, the owner and operator
of the vessel from which the oil is spilled are each
strictly liable for the first $14 million in damages
resulting from the oil spill. Owners and operators
of vessels are required to furnish proof of their
financial responsibility for this liability. Owners
must present the proof before their tankers may be
loaded with North Slope crude oil at the pipeline's
terminal in Valdez.
Accordingly, under the statute and regulations
Exxon is liable for the first $14 million in claims.
Once that amount is paid, the industry-supported
TAP Fund provides an additional $86 million for
claims. The TAP Fund has the right to recover
money it has paid on claims if it can be shown that
Exxon was negligent or that the Exxon Valdez was
unseaworthy. Under those circumstances, Exxon's
total liability under the TAP Fund could reach $ 100
million. TAPAA specifically does not preclude
recovery under state or other federal law.
TAPAA covers all damages, including either
public or private clean-up costs sustained by any
person or entity. It also covers claims by Canadian
residents. If total claims exceed $100 million, each
claim for TAPAA funds is reduced proportionately.
In such a case, the TAP Fund considers claims after
the response is completed and total claims are
known. The TAP Fund is not designed to support
ongoing response actions.
When spills of oil from tankers carrying North
Slope crude oil occur, the owner and operator
designate a single contact person who coordinates
with the TAP Fund the resolution of claims arising
from the spill. For spills exceeding a projected $14
million in damages, the TAP Fund advertises avail-
ability of the Fund and the person to whom claims
should be directed.
Exxon has designated a contact person to coor-
dinate actions with the TAP Fund and is processing
claims. The TAP Fund will publish an advertise-
ment in the very near future specifying that claims
should be presented to Exxon. The advertisement
will set forth addresses and telephone numbers for
presentation of claims.
•34
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The §311(k) Fund had only $6.7 million avail-
able when the spill occurred. The fund has an
authorized ceiling of $35 million, but its highest
end-of-year balance was $24.8 million in 1985.
Since fiscal year 1986, the balance has been less
than $12 million. In part, this situation was due to
the anticipated passage of proposed, comprehensive
oil spill legislation.
There is no corresponding fund to finance
natural resource damage assessments. Money for
natural resource damage assessments can be placed
in the §31 l(k) Fund by the discharger for the use of
Trustees. Initially, the natural resource Trustees
funded a preliminary assessment by diverting funds
from other programs. The federal and state natural
resource trustees, working in conjunction with the
Department of Justice, approached Exxon and were
able to obtain a $15 million commitment for initial
funds to begin natural resource damage assessments.
If Exxon had not voluntarily assumed financial
and clean-up responsibility for the spill, the §31 l(k)
Fund probably would have been rapidly expended.
Furthermore, there might not have been adequate
money available for resource damage assessment
and restoration. Legislation under consideration
would create a new fee-based fund with a sig-
nificantly higher balance than in the §311(k) Fund
and liability regime. This new fund would be
available not only for cleanup, but also for resource
damage assessment and third party damage recovery.
B. EARLY LESSONS LEARNED/
RECOMMENDATIONS
o Congress should enact comprehensive oil spill
liability and compensation provisions along the
lines of the legislation proposed by the Admini-
stration. It should include implementation of:
(1) the 1984 Protocols to the International
Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution
Damage, 1969 and (2) the International Conven-
tion on the Establishment of an International
Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Dam-
age, 1971. Enactment of such legislation would
make available means in all cases to address
adequately oil tanker spills that could extensive-
ly damage our coast.
o The relationship between liability requirements
under the Clean Water Act and other statutes is
undefined and could result in costly and exten-
sive litigation. Both total liability and necessary
compensation in the case of the Exxon Valdez
spill remain undetermined. Cleanup, natural
resource restoration, and third-party damages
will be enormous. Had Exxon not made vast
sums of money available rather quickly, or had
the discharger been unreachable, foreign, or less
solvent, the patchwork of existing federal and
state law applicable to a pollution incident of
this magnitude would have been inadequate.
o Laws and regulations on handling the §311(k)
Fund need to be analyzed. Money to finance
natural resource damage assessments currently
is being placed in the pollution fund by Exxon
to be disbursed to natural resource Trustees.
The Coast Guard is responsible for receiving
and disbursing that money to the Trustees. The
responsibility of the Coast Guard, vis-a-vis the
Trustees, however, is undefined and requires
further review.
o The Clean Water Act needs analysis in relation to
other existing law to determine whether other
issues associated with major marine disasters
resulting in large spills are addressed adequately.
In particular, the need for additional criminal
sanctions, civil penalties, and judicial and
administrative order authority should be ex-
amined.
•35
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VII. GENERAL LESSONS LEARNED/RECOMMENDATIONS
The Exxon Valdez oil spill severely tested this
country's existing oil spill preparedness and response
capabilities. It revealed shortcomings that require
immediate attention. While definitive conclusions
about many aspects of the incident remain prema-
ture, a number of important lessons and recommen-
dations have emerged in the course of developing
this report. Significant actions to prevent or miti-
gate the impacts of similar tragedies already are
underway. Certain steps that warrant careful
attention in the near future can be identified.
Steps that Already Have Been Initiated
o Several investigations, independent of this NRT
report, are underway to investigate the cause of
the spill. The National Transportation Safety
Board, Coast Guard, State of Alaska, and other
authorities concurrently are looking into dif-
ferent aspects of the spill. These investigations
will create a more complete picture of its causes
and suggest strategies for strengthening preven-
tion.
o The President has asked the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency Administrator to coordinate
long-range planning to restore the environment
of Prince William Sound. The Administrator is
establishing a task force to this end. This task
force will bring together the expertise of leading
government and private scientists and the
interest of the public in an advisory capacity.
This work will yield important information
particular to Prince William Sound and will
advance our general state of knowledge con-
cerning both the long-range environmental
impacts of oil spills and ways of ameliorating
their impacts.
o Comprehensive oil spill liability and compensation
legislation is pending. Such legislation is a
necessary prerequisite to ratifying the 1984
Protocols to the 1969 Civil Liability and 1971
Fund Conventions. These steps will address a
number of troubling questions about the extent
of corporate liability for oil spillers world-wide.
o A number of federal agencies are coordinating
closely with the State of Alaska to undertake
natural resource damage assessments to learn
about the short- and long-term environmental
effects of the spill, resulting economic damages,
and the probable cost of recovery. These stud-
ies will pave the way for further steps to reduce
adverse environmental and economic effects.
o Under the leadership of the Coast Guard, the
National Response Team (NRT) is conducting a
six-month study of contingency planning.
Preparedness must be improved. The study will
examine the use of worst-case scenarios to
ensure realistic planning and the need for
thorough testing of plans with exercises. The
study will address questions associated with the
adequacy of equipment and personnel for an
effective response, and the importance of well-
defined organizational responsibilities.
o A panel of scientists has been established to
review the feasibility of using bioremediation
techniques to clean up oil spills and to design
demonstration projects to evaluate these tech-
niques for use after oil spills.
Long—term Goals
o Improved response coordination between federal,
state, and local authorities can facilitate rapid
clean-up actions. Complications associated with
the Exxon Valdez oil spill response highlight
the importance of smooth coordination. A
better way of incorporating the concerns of
states into the National Response System (NRS)
should be developed. The NRT also will under-
take a program to improve understanding of the
National Response System among top local,
state, and federal officials. Improved under-
standing is an essential basis for smooth coor-
dination.
o The NRT must initiate a study of ways to improve
the National Contingency Plan (NCP). The NCP
has been effective in minimizing environmental
and health impacts from accidents for over 18
years, but changes that ensure the optimum re-
sponse structure for releases or spills of national
significance require study.
•36
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o Attention should be paid to Native Alaskans
whose livelihoods have been affected by the
spill and whose cultural practices may have been
threatened. Short-term and long-term steps to
mitigate economic and mental health impacts
may be required. The Department of Interior,
working with the State of Alaska and local
Native leadership, will work together to provide
assistance.
o Steps must be taken to improve overall planning
for, and care of, wildlife affected by oil spills.
Contingency planning should be expanded to
prepare properly for wildlife impacts. Signifi-
cant actions to prevent or mitigate similar
tragedies already are underway.
o The Exxon Valdez incident emphasized the need
for greatly improved public and private research
and development capabilities. Current response
equipment is still inadequate in less than ideal
conditions. Better mechanical, chemical, and
biological strategies for cleanup are needed.
The incident revealed how little we know about
cold-water oil spill responses. The oil spill
showed the need to develop beach-cleaning
techniques that are more effective and less
labor-intensive.
o Possibilities to strengthen existing international
ties should be explored. Working through
federal agencies involved in established organi-
zations, agreements addressing available equip-
ment and personnel for spills of this magnitude
should be pursued. Better coordination of joint
efforts to transport and stage equipment from
other countries would enhance response capabil-
ities. Joint research and development and
information sharing agreements between nations
also warrant consideration.
•37
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APPENDIX A. CHRONOLOGY
(Derived from U.S. Coast Guard Pollution Reports. All times are local.
Hours of daylight are roughly from 0600 to 2200.)
MARCH 24, 1989 (FIRST DAY)
0028 Marine Safety Office (MSO) Valdez receives notification from Exxon Valdez
reporting that the vessel was hard aground on Bligh Reef. The vessel was
loaded with 1,264,155 barrels (53,094,510 gallons) of North Slope crude oil.
While maneuvering to avoid glacial ice, the vessel left the tanker lanes and
struck bottom on a 30-foot charted shoal on Bligh Reef. The vessel's draft
fore and aft was 56 feet. Approximately 510,000 gallons of crude oil released.
Initial assessment of pollution extent and shoreline impact could not be made
with any degree of accuracy due to darkness.
0030 Captain of the Port (COTP) at MSO Valdez closes Port of Valdez to all traffic.
The tug Stalwart is dispatched from Alyeska Marine Terminal to assist Exxon
Valdez.
0100 Pilot boat is made available to transport Coast Guard (CG) and Alaska
Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) pollution personnel to
the scene.
0105 Alaska RRT Chairman for this incident is notified.
0148 MSO Valdez contacts Air Station Kodiak requesting helicopter overflight at
first light.
0206 Attempt to refloat Exxon Valdez at high tide unsuccessful.
0227 Motor vessel (M/V) Shelikoff reports oil slick to half mile south of Exxon
Valdez.
0249 Pacific Area (PACAREA) Strike Team assistance requested.
0323 CG personnel now aboard Exxon Valdez. Tanks gauged: about 138,000
barrels (5.8 million gallons) lost from wing tanks 1, 3, 5 starboard, starboard
slop tanks, and number 5 center tanks.
0330 Initial response efforts at the Port of Valdez under Alyeska's control are
hampered by equipment casualties and holiday personnel shortages. As
response personnel arrive at the Alyeska Terminal, however, Alyeska is unable
to comply with the response timeliness provision in its own contingency plan
that calls for initial response at the vessel within five hours of first
notification.
Alyeska's only containment barge is tied up at Valdez Terminal, stripped
for repairs. Barge was not certified by the CG to receive oil, but it could
carry recovery bladders. Alaska's state contingency plan requires Alyeska to
notify the state when response equipment is taken out of service. Satisfied the
barge was seaworthy without repairs, Alyeska had not done so.
Before barge could be used, pollution gear had to be loaded. Crane
riggers called at 0330. By this time, CG estimates 5.8 million gallons already
discharged from the tanks.
1 Appendices-1
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0400 Stability of Exxon Valdez is CG's highest priority. The biggest concern is
that the vessel might capsize and break up, spilling the entire 53 million
gallons of oil. Word is passed to Alyeska to assemble oil transfer (lightering)
equipment (six-inch hoses and fenders to transfer oil from Exxon Valdez to
recovery vessels, bladders or other containers).
0414 Tank vessel (T/V) Exxon Baton Rouge contacted and is enroute to initiate oil
transfer operations.
0500 CG small boat dispatched to survey the area.
0727 Alyeska Marine Terminal security helicopter aloft for overflight with CG
investigator aboard. Analysis of videotape taken by the investigator showed
the slick to be 1,000 feet wide by four miles long. Sheen extends in a
southerly direction with minimal contact with shoreline.
1115
1140
1145
1200
1230
1310
1510
1645
1700
1800
1820
2010
2030
2154
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposes temporary flight
restriction around Exxon Valdez. Rate of discharge from Exxon Valdez is
slowing. Exxon Baton Rouge arrives at location of grounding and begins to
rig fenders for coming alongside to begin oil transfer operation
H-3 helicopter overflight observes extremely heavy oil 20 to 30 feet from the
side of the vessel. Calm sea is slowing the movement of the oil. ;
COTP imposes 500-yard safety zone around grounded vessel. Notice to
Mariners broadcast begins.
Regional Response Team (RRT) teleconference commences.
includes use of dispersants and in-situ burning.
Discussion
Alyeska barge arrives at Bligh Reef, seven hours after the five-hour initial
response time required by Alyeska's contingency plan. Oil slick is already
1,000 feet wide and four to five miles long. The barge arrives with two
skimmers in tow, two 1,000-gallon bladders, and 8,000 feet of containment
boom for a spill of 10 million gallons. The two on-scene skimmers begin
recovering oil near the Exxon Valdez.
MSO Valdez estimates quantity released is now 250,000 barrels (10.5 million
gallons).
On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) grants permission for dispersant test on leading
edge of sheen.
CG 32323 underway with State of Alaska Governor Cowper and assistants on-
board.
CG 32323 drops off Governor Cowper and assistants. They board Exxon
Valdez.
Dispersant trial application is conducted with less than satisfactory results,
due to lack of mixing energy. Use of dispersants is deemed inappropriate at
this time.
PACAREA Strike Team members arrive in Cordova, Alaska.
Exxon Baton Rouge alongside Exxon Valdez, port-to-port.
Contract divers arrive on scene.
Exxon Baton Rouge made fast alongside Exxon Valdez.
Appendices-2
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2215 First oil transfer hose connected.
2338 Second oil transfer hose connected between the two vessels.
MARCH 25, 1989 (SECOND DAY)
0015 Tug Jeffrey Foss on scene with 30,000-barrel tank barge to receive recovered
oil.
0736 Oil transfer operations begin, with cargo transferred to Exxon Baton Rouge.
0745 OSC reports that loss of additional oil has ceased.
0750 Commercial divers complete underwater hull survey showing holes in 11 tanks.
Exxon Valdez had been grounded from the number two tank aft to the
number four tank. The vessel's designer advises CG that ship is not floatable
and that a major salvage operation will be required. Meanwhile, oil transfer
to the Exxon Baton Rouge continues at a rate of 10,000 to 12,000 gallons per
hour. Water replaces cargo to maintain ballast.
0830 Alyeska pipeline representative advises that pipeline flow has been slowed to
768,000 barrels per day. At this rate, Alyeska has seven days of storage
capacity.
0833 USCGC Rush is ordered to put CG personnel aboard T/V Oriental Crane and
to proceed with all haste to Exxon Valdez site and establish a command and
control platform. USCGC Sedge is ordered to Prince William Sound to assist
OSC.
0845 Oil transfer operations suspended as on-scene crews reevaluate the situation.
0930 Ms. Alice Berkner of International Bird Rescue and Research Center arrives
in Valdez to set up facilities for treating oiled animals.
0945 On—Scene RRT agency representatives hold a meeting at MSO Valdez with
teleconference following at 1110. Dispersant trial application planned utilizing
C-130 cargo aircraft. Exxon Shipping Company assumes management of spill
and financial responsibility.
1100 Exxon Valdez surrounded by containment boom. USCGC Rush on scene to
assume air traffic control functions.
1145 CG Commander of the Pacific Area (PACAREA) requests AIREYE
surveillance from the Atlantic Area Commander.
1200 Second hull survey conducted with video cameras by dive team.
1230 Some oil released as transfer operations begin again. Oil transfer had been
delayed due to piping damage.
1330 FAA in Anchorage is mobilizing air traffic control team to set up temporary
control tower (seven personnel) at Valdez Airport.
1900 RADM Nelson, Commander Seventeenth CG District, arrives on scene.
1930 Clean-up crews report 1,200 barrels of oil recovered.
2000 Dispersant trial application conducted by C-130 with inconclusive results.
Another test to be conducted on March 26 under optimal light conditions
1 Appendices-3
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2010 Exxon Valdez had transferred 11,000 barrels of oil to Exxon Baton Rouge
before suspending oil transfer operations. Second test of ships cargo transfer
system will be conducted on the morning of March 26.
2015 Exxon completes initial mapping of the area to determine the extent of the
oil spread and impact. Bird rescue operation instituted by Exxon.
2045 Burn test conducted near Goose Island with approximately 100 square feet of
tar left as a residue. An estimated 15,000 gallons of oil were consumed.
MARCH 26, 1989 (THIRD DAY)
0530 CG Strike Team members join responders on Exxon Valdez. Earlier they had
staged an Open Water Oil Containment and Recovery System (OWOCRS) for
loading onboard USCGC Sedge.
0900 Exxon has assigned over 100 people including Exxon, Alyeska, and contract
personnel to clean-up operation. Another 200 people are on standby.
0643 CG reports shipment of one MARCO skimmer from Elmendorf Air Force
Base, Alaska. Twenty people transported to Bligh Island to survey beach
cleanup and bird and wildlife impact. 75 oiled birds reported sighted by
Department of the Interior (DOI) personnel. Birds include White Wing
Scoters, Old Squaw, and Golden Eye ducks. Most oiled birds sighted on west
side of Bligh Island. Two oiled sea otters sighted. DOI estimates that 3,000
seabirds and several hundred sea otters live in area of Knowles Head to Galena
Bay.
1045 Three CG personnel arrive from MSO Anchorage to assist.
1115 CG personnel and members from ADEC and Exxon confer on state efforts
for protecting sensitive areas on north side of Bligh Island.
1123-1510 USCGC Sedge arrives on scene north of Bligh Reef. USCGC Sedge
dispatches small boat to recheck proper positioning of navigational equipment
within the sound, maintaining navigation safety levels.
1400 Skimmers have recovered 2,275 barrels of oil from the water.
1500 National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) representatives board Exxon
Valdez.
1600 Dispersant application conducted with C-130, equipped with Beigart Air
Deliverable Dispersant System (ADDS) system. Results are satisfactory.
1700 46,256 barrels of oil transferred to Exxon Baton Rouge.
1800 Skimmers recover 3,004 barrels of oil.
1830 Governor Cowper declares a state of emergency.
1900 51,064 barrels transferred to Exxon Baton Rouge. Commercial divers conduct
survey with the use of video equipment.
2000 Additional survey by divers reveals port tanks intact. Some distortion is
evident.
1 Appendices-4
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MARCH 27, 1989 (FOURTH DAY)
High winds seriously impair response operations. Overnight, gusts clocked as
high as 73 miles per hour have driven the spill nearly 40 miles into Prince
William Sound, coating beaches at Little Smith, Naked, and Knight Islands.
Skimmer systems, booms, and other equipment had to be moved to sheltered
water for protection.
0542 USCGC Rush launches HH-65 helicopter to provide OSC and key response
personnel an overflight view of the spill. USCGC Rush continues to enforce
air space restrictions.
1100 90,599 barrels of oil have been transferred to Exxon Baton Rouge.
1245 CG overflight reveals that oil pooled up southwest of Exxon Valdez has
formed dark, emulsified ribbons. Entire north and northeast side of Smith
Island is heavily affected by thick oil. Some oil reaching Seal Island. Oil
glancing eastern end of Naked Island is a lighter sheen, containing smaller
ribbons. No recovery of oil since 1800, March 26.
1330 RRT assembles for a teleconference. The staging of sorbent materials at
sensitive beaches is planned for areas in the path of the oil spill trajectory.
Exxon is informed of the need for beach clean-up crews.
1900 124,299 barrels of oil have been transferred from Exxon Valdez to Exxon
Baton Rouge.
CG overflight reports heavy shoreline contamination on northeastern end
of Knight Island. Large pools of oil appear in the bays and inlets of the
island. Oil heavily affects Eleanor Island moving west around north end of
island. High winds move spill beyond sites initially selected for recovery
operations
At the RRT teleconference, permission is given for dispersant
application. Scheduled dispersant application did not take place, because
aircraft did not arrive at authorized site. Virtually all mechanical recovery
operations have ceased.
2100 3,000 barrels of oil recovered.
MARCH 28, 1989 (FIFTH DAY)
1000 Additional PACAREA Strike Team equipment arrives in Valdez.
1010 Exxon requests use of dispersants and in-situ burning around Eleanor Island
(Zone 3). RRT considers dispersant use in this area inappropriate.
1030 USCGC Sedge informs OSC that no oil is in Main or Eshamay Bay. Work
crews are setting booms in both areas.
1120 ADEC approves in-situ burning permit for area around Eleanor Island.
PACAREA Strike Team reports 226,874 barrels transferred from Exxon
Valdez to Exxon Baton Rouge.
1200 CG overflight from 0800 to 1130 indicates oil has reached beaches on all
islands from northeastern side of Storey Island, Naked Island, Eleanor Island,
Ingot Island, and Knight Island down to the Bay of Isles area on Knight
Island. Heavy oil slicks are found between Naked and Eleanor Islands,
extending in a westerly direction out into Knight Island passage.
Heavy oil impact on Smith and Little Smith Islands, with moderate
contamination on the eastern side of Green Island. A major clean-up
mobilization is initiated to protect critical fishery resources in Eshamay Bay,
Main Bay, Port San Juan, and Esther Bay. Response management is
reorganized formally as a steering committee consisting of CG, ADEC, and
Exxon.
•————•——— Appendices-5 —•
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r
1230
Major operation mobilized to protect fishery resources in Eshamay Bay,
Main Bay, Port San Juan, and Esther Bay.
Exxon-chartered C-130 applies dispersants in areas of heavily concentrated
oil. Minor discharge of oil from Exxon Valdez. OSC authorizes use of
dispersants.
1300-1530 Exxon dispersant operation conducted near vicinity of Exxon Valdez. Exxon
reports excellent results. Dispersant operation also conducted off eastern end
of South Island.
1400 OSC opens Port of Valdez to vessel traffic. Vessels subject to Vessel Traffic
Service (VTS) regulations will make daylight transits only. A 1,000-yard
safety zone around the Exxon Valdez is imposed. Tank vessels inbound or
outbound will be required to have a two-tug escort to or from Bligh Reef.
Vessels directed to avoid any clean-up operations by 500 yards.
1600 OSC holds teleconference with Alaska State Legislature.
1730 Secretary of Transportation Skinner, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Administrator Reilly, and CG Commandant Admiral Yost arrive to assess
clean-up and oil transfer operations.
1800 274,000 barrels of oil transferred from the vessel at a transfer rate of 3,624
barrels per hour. Soundings indicate vessel is still hard aground between the
number two and three starboard tank areas.
MARCH 29, 1989 (SIXTH DAY)
0845
Secretary of Transportation Skinner, EPA Administrator Reilly, CG
Commandant Yost, Senator Murkowski, and Congressional staffers view spill
area from CG overflight. They arrive in Valdez after having reviewed clean-
up and oil transfer operations. They meet with OSC.
1200 At Valdez site, two dispersant aircraft stand ready for operations. An
Aerostar aircraft augments command and control. Five landing craft (LCM)
arrive for beach cleanup. Seven skimmers operate around Knight Island.
Over 8,000 feet of additional boom is enroute. Skimmers remove over 5,000
barrels of oil.
Over 390,000 barrels of oil transferred off Exxon Valdez. Present
pumping rate is 9,000 barrels per hour.
2000 Total of 442,988 barrels of oil—45 percent of cargo—now removed from
Exxon Valdez. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
review of recent overflights indicates oil beginning counterclockwise rotation,
moving from Naked Island, down western side of Knight Island, and up
eastern side of Knight Island and western side of Green Island.
2130 Exxon Baton Rouge ceases taking on Exxon
Francisco is enroute to resume operations.
Valdez cargo. Exxon San
MARCH 30, 1989 (SEVENTH DAY)
Three separate beach clean-up work groups established. Priority Assessment
Team to rank most critically affected areas for cleanup. Clean-up Assessment
Team will determine use of best clean-up techniques. Shoreline Assessment
Team will make final assessments of clean-up work.
Exxon reports that 7,537 barrels of oil recovered. NOAA estimates that
30 to 40 percent of the spilled oil has evaporated.
The oil has passed Montague Island and Latouche Island and is
proceeding westerly into Gulf of Alaska.
1 Appendices-6
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0800 Oil concentrations have moved south seven to eight miles overnight, extending
to the Montague Strait area near southern tip of Montague Island and eastern
side of Latouche Island. Oil remains concentrated in center of Montague
Strait. Green Island surrounded by oil. Heavy concentrations of oil remain
in the area southeast of Naked Island, through the Eleanor and Ingot Island
areas, and down western side of Knight Island. Vessel Crystal Star (130 feet)
set up as Exxon floating command center.
0900 OSC authorizes three EPA members to assist Exxon in planning for beach
cleanup.
0915 CG transportable communications center arrives from Sacramento, CA, to
handle Coast Guard air traffic communications.
1000 Oil transfer from Exxon Valdez totals over 447,000 barrels.
1100 Exxon San Francisco takes over transfer operations from Exxon Baton Rouge.
Divers in the water conduct additional surveys.
1300 VADM Robbins, Commander CG Pacarea, and Senator Lautenberg arrive in
Valdez.
2300 Exxon Baton Rouge departs. Estimated 668,000 barrels of oil left on Exxon
Valdez at conclusion of transfer operations.
MARCH 31, 1989 (EIGHTH DAY)
Due to low visibility, CG using its own AIREYE and Exxon infrared tracking
equipment to monitor spill migration. NOAA projections using AIREYE
surveillance shows large crossover effect. Oil slick appears to be turning back
on itself, moving into Knight Island Passage. Oil emulsifying with water
increases volume of liquid to be recovered. Responders replace weir-type
skimmers with rope-mop units.
Green Island surrounded by thickening oil. Large patch of thick oil
reaches northwestern side of Knight Island past Herring Bay area. Latouche
Island touched by lighter patches. No signs yet of beach contamination.
Exxon reports 7,537 barrels of oil recovered. Preliminary DOI survey of
Green Island indicates 1,000 oiled birds.
1000 Senator Stevens arrives and is briefed by the OSC.
1143 USCGC Sedge in Sawmill Bay operating OWOCRS. Personnel are issued
respiratory equipment to avoid irritating fumes from oil. Three dead sea
otters removed from the sea.
1200 Nearly 80,000 feet of sorbent boom transferred from USCGC Rush to contract
vessels in southern part of Prince William Sound. The Rush acts as command
and control platform in this area. Operating OWOCRS from USCGC Sedge,
Strike Force recovers 679 barrels of oil. Meanwhile, Exxon Valdez shows
signs of buoyancy after 500,000 barrels off-loaded to Exxon Baton Rouge and
Exxon San Francisco.
1400 Alaska Air National Guard air drops sorbent materials to contractor boat crews
in Hawkins Island area.
1700 Ten sea otters received by the wildlife cleaning facility.
1800 220,952 barrels of oil transferred from Exxon Valdez to Exxon San Francisco.
1930 USCGC Sedge departs for Sawmill Bay area by way of Knight Island passage.
1 Appendices-7
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APRIL 1,1989 (NINTH DAY)
Heavy weathered oil continues to wrap around Knight Island. Emulsified oil
reported from Squire Point south to Prince of Wales Passage opposite Port San
Juan. Heavy oil also reported on west side of Latouche Island.
By April 1, a substantial accumulation of response equipment has been
deployed throughout affected areas of the sound. For example, the amount
of boom positioned by Exxon from March 24 to April 1 has grown from
12,500 feet to over 84,000 feet.
Galena Bay is protected by 1,000 feet of deflection boom; Head Main
Bay by 5,000 feet, with a recovery vessel attending; Hatchery Island of Main
Bay by 2,000 feet; and Herring Bay, Knight Island by 3,000 feet of sorbent
boom and 6,000 feet of recovery boom used by five vessels for later pickup
by skimmers.
Sawmill Bay, Evans Island protected by 50,000 feet of boom deployed
with 15 vessels and much other equipment; Point Helens, Knight Island
shielded by 1,200 feet of recovery boom; Snug Harbor, Knight Island by 1,000
feet; Bay of Isles, Knight Island by 500 feet of boom; and Bushby Island by
5,000 feet of recovery boom. Applegate Rock protected by CG skimming
barriers with an attending 35,000-barrel recovery barge. Crippled Exxon
Valdez is surrounded by 6,000 feet of boom.
The federal presence also has increased significantly. Employed in the
response on April 1 are 391 CG personnel, 23 from DOI, 14 from NOAA, six
from EPA, and four from the Department of Agriculture. On-scene
equipment marshalled by federal agencies includes 8,000 feet of sea boom,
2,000 feet of flexi-boom, 1,200 feet of harbor boom, over 100,000 feet of
sorbent boom, two CG Strike Force skimming OWOCRS, two Navy MARCO
Class V skimmers, a PACAREA tow vehicle, eight boats, three CG cutters,
four fixed wing aircraft, and four helicopters.
0650 295,645 barrels of oil transferred to Exxon San Francisco.
1000 State officials mobilizing resources to conduct water sampling in areas of
hatchery and spawning activities.
1130 Wildlife recovery centers treating 28 oiled birds and 12 otters.
1215 Notice to mariners broadcast: all vessels not involved in response operations
are to stay well clear of any observed oil.
1300 Secretary of Transportation Skinner and CG Commandant Admiral Yost
briefed by OSC on cleanup status and adequacy.
APRIL 2, 1989 (TENTH DAY)
Using CG AIREYE, NOAA reports the leading edge of spill is approximately
nine miles south of Cape Resurrection, progressing south west ward.
Beach cleanup at Naked, Peak, and Smith Islands begin as response teams
gather growing clean-up manpower and pool special skills. Exxon team totals
160 persons now, including experts from the U.S., Canada, and the United
Kingdom. The company has hired over 350 additional clean-up workers.
Nearly 100 vessels are actively participating in the response.
336,853 barrels of oil have been transferred from the Exxon Valdez to
Exxon San Francisco.
Exxon reports total quantity of oil recovered exceeds 10,000 barrels.
Exxon visual overflight indicates lighter sheens of oil are flowing into
Gulf of Alaska. Large concentrations of oil remain in Knight Island Passage
and in bays and sounds on north end of Knight Island.
ADEC beach surveys on Eleanor Island, Ingot Island, and northern end
of Knight Island show heavy contamination.
1 Appendices-8
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0900 At wildlife cleaning centers, 28 oiled otters and 49 oiled birds are being
treated. Approximately 140 oiled birds per square mile are found in
Gibbons/Anchorage area. DOI estimates very high wildlife mortality rates.
1300 Exxon San Francisco loaded to its capacity of 452,533 barrels.
OSC grants Exxon request to apply dispersant to the slick sighted south
of Point 'Erlington, but results not satisfactory on the main body of the oil.
Dispersants moderately effective in breaking up surrounding oil sheen.
1400 Exxon reports 943,000 barrels of oil transferred from Exxon Valdez to Exxon
Baton Rouge and Exxon San Francisco.
1530 Exxon Baytown alongside Exxon Valdez for continuation of oil transfer.
1600 150 birds treated and 30 sea otters recovered. Once treated, otters are
transported to various aquariums.
By evening, southern extent of the spill progresses further south and is
now 12 miles southwest of southern tip of Montague Island. Small stringers
of oil sighted in the Bainbridge and Prince of Wales Passages. Light sheen
remains in all passages. Three main streams of oil are flowing into Gulf of
Alaska and are currently four to five miles offshore.
NOAA weather stations set up at northwest corner of Sawmill Bay and
southern tip of Latouche Island.
APRIL 3, 1989 (ELEVENTH DAY)
Alaska Department of Fish and Game cancels all herring fishing in Prince
William Sound based on damage to spawning areas.
1400 New remote weather stations established at northeast point of Sawmill Bay,
Dangerous Island, and Perry Island.
1941 USCGC Sedge reports 8,949 barrels of oil recovered by CG OWOCRS.
2000 Skimming operations progress with oil recovery rates approaching 90 percent.
2100 Appearance of oil not yet sighted on shorelines west of Cape Puget, which
serves as boundary between Valdez and Anchorage OSCs. Anchorage OSC
sends representative to Prince William Sound. Preparations start to protect
against possible movement of oil into Gulf of Alaska.
APRIL 4, 1989 (TWELFTH DAY)
Shoreline crews continue to operate at Smith and Naked Island. Housing
for work crews provided by the barge Exxon II, located in Mummy Bay,
Knight Island and by the M/V Bartlett (to be relieved later by M/V Aurora)
in Sawmill Bay.
Exxon has established a boat cleaning station in Valdez. Cordova
Fisheries Union are setting up another cleaning station in Cordova.
USCGC Rush works 329 aircraft and processed 1,867 radio contacts
between 0700 and 2130.
Health and safety training classes set up by Exxon contractors to provide
mandatory training for all clean-up personnel.
Oil transfer from Exxon Valdez completed by Exxon Baytown; Exxon
Baytown underway.
APRIL 5, 1989 (THIRTEENTH DAY)
Over 66,000 feet of boom deployed in Sawmill Bay. This represents 65
percent of total boom deployed. OSC had decided to deploy a significant
amount of booming and skimmers in defensive positions to protect hatcheries,
removing capacity to fight the spill itself.
Appendices-9
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Air Force Military Airlift Command (MAC) airlifts U.S. Navy, CG, and
Exxon skimmer boats, drums of dispersant, mooring systems, boom vans,
barrier material, and assorted vehicles from California, Oregon, Texas,
Virginia, Denmark, and Finland to spill site. Exxon will pay airlift cost.
Sawmill Bay fishermen now expressing confidence that hatcheries will
be protected. Clean-up crews at a number of beach locations begin to mop up
oil in tidal pools.
Primary concentration of oil in Prince William Sound extends almost in
a continuous sheen from Smith Island, between Knight and Green Islands,
and down Montague Strait out into Gulf of Alaska. Oil remains in passages
between Bainbridge and Latouche Passages. Large slick has moved into Gulf
of Alaska, extending from southern outlets of the passages across Montague
Strait. Slick has moved approximately 50 miles into the gulf.
Skimming rates continually reduced due to oil weathering.
OSC permits transit of two vessels during daylight hours,
provided they are heading in the same direction. Each vessel must have two-
tug escort.
USCGC Rush works 127 air contacts and processes 550 radio contacts as
part of air traffic control operations.
1035 Exxon Valdez refloated after oil transfer operations and is holding position
on Bligh Reef. About 16,445 barrels of oil remain in the vessel. 1,000-yard
safety zone established around the tanker. Two MARCO skimmers and a
vacuum truck are aboard Exxon Valdez and attended by workboats and
standby dispersant-loaded aircraft to respond to any additional spill. Transit
of Exxon Valdez to Naked Island area begins.
1420 USCGC Sedge reports recovery of oil is becoming extremely difficult due to
formation of a water-and-oil emulsion or "mousse."
1935 Exxon Valdez anchored in Outside Bay near Naked Island.
2201 Canadian and U.S. Region Joint Contingency Plan activated. Co-chairs are
Captain G.E. Haines, the Commander of the Coast Guard District 17 Marine
Safety Program, and Mr. G.R. Stewart, Director General, Western Region,
Canadian Coast Guard.
APRIL 6, 1989 (FOURTEENTH DAY)
Twenty-one additional skimmers, including 15 Navy units transported by the
Department of Defense (DOD), enroute to spill scene.
Variety of response equipment being assembled at Mummy Bay and Point
Helens, Knight Island to protect environmentally sensitive areas there. Also,
joint U.S. - Canadian response plan invoked to speed delivery of more clean-
up equipment and operators.
USCGCs Midgett, Yocoa, Sweetbriar, Iris, and Planetree directed to join
cutters Rush, Ironwood, and Sedge in clean-up area.
Mandatory health and safety classes for all clean-up crews begin while
contractors work with NOAA to develop detailed maps of oiled beach areas.
Exxon Valdez remains anchored off Naked Island.
NOAA overflight reveals oil is thinning and heading out to sea. Heavy
oil contamination reported at Smith Island, Main Bay, Falls Bay, Eshamay Bay,
eastern side of Chenega Island, and northern parts of Bainbridge, Evans, and
Latouche Islands. Eastern and western shores of Knight Island also
contaminated. Oil with light concentrations of emulsified ribbons spotted
north of Main Bay near Port Nellie Juan.
Mortality rate of otters turned into rehabilitation centers is approximately
50 percent. Leading edge of oil slick 22 miles south of Nuka Bay in Gulf of
Alaska. Impact observed on the Chiswell Islands. Oil mousse surrounds
Barwell Island, and some oil has been trapped on eastern side of Cape
Resurrection.
Appendices-10 '
-------
Oil observed approximately 20 miles off coast from Gore Point, varying
in width from 10 to 20 miles. Oil forming wind rows. Oil in Prince William
Sound continues to flush into the gulf.
Rear Admiral Nelson (USCG) assumes OSC responsibility to facilitate
strategic control of response.
Oil volume in Bainbridge and Latouche Passages diminishes with
migration of spill into the gulf.
USCGC Rush maintaining air traffic control.
Oil affects areas within Anchorage OSC jurisdiction. Oil slick reaches
Barwell Island at entrance of Resurrection Bay.
1500 Overflights indicate difficulties encountered in positioning skimmers in areas
of heavily concentrated oil. Emulsified patches of oil clinging to some
shoreline areas inaccessible to larger skimmers.
APRIL 7, 1989 (FIFTEENTH DAY)
At direction of President Bush, DOD establishes Director of Military Support
Joint Task Force (DOMS JTF) to assist OSC in cleanup. DOD assessment team
will determine best way to apply military support. Joint Task Force begins
daily oversight meetings in Pentagon Army Operations Center.
Emergency order tightening operations at Valdez Terminal signed by
Governor Cowper.
Spill area enlarged to approximately 2,600 square nautical miles,
according to NOAA analysis of recent overflights. Heavy concentrations of
oil sighted on eastern side of Knight Island. Sheen remaining in most passage
areas forms streams and stringers.
Approximately 300 dead birds and 76 sea otters collected. The new
Valdez rehabilitation center begins operations.
0930 Divers survey tank number 1C beneath Exxon Valdez -and begin drilling
operations to prevent further spread of main crack.
1830 Sheen with streaks of mousse reported extending from the northern part of
Naked Island down eastern shore of Knight Island, through Latouche Passage,
and into Gulf of Alaska. Northern part of Montague Island and Green Island
affected. Extensive sheen observed in and around Snug Harbor. Light sheen
with stringers ranges from Port Nellie Juan to Main Bay and down Knight
Island Passage into Latouche Passage. Some sheen observed in Prince of Wales
Passage.
USCGC Rush maintains air traffic control. USCGC Sedge passes
OWOCRS towline to Theresa Marie.
APRIL 8, 1989 (SIXTEENTH DAY)
Skimming operations continue in Main, Eshamay, Herring, and Sawmill Bays
and begin between Knight and Green Islands. While GT-185 skimmers are
very effective, CG reports that oil recovery rates are reduced to 200 barrels
per day due to increasing oil viscosity.
Morning overflight shows occasional light sheen in Perry Passage north
of Port Nellie Juan. No oil found in Wells Passage or McClure Island. Light
sheen at Port Nellie Juan, Main Bay, and Crofton Island where some beach
impact observed. Less than 10 percent of Eshamay Bay covered with sheen,
but heavy oil concentrations contained by booms.
Mixture of sheen and mousse observed in northern, eastern, and southern
areas of Knight Passage. Sheen and mousse streaks noted in Prince of Wales
Passage. Shorelines abutting Latouche Passage show oiling with mousse and
sheen offshore. Sheen with patches of heavy oil observed off southern
Montague Island. Trajectory of spill curving into Anchorage OSC jurisdiction.
Valdez and Anchorage OSCs deploy MARCO Class V skimmers in defensive
positions in Gulf of Alaska.
Appendices-11
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DOI reports that 529 birds and 94 sea otters have died. The Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS) has prepared a list of wildlife areas believed to be at
risk from the oil spill.
USCGC Rush maintains air traffic control, works 303 aircraft, and
processes over 2,126 radio contacts. USCGC Ironwood continues installation
of mooring systems in Sawmill Bay.
CG Boating Safety Team enroute to Whittier to conduct safety boardings
on volunteer recreational boats used for retrieval of dead wildlife.
In Whittier, DOI is setting up a wildlife collection station and Exxon
establishes a boat-cleaning station.
0630 Overflights conducted by NOAA.
0945 USCGC Rush reports heavy concentration of oil from Bass Harbor to eastern
end of Smith Island. Slick apparently one mile wide. Exxon officials notified
and a skimmer crew diverted.
Response actions stepped up at Sawmill Bay and Snug Harbor, where
eight skimmers, five vessels, and an oil recovery barge are involved. Over
5,000 feet of boom deployed in King Bay. Fully-boomed Exxon Valdez
remains anchored off Naked Island with a 32-foot water cushion for each of
its damaged tanks. Light sheen reported inside the boom.
FWS conducts aerial shoreline survey from Prince William Sound to
Homer.
2130 Captain Ryan of the Canadian Coast Guard says Canadian skimming
equipment has recovered 666 barrels.
2200 USCGC Sedge enroute to Snug Harbor.
2205 Summary of clean-up activity provided by Exxon as of this date:
Initial Amount of Oil Spilled: 240,000 barrels
Amount Recovered: 17,000 barrels
Amount Evaporated: 77,000 barrels
Amount Dispersed: 11,000 barrels
Amount in Prince William Sound: 45,000 barrels
Amount in Gulf of Alaska: 45,000 barrels
Amount on Beaches: 45,000 barrels
CG AIREYE overflights reveal scattered mousse and sheen from Cape
Junken to the southern section of Otter Island. Some oil apparent around
Chiswell Island. Light sheen with thin strands of mousse apparent north of
Hinchinbrook Island. Light beach impacts were observed on the northeastern
part of Montague Island.
Exxon divers complete drilling eight stopper holes in Exxon Valdez to
arrest fractures.
APRILS, 1989 (SEVENTEENTH DAY)
Spill seems to be stabilizing. CG reports leading edge of the spill has not
advanced in two days. Sheen with streaks of congealed oil extends from
northern Naked Island through the lower passages and into Gulf of Alaska.
Heavy sheen reported around Snug Harbor.
Sawmill and Herring Bays and Snug Harbor continue to hold highest
response priority. Arriving at Sawmill Bay to join the response effort are a
floating hotel (housing 1,000 response personnel), five waste-oil barges, five
waste-oil "doughnuts," and 100 small skiffs.
USCGC Rush works 320 aircraft and has processed 2,180 radio contacts
in the last 24 hours.
1430 VADM Robbins, CG PACAREA Commander, returned to Valdez.
1 Appendices-12
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1515 Joint NOAA/USCG overflight reports no oil found on Hitchinbrook Island
near the Hawkin's Island cut-off.
1945 Aerial reconnaissance reports leading edge of spill is 25 miles southeast of
Nuka Island. Slick runs close to the shore from Cape Junken to the vicinity
of Resurrection Bay, where fresh water runoff and fjord winds are pushing
the spill offshore. Major spill impact observed in Chiswell Islands due to
combination of steep shoreline and high wave energy. Offshore slick appears
as 20 to 30 mile sheen with widely separated areas of mousse.
Weather hinders clean-up operations. Many skimmers operating in
exposed areas head for more protected waters.
CG air operations total 38 hours of flight time.
In the OSC Anchorage-Gulf of Alaska operational theater, the USCGC
Yocona has sailed from Kodiak to Seward and presently is in Seward. A Navy
MARCO skimmer is on scene. An 84-inch boom at Seward cannot be
deployed by USCGC Yocona and Planetree due to adverse weather conditions
offshore. Test using herring nets to break up areas of oil considered partially
successful.
Two 65,000-gallon capacity bladders enroute to Seward for use in
skimmer operations.
USCGC Morgenthau is stationed at the southeast entrance to lower Cook
Inlet monitoring traffic. Remote weather stations are planned for Harwell
Island, Outer Island, Chugach Island, and Marmot Island.
14,000 feet of boom deployed at Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords
National Park.
APRIL 10, 1989 (EIGHTEENTH DAY)
Leading edge of the slick located 20 miles south of Nuka Sound.
USCGC Sedge conducts shoreline survey of Snug Harbor with a small
boat. Only a very light sheen observed approximately one mile offshore. Four
foot wide band of black oil observed at the high water mark on the beach.
FWS personnel continue shoreline aerial survey from Prince William
Sound to Kodiak. On the ground, a survey of deceased wildlife is conducted
on the north end of Knight Island.
USCGC Rush works 324 aircraft, processes 2,192 radio contacts, and
then puts into port for logistic resupply. USCGC Rush is relieved of air
traffic control responsibilities by USCGC Sedge.
Poor visibility and high variable winds hamper overflight assessments.
1400 USCGC Ironwood enroute from Snug Harbor to Valdez and reports every five
miles on concentrations of oil. Ironwood reports light sheen 500 to 1,000
yards wide between Sleepy Bay and Point Helen. Several ribbons of oil
approximately 10 by 420 yards reported three miles south of Discovery Point.
1845 USCGC Storis loaded with approximately 2,000 feet of membrane-type boom
for transport to Kitoi fish hatchery at Afognak Island.
At OSC Anchorage-Gulf of Alaska zone, gale force winds and 20-foot
seas prevent offshore operations. Exxon establishing an otter cleaning station
in Seward. 2,100 feet of boom are deployed at Tutka Bay fish hatchery.
Two Navy MARCO skimmers with CG bladder arrive at Homer.
Six fishing vessels equipped with herring nets depart Kodiak to join 30
other fishing boats at Seward to form mobile response unit in attempt to break
up oil patches off Cape Resurrection. Additional 10,000 feet of boom will be
deployed with these vessels.
APRIL 11, 1989 (NINETEENTH DAY)
Total of nearly 200,000 feet of boom have been deployed to protect
endangered areas in Prince William Sound. Included are 85,000 feet of
containment boom, 98,000 feet of absorbent boom, and 12,000 feet of boom
surrounding Exxon Valdez anchored off Naked Island.
Appendices-13
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39 skimming operations shut down by rough seas on April 10 have yet to
resume operations in the natural collection area of Snug Harbor, Sawmill Bay,
Point Helen, Latouche Pass, and Herring Bay. Over 80 people are now
involved in the cleanup of Naked Island, with 500 more workers expected to
join clean-up efforts by April 13.
Oil moved westward, forming long, well-defined bands of mousse along
eastern shore of Latouche, Knight, and Ingot Islands. Light sheens observed
in Main and Eshamay Bays. Large patch of sheen/mousse combination
approximately six miles long and two miles wide observed west of Eleanor
Island, extending nearly into entrance of Main Bay.
Small amounts of sheen and mousse observed in Perry Island area.
Herring Bay still heavily oiled. Large band of sheen and mousse parallels
southeast end of Knight Island. Bay of Isles beaches also heavily oiled. Wind
and wave conditions over past two days have mixed and dispersed the larger
concentrations of oil in open waters of Prince William Sound.
Exxon divides Prince William Sound into four quadrants, each with a
command and control vessel (with PACAREA Strike Team member aboard)
to coordinate oil recovery operations. Quadrant zone one represents area
north of Knight Island, Quadrant zone two represents areas west, and
Quadrant zone three areas east. Quadrant zone four represents areas south of
island. Areas other than Prince William Sound are designated zone five.
Exxon Valdez is subject of diving survey. Repairs made to fractures in
hull of number four starboard tank. Vessel engines are checked and
considered operational. To date, 19,000 barrels of oil recovered, but bad
weather hinders future recovery operations.
0340 USCGC Morgenthau ordered to mouth of Resurrection Bay to coordinate
efforts to break up oil by fishing vessel fleet and Exxon spotter plane.
1445 Potato Point Radar Site becomes inoperative, forcing OSC to close the Valdez
Narrows to vessel traffic.
1500 Radar site reactivated and port reopened.
APRIL 12,1989 (TWENTIETH DAY)
CG helicopter overflight reports leading edge of slick located 30 to 40 miles
southeast of Gore Point.
Snug Harbor and the Bay of Isles relatively free of oil, but shorelines
are extensively oiled.
1535 ADM Yost, Commandant USCG, arrives at Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage. He
returns as the President's and the Secretary of Transportation's representative
to oversee the spill cleanup. He is met and briefed by VADM Robbins and
RADM Nelson.
APRIL 13, 1989 (TWENTY-FIRST DAY)
CG monitor and vessels assigned to each of five designated clean-up sectors.
Dispersant tests show no effect on mousse and little effect on sheen.
1122 ADM Yost meets with Exxon officials to establish clean-up priorities. Exxon
tasked with submitting a beach clean-up work plan. Exxon temporarily
suspends shoreline cleanup pending submission and approval of the plan.
1330 RRT meeting held.
1800 Transfer of oil slops from T/S Exxon Valdez completed. Internal survey
underway.
Appendices-14
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1900 ADM Yost briefs operations committee on his purpose and function as
President's representative.
APRIL 14, 1989 (TWENTY-SECOND DAY)
1115 Commandant meets with Governor Cowper and Commissioner of ADEC to
discuss clean-up progress and strategies. Commandant also briefed by
LT GEN Mclnerney on results of DOD assessment team study.
1300 RRT meeting held.
1314 ADM Yost provided status report during telecom with President Bush. The
effectiveness of hot water/steam cleaning of shoreline discussed, and a status
report provided by ADM Yost.
1500 LT GEN Mclnerney, ADM Yost, and VADM Robbins meet. DOD support
resources discussed and additional resources secured, including COE Dredge
Essayons and U.S. Navy Ship Juneau.
1700 ADM Yost meets with top Exxon officials. He presents them with a list of
50 beaches requiring cleanup. ADM Yost is putting pressure on Exxon to
provide additional personnel within 10 days.
2000 ADM Yost meets with SSC and operations committee. The need to protect
Seward, Homer, and Kodiak is discussed, as is forthcoming Exxon shoreline
clean-up plan.
2100 Shoreline Clean-up Committee approves use of wash-vacuum oil cleaning
system (VIKOVAK) on eastern shore of Smith Island. Committee also
approves test cleaning using hot/cold/high-pressure water flushing with
VIKOVAK applications on northern portion of Smith Island. Instructions
given to avoid all living species, backshore and upper intertidal areas, and use
of high-pressure water or steam where invertebrates and seaweed exist.
APRIL 15, 1989 (TWENTY-THIRD DAY)
0905 ADM Yost, VADM Robbins, and NOAA rep conduct overflight of Northwest
Passage to observe skimming.
Concentrated skimming operations continue in many areas. Ten
skimmers and eight CG cutters operating on scene.
RADM Nelson departs to resume duties as Commander of Seventeenth
CG District.
1400 Hydrovac pumping system transferred to Zone two to speed offloading of
skimmers there. Hydrovac systems considered only effective pumping system
for the viscous, debris-laden oil that is difficult to transfer through integrated
skimmer pumping systems.
1600 Vice Admiral Robbins (USCG) becomes federal OSC (FOSC).
1700 Commandant meets with representatives of Exxon, ADEC, and fishermen.
Exxon presents shore clean-up execution plan.
1900 FOSC approves shoreline clean-up work order for Eleanor Island.
1900 ADM Yost attends operations committee briefing to discuss the day's
developments and clean-up actions to be taken outside Prince William Sound.
1 Appendices-15
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APRIL 16,1989 (TWENTY-FOURTH DAY)
0930 Commandant, FOSC,
representatives attend
1800
and several federal, state, corporate, and press
shoreline washing experiment and demonstration
conducted by Exxon on southwest Eleanor Island.
Exxon submits shoreline clean-up execution plan to FOSC and staff for
review.
Prince William Sound overflight shows significant change in the path of
oil caused by changes in wind direction. Large concentrations of mousse and
sheen previously seen near Eleanor and Ingot Islands now being driven
southwest towards Falls and Main Bay and Lone, Perry, and Culross Islands.
Significant shoreline impact anticipated there. Projections indicate oil will
remain in that vicinity and will not migrate into Wells Passage or Port Nellie
Juan. Overflight conducted in the area of Gore Point shows shoreline impacts.
Remaining oil in the gulf between Cape Junken and the Chugach Islands may
be driven northward and may reach shoreline in that area due to
predominantly southeast winds.
Clean-up operations temporarily stopped due to reports of exposures to
harmful vapors. Air quality monitoring shows exposure limits within safety
guidelines.
ADM Yost meets with operations committee. Alternate methods of beach
cleanup demonstrated earlier discussed and evaluated. ADM Yost expresses
concern over the high number of skimmers that he observes not operating
during his earlier overflight.
APRIL 17, 1989 (TWENTY-FIFTH DAY)
Skimmer operations are redirected in order to concentrate on near-shore areas
to recover larger amounts of accumulated oil more effectively.
Salvage of Exxon Valdez continues. Box patches installed from frame
1 to fore and aft bulkhead. All "hangers" (hanging steel pieces) removed from
tank numbers 1C, 2C, and 3C. Divers conduct survey of tank number IS.
Joint command communications network established to connect primary
command nodes for overall operations coordination.
1000 Commandant meets with lead agencies to discuss comments on Exxon
workplan.
1300 Commandant approves workplan and presents comments to Exxon officials.
1400 Captain Crowe (USCG) assumes duties as Chief of Operations.
1600 Captain Roussel (USCG) designated assistant OSC for spill outside Prince
William Sound. Vice Admiral Robbins remains FOSC for entire spill.
1900 ADM Yost and executive committee meet. He urges immediate pursuit of
shoreline cleanup using acceptable methods.
APRIL 18, 1989 (TWENTY-SIXTH DAY)
1315 ADM Yost, FOSC, and RADM Baker, USN, Commander Third Amphibious
Group discuss naval support of cleanup.
1330 Visiting Florida DNR personnel discuss cleanup with FOSC,
1400 ADM Yost departs Valdez for Anchorage.
Skimming operations center on heavy concentrations of oil near Perry,
Long, and Culross Islands.
Nine CG Cutters operating in area. Total of 53 vessels, including
33 skimmers on scene.
' Appendices-16
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Prince William Sound overflight reveals heavy patches of oil from Wells
Passage to Lone Island. Oil sheen collecting in Port Nellie Juan. Light winds
keeping oil basically immobile. New light oil sightings on south side of Lone
and Eleanor Islands and south to Smith Island. Overflights continue to show
sheen and mousse patches from Chugach Islands east to Cape Resurrection.
Sheen and mousse sighted in vicinity of Shuyak Island. No oil sighted along
beaches of Katmai National Monument. Very light tar ball splattering
Seward's 2,000-foot beach front. No other evidence detected.
Soviet skimmer M/V Vaydagursky receives approval for thirty-day entry
into U.S. waters. Approval includes authorization to work within three miles
of land from Valdez to Homer and around the Kodiak Archipelago, and to
make port calls.
APRIL 19, 1989 (TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY)
0700 Two Navy MARCO Class V skimmers, two Class XI skimmers, and two Exxon
contract skimming vessels deployed at leading and trailing edge of heavy oil
concentration in Perry Passage. Five Navy MARCO Class V skimmers and
Exxon contract skimmers are deployed in the bays west of Eleanor Island to
collect oil pushed by westerly winds. Three Navy MARCO Class V skimmers
deployed west of Squire Island.
1000 USCGC Sweetbrier on scene at Esther Island hatchery to deploy SUPSALV
mooring system for protective booming operations.
1100 ADM Yost and FOSC attends luncheon with mayors of affected towns prior
to ADM Yost's departure from Anchorage.
1200 Soviet M/V Vaydagursky skimmer vessel arrives at Seward. CG
representatives board vessel with interpreter, pilot, and VECO representatives
(Exxon contractor) to discuss proposed operations. Vessel currently refueling
and preparing for skimming operations near mouth of Resurrection Bay.
Salvage operations continue. All tanks except number 4S are inerted.
Tank number 4S is opened and safe for work. Three box patches installed in
the tank over the small "repaired" fractures. Tank number 4S has been
repaired temporarily.
1300 FOSC meets in Homer with RRT to discuss shoreline cleanup.
APRIL 20, 1989 (TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY)
0930 FOSC briefs Secretary of Interior Lujan, and Congressmen Young, Galley
and Weldon.
Shoreline activities continue on Naked Island. Over 250 Exxon contractor
personnel are supporting clean-up operations in four areas on north side of
Naked and Peak Islands.
Nearly 41,062 barrels of oil and water mixture and 14,270 barrels of oil
transferred to a barge alongside Exxon Valdez.
State of Alaska-funded and constructed Joint Communication Center
added to the response communications network.
Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) dredge Yaquina deployed as a
skimmer, recovers 1,100 barrels of oil. Total of 53 vessels, including 35
skimmers, are performing oil recovery operations.
Appendices-17
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APRIL 21, 1989 (TWENTY-NINTH DAY)
1300 RRT teleconference updates members and tasks them with investigating use
of COREXIT 7664 dispersant for shoreline cleanup.
Air Force has transported total of 928 tons of response equipment by 15 C-5
missions and 97 tons of equipment by four C-141 missions. Salvage operations
to cut hangars from bottom of Exxon Valdez continue. Draft proposals for
tank and hull cleaning presented to CG.
High volume/low pressure beach washing applied by 250 Exxon personnel
to Naked Island shoreline. CG reports 240 feet of shoreline cleaned.
Skimmers move into Knight Island passage area for oil recovery.
MARCO skimmer working in Sawmill Bay in concert with CG monitor.
OWOCRS and 84-inch boom deployed in Resurrection Bay.
M/V Vaydagursky with CG monitor onboard working with two tugs to
rig skimming booms in Resurrection Bay. 58 vessels, including 37 skimmers,
are operating as recovery or support craft.
APRIL 22, 1989 (THIRTIETH DAY)
Divers continue to cut hanging steel pieces from Exxon Valdez hull. Stopper
holes are drilled at ends of all transverse fractures. ADEC personnel
scheduled to arrive on M/V Winter King to monitor water quality and observe
repairs. Some oil continues to surface from bilge keels where it is trapped.
Shoreline clean-up plan for Applegate Rock area approved by FOSC.
Land use permit for clean-up operations on all state-owned tide and
submerged lands received from State of Alaska for 1989. :
Skimmers in Resurrection Bay unable to pump debris-contaminated,
weathered oil. Mr. Clean Class III skimmer recovers oil/mousse off Gore
Point. USSR skimmer Vaydagursky shut down for modifications. It had
recovered 12 barrels of oil.
APRIL 23, 1989 (THIRTY-FIRST DAY)
Skimming operations continue to maximum degree possible in Prince William
Sound Upper Passage, Northwest Bay, Lower Knight Island Passage, and
Eshamay Bay. Exxon estimates 2,990 total barrels recovered on April 22.
Adverse weather forces halt of skimming operations.
Vessel with 4,800 feet of boom and U. S. Navy MARCO skimmer
dispatched to Kitoi Hatchery, Izhut Bay. Eight fishing vessels from Seldowa
and Port Graham deployed to Flat Island. They are towing herring nets in
attempt to collect mousse and tar balls in area.
Bird cleaning station opens at National Guard Armory and otter station
at National Marine Fisheries Services site, Gibson Cove. Alaska Department
of Fish and Game closes herring fishery on north and west side of Afognak
Island due to sheens in area. Boat cleaning station operational at Herman's
Harbor.
CG and Exxon representatives visit villages on Kodiak Island to gather
and disseminate information.
APRIL 24, 1989 (THIRTY-SECOND DAY)
Cutting hangers from Exxon Valdez completed. Drilling stopper holes at end
of fractures continues. Stripping Forepeak and number 1C tank to be
completed. Oil in number 1C tank to be boomed to reduce oil leaks. ADEC
personnel on M/V Winter King alongside Exxon Valdez.
Adverse weather continues to hamper efforts to skim oil. ACOE Dredge
Yaquina with CG skimming barrier manages to operate in South Night Island
Passage and Mummy Bay. Two SUPSALV skimmers work in Northwest Bay.
Remainder of 58 vessels, including 37 skimmers, stay in sheltered waters.
Two hundred feet of shoreline cleaned during last two days.
CG and Exxon personnel brief Senator Stevens.
Appendices-18
-------
APRIL 25, 1989 (THIRTY-THIRD DAY)
Drilling of stopper holes continues on Exxon Valdez. Booming of oil in tank
number 1G in progress.
Adverse weather continues to hamper skimming. All western Alaska
skimmers, except for Mister Clean III, attempting to get to Division Bay, Naka
Passage to skim oil/mousse concentrated in that area. Approximately 15,000
feet of boom arrive in Homer and will be distributed as needed in area by
MAC Group. A total of 58 vessels continue to be involved in operation, but
42 of these now are skimmers.
Joint Communications Center now operational. Phone patch capability
of this system allows total interconnections among all deployed units ashore or
afloat.
1900 FOSC attends evening operations meeting with Exxon personnel onboard the
U.S. Naval Vessel Juneau.
APRIL 26, 1989 (THIRTY-FOURTH DAY)
Tank cleaning and repair activities on Exxon Valdez continue. Four major
networks give coverage to existence of Coast Guard tapes of radio
conversations with Exxon Valdez at time of grounding.
Clean-up operations in western Gulf of Alaska continue to be hindered
by adverse weather. Due to debris-laden, weathered condition of recovered
oil, offloading in both western Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound is
slow and difficult. Various super-suction devices have been tried with limited
success. The operation has been enhanced by heating the oil with stem coils,
but it takes two to two-and-a-half hours to heat approximately 32 barrels.
300 feet of shoreline cleaned in Northwest Bay by April 25. Multiagency
monitoring program is established to ensure that all shoreline segments will be
cleaned in the presence of a federal and state monitor.
58 vessels remain in clean-up operation; 42 are skimmers.
1730 CAPT Calhoun, USCG, CO, MSO Portland, OR arrive on scene to survey
Exxon Valdez damage and condition.
1 Appendices-19
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APPENDIX B. RESPONSE FORCES ON SCENE
Exxon arid U.S. Coast Guard Response Forces On Scene , „
MARCH 24
Exxon
10 Landing Craft
(mechanized)
15 Vessels (various)
1 2,500 (t of Boom
3 Skimmers
184 Personnel
Alyeska Marine
Terminal
4 Boats
1 Class V Skimmer
1 Class VII Skimmer
1 Sea Skimmer
1 5,200 ft of Boom
1 Helicopter
3 Sea Pac Barrier
Systems
28 Personnel
U.S. Coast Guard
PACAREA Strike Team
(11 people)
MARCH 25
Exxon
52 Vessels (various)
26,000 ft of Boom
6 Skimmers
237 Personnel
U.S. Coast Guard
1 High Endurance
Cutter
1 Helicopter
1 Buoy Tender
1 32-ftBoat
PACAREA Strike
Team (13 people)
2 Strike Team Air
Deployable Anti-
Pollution Transfer
Systems (ADAPTS)
38 Personnel at
Marine Safety Office
Vatdez
MARCH 28
Exxon
71 Vessels (various)
34,000 ft of Boom
7 Skimmers
340 Personnel
U.S. Coast Guard
1 High Endurance
Cutter
1 Helicopter
1 Buoy Tender
1 32-ft Boat
1 USCGAIREYE
FALCON Plane
1 USCGC-130
Transport Plane
PACAREA Strike Team
(16 people)
5 ADAPTS
1 Strike Team Open
Water Oil
Containment
and Recovery
System (OWOCRS)
APRIL 02
Exxon
107 Vessels (various)
11 0,000 ft of Boom
1 2 Skimmers
817 Personnel
U.S. Coast Guard
1 High Endurance
Cutter
4 Helicopters
2 Buoy Tenders
1 32-ft Boat
1 USCG AIREYE
FALCON Plane
PACAREA Strike Team
(20 people)
6 ADAPTS
2 OWOCRS
11, 200 ft of Boom
96 Personnel at
Marine Safety Office,
Valdez and Anchorage
APRIL 07
Exxon
110 Vessels (various)
158,000 ft of Boom
25 Skimmers
18 Aircraft
1 046 Personnel
U.S. Coast Guard
1 High Endurance
Cutter
6 Helicopters
2 Buoy Tenders
6 Small Boats
3 Rxed Wing Planes
PACAREA Strike
Team (20 people)
6 ADAPTS
2 OWOCRS
11, 200 ft of Boom
118 Personnel at
Marine Safety Office
Valdez and
Anchorage
APRIL 12
Exxon
210 Vessels
(various)
283,000 ft of Boom
41 Skimmers
25 Aircraft
1300 Personnel
U.S. Coast Guard
2 High Endurance
Cutters
2 Medium Endurance
Cutters
4 Buoy Tenders
6 Small Boats
3 Fixed Wing
6 Helicopters
PACAREA Strike
Team (20 people)
6 ADAPTS
6 OWOCRS
15,200 ft of Boom
208 Personnel at
Marine Safety Office
Valdez and
Anchorage
^ .Other Federal Response Forees On Scene
NOAA
1 Helicopter
6 Personnel
Dept. of tha Interior
2 Personnel
Source: U.S. Coast <
U.S. Navy
2 Skimmers
4 Tow Boats
2 Support Vans
NOAA
1 Helicopter
10 Personnel
Dept. of the Interior
2 Personnel
EPA
2 Personnel
U.S. Forest
Service
2 Personnel
NOAA
1 Helicopter
13 Personnel
FAA
7 Personnel
Dept. of the Interior
21 Personnel
EPA
2 Personnel
U.S. Navy
5 Skimmers
6 Tow Boats
8 Support Vans
14 Mooring Systems
U.S. Forest
Service
6 Personnel
NOAA
1 Helicopter
14 Personnel
FAA
7 Personnel
Dept. of the Interior
23 Personnel
EPA
6 Personnel
U.S. Navy
20 Skimmers
2 Barrier Skimming
Systems
10 Tow Boats
20 Mooring Systems
11 Support Vans
94 Personnel
U.S. Forest
Service
23 Personnel
NOAA
1 Helicopter
12 Personnel
FAA
7 Personnel
Dept. of the Interior
23 Personnel
EPA
6 Personnel
3uard, 1989.
U.S. Navy
20 Skimmers
2 Barrier Skimming
Systems
10 Tow Boats
20 Mooring Systems
11 Support Vans
94 Personnel
U.S. Forest
Service
30 Personnel
1 Helicopter
NOAA
1 Helicopter
4 NOAA Data Buoys
22 Personnel
FAA
7 Personnel
Dept. of the Interior
26 Personnel
EPA
7 Personnel
National Guard
93 Personnel
' Appendices-20 <
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APPENDIX C. GLOSSARY FOR KEY EQUIPMENT ON SCENE
ADAPTS Air Deployable Anti-Pollution Transfer System
ADAPTS is a pumping system that is transportable in a variety of ways. It is
designed for rapid deployment to dewater, remove oils, or transfer a limited
number of liquid hazardous materials. A Type III Avco Lycoming diesel
prime mover powers the ADAPTS to push oil through a discharge hose for
transfer into a suitable container. ADAPTS is operated and owned by the
Coast Guard.
AIREYE AIREYE is an aerial surveillance, information gathering, and recording system
installed on certain Coast Guard aircraft. This state-of-the-art system
employs multiple information inputs (visual-photographic, infrared radar) to
monitor and track surface objects. AIREYE usually is operated on marine
safety and environmental monitoring missions. It has law enforcement and
military applications.
BOOMS Booms are primarily barriers used to contain or deflect an oil slick, or prevent
oil from reaching an environmentally sensitive area.
There are two general types of booms: fence booms and curtain booms. Fence
booms are constructed from rigid or semi-rigid material and serve as a vertical
barrier against oil floating on water. Curtain booms have a flexible skirt that
is held down by ballasting weights or a separate tension line. Booms often are
referred to in terms of their combined length below (draft) arid above
(freeboard) the waterline. Therefore, an 18-inch boom would be one that has
a total barrier height above and below the waterline of 18 inches.
Booms are designed for special purposes. Fire booms consist of
fireproof material to contain oil for in-situ burning. Sorbent booms absorb
oil on contact and are disposable. Ice or cold weather booms can withstand
extreme temperatures and ice flows. Some booms have skimming capabilities
that trap oil for recovery.
GT—185 The GT-185 is a weir skimmer utilizing gravity as a means of collecting oil.
With its edge placed at the waterline, the body of the skimmer below water
forces oil into a pump. Oil then is conveyed to a suitable container. The GT-
185's pumping system can deliver up to 440 gallons per minute.
MARCO SKIMMERS The MARCO skimmer is a sorbent lifting-belt skimmer that works on a
conveyor belt-type system. The lifting belt has a high affinity for oil that
prevents large volumes of water from being recovered along with the oil. Oil
is scraped or wrung from the belt into an appropriate container. Working in
ideal conditions (e.g., calm water, suitable viscosity), the recovery rate is
between 42 and 66 gallons per minute, depending on whether a Class V or
Class VII MARCO skimmer is used.
ODI SKIMMER Towed by two vessels, the ODI skimmer is a boom system using a barrier to
contain oil for recovery. It features built-in weirs connected to discharge
hoses enabling the oil to be recovered by a pumping system.
OWOCRS Open Water Oil Containment And Recovery System
Owned and operated by the Coast Guard, OWOCRS is a rapidly deployed,
very rigid high seas containment barrier that also can be used as a skimmer.
OWOCRS moves in a "U" configuration, towed by vessels at each end. A
pump float subsystem is attached to the bend of the "U." The subsystem
pumps oil collected by skimming weirs inside the "U" at a rate of 825 gallons
per minute into a suitable container, usually a tank barge or a towed bladder.
OWOCRS can be made stationary by means of a mooring system.
1 Appendices-21
-------
SEA PAC BARRIER SYSTEM A Sea Pac Barrier System is a 23-foot boat containing 1,475 feet of inflatable
boom that is automatically deployed and towed at three to four knots per hour.
TK-5 PUMPS The TK-5 pump used by the Coast Guard and the ADAPTS system share
some of the same components. The TK-S pump functions as a corrosive liquid
transfer system that also pumps viscous oils and high-temperature fluids.
VIKOMA SEA SKIMMERS Vikoma sea skimmers utilize a rotary disc system to attract oil. Discs rotate
oil toward a centralized pumping system which then pumps it into a suitable
container. In optimal conditions, the best recovery rates for this unit is 220
gallons per minute.
VIKOVAK A VIKOVAK is a high-performance vacuum for shoreline cleanup.
WALOSEP WEIR Walosep Weir Skimmers use gravity to drain oil from the water surface. Using
SKIMMER a pump to draw water-separated oil into the system, this skimmer has an oil
recovery rate of up to 264 gallons per minute.
1 Appendices-22
-------
APPENDIX D. DISPERSANTS
Dispersants are chemical solutions used to
reduce, the cohesiveness of oil slicks. They are
designed to remove oil from the surface of the
water. Oil treated with a dispersant enters the
water column as fine droplets which are then
distributed in three dimensions and subjected to
natural processes such as biodegradation.
When the application of dispersants is
technically feasible, its selection as a response
option follows the choice between leaving the spill
untreated and floating on the surface of the water
where it may threaten surface resources, or treated
and distributed in the water column where it may
threaten subsurface resources. The threat posed by
the dispersed oil droplets to subsurface resources in
the water column is moderated by the relatively low
toxicity of the present generation of dispersants and
the dilution factor.
Dispersant use has been controversial since its
notable introduction as a response option following
the sinking of the tanker Torrey Canyon off the
United Kingdom in 1967. Various studies since
then have shown that the dispersants used in this
incident caused more harm than good because of
their indiscriminate use and/or highly toxic charac-
teristics. Improved dispersants now in use are less
toxic and more effective.
This response option generally has not been used
in the United States for oil spill responses because
of logistical difficulty, complex decision making or
uncertain weather conditions—or because trial ap-
plications and evaluation indicate y lack of effec-
tiveness.
When an evolving response strategy seems to
indicate an advantageous use of dispersants, deci-
sions must be based on rigorous technical, biologi-
cal, and administrative considerations. The On-
Scene Coordinator (OSC) initiates t\ie decision
process for dispersant use with a "recommendation
for concurrence" to the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and state Regional Response Team
(RRT) representatives. The Department of
Commerce and Department of the Interior, as
natural resource trustees, may also be consulted.
To get RRT concurrence, a balance of many
variables must be considered. It must be concluded
that harm from dispersant use on the subsurface
environment is likely to be less than the potential
harm of untreated oil. Other factors that must be
considered are spill location, type, and volume; time
elapsed since the spill; existing and predicted wea-
ther; water temperature; salinity and sedimentation.
The RRT also will take into account tides and tidal
currents; risks to biological, physical, and economic
resources; surface and subsurface trajectories; and
availability of dispersants, application equipment,
and trained personnel.
When they consider an OSC's "recommendation
for concurrence" to use dispersants, federal officials
follow a decision making process established in the
National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution
Contingency Plan (NCP, 40 CFR 300, Subpart H).
The NCP contains a general authorization-for-use
policy and an EPA listing of dispersants (the "Pro-
duct Schedule") that may be authorized for use on
oil spills.
The NCP also encourages each RRT to develop
regional guidelines for preauthorized use of disper-
sants—allowing the OSC to forego RRT
concurrence under certain circumstances, because it
had already been obtained in the planning process.
Criteria for preauthorization may be a combination
of geographic, seasonal, biological, or other factors.
The intent of preplanning and preauthorization is to
minimize the interval between the time of the oil
spill and the time of dispersant application because
dispersant effectiveness may decrease dramatically
relative to the elapsed time.
Preauthorized dispersant use decision making
to reduce response time was pioneered by the
Alaska RRT. The RRT had developed a
comprehensive Regional Contingency Plan (RCP)
dispersant use annex ("Dispersant Use Guidelines")
with input from industry and fishermen's
associations. The Guidelines divide Prince William
Sound into three zones, each with a different
preauthorization process (see Figure 10).
Zone 1 - The use of dispersants is acceptable
and is preauthorized by the RRT at the discretion
of the OSC.
Zone 2 - The use of dispersants is conditional to
protect sensitive resources. Dispersant use is likely
to cause less harm in this zone than would result
from its non-use. Prior to authorization, the OSC
is required to submit a formal proposal to obtain the
concurrence of the EPA and Alaska Department of
Environmental Conservation (ADEC) RRT
representatives.
Zone 3 - The use of dispersants is not recom-
mended. Dispersant use is likely to cause more
harm in this zone than would result from its non-
use. Prior to authorization, the OSC is required to
Appendices-23
-------
submit a formal proposal to obtain the concurrence
of the EPA and ADEC RRT representatives.
The evaluation of an incident-specific disper-
sant application is a qualitative and subjective
undertaking. The retrospective analysis of both
decision making and operational effectiveness
should avoid comparisons with earlier case histories
which either cross a generation gap on the disper-
sant development timeline or involve a different set
of incident-specific variables. Each RRT post-
incident analysis should evaluate the dispersant
section of the OSC report required for major oil
spills, draw conclusions, and offer recommendations
for national, regional, and local improvements.
National dispersant use policy guidance for
coastal OSCs and RRTs was distributed by the Coast
Guard in October 1987 in a "white paper" entitled
Dispersant Use Considerations (Commandant (G-
MER), unpublished). The text recognizes the
importance of regional autonomy in the develop-
ment of comprehensive dispersant use contingency
planning at the regional and local levels and is
intended to provide a measure of consistency to the
approach used by RRTs.
The Interagency Technical Committee for the
former EPA Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated
Test Tank (OHMSETT), whose membership in-
cludes the Minerals Management Service, the Coast
Guard, EPA, the U.S. Navy, and Environment
Canada, commissioned a National Research Council
study entitled Using Oil Spill Dispersants on the
Sea. The study was published in February 1989
and addresses the ecological, esthetic, and economic
elements of dispersant use in open water. It also
includes an assessment of the adequacy of
dispersant-application technologies available for
spill response. The study draws conclusions and
offers recommendations on all aspects of dispersant
use. The study is currently under consideration by
the Interagency Technical Committee.
References:
Eraser, John P. "Methods for Making Dispersant
Use Decisions," Proceedings of the 1989 Oil
Spill Conference, American Petroleum Institute,
Washington, D.C., 1989, pp. 321-330.
Manen, Carol-Ann, (et al.). "Oil Dispersant Guide-
lines: Alaska," Oil Dispersants - New Ecological
Approaches, ASTM STP 1018, L. Michael
Flaherty, Ed., American Society for Testing and
Materials, Philadelphia, 1989, pp. 144-151.
National Research Council (NRC). Using Oil Spill
Dispersants on the Sea. National Academy
Press, Washington, D.C., 1989, 335 pp.
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Commandant (G-MER).
Dispersant Use Considerations. Washington,
D.C., 1987, (Unpublished, 18 pp.).
' Appendices-24
-------
APPENDIX E. STATE OF ALASKA
DISPERSANT USE DECISION MATRIX
OIL MOVING ONSHORE OR
INTO CRITICAL AREA(S)
YES NO
IS PHYSICAL CONTROL
AND RECOVERY FEASIBLE?
-YES-
YES
NO
* I
IMPLEMENT
1
F
ARE CONTROL/RECOVERY
ACTIONS ADEQUATE?
YES
NO, OR PARTIALLY
CAN OIL TYPE AND CONDITION
BE CHEMICALLY DISPERSED?
YES
NO
IS A DISPERSION
OPERATION POSSIBLE?
-NO-
YES
WILL IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH CHEMICAL
DISPERSION BE LESS THAN THOSE RESULTING
WITHOUT CHEMICAL DISPERSION?
-NO-
YES
REQUEST APPROVAL FOR
USE OF DISPERSANTS
USING ATTACHED PROCEDURE
-YES-
IS ACTION REQUIRED
OR DESIRED?
TREAT
ONSHORE
NO
WILL VULNERABLE RESOURCES
OR HABITATS BE ADVERSELY
IMPACTED WITHOUT DISPERSANT USE?
SOURCE: ALASKA REGIONAL CONTINGENCY PLAN
1 Appendices-25
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APPENDIX F. NATIONAL RESPONSE TEAM MEMBERS
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce (NOAA)
Department of Defense
Department of Energy
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Department of Health and Human Services
(ATSDR)
Department of the Interior
Department of Justice
Department of Labor (OSHA)
Department of State
Department of Transportation (Coast Guard)
Department of Transportation
(Research and Special Programs Administration)
Mr. Bill Opfer
Mr. George Kinter
Mr. Brian Higgins
Mr. Richard Dailey
Mr. Jim Makris, Chair
Mr. Craig Wingo
Ms. Georgi Jones
Ms. Cecil Hoffmann
Ms. Sheila Jones
Mr. Frank Frodyma
Mr. Bob Blumberg
Capt. Richard Larrabee, Vice-Chair
Mr. Alan Roberts
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mr. Bernard Weiss
Appendices-26
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APPENDIX G. ACRONYM GLOSSARY
ACOE: Army Corps of Engineers
ADAMHA: Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental
Health Administration
ADAPTS: Air Deployable Anti-Pollution
Transfer System
ADDS: Air Deliverable Dispersant System
ADEC: Alaska Department of
Environmental Conservation
AIREYE: See Appendix C, Equipment
Glossary
ANILCA: Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act
ANS: Alaskan North Slope
AOSC: Alyeska Oil Spill Coordinator
ATSDR: Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry
CDC: Centers for Disease Control
CERCLA: Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (Superfund)
CG: U.S. Coast Guard
COTP: Captain of the Port
CWA: Clean Water Act
DOD: Department of Defense
DOE: Department of Energy
DOI: Department of the Interior
DOMS: Director of Military Support
EPA: Environmental Protection Agency
FAA: Federal Aviation Administration
FDA: Food and Drug Administration
FOSC: Federal On-Scene Coordinator
FWS: Fish and Wildlife Service
FY: Fiscal Year
IBRRC: International Bird Rescue Research
Center
IMO: International Maritime Organization
JTF: Joint Task Force
LANTAREA: Atlantic Area (USCG)
MAC: Military Airlift Command
MARCO: See Appendix C, Equipment
Glossary
MSO: Marine Safety Office (USCG)
M/V: Motor Vessel
NCP: National Oil and Hazardous
Substances Pollution
Contingency Plan (National
Contingency Plan)
NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
NRC: National Response Center
NRC: National Research Council
NRS: National Response System
NRT: National Response Team
NTSB: National Transportation Safety
Board
OSC: On-Scene Coordinator
OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health
Administration
OWOCRS: Open Water Oil Containment and
Recovery System
PACAREA: Pacific Area (USCG)
RCP: Regional Contingency Plan
RRT: Regional Response Team
SSC: Scientific Support Coordinator
SUPSALV: Supervisor of Salvage (U.S. Navy)
TAPAA: Trans-Alaska Pipeline
Authorization Act
TAPS: Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
T/V: Tank Vessel
USCG: U.S. Coast Guard
VIKOVAK: See Appendix C, Equipment
Glossary
VTS: Vessel Traffic Service
1 Appendices-27
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APPENDIX H. SHORELINE IMPACTS
Exposed Rocky Shores
o Common along open coastal areas of Prince
William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska.
o Composed of steeply-dipping to vertical bedrock.
o Exposed to moderate to high wave action.
o Barnacles, mussels, snails, and various species of
algae are common in most areas.
Predicted Oil Impact
o Most commonly, oil will be held offshore by
waves reflecting off the steep cliffs.
o On less steep shores, oil may come onshore.
o Oil persistence is related to the incoming wave
energy; during high-wave conditions, oil persis-
tence is limited to days.
o Oil trapped in tidal pools will kill resident or-
ganisms.
o The damage to the intertidal community is ex-
pected to be relatively light, with fairly rapid
recovery.
o Diving birds using these rocky sites may be killed
if oiled.
Recommended Response Activity
o On most shores, no cleanup is necessary (and may
be dangerous).
o Access is usually difficult.
o Cleanup of recreational areas may be necessary;
high-pressure water spraying is effective while
oil is still fresh.
Exposed Wave-Cut Platforms
o Very common along exposed portions of inner
Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska.
o Consist of wave-cut or low-lying bedrock.
o May be very wide due to large tidal range.
o Commonly contain narrow, mixed-sediment
beaches along the high-tide swash zone.
o The lower intertidal zone contains extensive algal
growth.
o Tide pools and organisms are common in the
lower-to-middle intertidal zone.
Predicted Oil Impact
o Incoming oil commonly will form a band along
the high-tide swash line.
o Tide-pool organisms may be killed.
o Lower intertidal algae may escape damage, de-
pending on tidal stage and oil type and quantity.
o Oil persistence is limited (days to weeks) in most
high-energy areas.
Recommended Response Activity
o In most wave-exposed areas, cleanup is not neces-
sary.
o Removal of organisms should be avoided.
Source: Adapted from NOAA, 1983. Sensitivity of Central Environ-
ments and Wildlife to Spilled Oil, Prince William Sound. Alaska.
' Appendices-28
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Mixed Sand and Gravel Beaches
o Very common throughout the study site.
o Present in both sheltered and exposed areas.
o Common as a narrow beach or stringer to top of
bedrock platforms.
o Composed of coarse-grained sand, gravels of
varying sizes, and possibly shell fragments.
o On active beaches, organisms are scarce due to the
harshness of the environment.
o In stable habitats, algae may be attached to the
larger gravel or boulder components.
o The larger rocks also may provide habitat for
mussels, crabs, and snails.
Predicted Oil Impact
o Oil will be deposited primarily along the high-
tide swash zone.
o Under very heavy accumulations, oil may spread
across the entire beach face.
o Oil percolation into the beach may be up to 60 cm
in well-sorted material.
o Burial may be very deep along the berm.
o Biota present may be killed by the oil, either by
smothering or by lethal concentrations in the
water column.
Recommended Response Activity
o Remove oil primarily from the upper swash lines.
o Removal of sediment should be limited.
o Mechanical reworking of the sediment into the
wave zone and/or high pressure water spraying
can remove the oil effectively; sorbent boom
may be necessary to capture oil outflow.
Gravel Beaches
o Fairly common throughout areas dominated by
bedrock.
o Composed of gravel of varying sizes.
o Shell fragments and woody debris also are com-
mon beach components.
o Biomass generally is very low in high-wave areas;
at calmer sites, the population of fauna and
attached algae may be fairly great: crabs, snails,
mussels, barnacles, and attached algae are most
common.
Predicted Oil Impact
o Under light-to-moderate oil concentrations, oil
would be deposited primarily along the high-
tide swash zone.
o With heavy oil quantities, the entire beach face
may be covered.
o Oil may percolate rapidly and deeply (up to 1 m)
into the beach face.
o If oil is left to harden, an asphalt/gravel pavement
may result.
o Resident fauna and flora may be killed by the oil.
Recommended Response Activity
o Removal of sediment should be restricted.
o Pushing gravel into the active surf zone and use
of high-pressure water spraying is effective in
removing oil while it is still fresh.
o Sorbent boom should be used to capture oil out-
flowing during the cleansing process described
above.
Appendices-29
-------
Exposed Tidal Flats
o Particularly common in Orca Inlet and in front of
the Copper River delta.
o Also found on the very wide uplifted bedrock
platform fronting Kayak Island.
o Visible only at low tide.
o Exposed to low-to-moderate wave energy and/or
tidal currents.
o Composition is most commonly sand or mixed
sand and gravel.
o Species density and diversity may be high; soft-
shelled clams and worms are most important.
o Many millions of migrating birds use these flats as
a seasonal feeding ground.
Predicted Oil Impact
o Most oil will be pushed across the flat as the tide
rises.
o Deposition of oil on the flat may occur on a
falling tide if oil concentrations are heavy.
o Biological damage may be severe.
Recommended Response Activity
o Cleanup is very difficult (and possible only during
low tides).
o The use of heavy machinery should be restricted
to prevent mixing oil into the sediments.
o On sand flats, oil will be removed naturally from
the flat and deposited on the adjacent beaches
where cleanup is more feasible. In gravelly
areas, oil may bind with the sediment; high-
pressure water spraying may be necessary.
Sheltered Rocky Shores
o Composed of bedrock outcrops, ledges, or bould-
ers.
o Common within the sheltered, interior portions of
Prince William Sound.
o Species density and diversity vary greatly, but
barnacles, mussels, crabs, snails, and rockweed
often are very abundant.
Predicted Oil Impact
o Oil will persist for several years, especially be-
tween rocks.
o Upper intertidal biota and algae will be the most
severely affected.
o Algae present in the lower intertidal zone are most
resistant to damage.
Recommended Response Activity
o These areas need priority protection using
deflection booms, sorbent booms, and offshore
skimmers.
o High- and low-pressure water spraying is effec-
tive while oil is still fresh.
o Cutting of oiled algae is generally not recom-
mended.
1 Appendices-30 '
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Sheltered Tidal Flats
o Very common in the upper portions of Orca Inlet,
adjacent to marshes of the Copper River delta,
and in the upper portions of many fjords.
o Present in calm water habitats, sheltered from
major wave activity.
o Composed of muds.
o Usually contain large populations of razor clams,
worms, and snails; commercial harvesting of
shell fish occurs on many of these flats.
o Seasonally, bird life is very abundant (millions) in
the Copper River delta/Orca inlet area.
Predicted Oil Impact
o Oil may persist for many years.
o Incorporation of oil into tidal-flat sediments over
the long-term is common.
o Oil deposition commonly will occur along the
upper fringes of the flat.
o Very heavy oil accumulations will cover much of
the surface of the flat.
o Biological damage may be severe.
Recommended Response Activity
o This is a high-priority area necessitating the use
of spill protection devices to prevent or limit oil
spill impact; open-water deflection, sorbent
booms, and open-water skimmers should be
used.
o Cleanup of the flat surface after oiling is very
difficult because of the soft substrate.
o Manual operations from shallow draft boats may
be helpful.
Marshes
o Small marshes common at the head of many
fjords; broad fringing marsh along the Copper
River delta.
o Very sheltered from wave and tidal activity.
o Composed primarily of Spartina grasses on an rich
organic mud base.
o The Copper River delta region supports over 20
million migratory shorebirds and several hund-
red thousand waterfowl.
o Marshes are nursery grounds for numerous fish
species; also, crabs are particularly common.
o The Copper River delta area is the only nesting
area of the dusky Canada goose.
Predicted Oil Impact
o Oil in heavy accumulations may persist for
decades.
o Small quantities of oil primarily will be deposited
along the outer marsh fringe or along the upper
wrack (debris) swash line.
o Resident biota, including bird life, is likely to be
oiled and possibly killed.
Recommended Response Activity
o Under light oiling, the best practice is to let the
marsh recover naturally.
o Cutting of oiled grasses and low-pressure water
spraying is effective, especially during the early
part of the spring growing season.
o Heavy oil accumulations on the marsh surface
should be removed manually; access across the
marsh should be greatly restricted.
o Clean-up activities should be supervised carefully
to avoid excessive damage to the marsh.
Appendices-31
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