1990-06-04 Regular MeetingEMERGENCX SERVICES COUNCIL
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
June 4, 1990 @ 13:00 a.m.
Bob Brodie, City of Kodiak Mayor, opened the meeting and sail th9..
is a good time to up -date and to ask each agency, incluuinr- ;xxoti
and the Coast Guard, what they have in mind fo; the summer.. Aft..?:,
each representative present introduced themselves, the Mayor a:keu
Randy Buckley, Exxon, to speak.
Randy Buckley explained his role as the Exxon operations
coordinator responsible for clean up in Prince William Sound,
Kenai, and Kodiak and transportation and logistics (which is
resupply of crews). He said he is involved in the contingency
response vessels. He explained Exxon's plan for the summer after
working all winter doing surveys and looking at the conditions of
shoreline for spring surveys. A general plan was submitted to the
FOSC and it set out the strategy under which Exxon would operate.
The May 1.5 plan was approved and what Exxon set up it that plan was
snring survey conduct with state and federal agencies, land
managers, and scientific.., : aiemberL of the survey team. Exxon's plan
w�,s to define work scope, and Lhe objective was to know job ahead.
The su-ve,y has bear, c ompleteC in Prince William Sound and
operations started on April 20. A update was submitted in late
April to the FOSC on how many resources would be required. Exxon
committed vc. an update again on June 15 which will finalize where
Exxon stand.e on resource3 relative to the work scope including
Kodic0r. What Exxon committed in late April was eight squads. The
clean up is reviewed as one with resources being moved around.
Exxon has had up to three squads operating in Kenai and the
remainder in Prince William Sound. The shoreline survey results
are encouraging. Last year, 1,100 miles and this year 70 miles.
Another example is to look at the resources remaining to do the
work. Exxon uses survey results and factors from last year and
work that into estimate on time required. The FOSC, in approving
the plan, suggested a requirement that Exxon complete the clean up
exercise by August 15 in order for another survey to be done in the
fall prior to the shut down of the agencies. This will be the same
exercise as this spring but of the shorelines treated this summer.
The results of the survey are expected to be good. Exxon defines
how much work and how many resources to do it. He said that Exxon
is ahead of their curve and sees no problem with the August 15 date
to complete. On June 15, Exxon will take a hard line. In Kodiak,
squad #9 will start up tomorrow. The "Sea Trader" is in Kodiak
today and workers will be in tomorrow. They should be working this
week in the Kodiak area. In addition to the "Sea Trader", there
are eight workers, the supply boat "Alberta Tide", and two work
boats --"Cyclone and "King David". The work will start this week.
Mr. Buckley reviewed the numbers as of May 30, 1990 for the scope
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o;- work, 1.26 segments, 225 miles of shoreline; lest than.: 1/2 mi .
°
shoreline widely oiled; two miles moderately oiled; foul- in-'l,-z;
nL;7-:owly oiled; fifty miles very lightly oiled; and 173 having ro
oii. The segments of last year have been subdivided: 1.267111 rri.th
81 needing no treatment and 70 to be treated. Of the 70 to he
t;r:,_4:ed, 66 are to be treated by manual mechanical, e.g. shovels or
bioremeoiation. This has been reviewed by the land managers and
signed by the FOSC.
Mr. Buckley stated that Exxon has more than ample resources to gpc.
the job done by August 15, 1990. in response to concerns to Otto'c.-
lettez- regarding the June date, Exxon will try to get the work done
as quickly as possible. Flexibility is needed in moving things
around. Right now`, one squad looks like it will be enough to do
the work defined here. On the "Sea Trader", Kodiak will have eight
beach workers, one Veco foreman, a land manager, and a state
monitor. The Veco manager is from Kodiak. There are two teams of
eight workers each working on a staggered schedule.
At this point, Mr'. Buckley answered questions from the audience.
Mike-, Goodwin,, Chairman of the Shoreline Committee, asked about the
resisliz of_t:AA six week bioremediation treatment trial in Prince
Willin.m Sound.
Mr. Buckley repl�.ed that it is a monitoring program. Exxon does
have monitoring efforts being -conducted that are ongoing. Forty to
fifty miles of selected shoreline are watched for changes. Also,
EPA is using oyster :larvae to test'and first readings showed all
survived. The preliminary results are good. The first application
was May 20 so it is too early for oil degradation, but it looks
improved. There have been wome concerns on the effectiveness of
the wildlife balloons so some counts will actually be done.
Mr. Goodwin asked for a definition of the work orders.
Mr. Buckley said they are Class 1 which gives squads with local
consultants the ability to make minor changes to job scope as
defined by the work order, Class 2 which records more significant
changes in the technical scope, and Class 3 which is something very
significant that would require mechanical equipment on shoreline.
Also, if there is no agreement on the shoreline by the monitors,
that can be brought forward to go through the TAG process. Then
each will have an opportunity to put forth recommendations. The
work orders are provided by the FOSC and very detailed to set out
specifics.
Mr. Buckley said the communication systems aboard the boats are
regular marine radios. He said he would get more information about
the radios if it is needed. There are also fax machines on the
vessels. A communications system will be established.
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Mr. Buckley said that since the beginning, Exxon has had a two. -seek
look -forward program on segments to be done. Exxon has also
developed an in-house daily outlook of a week forward. He will
provide two-week outlook document that will identify segments for
the next two weeks, but cautions that 'these may be changed.
Fran Bennis, DEC, asked if a level of continuity will be kept.
Commander Archie Smith, USCG, said that squad 9 is on a weekly
schedule.
Jerome Selby, KIB Mayor, asked for a tentative schedule from Exxon.
Mr. Buckley said there would need to be flexibility and working
together. The "Yukon" is coming into Ishuit Bay and after
finishing will go back to Prince William Sound. The Kodiak clean
up is the simplest and more straightforward with people doing the
work. The "Cyclone" can carry passengers as it is equipped with a
six-pack license. The "King David" can only carry oily waste.
A DEC representative asked about storage of waste.
Mr.•Buckley replied that the "King David" is the oily waste vessel.
The''"Alberta Tide" will pick up the oily waste and take it to
Seward, not Kodiak. The Kodiak crew is an all -Kodiak crew and will
be coming back to Kodiak for crew change -out. Some of the supplies
will come out of Kodiak but mostly out of Seward. Every two weeks
on a Monday, the crews will change -out.
When asked about hot water washing and the use of Corexit, Mr.
Buckley said it probably would not be hot water washing. if
approved, there will be spot washing. The problem with the oil now
is that it has weathered so much. The temperature of the water has
to be increased to 160 degrees to remove it. The concern with 160
degree water is safety in handling it by the workers. With
Corexit, the water temperature can be dropped to 110 degrees. He
said small isolated areas may be treated with less than a gallon to
loosen up the remaining oil.
Jerry Hammond, National Parks, asked when do the land managers go
out.
Mr. Buckley said that Exxon would like a land manager on the boat
for 14 days. Since scheduling allows for only one land manager on
board for that particular area, land managers would have to be
"swapped -out".
Mr. Hammond said that scheduling is very important to enable the
agencies to look ahead.
Mr. Buckley said Exxon has a proposed sign -off form by the Coast
Guard, Exxon, and ADEC as the three primaries defining the work
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chat he3 been completes'. The land managers are in on the sig,i-off
now the t: stai.nr. the work defined by the work order' has been
com"lle .:.
Cowcuander Smith added that the final sign -off process has not been
desAned yet. Adruiznl Clanca.glini is in Washington on that now.
14_ .. Ruckley continues! Lhat Exxon will work closely with ADF&G on
the fishery concerns as almost a separate process on-going at the
same t:in!G ass a scheduled activity. if there is a fishery concern,
Enron will get on it as soon as possible. Fisheries will be a high
priority that overlays the schedule. Mr. Buckley said he is having
a oummaiy of all fishery --identified concerns put together today.
That will furnished describing the action. Exxon will clean by the
date needed or say why they can't.
Mr. Buckley was reminded that the first fishery opening is June 9,
1990, by a ADF&G representative.
Mr. Goodwin asked how Exxon veil i• be dealing with oiled logs.
Mr. Bunkl.ey replied that a letter has been received by DNR on the
State's response to burning logs.
Mr. Goodwin asked if Lxxon will. provide identification of
environmental consultants.
Mr. Buckley said that T C attaches the environmental constraints to
the work orders and tho VOSC approves. Time windows will be well
defined on work orders.
Mr. Buckley explained that crews can be added and crews can be
moved. Squads will be moved around as the work needs to be done.
Mr. Goodwin asked if marine litter could be addressed since Exxon
is out on the beaches.
Mr. Buckley said they pick up some but are limited on what they can
do. He stated that if marine litter is oiled, it is picked up.
Mayor Selby as if there is any plan to look at the rest of the 225
miles of shoreline.
Mr. Buckley said that he is not aware of any additional shoreline
surveys.
Mayor Selby stated that he would like Exxon to look at the critical
habitat areas so an area would not be overlooked.
Ms. Bennis said that ADEC, ADF&G, and National Parks will have
people looking at different areas throughout the summer.
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Bob Brodie, City of Kodiak Mayor, asked if the segments K:CC
identified have been recorded for further action. He also asked if
KSCC agrees with the miles the TAG group identified.
Mr. Buckley said that of the 225 miles of shoreline, 170 have no
oil.
Mayors Brodie and Selby asked the oily waste picked up by the
setnetters issue.
Mr. Buckley said he will carry those concerns back.
The meeting adjourned at 11:40 a.m.
Meeting recorded by:
�i Cy2Yttt 7� '7 Y L'r I
'Donna F. Smith
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