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1989-05-23 Regular MeetingKodiak Emergency Services Council May 23, 1989 @ 5:00 p.m. Kodiak, Alaska EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL LT. TOM CALLAHAN (NOAA) passed out copies of spreadsheet that includes what the SCAT team is doing, what they have assessed, and what they will be doing. Will get it out as more information comes. DEC introduced Michael White, DEC's attorney, who came down today and wanted to attend this meeting. LINDA FREED (ACTING KIB MAYOR): How does the SCAT team relate to work DEC has done and identified? CALLAHAN: DEC covered it before the SCAT team, and the SCAT team is going to those areas DEC has already identified and from it, the shoreline committee can direct cleanup crews. DAVE PARKER (DEC): I suggest we get it together and come up with something together. FREED: Is it possible the SCAT team can review with you? PARKER: We would need more help before we can pull them off a project just to check notes. COMMANDER RICHARD FORD (USCG): The SCAT team recommends and still has to be visited by DEC. WAYNE DOLEZAL (FISH & GAME): We hope to be to the point where agencies will direct the SCAT team. (Asked for discussion on how clean is clean.) PARKER: DEC contends we can't review this at this level. It would need to be faxed to headquarters. We won't be able to sign off at this level. We can prepare comments, etc., but final review comes out of Valdez. DOLEZAL: Commander Ford suggested on page 2 we add "some oil stained rocks may be present". Kodiak Emergency Services Council - May 23, 1989 Page 1 GIL BLINN (PARKS) introduced Craig Axtell, biologist for Parks. CRAIG AXTELL (PARKS BIOLOGIST): May want to add another phase between two and three to address mousse lens in substrate. DOLEZAL: If it is there, it is phase one. FORD: Or could be phase two. DOLEZAL: This is the end result regardless of which criteria is used. We need some standard. AXTELL: This is good. DOLEZAL: One of the concerns Fish S Game has is we will be opening and closing salmon fisheries so if we can come up with a task force using standard criteria, it might serve as a way for us to identify what is in the column. FORD: If we are concerned certain streams are impacted, we need to get SCAT team out there as their top priority. BOB BRODIE (CITY OF KODIAK MAYOR): When will shoreline committee meet again --tomorrow? DOLEZAL: That would be as good as time as any. DOLEZAL to JIM WADE (EXXON): Can you help us with ecological check list that is associated with final work of SCAT team. WADE: We sent it up to Valdez and routed through Valdez for discussion. WADE to PARKER: Bow long will it take? PARKER: Won't be overnight. FORD: Let's just implement plan and go with it until Valdez can come up with decision. Shoreline needs to be started. Does that sound acceptable? BRODIE & FREED: Agreed. CALLAHAN: Want to set a time tomorrow for shoreline committee to meet so we can get SCAT team out. FORD: Start as soon as possible. Besides prioritizing, take a look at what you have. WADE: If you can give us priorities, we can have SCAT team look. DOLEZAL: On the 12th of May, we did a list. BRODIE: We need to get ready and start outfitting more crews. Jack (Rickner - Kodiak Emergency Services Council - May 23, 1989 Page 2 nIQ12n Exxon) talked about getting more crews and vessels identified. WADE: We have 85 to 90, not including people in villages, and what we intend to do is break those crews into smaller crews. There are 80 people working on Katmai. Smaller teams would cover more area. We have a few problems but as soon as we can, we will. BRODIE: Are you going to split them up instead of putting on more crews? WADE: That is the way it looks right now. We have a work vessel in the Straits now that should help speed up the beach cleanup. There is additional landing craft and containers to store the wastes. We had ATV, but Parks Service said we couldn't use them. We are going to approach them again. Anyone here from Parks? BLINN: The problem is that they are five -wheelers and every time you turn, it will tear up the beach. Four -wheelers are okay. We agree with ATV, but want a machine that won't do further damage. BRODIE: Are these machines just received or used elsewhere? WADE: I don't know. FORD: I don't think they are used in Valdez? WADE: A crane, eight containers and room for more are on the Arctic Salver. Also, helicopter landing pad and helicopter, good communication system, and we are adding additional communications so we can talk to our folks over there. We will split teams into smaller teams and move them to another area. There will be an Exxon supervisor with each group. We are looking at ATVs that pull trailers. BLINN: Four-wheel, balloon tires, pulling a trailer move stuff off beach without tearing up turf. WADE: We already had a letter on file, but since they sent this equipment if we could use it, it would be great. We have looked for Kodiak four -wheelers and they aren't available. BRODIE: Jack said he wanted them the first day when he got the permit. WADE: But they have not been shipped. We looked locally and in Anchorage and not available. They are still on order but haven't arrived. BLINN: When did you say you are splitting up crews? FORD: Maybe all this is premature until we get prioritized sites. BLINN: Where are you proposing to send split up teams? WADE: A number of areas but haven't really decided, but we plan to take some Kodiak Emergency Services Council - May 23, 1989 Page 3 O�tt�t and move them into other areas instead of leaving 80 on one beach. FORD: It is a lot wiser to pull from existing resources. If a cleanup is high priority, it is quicker to pull from existing crew. BRODIE: Need to get shoreline committee so there is direction. CALLAHAN: Recommend we meet at 1:00 p.m. tomorrow. We are located at 508 B. BLINN: We are starting to think about long term for balance of summer for what we want to do on coast in terms of monitoring. Sierra Club is interested in taking a look as a conservation group. A directive that all contract not go above high tide. We want to prevent a recurrence of someone shooting a bear and somebody being endangered. MIKE GOODWIN (PARKS) to WADE: Our crew in Big Bay is reporting. that some vessels --4 or 5 --are beginning to burn trash on the beaches and the regulation prohibits it. If you could get some way to alleviate that trash problem, it would be helpful. It is trash from vessels. WADE: I will look into it. GOODWIN: I am thinking this from observation that there is a limited amount of boom that has been deployed and the snares seem to be working well, but the vessels don't have a lot of direction and are doing their own thing. Maybe I need to get together with the Coast Guard and Exxon. WADE: We have a boom expert up there. GOODWIN: I believe they are working in a different area and need to be moved. My guys watched the Navy skimmer skim two barrels in an hour and stop. It appears more oil could have been picked up from water and then the skimmer would be more efficient. BRODIE: Is a helicopter working with those to find oil. FORD: I don't think so. This clean up crew is working on a SCAT team report in that area. GOODWIN: The skimmer seems to be work well, but more area can be worked. Judy Bickner, historical preservation, will be coming in tomorrow, and I will try to get her around and introduced. BRODIE: We started movement a week ago to get SHIPCO to authorize getting someone here. Maybe this is a indication of that. DISCUSSION ON RICK KNECHT AND OTHER ARCHEOLOGISTS. GOODWIN to WADE: When I was talking with Jack last night, I approached him with possibility of volunteer cleanup crew. I know Exxon has some liability concerns and problems with actually doing a clean up. If workers were working Kodiak Emergency Services Council - May 23, 1989 Page 4 03832 for me to do cleanup, the State assumes liability. WADE: If volunteers want to volunteer services to the State, I don't think Exxon would have a problem with that. Let's get together and chat. BRODIE: It would have to be well thought out so there isn't public reaction. GOODWIN: There has been a volunteer response center established, and they have called me numerous times. WADE: I think Bob brought up a good point. BRODIE: If you can find support, we will try to work something out. GOODWIN: I am sure State wouldn't want to accept responsibility of cleanup. WADE: I will look into it and get back with you. JAY BELLINGER (KODIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE): Quite a bit of wild sick coming in, and Exxon has been busy dispatching planes. A second eagle this morning from Akhiok and has already gone to Anchorage. A hawk this afternoon from Karluk and it's still here --airplane casualty, not oil spill. Three sick sea otters came in and two are on way to Seward. One of them was caught in Larsen Bay. Found other two up Spiradon and they said it looked like more. Still a lot of dead --over 7,700 on birds logged in. PARKER: Regarding proposal --number one, we can't sign it here in Kodiak. DOLEZAL: The DEC representative in Homer signed, and the DEC representative in Seward signed. Scratch E and append it later. BRODIE: We need some kind of plan, and we can amend it as people have concerns. PARKER: On shoreline waste temporary storage, we have to sign off at this end and are on scene coordinating with Bob Flint as to sign off. FREED: I will call Bob Flint. BRODIE: We will go with original version as close as possible. DEC will bring their concerns to us as soon as possible. Then we will consider amending the document. This is what the Kodiak shoreline committee wants. How does it match with DEC concerns? DOLEZAL: It will be preferable to have everyone approve it before submitting it to the Coast Guard. FREED: Let me talk to Bob Flint, and I am sure we can work something out. FORD: Based on conversations with people in Valdez, Seward, and Homer, I would be willing to state there is potentially no free oil. Whatever oil we have has Kodiak Emergency Services Council - May 23, 1989 Page 5 0383:1 broken from one location and moved to another. We probably won't go to Stevens and Kennedy Passes unless we get news of more oil. (Read a report from Coast Guard Scat teams on flights today and NOAA/DEC observation report). I wonder, instead of bringing up new sites, we should also talk about cleanup activities. May focus people in on cleanup rather than what is coming next. LARRY NICHOLSON (DEPT. OF FISH & GAME): Are following up on last night's meeting with an executive board meeting. Between now and then I am going to put more effort in how we are going to try and monitor salmon openings and regulation requirements. NICHOLSON to COAST GUARD: Has there been a systematic report on Gore Point? FORD: Essentially no more free flowing oil. These are reports from people in that area. BRODIE: What about the Essayons looking at it and also vessels that could go look. NICHOLSON: That would be nice. FORD: What I am saying is there is very little possibility of more oil coming down but what is there can break up. WADE: Our reports are saying there is no more free flowing oil coming this way or is available to come this way. BRODIE: If we have enough vessels in that area, couldn't they do an active search? FORD: I can't imagine that they would go through stuff and not report it. We will emphasize if they see any, to report it. WADE: Bob, I just don't know how effective that would be. You can see it a lot better from the air. BRODIE: It was just a thought that if the vessels are there, they can do an assessment. WADE: I am not opposing if they are not doing something else that is more important. They have been instructed to keep their eyes open and report any. NICHOLSON: The thing that concerns me is what you can see from the air. If it is not flat calm, I am convinced you are going to miss it. FORD: Our primary means of locating it has been by aircraft. But, we will reemphasize the vessels reporting whatever they see. NICHOLSON: We saw quite a few areas where aerial surveys missed the oil, and it showed up on the beaches. There are problems with relying on aerial observations. Kodiak Emergency Services Council - May 23, 1989 Page 6 ATRIA DISCUSSION OF AERIAL OBSERVATIONS. WADE: I believe Seward is pulling boom out based on requests from Fish & Game. NICHOLSON: The original priority list was major red salmon list. It was a token sample. BRODIE to WADE: Early on, a city boom and oil dock boom got sent out, and we haven't charged anything for it. There is some concern that some boom be made available if we have an accident. They are getting nervous about violating their permits. City of Kodiak, Kodiak Oil Sales, and Petro Marine. WADE: We hope to pull boom out of some areas before long. We need to find a place to wet store the boom. Could you help us find a place. BRODIE: We will have to work with DEC to identify place. Are we going to get more helicopters? WADE: Why do we need to? BRODIE: Are you still sending people across Shelikof Straits in single engine? WADE: Only when necessary. BRODIE: I guess that isn't even acceptable. WADE: We currently have a second twin engine helicopter here and also will have one on the Arctic Salver. It may mean we will have to fly people over there in a twin and leave them there. We are trying to hold on to single engine helicopter that we have rather than turn it loose when twin comes in today. From day one we have had a problem getting aircraft, and I ask you to make the best use of them. NICHOLSON: Once we come to end of looking at oil move, we will go into a different mode. Until we do, we have to cover and it will be a lot of flying. On the Salver helicopter, is there a possibility of putting one of my people on to patrol the mainland? WADE: It will be a command center so we can't dedicate it to you. BRODIE: The Emergency Services Council doesn't feel people should be flown across the Shelikof Straits in a single engine. WADE: I think the second helicopter will help. BRODIE: Even if it means getting a third one in, just so you aren't taking chances. The other issue is having adequate helicopter support so these agencies can do what they need to do. WADE: We made a helicopter available to agencies to use and asked them to share it with us and we found out they aren't using it. We felt that the Kodiak Emergency Services Council - May 23, 1989 Page 7 helicopter wasn't being utilized properly. We are up to five helicopters. NICHOLSON explained that flights aren't off ground early because they need weather reports and a game plan to start with. BRODIE: The helicopter is a tool and is needed when needed. The agencies need to have them available. WADE: I am not opposed to going back and asking for another helicopter. I was told we aren't going to have another, but we can show need in that we are going to Shelikof Straits. I just asked you to utilize air craft we have as best you can. Our flying has picked up a consider amount. That will influence second helicopter. BRODIE: We have shifted course and as June 9 gets closer, you will see the level of intensity rise. WADE: We are trying to act on concerns, and we are trying to be reasonable. FORD to NICHOLSON: If the SCAT team is going to be concentrating on salmon streams as top priority, would you be willing to ride with them? NICHOLSON: If they are going to area that we need to go to. FORD: SCAT team could be dropped off and you go elsewhere. BRODIE: Where is typar project? WADE: Building litigation involving us of typar materials with the construction of boom. We have been instructed to discontinue the construction of typar boom and not to use any more and not to purchase any more material for typar boom. Also, materials in warehouse, we can't use. BRODIE: Can you give it to the Emergency Services Council? WADE: I don't know but I don't think so. BRODIE: What happens if Emergency Services commits to construction. WADE: I am not an attorney. We have been told not to do anything with it. BRODIE: Can you give us copies of the documents you have saying not to use it. WADE: I have not seen any documents. I have just been told that we can't construct any more and can't dispose of materials. BRODIE: That will be a major issue tomorrow. FORD: Does the Borough need additional boom as some may be available in Homer or Seward. Kodiak Emergency Services Council - May 23, 1989 Page 8 03836 BRODIE: Seems to be a perception that typar boom works. Isn't getting across to public when we say more boom is coming. WADE: Has Coast Guard or ADEC identified areas where we need more boom? I have said there is no more free flowing oil. I think we need to know if there is a considerable risk of oil getting into a stream that can be boomed and identify those. We need to get direction from Coast Guard where we need more boom. FORD: Only two sites I have told you about and they are in Trinity. I know public is on that issue. If they have specific concerns, we can get it there. WADE: We believe there are other alternatives to typar boom. FORD: If they have specific areas that need protection, ask them to identify it and we will get it boomed. MORE DISCUSSION ON TYPAR BOOM. WADE: Seems to me that the feeling is to go back to construction and not necessarily that we have a need. Needs to be emphasized when talking about typar that it's what needs to be boomed. Kodiak Emergency Services Council - May 23, 1989 Page 9 AIR17