1989-06-29 Regular MeetingKodiak Emergency Services Council
June 29, f)89 @ 5:00 p.m.
Kodiak, Alaska
EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL
JAY BELLINGER (KODIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE): Otter person coming in from
Tulsa, Oklahoma, on evening plane and Monday will go to Puoa Bay as fish and
wildlife person on cleanup. I go on annual leave and will see you on the 8th.
Should be change in critter count tomorrow. We are still averaging 65
carcasses daily in Kodiak response area. Most of them are old carcasses.
JERRY HAMMOND (NATIONAL PARKS): In process of changing over on some ranger
protection personnel. Have been pretty close to some serious bear problems,
but people are working to continue to have a safe operation. If weather
breaks, we should be operational in repeater system up on Raspberry, and we
will have better contact with our people.
JEROME SELBY (KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH MAYOR): Are you folks still having oil
coming ashore?
HAMMOND: We didn't have any reports of new oil coming in. They are working
behind bouwed areas. After cleaning one day, they will find mousse the next
day. It is mostly in areas of large cobbles.
SELBY: They aren't really finding stuff coming in at this time7
HAMMOND: No.
SELBY: In the last three days, have they got from Cape Douglas on with
flights?
HAMMOND: In Cape Douglas areas that showed mousse a couple weeks ago, they
don't find it. They aren't sure its new hits or from the sun. We are going to
mark area from K9 Zone 7 and will give everyone a copy of how we are numbering.
My point is so everyone will use same numbering system.
SELBY: Anichiak?
HAMMOND: A Goose down there found areas with light hits. No major hits. One
in the middle of Anichiak Bay that I have already reported. Have other bays
that have small amounts.
LT. TOM CALLAHAN (NOAA): Fairweather has been doing fishing samples and will
be doing sediment samples. Also, doing some work with mussels, and they will
go back and resample.
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SELBY: What happened to subsistence beach meetings?
CALLAHAN: That is something we still need to get together on.
SELBY: Can we get results of sampling?
CALLAHAN: I don't know when they will be published, but I will find out. It
is all public information.
ARNIE SHRYOCK (DEC): Possibly warm weather is loosening mousse, and it's
refloating. Passive monitoring with warm weather is picking up more mousse.
Subsistence fish tissues from villages of Larsen Bay, Port Lions, Karluk, and
Akhiok are being worked on in a Palmer lab.
JIM SELLERS of the GOVERNOR'S OFFICE introduced himself. He is currently
assigned to oil spill coordinating office.
LARRY NICHOLSON (ADF&G): Chignik will open again from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
We have restricted fisheries to inside lagoon. I talked to Lt. Madden
regarding the availability of boom material ready to go into Chignik if it is
needed. He was going to find out. The meeting with the processors today was
for some of their concerns of progress of agreement signed between DEC and us.
They were concerned that unless the department actually gets into areas and
contaminates fish,. the probability of claim settlements are going to be
reduced. One of the recommendations was for us to front a small fleet in an
area of medium to high probability of contaminated waters and run a limited
fishery. They felt their case had to be proven. They also expressed strong
interest in a lab facility that could provide turnaround on oil and on test
fisheries. Crew found new mousse material at locations they covered. Under
conditions of trying to manage it, there's no reason to open. From Karluk to
Seven Mile Beach, there were no new hits. I have one person full time in maps,
and I will bring him along.
SELBY: Sounds like it's every day and you haven't found a clear day.
NICHOLSON: We haven't seen any clear days.
SELBY: You are indicating the processors aren't finding the memo covers them
if the bays are fouled.
NICHOLSON: No, based on other spills, it is whether Exxon would be able to
come up with a preseason agreement for payment. They feel the only way they
can be assured of loss of fishing is for vessels to get into it and contaminate
gear.
SELBY to WAYNE PURDOM (EXXON): Is that right?
PURDOM: We would like to see some tests fisheries making hauls in light sheen
so we could learn something and that could establish a claim.
SELBY: Test fisheries or fishermen?
NICHOLSON: What the industry is talking about ,is a mini -fleet outside of test
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fisheries.
SELBY: My only concern is to let fishermen go and contaminate gear. We have
back up gear for them. If they are going to do that, maybe take a backup net
and use it for a fishery now instead of using their own.
PURDOM: One way would be to purchase used nets.
NICHOLSON: From onset of test fishery program, it was our intention to set in
sheen. We actually contaminated gear. We decided it was foolish to waste the
gear. Boats taking tests would be as hard evidence as using test gear.
PURDOM: Our test fisheries have been in clean areas, and we should remember
this is a test fishery.
SHRYOCK: I think it would be risky to the Alaska fisheries industry in general
to show fishing in sheen. I think areas where there is an impact of mousse
would have more merit.
SELBY: Let's get DEC, ADF&G, and Exxon together to find a way to do.it without
taking fishermen out for the rest of the season.
DICK HENSEL (ADF&G): We are looking to deploy two DEC helicopters out of
Chignik and Cape Chiniak.
JIM WADE (EXXON): Cleanup teams are located essentially in the same areas.
Team 6 will be moving to Chief Point lagoon. Four skimmers --three of which are
working. Crew for fourth is in Homer and can't get to Kodiak because of the
waather.
SELBY: Do you have a destination for the fourth?
WADE: We haven't discussed that.
PURDOM: I think its in the area of Ugak.
MADDEN: Yes, Ugak.
PURDOM: We are talking about 17 teams with about the same number of personnel.
On subsistence analysis, Exxon is going to provide more information. The
current plan is to see what everyone else is doing and try to fit in. The
Natives are concerned and need answers.
WADE: About 450 people out there picking up oil --people physically on beach.
104 of them are setnetters.
SELBY: Are we getting reports on what they are doing?
PURDOM: Yes, we are doing better. We have taken steps to get a better
communication set up with the setnetters.
SELBY: It would help us get some feel for which areas have more stuff if we
could get that information.
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WADE: I will try to have some feel of that for you.
HAMMOND: Soma discussion of SCAT teams?
PURDOM: We are now at two and will have two more coming in and are talking
about a fifth.
HAMMOND: I think that would be helpful since work plan is based on that.
SELBY: Have we had any progress on cannery workers?
PURDOM: Discussions are continuing.
BOB BRODIE (CITY OF KODIAK MAYOR): Jim indicated to me that they are
optimistic in refining process to make cash advance payment and get it out as
quickly as possible.
SELBY: Boat contract meeting?
PURDOM: They are working on some things, and we are working on some things.
Another meeting should be fairly soon.
SELBY: I would like to see that get closure within the next week or so and not
run to close to that June 15th meeting.
PURDOM: We will probably be moving the Command Center tonight. The phone
number there is 487-4000. All people at Command Center now are going.
SELBY: Have you talked at all about the lab thing brought up by the Secretary
of Transportation?
PURDOM: I can see three or four alternative approaches.
SELBY: Did we get boom back to oil docks?
WADE: Not yet, but we are working on it and will have it soon. There is used
boom available, but we want to replace it with new boom. I think it did fall
through the cracks while I was gone, and I apologize for that.
SELBY: You have boom here if something happens?
PURDOM: A lot of our boom from here is in Chignik.
WADE: We will look into it. Hopefully, I can get it resolved before I leave
again.
SELBY: What is the possibility of having a desk at Command Center for
Governor's staff.
PURDOM: .We have two visitor desks.
MADDEN: Senator Stevens arrives tomorrow at Aoon: At 1:15 he will get on a
helicopter tour to Port Lions on Kodiak and Hallo Bay and Kaflia Bay on the
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Alaska Peninsula. From there he flies directly to Homer. He will touch down
at the stops. He wanted to see Type A oiling at different levels. I haven't
been able to confirm how much boom is in Chignik. Should phone Veco guy there
to see if it has been loaded back out.
MADDEN TO PURDOM: Maybe by tomorrow morning, we can get our heads together to
give Larry an idea.
MADDEN: I am leaving Tuesday for two weeks and will be back. Our force is up
to 39 Coast Guard with 20 more due in about ten days. That should give us
enough for a monitor on each.
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