06/09/1989 Regular MeetingKodiak Emergency Services Council
June 9, 1989 @ 5:00 p.m.
Kodiak, Alaska
EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL
STEVE H4WICH (USCG): Some overflights underway both in Shuyak Island and
Cape Chiniak. No clean up today in Cape Chiniak because of weather (gale force
winds and 16' seas). Clean up continues at other sites at Shuyak and Larsen
Bay and various village sites and the setnetter program.
JEROME SELBY (KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH MAYOR): Do we have a feel for how many
setnetter beaches have oil?
JACK RICKNER (EXXON): I have requested one of our contractors to look at that
today, and he will give me a response on how much actual clean up we have had.
Initial report was not many sites.
GARY OTT (NOAA): Interagency Committee wanted me to explain our overlay on
map. Every agency is trying to identify oil on beaches in the same way DEC
has. Because of way we are able to see oiling, interagency committee was able
to establish priority list. Each overlay is a week's worth of reports. Old
data doesn't mean it's insignificant.
GIL BLINN (NATIONAL PARKS): New heavy oiling around Cape Gull --100-200 yards
long with mousse 4" thick. We will be writing up a list. Crews are moving on
to Hallo Bay and working salmon streams at Cape Chiniak. Once streams are
cleaned up, they go to work on the beaches.
BLINN INTRODUCED JERRY HAMMOND.
I will be leaving Sunday morning with a lot of regrets. I have enjoyed working
with the Agencies. We are going to try to get out and visit Cape Chiniak and
Hallo Bay tomorrow.
WAYNE DOLEZAL (FISH & GAME): Are in route to Old Harbor right now.
Unconfirmed report of 6 mile long oil on the south side of Tugidik. A
subsistence fisherman in Malina Bay had oil in subsistence net. It was attack
mousse under surface with no sign of sheen.
JAY BELLINGER (KODIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE): It was my net. Eight feet
down in one and 1 1/2' in other. Didn't see any sign of sheen.
DOLEZAL: Three miles on either side of Jap Creek.
BELLINGER: Have had good cooperation from Exxon in regards to wildlife. In
Kodiak response area, we had 22 live sea birds and cataloged 13,500 dead. 15
otters and cataloged 51 dead. 8 live eagles with 13 dead. 7 dead gray whales
but not verified as oiled yet.
ARNIE SHRYOCK (DEC): We do have some work on west side of Afognak to finish
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up. We want to get across to other side as it has been over a month. I am
asking my crew to be more careful running with single engine aircraft. We have
been promised hook up to Coast Guard/Exxon radio network.
RICKNER: I guarantee it.
SELBY: You once talked about leaving folks there.
SHRYOCK: If we get good weather for three or four days, we have made
arrangements to use a cabin. We have to have some kind of passive monitoring
system in place. The Borough has obtained some absorbant materials that are
being hooked on floats. These are not intended to act as a boom. The impact
of mousse on light fabric is very visible. We hope it will allow us to
monitor.
SELBY explained the early warning system to let us know mousse has come into
bay on a tide.
BOB BRODIE (CITY OF KODIAK MAYOR): A couple of weeks ago, we asked the
agencies, Veco, and Exxon to try not to fly across Shelikof. Are you going to
need a different helicopter?
SHRYOCK: We are flying two together.
RICKNER: Priority list the agencies has come up with is very helpful to us.
Also, the beach identification system is great.
EXPLAINED THE SYSTEM TO ADMIRAL ROBBINS.
At recommendation of Interagency Group, we are trying to consolidate teams 4, 5
and 6. Had a team yesterday to do light cleaning of re -oiled beaches at
Shuyak. We are working on radio communications and are working to get radio to
agency offices. Communications working on getting radio check on flights by
installing radios in all of them.
SELBY: Did you get report of oil coming ashore in channel?
RICKNER: We sent a team out to look all the way from Kodiak to find out major
areas of clean up, and we have sent clean up team.
SELBY: Out here on Spruce Cape?
RICKNER: The road system.
SELBY: I mean the beaches right out here on Spruce Cape. Can you get Veco to
get a crew out there. Mission Beach is one. We talk this morning to John
about a bounty bag program on road system. Around here, it would make a lot of
sense to me to let people deliver bags to Lash Dock.
RICKNER: We would prefer to go with Veco personnel who have been trained.
SELBY: If so, my request would be to get those teams there.
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SHRYOCK: It might be worth noting that when we originally talked work force,
we were looking at impact at one side of Island. Now we have impact on all
sides.
SELBY: We may need more than 10 teams with impact here and re -oiling. The
east side of Shuyak is oiled again. We have the whole east side to go again
and with 10 teams, they aren't going to make it this summer with the amount of
beaches we are adding each day. We are suggesting to you to start now thinking
of more than 10. Fourteen, sixteen, whatever the right number is.
RICKNER: With 10, we also added the villages and setnetter sites. We are
already above 10. We are certainly considering it as impact increases.
SELBY: I am getting concerned that with the new beaches and 10 teams won't
make it.
ADMIRAL ROBBINS (USCG): What is your level?
RICKNER: 311 including villages, 50 setnetters, as well as Veco cleaning
crews. We have manpower; it's getting berthing vessels.
SELBY: While crews are ready waiting for vessels, put them on the beaches.
RICKNER: I will get with Veco. 311 designated as beach cleaners. Not all
villages have designated beach cleaners. A breakdown would be 125 Native
available for beach cleaning and 50 setnetters with remaining 200+ Veco
personnel and that doesn't include team 7.
SELBY: Do you have answer for me on the additional gray geotextile for Fish &
Game.
RICKNER: No, I haven't.
SELBY: Put that on your list.
BRODIE: Questions asked at public meeting about the news media announcing
bounty has been approved.
RICKNER: We have not located that source and are trying to find out if it had
been approved or if it was a mistake.
INTRODUCED BILL RANEY (OPERATION MANAGER) AND WAYNE PURDO� (SENIOR EXXON REP IN
KODIAK WORKING WITH JACK).
SELBY: The next thing we need to start looking at is Type B clean up by
Interagency Committee.
BILL RANEY (EXXON) explained reasons why they are here and having the methods
available for clean up.
DISCUSSION OF OPERATIONS OF CLEANING, EFFECTIVENESS, DISTURBANCE OF WILDLIFE,
ETC., AND THE BALANCE.
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SELBY: If SCAT team has only been able to do 1%, what does it take to get
more?
OTT: You do not necessarily need a SCAT team to look at a beach before we ask
people to do work.
SELBY: Isn't the SCAT team involved in a post assessment to sign off?
CONSENSUS WAS THEY DO PREASSESSMENT. DISCUSSION ON SCAT TEAM.
ADMIRAL ROBBINS: Sign off is done by on -scene coordinator or representative.
Agencies should feed into ADEC and the federal on -scene coordinator. It is he
who signs off. That is the structure that I will enforce.
RICKNER: We are beginning to work in that line when our teams have gone
through and done what they have been permitted to do. We do contact agencies
to give them a time to look at it.
ADMIRAL ROBBINS: The land owner has a great deal of responsibility and his
position is very important. We have to have agreement on how it is going to
work, who has tie breaking vote, etc.
VIC KAZAKA (EXXON) (835-7711): Am working out of Valdez and my
responsibilities will be the ones Bill Dahl had. He is leaving.
MARTY KRAMER (EXXON): Coordinate activities of SCAT teams in the Gulf of
Alaska. Will be operating in Homer, Seward, and Kodiak.
ADMIRAL ROBBINS: I thought we were going to SCAT every sector.
RICKNER: Our clean up plan is not to move to any area until we have sign off
by Shippo. We have a SCAT team assessment and sign off before we even do Type
A.
BRODIE: That's inconsistent with our area plan.
RICKNER: According to SCAT, the only way you can tell it's an archeological
site is by someone trained.
DISCUSSION ON TYPE A CLEAN UP IN RELATIONSHIP TO SCAT TEAM.
ADMIRAL ROBBINS: I would like some tests on oil. This is the first showing of
this oil below the surface.
BRODIE: As long as it is clear the SCAT team isn't a precondition to getting
someone working.'
DISCUSSION ON ARCHEOLOGISTS WORKING ON BEACHES.
ADMIRAL ROBBINS INTRODUCED TIM BOLUNIS: My direct assistant in this area. I
don't want to hold up what is going on here. We want to help, not hinder.
TIM BOLUNIS (USCG): Commander Rick Meyers will be replacing Commander Balch
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who had to leave on an emergency.
ADMIRAL ROBBINS: We are trying to keep continuity without changing faces.
SHRYOCK: We certainly enjoyed working with Commander Balch at the interagency
level.
ADMIRAL ROBBINS: I don't want to stymie operation at all. I just want to make
it clear what everyone is doing. If land managers are satisfied, I am
comfortable.
COMMANDER BLACKETT ASKED FOR TOMORROW'S FLIGHT SCHEDULE.
HANOWICH READ ITINERARY AND NAMES OF REPRESENTATIVES GOING. CHANGES WERE MADE
TO INCLUDE MORE REPRESENTATIVES AND ANOTHER HELICOPTER. 9:00 a.m. takeoff with
everyone to be there at 8:30 a.m.
9:00 meeting Sunday morning of all the Agencies in the Assembly Chambers.
BRODIE to ADMIRAL ROBBINS: If you can help in formulating clear guidelines for
fishermen if their fisheries are affected by oiled equipment, we would like
that.
NUMBER OF TEAMS NEEDED FOR TIME LIMITATION NOW WITH SALMON OPENING SO CLOSE WAS
DISCJSSED WITH RANEY FROM EXXON.
BRODIE: My concern is we not think ten teams will do the job.
SHRYOCK: I don't think we were talking about including setnetters and Native
teams in beginning. We were looking at 10 teams, setnetters, and Native teams.
ADMIRAL ROBBINS: We need to walk the beach areas and get a better feel. Exxon
has promised me as the need exists, it will get on it.
(Correction to June 8, 1989, minutes. It was MATT MILLER who spoke, not
Freeman as reported.)
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