06/05/1989 Regular MeetingKodiak Emergency Response Team
June 5, 1989 @ 5:00 p.m.
Kodiak, Alaska
EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL
MATT ROBUS (FISH & GAME): Flew north around Isuhit, Kitoi, McDonalds Lagoon
and found a 50 yard by 50 yard of new appearing mousse that had come ashore.
We say new because there it had no vegetation around it and was all in one
glob. Several sights of silver sheen.
JIM WADE (EXXON): You say the mousse was ashore?
ROBUS: Yes, we will have specific location as soon as he gets back from
evening flight.
JAY BELLINGER (KODIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE): CBS 48 Hours have been asking
questions but camerman is not here yet.
DISCUSSION ON CBS 48 HOURS PROGRAM.
TONY SCHETZSLE (PARKS): One of the catcher boats just off Chiniak spotted a
big mousse slick, and it was a dead sea lion they had hooked onto. Will get
more details tonight when I speak with the boat.
ROBUS: A C130 will go to Seward to pick up people to come to Kodiak as whale
attack team. Will try to get to Cape Karluk on that whale and Pasagshak on
that one.
DISCUSSION BETWEEN ROBUS AND SCHETZSLE.
BRAD BALCH (USCG): News is there is one repeater station up and working today
at Uganik Island which gives them coverage all the way to Chiniak. Second one
will go to Raspberry and a third one to Afognak. Looking for a fourth
coverage.
BELLINGER: Has anyone contacted the Refuge for permits?
BALCH: All came down from Valdez. I will bounce it off Valdez.
BELLINGER: I don't see any problem but may be a paper trail that needs to be
done.
WADE: I have been flying Raspberry Island oiled beaches and walked 3/4 mile.
Still small amount of oil in some areas down in cobbles where stone is large.
Down to Halibut Bay. Crew there cleaning. Few little small pieces of mousse
scattered around tideline. Oily kelp has been removed. Little kelp with sheen
around boat off Harvester Island. Wasn't able to get progress report on
hiring. They are actively doing it. We have moved a couple of teams to
Chiniak to begin cleaning there.
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BOB BRODIE (CITY OF KODIAK MAYOR): Did you see a lot of boats doing nothing?
WADE: As a matter of fact, I didn't. Only boats not doing anything were at
Port Bailey where waste barges are. Boats we saw were roundhauling mousse and
boats with cleanup teams.
ROBUS: An unconfirmed report about boat waste station in harbor. Have been
some delays in getting boats through. I got word an EPA rep in town working
with VECO and he put nix on a few slop tanks that they were going to put waste
into. He says the tanks had to be squeaky clean.
WADE: I talked to Veco and they said it's because if they run test on oil, a
used tank would have other materials. Regarding fish claims, local person has
authority to write some checks so checks should not take longer than 24 hours
unless they are over $100,000.
BRODIE: Will there be procedures or protocol of where these boats are to go.
Some clear understanding if someone out on a remote cape knows the steps to
satisfy Exxon.
WADE: I was under the impression that DEC would have in place inspections at
processors.
BRODIE: Is it clear to the fisherman if he has a rejected load of what to do
next and where to take fish?
WADE: John Harrington and John Peebe are working on that. What we are
attempting to do is set up with processors to cut a fish ticket and then they
would pay for catch.
BRODIE: I would like to see everybody on boats have a booklet on board telling
them what to do.
WADE: We will get that information to them after we get together with
processor.
BRODIE: In talking to Veco, they indicated a document that will be used
statewide.
WADE: There is a new contract Veco is using for any new charters. I don't
know if it has been decided just how they will be handling others. We are
still discussing it in Valdez.
BRODIE: We were told today since many charters have expired, this would be the
new contract. We asked for it to be run before us so when people came in
asking questions... It puts us at a disadvantage when these skippers ask why
contract is different. Not that we had to approve it but just review it. Veco
said today there would be a document provided statewide and new vessels will be
hired by this document.
WADE: We were informed by Valdez -we would not implement contracts for a
three-week period. Only new would be by Valdez. I can't answer you. We are
still discussing that with Valdez. When we get an answer, we will get back and
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discuss it with you.
BRODIE: Will you let us check it before presented to fishermen?
WADE: Well, we have two weeks and six days with the moratorium.
BRODIE: How does that affect our gearing up for five new crews that will be
going out?
WADE: I hope it won't.
BRODIE: What if you have them ready to go and no boat to put them on.
WADE: We are discussing this in Valdez. Let me work that problem before you
pin me down.
BRODIE: We have been working with Valdez, too. They told us the local people
don't have to go to Valdez. That is part of the frustration we share is
talking with them and what you feel people here feel comfortable to do.
WADE: Did they give you that in writing?
BRODIE: I will show it to you after the meeting.
DISCUSSION ON WHITE STUFF.
ROBUS: I suggested French might want to come up and tell us what he sees. He
tended to think it was a bunch of eggs and small marine organisms. I will find
a copy for you. May be he can come up and answer questions directly.
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