05/16/1989 Regular MeetingKodiak Emergency Services Council
May 16, 1989 @ 5:00 p.m.
Kodiak, Alaska
EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL
RICHARD FORD (COAST GUARD): Weather socked in most everyone today. No
sightings to report. No cleanup to report. Yocona made it to Kukak and
established satellite communications. Have identified a steam source to heat
up the oil in the barges and supersuckers. With bagged wastes--absorbant
materials, boom, etc. --Exxon is looking into getting contents packed in barrels
and containers and shipped to Valdez to let them worry about it. Beach wastes
can be dumped into hoppers on the Essayons. This cures our problem
temporarily. Will be able to get stuff off fishing vessels.
JEROME SELBY (KIB MAYOR): What about non -oil garbage on vessels?
FORD: I wasn't aware that was a problem, but I will check into it.
SELBY: Several boats have a lot.
JACK RICKNER (EXXON): I believe we have contracted to Veco to take care of
that problem.
FORD: Met yesterday and got beach priorities going and by tomorrow will
schedule SCAT team to go look at them.
ARNIE SHRYOCK (DEC): Did fly today. Uyak Bay surveyed and has a moderate
impact. If weather calms down, we will try to get out this evening. Still
don't have second helicopter. I hope it will be here tonight or tomorrow.
(Introduced Dave Parker --will be here doing inspections while Mr. Shryock is
doing halibut inspections).
BOB BRODIE (CITY OF KODIAK MAYOR): Have you come up with anything on the tar
ball protocol and disposal.
SHRYOCK: We received a plan today from Exxon and I expect it to be approved.
Will be using Lash dock. Haven't received a formal proposal for on beaches.
Exxon has come up with a plan to heat the oil in a container and bring it to
the top to be skimmed. Should work. They figure they can do 9 tons an hour.
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Possibility if we can come to an agreement as to what is clean --it should work.
BRODIE: I was speaking of tar ball protocol for setnetters and villagers.
SHRYOCK: That is strictly a matter for Exxon. I made an agreement with Exxon
to work the crews available to setnetters with supplies and it to be hauled
back to Kodiak. Setnetters on their own need to make arrangements with Exxon.
The setnetters need beaches cleaned up right now so if Exxon can provide
manpower for that, they should be able to bypass priority process. It will be
beach setnetters cleaning up on site with Exxon providing people and supplies.
RICKNER: I am disconcerted with 300 sites having a five -man crew at each site.
SHRYOCK: If you made a set number available --say 100 --and setnetters could
depend on that crew, there would be a crew on hand.
RICKNER: That is a possibility. I was looking at 1500 folks. But, if there
were a manpower pool, I think working together, we can come up with workable
solution.
SELBY: Fish & Game would have a map of all the sites. Maybe it would be best
to start out with one or two teams.
RICKNER: That fits in with the mobile site crews. That sounds like a workable
plan.
SHRYOCK: Our crew reports the mousse looks like a dessert --frothy and foamy.
WAYNE (?): We have a video of that.
SELBY: Could we get a copy?
WAYNE: Yes.
SELBY to SHRYOCK: Can you get information on how FDA folks are going to work
in here?
SHRYOCK: Food & Drug are delivering notices of inspections and will be
rotating FDA and DEC until halibut stops. If there is a problem, it will
require DEC identification. Fishermen are allowed to take whole catches to
Exxon but will need a sign -off from DEC before Exxon will take it. FDA is only
here to assist. DEC will be the only ones able to sign off.
SELBY: Besides all the sites, they need to have somebody on a couple of
tenderers.
SHRYOCK: The tender operators and processors need to check every load.
SELBY: But they still have to be sign -off by DEC.
SHRYOCK: If it gets to be a problem, we will have to radio for help.
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SELBY: Can you ask your DEC to lay it out in black and white. I think we need
to beef it up now. I am asking about salmon season. My understanding is there
will be multiple FDA working with you.
LARRY NICHOLSON (DEPT. OF FISH & GAME): All this stuff will be hammered out at
the fishery meeting tonight.
SELBY: It needs to be resolved in the next five to ten days. I am asking your
DEC folks to lay it out and get with the group from fishing side and get
something that is going to work. You need someone on tenderers and canneries
around Island.
SHRYOCK: I agree we need more work here.
SELBY: Exxon was talking about having grinders on sites so if DEC.has to sign
off...
SHRYOCK: If we determine whole load is unacceptable, it will cover a lot.
SELBY: We need to be prepared for worse -case scenario, and it needs to be in
place in two weeks. We don't have much time.
BRODIE to RICKNER: Do you have anything in line if DEC rejects a load?
RICKNER: I understand those tender vessels have scales and will certify. Once
DEC signs off, it will go to fish grinding vessel. The claims office will
handle the claims.
NICHOLSON explained process of fish tickets and contaminated fish tickets.
NATIONAL PARKS gave a summary of where vessels were located to date.
SELBY: Is it planned to run the Essayons to pick up debris?
FORD: Will be in Kukak.
NOAA: We are weathered out.
Introduced Roy Overstreet of NOAH.
NICHOLSON: Has there been any changes as far as pickup activities in using
drag vessels pumping oil? I witness a major problem Saturday of them not being
able to be pumped out. They looked very effective to me.
SELBY: Where is Mark 4?
FORD: One weathered out and one still full of oil. We are looking for more
suckers or skimmers but so far no luck.
RICKNER: Essayons has Mark 1 skimmer on it and an operator arrived yesterday.
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FORD: I want to see what there is out there tomorrow. The majority may have
come up on the beach.
NICHOLSON: We had requested a helicopter and received a letter back from Exxon
saying they weren't interested in supplying it for this function. This is a
pretty vital role in trying to stay ahead of these fisheries. There may be a
possibility of a military helicopter as Lt. Madden mentioned earlier.
RICKNER: We fight same battle. It's one of our issues too. We expressed our
concerns because helicopters are the only way we can get from point A to B.
BRODIE: We will be talking to Bill Dahl tomorrow at our regularly scheduled
call. We will pass it around that Fish & Game and Exxon here need more
helicopters.
FORD: We are asking anyone flying to contact the Yocona on Channel 18 if they
spot oil. That way skimmer can be deployed to area and get it contained.
RICKNER: Susan Wagner is coordinating supplies on vessel caches and needs
everyone's help in reporting what they have used. I am encouraged with the
help Arnie is giving us on storage site. I think the other idea of beach
cleanup on fish sites looks very hopeful.
SELBY: Did typar patent problem get resolved?
RICKNER: I don't know, but Bill Dahl said we could use boom material that has
already been made. We are moving 4000' of boom to be dropped at Old Harbor and
one other place. Seems like the boom material is still available. I haven't
been authorized to go to typar to ask them to build any more. It's a topic you
might want to ask Bill.
SELBY: You got additional totes, bags, etc.?
RICKNER: Materials came in with superskimmer.
SELBY: The holdup we have had in cleanup is not there any more?
RICKNER: We have alleviated it for the time.
BRODIE: We called Anchorage this morning on getting more local autonomy for
Kodiak and not to have to go through Valdez.
FORD: I was redirected to a document that authorizes us to go to Type A beach
cleanup. The only thing we have to refer to Valdez is Category B cleanup.
HERMAN BUEKERS (CITY OF KODIAK) to SHRYOCK: We have also directed a need for
dry dock and it has been rescinded.
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