04/15/1989 Regular Meeting Part 2Oil Spill Management Team
April 15, 1989 @ 6:00 p.m.
PAGE: An NOAA representative has come to enlighten us about shellfish
contamination. The only place the flight crew say oil was at Shuyak
Island --heavy sheen, mousse, and light sheen. Another saw a large
concentration coming down from Chugach that looked fairly concentrated. On
beaches where oil has been sighted, we are going to put someone down to walk it
tomorrow.
SELBY: What about small boat contract?
WADE: The advice.we got was to buy skiffs from standpoint of wear and tear
and cleaning motors up. We buy existing skiffs from owners at a fair market
value --their price --and use them. If the motor breaks, we put another one on.
If the hull gets damaged, no loss to the owner. Then possibly sell skiffs back
after use. There are a lot of reasons for this decision --insurance on having
owner operate on a bare boat charter, having the owner being with the boat at
all times.
SELBY: Are you going to get them by tomorrow?
WADE: We would rather work this out. The VICO staff will staff or the
owner operate. If the owner wants to sail his boat on VICO payroll and operate
it, it's okay. If no one wants to sell, we will look at buying inflatable or
that sort of thing. We intend to be fair.
BRODIE: We had a village that sent in report of an oiled bird--Ouzinkie--and
want to start sending skills around.
SELBY: The draggers are underway?
PAGE: The draggers will be underway tomorrow morning.
MARK KANDIANIS: They may be able to go tonight. We had a meeting at 4
o'clock and they are ready to go. Holding off on Katmai because stuff
disappeared. Seiners thought it would be too much to handle in a deflection
mode.
PAGE: We need to fly where concentrations are. We can't warrant sending
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anything out there until we see something.
KANDIANIS: Another plan is to deploy draggers out there with seine and
typar to deflect it. The boats would station themselves in a line to deflect
it out in deep water.
SELBY: Can we get draggers in Katmai?
PAGE: First thing is to find oil.
SELBY: If the draggers are there, they may keep it off beaches. If you run
from here today after it's seen, the draggers can't get there in time. Put two
draggers there so they are ready to go so if chopper finds some, they are right
there to deflect it.
KANDIANIS: How many fly-bys a day?
PAGE: Usually two flights a day and the chopper.
CDR LAWRENCE KEISTER (NOAA): We didn't have good visibility today. Yesterday
I saw oil at Barren Island, Kennedy Passage, and Cape Douglas. Today we
didn't. We went to Gull Cape and monitored entire shoreline to Cape Douglas.
We were flying low enough to see bear tracks. We sampled some yesterday from
Shuyak. No samples over Cape Douglas.
SELBY: Flight yesterday said 10 miles long and 4 miles wide. I guess my
point is obviously it can get to Cape Douglas so it is appropriate time to
stick draggers in Bay.
LARRY NICHOLSON: I would like to see six or eight seiners dispatched around
island ready to deploy. This was we would have early warning. Sounds like we
have plenty of sieners ready to go.
PAGE: I don't think we have enough oil sighted to warrant vessels out
there. The idea Larry has may have some merit in identifying where oil is,
although there are overflights. We shouldn't think it will be effective in
recovery of oil.
SELBY: What Larry means is it would be early identification for closing a
bay for fishing.
KANDIANIS: It takes two days to get there, and if you have boats already
there, it is critical to keep in touch.
SELBY: With winds today, stuff is in straits and will go right towards park.
Dragger is out and gets the pack into the main current and right down the
Shelikof.
KEISTER: (Gave a report on a multi -discipline study underway by DEC and STATE
in Valdez.) Historically fisheries haven't been affected. No affect on food
chain.
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DISCUSSION ON OIL AND EFFECT ON THE FISHING, AND THE PATTERN OF WHAT THE OIL
DOES AS IT AGES IN THE WATER.
SELBY: What would be useful for us to profile the oil at Valdez, Prince
William Sound, and at Shuyak. it would give us an idea of what is on our
beaches.
BRODIE: Remember, if oil hits a village near a stream and it lodges there, it
will be very significant for fishermen.
PAGE: If it happens, if we there is a large, say, pancake, this stuff has a
high water content and most of the toxins have gone off. We attack it readily
if it is most significant, more than a light sheen. The scientists can run
tests on it and tell actually if there are any problems.
BRODIE: Since those things seem to be showing up in various places., are we
going to depend on someone actually patrolling the mouths of significant areas
and then notify us.
PAGE: I can see some merit. I still feel the best way is from the air but
this may work.
NICHOLSON: If we have bad weather, air traffic doesn't happen. If a boat
is there, it's better.
BRODIE: Also, an air picture is just at that time.
PAGE: If we do seem something from air, and if there is a boat there, it
can be handled immediately.
BRODIE to NICHOLSON: Do you have places in mind?
NICHOLSON: Yes, we have a list. At first we thought of camps but the
vessel idea is better.
BRODIE: We could get Larsen Bay or Old Harbor boats and put an expert on
them.
NICHOLSON: They could work around a centralized point and move there.
KANDIANIS: What about Katmai?
SELBY: In my mind, we still need big boat there.
WADE: 10,000' of boom has arrived.
REvr
DOLLY: Is the boom effective.
PAGE and WADE: Yes, it always depends on the seas but it betters your chances.
C2EFt
DOLLY: What do I tell villagers about eating contaminated fish.
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KEISTER: If you can't smell or taste it, it's okay. Don't worry.
NICHOLSON: Will leave list of areas we need spotters. Will the group see
it gets started.
BRODIE: Mark can identify nine boats to go out on station. If chopper
notices it, they will call boat.
NICHOLSON: Each boat will have sampling material.
KEISTER: I am going back to Valdez to head meetings of scientists and will fax
information to this group.
WADE: Move some of the boats that are out there around a little more and,
not send so many boats out.
SELBY: Still want to see two draggers at Katmai.
WADE: Let me think about sending more boats out and call the Commander. We
want to do what is necessary but we can't put boats out here when we are not
seeing oil.
BRODIE: You think about it overnight and we will talk about it in the
morning.
SELBY: How much progress is cleanup at Big Fort Island?
PAGE: We were unable to get a boat in there.
SELBY: Any word on barge?
PAGE: Seward is last I heard.
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