07/11/1989 Regular MeetingKodiak Emergency Services Council
July 11, 1989 @ 5:00 p.m.
Kodiak, Alaska
EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL
ARNIE SHRYOCK (DEC): Really starting to implement our attempts to work jointly
with Fish & Game as much as possible in the field. In almost all cases, State
teams will be comprised of DEC and F & G habitat. Thursday, we are committing
a helicopter to Chignik area to assist in commercial fishery. There is plenty
of room to do DEC around fringe of those. It appears that it will work well in
the best interest of the State. We are trying to share resources as
effectively as possible.
Introduced Clark Pells, who just returned from Chignik.
CLARK PELLS: From the 5th to the 10th there. We found mousse from Chignik Bay
down to Kemp Pennisula--very scattered and light. It looked like it came in
about the 30th of June. It was high up on the beach and very, very light.
Mostly flecks on rocks and drifts. Fresh mousse near Aniachak Bay and Pevon
Bay. Some silver dollar size balls of fresh mouse on beach.
COMMANDER PHIL SMITH (USCG): Did you get a sample of that?
PELLS: Jay was doing sampling and picked up some. Found other oil that I
don't think is Exxon Valdez oil. Some seemed like diesel and some that seemed
to be grease. Sampled it all, and they are with Fish & Game. We were asked to
pick up three samples from Devils Bay but weather closed us in to get there.
SHRYOCK: Distances are about 300 miles southwest of Cape Douglas. Commander
Smith may want to point out some agreements we reached.
SMITH: Feel free to go ahead.
SHRYOCK: Some details haven't been work out but essentially agreed to find out
process that will keep crews moving rapidly. There is a need to document
progress. That is provided by segmented inspection record provided by the
Coast Guard. To allow a lot of movement in reasonable work areas, we decided
Exxon should be allowed to include a number of segments into one work
area --even as large as an unit. These would be work areas for a particular
team. For moving from beach to beach, the Coast Guard hopes to have a monitor
with each team, and they will sign segment inspection without the need for DEC
inspection when they are mobilizing from beach to beach in work areas. Prior
to leaving a work area, all areas in segment will be joint inspection. That
allows for documentation of whatever progress is out there. A few minor
details to be worked out as far as procedure.
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JERRY HAMMOND (NATIONAL PARKS): In process of rotating some people. Bob
Armstrong will be here for 30 days as new superintendent. If I am gone, speak
freely with Bob. Three people today on Peninsula to look at Cape Douglas area
and do some assessment work. We would appreciate receiving any information any
agency has on Aniachak. We are trying to send a team down there to do
appraisal work. We have repeater on Raspberry that gives us good communication
but not at Aniachak. We spent time on appraisal system and keeping reviews
up-to-date. Four or five ranger protection officers at Cape Douglas --basically
bear guards:
JEROME SELBY (KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH MAYOR): Are they (rangers) seeing oil in
the water at Cape Douglas?
HAMMOND: They are in a position to see the water. Catcher boats give us more
information.
BOB BRODIE (CITY OF KODIAK MAYOR) introduced Walt Parker and Esther Warneke of
of the Governor's Oil Spill Committee.
JAY BELLINGER (KODIAK NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE): More stressed birds have come
in. We are continuing to get additional live stressed birds. Some come from
here and there. Seem to be more from Native skiff crews and Chiniak crew
because they are covering a smaller area. We are in process of review overall
wildlife program as far as catcher boats. One of the staff is putting a graft
together of catches each day. Seems to be more when weather warms up. We had
snafu with access to morgue at Armory. VECO took care of it for us today.
JIM WADE (EXXON): What is problem, Jay?
BELLINGER: I was off a week and when I got back, the guys couldn't get into
morgue. Pat now has possession of key to fence. I think VECO has worked out
payback agreement with National Guard.
SELBY & WADE: We would appreciate feedback so we can make sure it was taken
care of.
DISCUSSION ON PROBLEM.
JOE TALBOTT (NOAA): Todd left today but will be back the 20th, and I will be
here with you until then. The really big project I am working on now is
getting shoreline miles of cleanup down for high level reports. ISCC meeting
is tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.--before the public meeting. We are trying to get data
base for tracking cleanup data into useable format. We have to discuss in
committee the way we are handling priorities of cleanup areas. We have mechanism
in getting on sheet but no a way of getting it off sheet. It should tie in
with segment review process and demobilization process. When do people want to
pull it off priority sheet. We got information on incinerator. Are we going
to have an interagency discussion for background?
SELBY: We want to have a meeting, but we just got it today. May be Thursday
meeting.
ESTHER WARNEKE as leaving: Full commission coming back the 4th or 5th of
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August and may see you then.
SELBY: Joe, you identified 2,900 miles of beach and how much had some
indication of oil. Do you have a figure?
TALBOTT: I was unaware of that (2,900 miles of beach).
SHRYOCK: I don't know how Gary (Ott-NOAA) got that.
SELBY: I asked question if that was baseline? The next question is how much
is oiled and then how much has been cleaned. We got A but not B & C.
TALBOTT: We are aiming toward treated rather than clean.
SMITH: We don't have any beach we consider through.
SELBY: Treated means we scoop it up?
SMITH: I am interested in seeing how many times we have to come back to each
beach.
DISCUSSION ON ASSESSMENTS BY VARIOUS AGENCIES.
WADE: We met with seiner group a couple of days ago and discussed a proposal
they had. We met with them again this morning and discussed another plan and
told them we would get an answer back to them by end of day. The Coast Guard
is aware of proposal. The first proposal was to use skiffs and boom and try to
collect free flowing mousse in some bays where they generally fish and know.
We are considering that proposal but will be based on evaluations of skimmers'
operations. We told them we would get back to them in 7 to 10 days. On
proposal this morning, we haven't come to a decision.
BRODIE: I this vessel rotating agreement or seiners going out?
WADE: Part of the proposal includes rotating vessels. If we agree to their
technique, they would agree to rotating vessels on charter. We asked them to
choose a couple of representative we could meet with if they elected to do it.
They will do that. We told them we want to continue our evaluations of
skimmers. This would be vessels currently in program and not on charter now.
Part of the proposal was for us to test it by monitoring with Coast Guard
monitor. We would be able to evaluate it and if we felt it to be successful,
we may want to expand operation.
SELBY: Why tomorrow can't you put six vessels out there with three different
types of boom and collecting mechanisms and evaluate in water and mousse.
WADE: We could do that but we want to continue with evaluations underway. We
told them we would respond to them in 10 to 12 days.
SELBY: .What are you evaluating?
WADE: The effectiveness of skimming operation. In essence, they (seiners)
will attempt to collar free floating mousse and pick it up with dip nets rather
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than skimmer.
SELBY: I don't see how you can compare them without someone out to do
sampling.
WADE: What we are looking at is how much oil are we picking up.
SELBY: My point is you will know how much skimmer will pick up but you won't
know what these guys can pick up.
WADE: I think it is pretty much the same technique.
SELBY: How mobile are the skimmers?
WADE: The skimmer moves four knots in two foot seas.
SELBY: Seiners are much more mobile than the skimmer. They move at about 15
knots and much higher seas. I don't understand resistance of Exxon to put a
few of them out there for a few tests.
WADE: I don't see we are resisting it but evaluating other methods
SMITH: I met with people this morning and understand we have addressed those
things Exxon wanted address and need to schedule another meeting. I need to
get to them. I don't see Exxon as resisting, but I think we should move
quickly, less than seven to ten days. I thought it a very positive meeting
with the seiner people I met with. Seven to ten days has been talked about and
maybe that is too long.
FURTHER DISCUSSION ENSUED ON TIME IT TAKES MAKING A DECISION AND EVALUATING THE
SKIMMERS VERSUS THE SEINER FLEET.
SELBY: I don't think you can measure effectiveness without putting them out
there to see what they can do.
WADE: We have to charter vessels and need to know if it's going to be
effective.
SELBY: How can you evaluate a few vessels with three different types of things
to drag through the water if you don't send them out there with those three
types and let them drag for a few days? How can you compare without testing?
WADE: I don't know that we can but we believe we can made determination as to
how much oil is free floating. If we put every seiner in harbor...
SELBY: And if there is oil in water, new oil --new seiners. Also, if there is
oil in water, what equipment would work best.
SELBY to SMITH: Coast Guard has had monitors in supporting aircraft. How much
oil did you find?
SMITH: I am putting that information together as well as how much skimmers are
collecting. I don't have good handle but numbers I see aren't high. I gather
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we are pulling a lot of kelp and no much oil. My question is --do we have
skimmers in right place? I am not seeing the amount of oil coming in they are
capable of handling.
BRODIE: I don't see how seven more days is going to tell you any more.
WADE: I'm sorry, we are making evaluation and people agreed to that because we
felt we needed more time to make evaluation.
SELBY: The concern is that the Fish & Game test vessel are still finding oil.
If this did work, Exxon has opportunity to clean three to five of the most
productive pink salmon beaches and would salvage a fair chunk of the fishing
operation.
DISCUSSION ON OILED TEST NETS. REPORTS WERE DIFFERENT ON CONDITION OF NETS.
SELBY: My point is that if you wait ten days, you won't save salmon fishery.
You won't get beaches cleaned in time to put fleet out. It would seem to me,
Exxon would save money to charter eight to ten vessels for three or four days,
and if it works, you will save the pink salmon fishery.
WADE: I am not opposed to going back and talking with them and the Coast
Guard, and I will do that. But, the decision was made to continue evaluation.
It was explained to seiners, and they agreed to that.
SELBY: Our suggestion is you really look at that. If it works, we can salvage
as much of the salmon season as we can, and I don't think those guys are going
to wait ten days. In less than ten days, they will be out on their own.
WADE: That is their prerogative.
SELBY: I see the waste going who knows where, and we have lost control.
SHRYOCK: I had a call and I suspect you are right. Initially it was
volunteer, and they wanted to find out for themselves.
SELBY: Cannery workers checks.are moving?
WADE: To my knowledge.
SELBY: Boat contracts resolved?
WADE: As far as Exxon is concerned, yes.
SELBY: Progress on lab issue?
TALBOTT: Did follow up and the decision on mobile lab came from when Senator
Stevens was here. it was a brainstorming idea Senator Stevens picked up on.
There will be a meeting tomorrow on how to deal with the issue. I don't
believe that the ideal of a lab really caught hold any place.
SELBY: So, the plan now is to use folks that did our first samples? So, plan
is still to use outside analysis?
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TALBOTT: I think that is the plan.
SELBY: Generally, agency folks feel that will be adequate, and we don't need
to look at lab here?
TALBOTT: I'm not ready to say that yet.
SHRYOCK: I think the lab would be nice in Kodiak.
TALBOTT: Senator Stevens' mobile lab was directly for subsistence fisheries.
SELBY: You get together for recommendation. Did boom get back to City?
WADE: It is not back yet but being shipped. I don't think there is any boom
in town.
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