ASSESSING OIL SPILL RISK IN LOWER COOK INLET, ALASKA

ABSTRACT Cook Inlet Spill Prevention & Response, Inc. (CISPRI) is an oil industry sponsored oil spill response cooperative with headquarters in Nikiski, Alaska. CISPRI presently provides a variety of spill response services in support of member company petroleum operations in the Cook Inlet region of Alaska. Currently, each of CISPRI's 12 member companies has one or more contingency plans (one company has seven). By utilizing a single agency-approved CISPRI Technical Manual, each member is allowed to include in their C-Plan, by reference, all common response information that is included in the CISPRI Technical Manual.

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Public Perceptions on the Use of Oil Spill Response Methods in Alaskan Waters and the Level of Trust in Organizations to Prevent Oil Spills

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2003-1-349 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 2003 (1) ◽

pp. 349-352

Author(s):

Leslie A. Pearson

Keyword(s):

Statistical Analysis ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Mechanical Response ◽

State Legislature ◽

Coast Guard ◽

Seasonal Abundance ◽

Commercial Fishing ◽

Prince William Sound ◽

Cook Inlet

ABSTRACT All of the cleanup methods available for responding to a marine oil spill in Alaska have operational limitations. In Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet, non-mechanical response methods such as the use of chemical dispersants or in situ burning can be requested as secondary cleanup options. This study identifies citizens’ concern and determines the preference of response methods and perceived effectiveness of each method. Environmental risks, values, and the level of trust residents in communities of Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet are also examined., A correlational research design was used to answer research questions with survey data collected by randomly sampling 1657 residents in fifteen communities of Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet. Of the 1657 surveys mailed a response rate of 41% was obtained. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used to analyze the survey information. General descriptive statistical analysis was used to examine responses to each statement in the survey. Inferential statistical analysis was used to quantify the direction and strength of a relationship between variables., In general, 92% of the respondents support the use of mechanical recovery methods, 61% support the use of in situ burning and 45% chemical dispersants. The population recognizes burning as a means of removing large quantities of oil from the sea surface and the environmental risk of displacing pollutants into the atmosphere. Environmental concerns associated with the use of chemical dispersants are tied to seasonal abundance of and impact to marine organisms, amount of area and subsistence use and dependency on marine resources., The survey population's ecological priorities are commercial fishing, sea mammals and sea birds. The U.S. Coast Guard and Commercial Fishing Associations are held to the highest level of trust while the Alaska State Legislature and U.S. Congress received the lowest level of trust for ensuring Alaska waters remain oil free.

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Seaweeds and the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-1993-1-135 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 1993 (1) ◽

pp. 135-140 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Michael S. Stekoll ◽

Lawrence Deysher ◽

Thomas A. Dean

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Intertidal Zone ◽

High Tide ◽

Algal Species ◽

Percent Cover ◽

Prince William Sound ◽

Cook Inlet ◽

Exxon Valdez ◽

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill ◽

Upper Intertidal

ABSTRACT A three-year study, initiated in 1989, has evaluated the response of subtidal and intertidal seaweed communities to the Exxon Valdez oil spill and subsequent cleanup activities. The project was part of the coastal habitat injury assessment research sanctioned under the natural resource damage assessment program. A stratified random design was used to select oiled sites for the study. Paired control (unoiled) sites were then matched to the oiled sites. The most consistent effect found in subtidal populations in Prince William Sound was the higher relative abundance of small-size classes of kelps at the oiled sites, indicating the prior disappearance of larger plants. This disappearance was possibly caused by activities associated with the cleanup operations. Intertidal populations of algae were affected by the spill and cleanup in all three major areas studied: Prince William Sound, Cook Inlet-Kenai, and Kodiak-Alaskan Peninsula. The most obvious effect was a significant removal of the dominant intertidal plant Fucus gardneri from the mid and upper intertidal zones. The limited dispersal of this plant combined with the relatively harsh conditions of the upper intertidal will cause a slow recovery of the upper intertidal zone in the affected areas. Effects of the spill extended to other algal species. Species such as Cladophora, Myelophycus, Odonthalia, Palmaria, and Polysiphonia showed decreases in their percent cover at oiled sites. Only Gloiopeltis populations appeared to increase in percent cover in oiled areas. In both the Cook Inlet-Kenai and the Kodiak-Alaskan Peninsula areas Fucus populations appeared to be enhanced in the lower intertidal zone—between 2 and 3 meters below the high-tide mark—in 1991.

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A REEXAMINATION OF OCCURRENCE RATES FOR ACCIDENTAL OIL SPILLS ON THE U.S. OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-1983-1-355 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 1983 (1) ◽

pp. 355-359 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Kenneth J. Lanfear ◽

David E. Amstutz

Keyword(s):

Continental Shelf ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spills ◽

Outer Continental Shelf ◽

Cook Inlet ◽

The Public ◽

Exposure Variable ◽

Accident Data ◽

Prudhoe Bay ◽

The U.S

ABSTRACT The Department of the Interior is required to evaluate the risks of oil spills from outer continental shelf (OCS) oil leasing and must compare these risks to those of other oil sources, such as importing oil. Past practice has been to treat spill occurrence as a Poisson process, with a rate proportional to the amount of oil produced or transported. U.S. oil production and accident data and worldwide tanker data were used. Criticism of this approach has centered on the validity of using oil volume as an exposure variable, and the applicability of existing accident data to frontier OCS areas. To examine these questions, the Interior Department recently sponsored several studies on OCS oil spill occurrence rates. One study compiled an extensive listing of all known oil spills of recent years and is believed to be the most complete database on oil spills available to the public. Another study looked at trends in oil spills from U.S. OCS platforms and discovered a statistically significant decrease in the spill rate since 1974. Other studies examined oil spill data for Cook Inlet and Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and found that spill rates for these areas could not be shown to be significantly different from the U.S. OCS platform spill rate based on trend analysis. Studies are continuing to ensure that oil spill rates used by the Interior Department reflect the latest data and analyses.

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CISPRI CULTURAL RESOURCES VIDEO

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2005-1-363 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 2005 (1) ◽

pp. 363-365

Author(s):

Victoria J. Askin

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Direct Methods ◽

Coast Guard ◽

Video Tape ◽

Cultural Resources ◽

Cook Inlet ◽

European Contact ◽

South Central ◽

Cultural Sites ◽

Human Habitation

ABSTRACT Human habitation in Cook Inlet first occurred around 5,000 BC. Cook Inlet is a large tidal estuary that varies from 78 miles wide at its southern mouth to less than 9 miles at its northern extremity. The first inhabitants were Eskimo, who were later displaced by the Athabaskan Dena'ina people. The Athabaskan Dena'ina people were called “Kenaitze” by the Russian fur traders who first made contact in 1741. At that time, an estimated 1,000 Dena'ina inhabited the Kenai River area alone. European contact with the Athabaskan Dena'ina first occurred about 1756. In 1778, Captain Cook sailed Cook Inlet looking for the Northwest Passage. A Russian trading post was established in Kenai in 1791. The relatively mild winters of Cook Inlet and abundance of wildlife both onshore and offshore made human habitation very viable. Consequently, its shoreline is literally filled with historical and cultural sites. Other villages or cities of note within Cook Inlet include Anchorage, Tyonek, Ninilchik, Homer, Seldovia and Port Graham, many of whom continue to maintain a subsistence lifestyle. Cook Inlet Spill Prevention & Response, Inc. (CISPRI) provides oil spill response for the entire Cook Inlet;, a pristine piece of south-central Alaska with over 1300 miles of shoreline. A significant potential problem identified with oil spill recovery efforts involves the identification and protection of sensitive historical and cultural sites. To lessen any potential impact to these areas, CISPRI, in conjunction with Alaska Clean Seas, SERVS, Alaska Chadux and SEAPRO, have produced an 8 minute video tape demonstrating how to identify potential sensitive areas. It then directs appropriate actions to take until experts can be consulted to further direct methods of lessening impact. The narrative was developed by a local expert in cultural resources, and representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska State Historic Preservation Office, and native organizations who represented their individual concerns. The video tape has been well-received by CISPRT's member companies and agencies and has been recognized as a good “get acquainted” tool for anyone involved in protecting cultural and historic resources during spill response.

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