of the Exxon Valdez
AI (" ar C 91) Program Elmer E. Rasmuson Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data.
Steiner. Rick. Lessons of the Exxon Valdez.
(SG-ED-08)
1. Exxon Valdez (Ship) 2. Oil pollution of the sea-Prince William Sound. 3. Oil spills-Environmental aspects-Alaska. I. Byers. Kurt. II. Alaska Sea Granl College Program. III. Series: Sea Grant education publication: no. 8.
TD427.P4S741990
This publication was produced by the Alaska Sea Grant College Program which is cooperatively supported by the U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Office of Sea Grant and Extramural Programs, under grant number NA90AA-D-SG066, project Af71-01 and A·75-01; and by the University of Alaska with funds appropriated by the state. The University of Alaska provides equal education and employment for all, regardless of race, color. religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, status as a Vietnam era or disabled veteran, marital status. changes in marital status, pregnancy, or parenthood pursuant to applicable state and federal laws. Lessons of the Exxon Valdez
Written by
Rick Steiner Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program Cordova, Alaska
and
Kur1 Byers Alaska Sea Grant College Program Fairbanks, Alaska
Technical editing by
Sue Keller Alaska Sea Grant College Program Fairbanks, Alaska
Alaska Sea Grant College Program University of Alaska Fairbanks 138 Irving II Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-5040 (907) 474-7086 Fax (907) 474-6265
~ SG-ED-08 I!':I' 1990 Acknowledgments
Information and Review
The 1oIow~'CI people c:ontribuMd w.wable idomIaIion, ~ . aroIlII<:tlnical ....ww for porIic:Q of IhiI pUbllc;Ition. o.~ AdIley. James fall, Uel'd Lowry, CNrIes Ideacl>am, Hern\llfl SaYikl Production lftSOlll oIlf1t1 E.uoo VM1Iu essay _ W'fitten by Riel< Sleinel and edited by """ B~ . ~ dIapIers ""9 Cover c-painllng. onIitD:lII9~_ ·' 8IWs. ;. by Lynn WIIIdorT. at\ anisI who dMdos he< . .... _ HomfIr. A1aska. lind ~ (;aIjornia. Waldorf. pair.tjng ... ~~ 01 at\ a Photographers I /I Contents iv Foreword 1 Introduction 3 Lessons of the Exxon Valdez 13 Effects of the Oil 19 Oil Spill Containment and Cleanup Technology 24 Legal Issues 26 Annotated Bibliography C) I. IoIARI(lN sm""."" One of f 000 com ernet1 eiti; ~n' a ~odiak Island rally. ill Foreword no. wrool< 01 the Exxon Valdez was more than just anolh&r oil spil. It .... as the most significant environmental disaster 01 the 08<:000 and has sefVed as a calaiysllor sweeping revj. siems of how this counuy deals with oil spins. II has triggered a new sense 01 environmentalism th rol.lghout Ihe world. Before you now is Lessons a/the Elflfon Valdez. a document w ~h onelur.damental and (:(lmmendable purpose: pI',.,.n\lng another Exxon Valdez I~ from ever happen ing again. II looks 811119 oiling of Prinoo W~ W am Sound and other llIeas 01 soulhcenltal Alaska as a "teachable IT1CIIn.nl- in history. bIII:l\orWIg ~ s . educalQr1:, OOI'ISefYatiooists, and people in aD walks of ~ I . 10 leam Irom and avoid repsal' lng!his catastrophe. L6$SOfI$ of the Exxon Valdez provides a 100II Blthe many months 01 scientific and technical reseateh into citaJm StaneeS thaI allowed the ac:ciDef11 10 happ&n. 11 pl'oposIIS prevenlive solutions that must be pari of the poblic (!;scus !>ion about oil &pills. 11 is instructiVe, use""'. and good raadirog lor those Interested In a bioad lMIfView of 0fl0 01 America's most unfortunata environmental events, -Sieve ColOp6f Gov.mor OIIht'J State o f Alaska Go~_Steve COwpet'OfI InIpKtIon four gf an ollctd buell, " Introduction This public education booklet features an essay on PfeYen· tion and oontroj of oil spil ls. It is tntended 10 provoke thought and action among industry. government, and the public thai will lead to safer transport 01 oil, more eff9c1r.e ways of responding 10 oil spills, and less dependency on petroleum prodliCls. The essay is followed by a summary of I!f1viroomental and biological effects of the spill accompanied by informalion on state and lederal research , an overview of oil spill contain ment and cleanup technology, and a summary of significant state and federal legislative action. Also included is a list of olher publicaMns for feadefs who would like 10 e xplore in greater detail different aspects of the spill. The essay was writu," by Rick Steiner. associate protes· SO( of fisheries with ltJe University of Ataska Fairbanks. Ste;ner, now on sabbatical leave, is the Sea Grant Marine Advisory agent in Cordova. The essay is part of testimony Ste;nef prllS4lnted at the June 3. 1989. mee1ing of tile North Pacific Legislative Task Force in Kod i a ~ . Alas~a . His opin ions were based partj1 on a fact-finding trip he took in May 1989. sponsored by Ataska Sea Granl. 10 Su llom Voe Oil Terminal in lhe Shetland IslandS. s.ooliand. Rick Sieiner. Cordova. a town of aboul 2.000 people forty mifes lrom Bligh A&af. harbors the largest commercial lishing fleet in Prince WWiam Sound. The morning.after the Spill . Steillllf alerted Alaska Sea Grant,Director Ron ~arbom of the need lor immediate research so that belore-and-after comparisons COI.Jld be made 10 delermine biological &Hects of the spill. As a r!!'Sult . the University 01 Alaska was first 10 dispatch scien tists to tile soond. Three days aHer tile spill. Steiner. a commercial fisher man. and three lellow Cordovans met with oil company and Coast Guard Officials. They developed a plan to illVclve Prince Wimam Sound fishermen In a campaign to cordon off witll oil containment booms three Of the work/'s largest and most valuable satmon hatcheries. nearby estuaries and escapement streams, and two bays where herring spawn. The effort was a success. Steiner has since lectured to var;oos groups and pre_ sented his ideas to govemment olficials.lnctu -K.B. t Lessons of the Exxon Valdez The oil spill/n Prince William Sound. 85 devas/sling liS it wa., can elso be vfewed as 8 "Ieachable moment."' What we can learn 'esc-has far beyond the Immediacy of lanker safety snd tJIf c_nup. Perhaps we .,. ready /0 hold 8 long olf.rdue convllrsation about the way w. do bUsiness In the worl" he lessons 01 the Exxon Valdez oil Tspill are many. Some are obvious. some afe not. To understand these lessons, we do not need to know much more about the impact 01 the spill. other than the simple fact it was serious and unacceptable To summarize, effects on the ecosystem center pri manly on the intertidal zone, seabird populations, and ma rine mammal populations. Long-term eHects remain bOO _ _ '" speculative. but it appears 3 A 2S6'pound halibul. a bollom dwelling Iial. IIsh. caught In Prlllee William Sound near Cordova III April 7990. No major commercialllghing gOUSOnS were closed in 1990 because of ali contaminalion. and a racord numbfrol pink salmon. many 01 which "'8re released tram ha/cherin In/o Ihe !lound during Ih,. 0/1 spill. relurned 10 s~"'n in 1990. The 1990 herring ha,."est III 1M sound 8IIceeded prediclions. Howevft: In !lprlng 1990 !lciefl/rsts found hydrocar. bOnllln Ihe bile 01 pollock. a va/uablf deep waler species /ound in Nor/h Piler/ic lind Gull 01 Alaska "'alers. No contamlnallon WIIS de/ecled In (tdlble pans of pollock. bullfl40 species will bit studl(td /0 dlt/ermine If COn/liminal/on has long·term. 5ubleillal effects on III,. /osh, Chignik. Many smaller fish aries also wltre cloSlld; POI shnmp. blackcod, boItomtiSh. and crab ,n Prince Wi lliam Sound. No one is sure what price tag to place on these dosures. but ,t is ClOna,n to run into the hundredS of millions 01 dollars' Most difficult to predd and of great concern to lhe rommercial fishing industry is the damage done to the international market for Alaska sea· load. Many local businesses and tourist opera· tions also were hurl by Ihe spill. The emotIOnal impact on local residents. whaSll identlt,es are so interwoven with the sound. has been extraordinary. We who live near the sound and draw economoc and spr"tual ..... ' ..... sustenance from its waters wiP long remember what happened on Bligh Roof. March 24 . 1989. There has been an overwhelming sense that we they w,1I be more seriouS than previously have 10SI another prBe>OUS romer of wilderness. thought We know the impacts of such an incident are so EHects on commerci ~ 1 species ellOOmpass profO\Jnd as 10 warrant every ellon humanly harrlng spawn mOr1a lity. contamination 01 possible 10 prevent and respond 10 these se lmon spawning habitat. and lethal and catastrophes. sublethal efteets on outmigrant wild and hatchery salmon/ry. Research on salmon is "Most Alaska COils/al walers weill untouched by focusing on possible eHects such as Inhibition the oil spill, and commerclal lishing proc88citJd at olfactory Imprinting. metabolic and behavioral normally in those areas. For-elfamp/e. despite disruptions. monality. and survival and many commercia/ fishmg season c!QsurflS. Alas· development 01 eggs deposited In oiled ka waters yielded a rewrd r SO minion salmon in subSlrale. 1989, Bul many of the halchflries Ihal produce The economic impact of the oil spill has salmon for commercial haNeSI ar910caled m bean enormous. The spililorcad tha t989 Brflas affecled by lhe spill. $cirmlists are cen· closin\l 01 herrin\l lisheries in Prince William cerned thaI homing abUi/y 01 young salmon lea"· Sound. ouler and eBSlern Cook Inlel. and ing lhe llalchflrieS al lhe time of/he spill could Ihirly·lour 01 Iha lilly.six Kodiak districts Satmon have been affected. The r&su/l COUld be fewer IIsheries wera closed in most 01 Prince Williem salmon returning to spawn one to three years Sound. Cook Inlet. Kodiak. and parlially al after lhe spill Solutions A computerized history of every vessel call ing at a port should be maintained and routinely We do not live in a risk-free world. so we must updated with Lloyd's of London's registry. This focus on how to best prevent spills, prepare for would alert the port to a vessel's previous pollu them. and pay for them. History is clear on one tion incidents and its inspection record, and give point: Most of our effort should be on preven port controllers adequate basis to refuse pas tion. Once oil is in the water. seldom is more sage of a dangerous vessel. This would be a than ten percent recovered. While financial com strong incentive for tanker owners to maintain pensation can serve as a palliative for some of their vessels. the human pain, money does not mitigate envi Port control radar systems should incorpo ronmental destruction. rate best available technology, such as Automat We playa deadly game of Russian roulette ic Radar Positioning Aid (ARPA). ARPA sounds wherever hazardous cargo is shipped. The pre an alarm when a tracked vessel exits an as cise set of circumstances that led to the Exxon signed shipping lane. Radar signals should be Valdez disaster is only one of myriad scenarios videotaped and held for a specific time. The that could produce similar ill effects in other system should incorporate equipment redundan places. If we address only the specific circum cy and include rigorous. routine maintenance stances leading to the Prince William Sound schedules. Automatic pilots should be fitted with accident. we have likely done little to prevent alarms to notify watchstanders whether they are disaster elsewhere. Now is the time to think as on or off autopilot. Lack of such autopilot alarms carefully as possible about all the things that is believed to have contributed to the Exxon could possibly go wrong and to "fix" them before Valdez grounding. they do. Most important, and often overlooked, is that A caution: In trying to fix something we all vessel traffic control systems should be well should remember the March Hare in Alice in staffed with a surplus of alert, highly trained, Wonderland, who tried to fix the Madhatter's highly motivated professionals. All shoreside watch with butter. When the butter did not work. vessel traffic surveillance should be controlled the surprised March Hare lamented, "And it was by certified mariners/pilots. such good butter, too, such good butter." To find solutions to problems like that of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, we must carefully sort the watch makers from the butter smearers. We Shipping Standards need to involve the experts-master mariners, All vessels transporting hazardous substances, port directors, naval architects. psychologists, including oil, should submit to a rigorous envi electronics engineers-in fixing the situation that ronmental safety audit. Such an inspection led to this disaster. would assess structural integrity, piping and Without professing to be a watch maker or pumping systems, deck arrangements, tank butter smearer, I will present a few ideas. cleaning and inerting systems, venting. gauging systems and alarms, electrical safety systems, Vessel Traffic Systems maintenance logs. and checklists. Similar inspections must be reinstated for all Every vessel traffic control system in the nation foreign flag vessels calling at U.S. ports. It is should undergo a complete external audit or known that there are many vessels in the trans review. All hazard areas and other critical ves Alaska pipeline trade that are substandard and sel control points should be identified anywhere should not be allowed to lift oil from the Valdez tankers transit U.S. ports. An independent team terminal. The tanker Stuyvesant, for example, of analysts who have nothing to gain and noth was recently retired from service only after she ing to lose by speaking their minds should be developed hull cracks that spilled. in two poorly appointed this task. publicized incidents, over one million gallons of This analysis should include such things as North Slope crude oil into the Gulf of Alaska in adequacy of radar coverage. navigational aids, 1988. Proper inspection and maintenance could communication protocols, navigation equipment have prevented these discharges. Finally, we maintenance, tug escort necessities, transit re need to review inspection standards and strictions, and vessel speed limitations. protocols. 5 Single bottom OrI ....,.bolb.' _.orIy ..... '" ...... -.;~ ' ·M! ~_"'*-* oil ...... """"" 1·112" (OR lESS) THICK I Pros and cons of double·bottom hulls Partial double BIIast \arb .... 1ocMed In Iho bottom 01 \he """, .... , IJMr1I port 01 ... ship. __. . ~ 1OJinII..,.1n Dos9"oe Tanker Hulls toms argue that the additional cost of construc tion, pro-rated on a per barrel basis over a The issue of double bottoms versus double hulls twenty-year life of a vessel, amounts to only versus single hulls is a perpetual controversy three cents per barrel. They believe additional among naval architects. Each design provides safety wins hands-down over the greater risk of unique protections and risks. The oil industry having additional vessels in the trade. The Na argues that double hulls add significant cost to tional Academy of Sciences is presently con vessel construction, make vessels too stiff in ducting a study on this old issue. heavy weather, and reduce cargo capacity by as Some industry analysts believe that simply much as forty percent when compared to single reducing the size of cargo tanks would be the hull capacity. They estimate fifty percent more easiest way to minimize spill risk. This can be vessels would be required 10 haul the same accomplished only at the expense of a lot of amount of cargo . The oil industry also raises the additional steel in construction, and loss of re point that a rapidly flooding double hull void serve buoyancy. Regardless of how this argu could render a vessel unstable and result in ment goes, it is clear that more technological sinking . innovation can and should be applied to oil Proponents of double huns and double bot- transport by sea. 6 Human Factors officer-in-charge. The officer then becomes a more efficient decision maker and spends less Personnel standards aboard tankers should be time as an information integrator. thoroughly reviewed. Jean-Michel Cousteau Exxon Shipping is pioneering this concept recently reminded me, "A person alone is in bad through a system called the Integrated Bridge company." We may need to increase the num Concept. The system also incorporates safe ber of trained crew on the bridge, and require guards such as the sounding of alarms if naviga redundant watches in certain circumstances, tional information is presented to a watch stander especially when navigating hazardous waters. and he does not respond quickly enough. Other aspects such as watchstanding protocol, pilot training, and crew certification and recertifi Contingency Plans cation need review. Psychology plays a pivotal role in the chain When precautions fail-it is hoped at a much of events that leads to disasters like the Exxon reduced frequency-we must be prepared to Valdez oil spill. For example, on each tanker effectively respond to a major spill. We should carrying thousands of tons of hazardous cargo, reexamine all contingency plans nationwide, and there is a helmsman who may be distracted by overhaul those deemed inadequate or impracti thoughts of his pension plan, his position in the cal. We must anticipate the worst and prepare company, the girl next door, the Super Bowl, as if it will happen. how his child is doing in school, and other Plans must identify the right players in re things. The negative effects of these mental sponding to spills, pre-establish a command distractions often are exacerbated by fatigue structure, empower them, give them immediate and other disruptive aspects of shipboard social unlimited financial capability, and think very interactions, including ego problems, lack of carefully about logistics and communications. trust or confidence in shipmates, and other hu The command group. composed of containment man dynamics. and recovery experts and local people, should To mitigate some of these problems, we meet periodically to get to know one another and need systematic studies of human performance think through response protocols. A complete under stressful or boring conditions, and further inventory of state-of-the-art equipment should be studies on the effects of sleep deprivation and quickly available. as should deployment vessels fatigue. and lightering barges. Local fishing vessels. Of course not all of this psychological soup tugs. and other equipment and personnel should can be distilled to produce information and in be pre-contracted to respond to spills. sights that can be applied to produce more alert, Response personnel should be trained and conscientious crew members. Still, enough can retrained periodically. Surprise drills should be be learned that would contribute to practical used, and an international computer inventory of recommendations for enhancing human perfor equipment and personnel should be maintained. mance on the bridge of tankers. Results from In response to the oil spill, the Alyeska Pipe such studies also would be applicable to other line Service Company, a consortium of seven human endeavors. major oil companies that operates the trans A complete reevaluation of shipboard orga Alaska pipeline and oil terminal at Valdez, re niz.ational structure is in order. The rigid, author cently implemented a more secure oil transport itarian, tradition-bound master has been the system. Dubbed the Ship Escort and Response dominant decision-making structure throughout Vessel System (SERVS), it is by far the finest oil history. Maybe this should be refined to allow spill prevention and response system in the specialization and decentralized authority. We world. This system, which is a tanker escort and should consider realigning responsibilities on backup response vessel system, costs Alyeska board. Teamwork is the obvious answer. NASA approximately $50 million per year to operate. uses it. The San Francisco 4gers use it. Airline Each outgoing loaded tanker is escorted by crews use it. Why not oil tanker crews? two vessels, at least one of which is a 21 a-foot Some sophisticated gadgetry exists that can ship equipped with oil skimmers, containment aid this process. Computers can integrate infor boom, oil dispersants. and oil storage tanks. mation from on-board navigational equipment The escorts provide three primary safe and instantly provide the information to the guards. First. they ensure that tankers stay in 7 Por1.bl. ~U~ r1i~/f 6/fimlJlfN$.nd ,..,. of OOfIf.in".,,1 boom.borrd OM of IWO 21().fool .hlp ••eon Mr1 ruponse !fesselr, ~ 01 AI~r.tr PI~ Sflntlc:. CotrtpMly'r "'"""11«1 01/ $piU prellMlion ,nr1 ,..rponse 6Y6tem. E-r:h IItlp eVl.1OiW 4.000 b¥rwls 01 oUo",.t., mll(/u,...nd ~r rl.. 4.600 IHI of eonla;nrrlflnl boom. two H • • Io;ImIn«-$., J20.fool wotlrborl .11(1 oil r1irpsrun,~. b of July 1990. 6ince'''' Enon V.~' 0# rpm. ,_. ~~C'Of1s _i.1fId /10'0 On fMLII ... /hrllOrl PO"' .nd r1rittfil nor Sligh RHI, Nsllh., IrnIr/lf wu /hmltgfld or rplllttd 0'/, An smpty Irnke, Inbound lor V.ldez /o~, po_lor I,.,. hf)u.. 0fI Ju~ n. t990./u., OIJI'~ Prine. W .m Sound. It r.QllifHld par1t./ po_ bsfo,...n AI,. ..If. escort rtlsr:hed lite .lIe usigned shipping ta nes. and shadow lankar. 60 Finally. a realistic pror:ess tor tiling and seming mil" 10 lhe ocean enlrance 10 Prince William damaga claims should be devek)ptd. Sound. well paSI the reef !hal Impaled the Enon V~. Second, il a tanker should Irray into 8 tight Of hazardous maneuvering sltllBtion. Of Public Oversight 10M pIl'oWIf Of sleering capability. the II$Of1 I s.uppose ~ is OUI nature to bec:orne compIaamt veuels ean immediately _t or tow lhe ,..,.... about ttongs _ get uS«lIO. Alrer h41uling 8,700 10 safety. Third. the escon vessels proYIdt an oil cook! on-site. first response capability 10 o;l spils. shiploads 01 OUI 01 Valdez. who h41ve predicted the nelCt load would be The BIg One? The Exxon Valdez loodem lays bare the com· liability and Compensation pIele lailure or the public procus. The State of Alaska, the U.S. Coast GUll/d, !he Environmen We need 10 COfI!Iider 1'10 lim" on slriel ~ a bility tOf tal Protection Agency. !he oil indusrry. and we damaoe and cleanup claims, as Alaslla and the people let Ih,s happen, All must share the several OTher SlIItes have en.aC!&d. FederaJ blame. /eg;slation should not pr&&mpt state authority, 11 To solve a problem like Ihis, we have to \Y8 deQde to keep a liability lim~ . lhen ~ should chanoe the Inslitulion$ that precipitated ~ . be ral$8d 10 alleast $1 billion and the limil For example, because 01 i1$ $Ize and poten· IhouId be nulilied whef1 ev9<1 SI~ negligence /lal erMronmllf11111 impact. the o;l indusrry must Is proven , make an e~traord lnary effort 10 Involve the pubfic Owners 01vessels . II'Iduding /tWd.party in its managemen\. Until now. this has not been 0W'1ed Of dlar1ere
9 ......
The disabled Enon Valdez belnIl towed to Na~ed Iilland In Prince Will/em Sound. AprU 5. t989. There divlim. cuI 011 hanD/nD pl~$ 01 slefl/and patched hole'. preplrlfIQ tire lan~tI' 10' tow'nD 2.370 m/les 10 San Diego. Caliloml/J. where PtI,manent re{HIirs were mede. The 5UpfHTen~er has belln renamed the Enon Mediterranean. Imd willopBrlfle If! lhe Middle Ea~t
The most dishearlemng aspect 01 the ElUon The CoalitIOn lor EnvirOllfl1(lntally Responsi Valdez incident. and arguably the greater disas· ble Economres. a nalional alliance ot environ· tEl<. is that a year alter the spill, neither our Con· menlalllroupS. bankers. and investment tund gress. Administration. fndividual states. automo· managers. has compiled ten recommendations tive and oil industries. nor the public appear to< oosinesses to follow , known as 1he Valdez more interested in conserving dwindling supplies Prioopfes: ot oil. Apparently this is a lesson we do not want Pro/eCllQ{I 01 tire Blosphera Minimize the to learn. environmental Impact ot oor business. 2. Sustainable USI1 of Natural Resources. Corporate Responsibility Protect bio·diversity.
A central question is how to motiVate large CIJ( 3 ReducflOTl and Proper Disposal of Waste. po Outer Limits 01 .. Anchorage Observed Sheens, Tar Bans, and Mousse .. valdez Suspected to be from the Exxon Valdez as 01 August 10, 1989 COrdova• KUSKOKWIM BAY GULF OF ALASKA BRISTOL Bl\Y o MILES 100 HHHHA I SCALE Alaska Unlmak 1,1and \ ShoJmagio Isla"". Dala provided by Alaska Dep at1ment of Fish & Game 11 Effects of 'he "" One of the lirsl queSl Birds and 88" oUe'a SUi red heavy loues Irom the 011 Spill. Seals and SN lions wefr!lieS5 affrn:led. ClOCkwIse Irom upper laM-o"ad black scofer. sea olrer;n fr!ICOvery pen at Valdtlz. dead KII/litz·s murrelat. and oiled sfla/lons on buoy n 2 EVAPORATES . 1 DISPERSES q~ EMULSIFIES 5 DISSOLVES & AFFECTS PHYTOPLANKTON I .. ~ 7 ENTERS FOOD CHAIN 1. Depending on weather, surface currents, and sus may inhibit photosynthesis or kill the tiny drifting pended sediments, a spill may be dispersed land plants. ward, downcurrent, or widely over the ocean 6. Heavy crude oil in conta·ct with mammals and birds surface. Dispersed oil thus may be added 10 a pol can destroy the insulating ability of fur and feathers, luted nearshOre environment, weathered on the reduce buoyancy. and be ingested as the animal open ocean, or accumulate in an area far removed attempts to clean itse\l. These animals can die from the original spill site. from elC posure, drowning, ingestion of oil. or suffo 2. Light oil may evaporate directly into the atmo cation. In areas with poor water circulation, such sphere from the spill surface. Wind, gunlighl, and as bays, plant photosynthesis may temporari ly warm ocean temperatures accelerate evaporation, decrease due to reduced light. but high winds and heavy seas may enhance mix 7. When higher forms of marine life eat oil-tainted ing and dissolving of the oil into the water. organisms. oil residues may be retained in tissues. 3. Ctude oil may be broken into tiny droplets by wave Sublethal effects include reduced resistance to action and forced into the water column, fo rming an disease, lower reproductive potential. and changes in schOOling and migration behavior. In unpolluted oil-water emulsion. Aain, solar radiation. and warm water, fish shed oil contamination over various water enhance mixing. High levels of dissolved lengths of time depending on dosage and length of oxygen encourage bacterial breakdown. Emul elCposure to oil. original physiological state, and sions are difficult to disperse, slow to degrade, and ability to metabolically detoxify oil residues. may remain on the surface. thicken, and drift onto Shellfish have liltle ability to detoxify or shed oil shore. This congealed form of oil is referred 10 as residues. ~c hoco l ate moosse. ~ B. Crude oil deposited on coastlines may smother 4. More than 100 species of bacteria, yeast. and fu ngi coastal plants and animals, and leave a tar-like can oxidize hydrocarbons. coaling which can persist for years. Intertidalor 5. Ught oil dissolves in water and may be absorbed ganisms with slimy surfaces resist coating, but by phytoplankton. Low concentrations of some oils others, especially vascular plants and barnacles. can stimulate photosynthesis. High concentrations can be smothered. T. ", adapted ilnQ ~~aled (1990) "C>m Information CIlmpUed lor tile Uniled Statts FOteS! Service b~ the iJr1!v9rsity 01 Ala$ka ArcIfc Environmental InfOlmatien afld Data Center, Ar.cho,iog •• 1979. IIuWation adapIed IrOom The Exton Valdez Oil Spill: A Repartlo 11!6 President. by m. Nalional Response Team, Washir"lg'(Wl, D_C ., 1900 Contaminated Seafood Findings from both studies were relayed to and Effects on Humans rural residents. Before these results were avail able, some Prince William Sound subsistence A second common question is whether or not fishing areas that were obviously oiled were the spill contaminated fish and shellfish. and if closed. so. is the contamination a health threat to con Where subsistence fishing was not closed, sumers? ADF&G recommended that fishers take care to Yes, scientists detected hydrocarbon con avoid any place that showed signs of oil. tamination in some finfish and shellfish collected NOAA scientists continue to analyze finfish from oiled areas, but most levels were lower and shellfish from subsistence harvest areas. than hydrocarbon levels in commonly eaten The samples are being collected by Exxon and foods such as smoked fish and charcoal broiled ADF&G. meats. With regard to commercial harvest, the State Some toxic components of spilled crude oil of Alaska adopted a "no tolerance" harvest poli evaporate or disperse within a few weeks of cy, prohibiting commercial fishing in areas where exposure to the ecosystem. Other toxic parts any sign of oil was detected. persist longer in the environment. These can be Where commercial seasons were allowed to absorbed into body tissues of marine life. open in 1989, the Alaska Department of Envi Researchers can test animals to determine if ronmental Conservation (DEC) and the U.S. hydrocarbon toxins are present and at what Food and Drug Administration (FDA) closely concentrations they are present. But scientists monitored the harvest. The agencies placed do not fully know or agree on the level of hydro inspectors in every on-shore processing plant in carbons in food that is a threat to humans. spill areas, and conducted random inspections Scientists and government officials ad aboard offshore tender vessels. Fish were in dressed two major concerns: Hydrocarbon con spected visually and by smelling for the scent of tamination in fish and shellfish harvested by oil. This method, called the organoleptiC meth rural Alaskans who subsist on wildlife, and con od, is considered by scientists a reliable way to tamination in fish and shellfish harvested by detect oil contamination in emergency situations. commercial fishers. Laboratory analysis can take up to six months. Researchers with the National Oceanic and Fishermen, processors, and crew members Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) analyzed on tender ships were trained in organoleptic fish and shellfish collected in twelve areas near inspection, and were required to inspect sea subsistence comr:unities threatened by the spill. food, keep detailed records, and report all sus These areas were always closed to commercial pected oil conta ,.-"ation. harvest, but open to harvest by Alaska residents In addition to on-site inspection by DEC, who have traditionally depended on wildlife as FDA, and the fishing industry. fish and shellfish their main food source. samples were regularly sent to DEC, FDA, and The tests showed that some samples, NMFS laboratories for detailed analysis. Final mostly clams and mussels, had hydrocarbon results are not ready, but no significant contami contamination high enough to cause concern. nation has been reported. Mollusks, such as clams and mussels, are In 1989, every commercial fishery in the filter feeders, and readily absorb toxins. Unlike path of the oil slick was affected-smelt, herring, finfish and mammals, mollusks have little ability crab, shrimp, salmon, and groundfish. Exxon to break down toxins once toxins enter body attempted to compensate fishers for lost income, tissues. In addition, mollusks are bottom dwell and some fishers recovered some, all, or more ers and stay in the same place. If water or sedi than their losses by leasing their boats and ser ments are contaminated, clams and mussels vices during the cleanup attempt. remain exposed to adverse conditions longer In 1990, as of September, two small salmon than do most finfish. fishing areas near oiled beaches in Prince William In a separate study by NOAA, harbor seals Sound and one small commercial shrimp pot fish and sea lions, harvested and eaten by Alaska ery were closed due to oil contamination. No other Natives, were tested for hydrocarbon contamina commercial fishery was closed because of oil tion. No contamination was found in meat or contamination. Returns of pink salmon to Prince blubber. William Sound were good. Oil Spill Damage Assessment Program The Exxon Valdez oil spill provides scientists • Five studies on the spill'S effects on air and with a unique opportunity to conduct long-term water; four by DEC and the National research on fi sh and wildlife in a near-worst Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration case, cold climate oil spill. (NOAA, a division of USDC), and one by Alaska's research goals are to (1) under DEC. stand the extent of the injury to its resources, (2) assess impacts in such a way that recovery • Twenty-six projects on fi nfish and shellfish; of damages from responsible parties can be twenty by ADF&G, six by ADF&G and achieved, and (3) determine how to restore the NOAA. resources. • Seven studies on whales, oUers, sea lions, Sixty-three research projects, summarized and seals, by NOAA. below, comprised the 1989 cooperative state and federal Oil Spill Damage Assessment Pro • Six studies on bear, deer, river otter, mink, gram (OSDAP). More th an $35.4 million was and oth er small mammals, by ADF&G. provided for these studies. A sel of new and • Fifteen projects on birds, including raplors, continuing OSDAP projects for 1990 is awailing passerines, seabirds, and waterfowl, by slale and federal approval. State entilies conducting OSDAP studies U.S. Fish and Wildli fe Service, USDI. include ADF&G and Alaska Department of Envi • Three areas of technical service, one each ronmental Conservation (DEC). Federal units on mapping, histopathology, and chemistry, include the U.S. Department of Agriculture jointly conducted by state and federal (USDA), U.S. Department of the Interior (USDI) , agencies. U.S. Department of Commerce (USDC), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). • Economic studies and resloration planning OSDAP research in 1989 included: by state and federal entiti es. • A joint. comprehensive oil spill damage In addition to OSDAP projects, many other assessment by ADF&G and the U.S. Forest projects funded by industry, university, state, Service, USDA. and federal entities are in progress. Local Economic caused problems. Conflicts arose over uneven distribution of money to residents hired to help and Social Effects with the cleanup, and businesses were crippled "People are angry and afraid . ... How will the by the loss of employees who left for more lucra children learn the values and the ways if the tive cleanup jobs. Native subsistence life styles water is dead? Very afraid. If the water is dead, and economies were severely disrupted be maybe we are dead-our heritage, our tradition, cause of fears that local seafood was contami our ways of life and living and relating to nature nated. In some communities, conflicts ignited and to each other. " between supporters 01 Exxon and environmen talists. Anger and anxiety about long-term envi - Walter Meganack, Sr., Chief of Native Vii/age of ronmental, social, and economic eHects took Port Graham, Alaska root, as did frustration with government and industry officials. Socioeconomic studies of the spill have not received as high a priority as environmental and The Exxon Valdez oil spill profoundly affected biological research. However, anecdotal infor the social and economic fabric of coastal towns in mation and results 01 the lew studies that have the path of the oil slick. Communities were dis been done point to serious problems. rupted by the closing of many commercial fishing Personal accounts of social effects of the seasons and a few subsistence fishing areas. spill were collected in November 1989 via the The sudden influx 01 bureaucrats, industry per Citizens Commission Hearings, sponsored by sonnel, news media, and cleanup workers the National Wildlife Federation. One hundred 16 twenty citizens, most of them residents of com Alaska Native organizations, NOAA, and Exxon. munities hit by the spill, recounted effects such The group was chaired by the Indian Health as increased alcohol and drug abuse and mental Service. health problems, business losses, and conflicts Research that will provide valuable informa among residents caused by large sums of Exxon tion on the socioeconomic effects of the spill was money entering local economies. begun before the spill in 1986 by the U.S. De Many of the comments heard during the partment of the Interior. Minerals Management hearings were confirmed by Dr. Sharon Araji. a Service. The study, called the Social Indicators University of Alaska researcher who surveyed Project, was designed to detect and describe residents of Homer, Alaska. The survey as social. cultural, and economic changes experi sessed social, economic, psychological, and enced by people facing consequences of oil health effects of the spill on local residents. exploration, production, and transportation. Survey results revealed significant increases After the Exxon Valdez spill, the study was in alcohol and drug abuse, domestic violence, modified to focus on effects of the real life emer and employment problems among both resi gency. The continuing study is run from the dents and visiting cleanup workers, as reported Human Relations Area Files of Yale University. by police, the alcohol treatment center, and the Preliminary results are expected in early 1991. domestic violence shelter in Homer. In another local survey, the Valdez Counsel ing Center found that residents of Valdez and Oiled Mayors Research Cordova suffered significant symptoms of post Perhaps the most significant and closely guard traumatic stress. Valdez residents were more af ed socioeconomic research has been dubbed fected by the massive disruptions in day-to-day the "Oiled Mayors Research." Funded by the routine caused by the sudden and prolonged Alaska Department of Community and Regional influx of outsiders. while residents of the fishing Affairs and conducted by Impact Assessment, a dependent community of Cordova were more social research consulting firm in La Jolla, Cali affected by the environmental damage caused fornia, this research documents anxiety, depres by the oil spill. sion, and post-traumatic stress among residents of affected communities. Results will be used in Regional Studies litigation to determine monetary damages to local communities. In subsistence communities affected by the spill, Field work ended in June 1990. A final fish comprise 50 percent or more of each per report states that significant numbers of resi son's yearly food consumption, and marine mam dents in communities affected by the spill exhibit mals up to 25 percent. symptoms of psychological problems. Accord Despite state and federal tests that showed ing to the report. a household survey of 596 most seafood safe to eat, many villagers re people "clearly showed [the oil spill] affected mained skeptical. Stress was high as normal lives and communities in complex ways ... and routines of harvesting. sharing, and eating local the effects will continue well into the future." harvests were disrupted. Tests of seafood con The report stated that small towns and villages tinued, and the ADF&G Subsistence Division were "particularly devastated" in the short term, maintained communication with subsistence as government and business employees went to communities about the status of local seafood. work for cleanup contractors. The division also interviewed about 400 house Similar to findings of the University of Alaska holds to measure how subsistence use among study in Homer. the Oiled Mayors Study docu Native families changed as a result of the oil spill. mented increases in destructive behavior such Results are available from the ADF&G Subsis as driving while intoxicated, jail bookings, mis tence Division. demeanors, requests for emergency medical The Oil Spill Health Task Force was formed in services, visits to mental health clinics. and admit spring 1989 to coordinate and review research tances to women's shelters. on subsistence food safety, develop a consen sus on health issues, and communicate findings to people in coastal villages. The task force rep resented several Alaska government units, two 17 Abo ..... C _*_ ~ high p'.UUfW. I inlIer ~ ay 10 o/~ bHd! ...... It_It.1n 0.. 'DUn .7:""". ,.,.~ s I....., cINIlup IIfI ,... Cal '10 -.. Mrm ItIM! ..lUll' no"'. ~I ct.m t>str hl-V5Cuum trvcI " Oil Spill Containment and Cleanup Technology The most advanced technology is used to find Chemical Dispersants and reline crude oil. Cleaning up spiffed 0<1 is tess sophisticated . How TIley Work. Dispersants are detergents. America's la[(!(Ist oJI spiff IlIvealed a lack of They break oil slicks into small panicles that cleanup know-how that found state, federal , and disperse in the water or sink into bonom industry officials arguing over whlch te-chniques sediments. to use. scrambling 10 find necessary equipment. Advanfllges. Dispersants can be spread rapid and Irying to invent machinery 10 stop the ty DVe( a wge area. They help clear oIlfrorn the spread or the oil slick and later clean up 0<1 that water surface. reducing the amount of 011that landed on hundreds of miles of CObble-strewn can wash ashore. sl">oreline. Dlslldvanfages. Oil remains in the water and Atll>e dose of t999. E~xon had spenl well can sink into bonom sediments. exposing ma over St billion anempt'ng to ~Iean up the sPit. rine species to ollthat can accumulate in lis According to the Alaska Departmenl of Envi_ sues. Some dispersants are more toxic than oil. ronmental Conservation, the combined ellort of government and industry recovered 32.500 gal_ lons of the 11 million gallons spilled. Burning MOSI of the following Informalion was de rived Irom the federal report. Coping willl an How Ii Works. Floating ign,tors. incendiary Oiled Sea: An Analysis 01 Oil Spill Response bombs. or napalm containers lowered from heli· Technologies. available Iree Irom your U.S. copters >gll;!e the o ~ slick. Congressman or woman. Advantages. On a COfltaJned . fresh oj) slick with vojatile componeolS still in the Oil. burning can eliminate up 10 90 percent 01 the oil. sparing marine hie and beaches. DIslldvllnfllges. Combust'on releases black sooty smoke containing toxic gases that may cause nausea. headaches, and breathing prob· lems. Only relatively fresh oil readily 9nites. and ~ must be at teast tIlree millimeters tIlick. Burning can lealfll hard res'due on land surfaces. Bioremediation How II Works. Some naturally occurring ma rine baC1eria eat oit. When fertlizer is added. bacteria multiply. ,ncreasing consumption and breakdown of oil. Sdent~ts are working on genetically engineered oil-eating bacteria that COUld be released on oiled sites. Advanlages. The method uses naturally oc curring bacteria to reduce 011 con!amina~on . Large cleanup crews arB 1l<:l1 required. cost Is reasonable. and fertilizer may not s>gnilicanUy harm the environment. On olled aleas where -_.. - natural degradation would take live to seven " )'1I8r&. estimates ndicate btoremediatlon would cut the lome 10 two 10 hve years OISMIlf.II"gfl. Bacte", tIIIve (littic:u"v con sumIng weathered. tIIIrde!'lld 001 . SOme Sden· IISIS IhlM ler'l,bzers may d.arnabCaRy increase p1an1 growth It1at could reduce watar OIIygtn IeYels fle8ded by filii and shelt~sh Long·11Ifm &II8cts of arllficlal 1.nMz1m are uri Natural Degradation How It Worlfs. Storms, wond r.. n . and snow dislodge oit 110m beache$ and dlspe Oil Containment Booms How ThflJl Work. Booms a'810"1I. lIoaUI1I/ . IUbo·tike bamers t,tled wIth "1I1d Of tte. ll)le underwater sklriS They'" used as noalll1l/ rences to surlound. <:o"tllll. and defi e<:t ,pre&(!. il1l/ oit slicks Spec'" use boolTl5 Include fi,eproal booms used to C;OlltaJn OIt that Is burned SoItMtn1 booms ab$OrI) OIt and life drsposable a Of eoId weather booms WIthStand '.t,eme temperatures and wort< aI11Id iI:e"OI$ Some booms !\ave ~ "..,ted skrmmIl1I/ tap6Clty_ Homet't'I&OI booms can be a seriH 0111'" logs Ia$hed together. somet.mes wrltt ptywood sktrts anad'red. Adv.ntllg'" Booms do not djlffi8ge \he environment They ale ellKIrV8 in c:ontilOlWlQ oj !Iid<.a when correa boom IS propeny deployed in catm 10 moderate !leas. DJlUldv.fllag... They requore mueh tune and tabor IOdIpIoy_ 001 ean wash !MIl" or slip unde< booms. and different boomI must be available lor vallOUS condruons. Adequate sto " Oil Skimmers I• How 1lIey Work. Ther. are at 1eas114 catego I ries and sub-c3tegorlllS 01 sI How It Works. High pressure steam cleaners blast weathered oil from rocks and cliffs. Hot water pumped deep into the shoreline dislodges trapped oil. Detergents and solvents sometimes are added to speed the process. Advantages. Hot water dislodges oil better than cold water. especially on weathered oil. 23 Legal Issues Editor's note: This chapter was compiled from Council on Oil and Other Hazardous Sub information provided by Harry Bader, Alaska stances. The council will monitor state and Sea Grant Legal team member, Suzanne federal agencies responsible for environmental fudicello of Alaska Governor Steve Cowper's protection, request action from the state attorney Washington, D.C., office, the Associated Press, general, recommend policies to the state and the Anchorage Daily News. legislature, and create local advisory groups throughout Alaska. The council has the power to subpoena witnesses, require production of Alaska Sea Grant documents, conduct investigations and technical audits, and appoint special personnel to assist Legal Research Team the council. The Alaska Sea Grant legal team believes Three months after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the power and vigilance of the citizen oversight Ron Dearborn, director of the Alaska Sea Grant council will be the key to establishing long-term, College Program, organized a research team of safer oil transport in Alaska. law faculty from the University of Maine, Univer In addition to the citizen oversight law, state sity of Washington, Boston College, and Univer legislators passed three other oil spill laws. The sity of Alaska. Dearborn asked the team to most important, House 9i1l567, required indus identify legal tools Alaska could use to help try to stockpile enough equipment in Alaska to prevent oil spills and other environmental clean up a 300,000 barrel spill and to import problems. The Alaska Sea Grant legal team's more equipment within 72 hours. The law research was used by Governor Steve Cowper's improves contingency plans and strengthens Alaska Oil Spill Commission in its comprehen insurance requirements for reimbursing victims, sive set of recommendations to the Alaska and allows the state to monitor vessel traffic and Legislature. inspect tankers and pipelines. The Sea Grant researchers focused on Another new law m.kes the reckless three themes-citizen empowerment, strong operation of an oil tanker or barge a crime state sovereignty, and judicial remedies- and punishable by up to five years in jail and a recommended four general actions. First, $50,000 fine, and makes it a crime to fail to meet Alaska should establish a citizen oversight spill response planning standards. A law also council responsible for ensuring vigorous state was passed increasing fines for corporations regulatory enforcement. Second, the state must and others that cause oil spills. be less influenced by late 1970s litigation that suggested the federal government dictate oil transport regulation. Third, Alaska should Federal Laws negotiate interstate compacts, legally binding agreements with the force of federal law, with President George Bush signed the Oil Pollution other Pacific Coast states and Canadian prov Act of 1990 on August 18. The bill establishes inces to regulate ocean oil transport. Fourth, the new standards for the oil industry that should Alaska attorney general should seek court lower the incidence of catastrophic oil spills. injunctions whenever industry procedures for oil The law requires double hulls on tankers, sets transport are deemed unsafe or unwise, and call up an oil tax channeled to a cleanup fund, and for injunctions that would force safety measures. authorizes money for oil spill research. In spring 1990, the Alaska Legislature used After 15 years of debate, the legislation the legal team's ideas in enacting new laws. The requires that new tankers be built with double legal team's efforts also have spurred negotia hulls, and that old tankers be refitted with double tions on interstate compacts through the West hulls. Double hulls will add about $30 million to ern Legislative Conference. the cost of each tanker, according to industry Most significant of new state laws stemming estimates. There are 153 U.S. flagged tankers from the legal team's research was House Bill that must beJefitted with double hulls or retired 578, which established the Citizen Oversight from service. Some older tankers will likely be 24 phased out of service rather than have double The board criticized Ihe Coast Guard for hulls installed. The legislation also affects about poor radar tracking in Prince William Sound, and 900 foreign flagged tankers that call on U.S. thought the State of Alaska was too lax with ports. requirements for tanker pilots . Tanker pilots are The two houses agreed to assess a five cent local pilots who temporarily go aboard and steer per barrel tax on oil earmarked for a $1 bi llion tankers until the ships reach open waters, then spill cleanup and victim compensation fund. The turn command of the vessels back to the regular fund is to be used after a spiller's liability limit is captains. reached. If the spiller is guilty of gross negli The board decided Hazelwood was legally gence, there would be no limit on the spiller's drunk at the time of the accident, and violated liability, and the fund would not be used. company and Coast Guard policy when he left The law gives the Coast Guard final author the third male in command of the ship. The ity to decide when a beach meets a federal board concluded the th ird mate ran the ship definition of clean. States with cleanup stan aground, and was fatigued after working most of dards higher than federal standards cannot tap the day aboard Ship . the federal pool for additional cleanup expense The board's conclusions have no force of once the Coast Guard declares a beach clean. law and are not admissible as evidence in court If states wish to exceed federal standard s, they proceedings. can only seek reimbursement of extra costs from the oil spiller, or pay the extra costs themselves. This legislation also authorized $23 million Research as Evidence for an oil spill research center in Cordova, State, federal, and Exxon lawyers thought data Alaska. The appropriation would be spread over generated by their respective scientists should 10 years. The bill also calls for a navigation light be kept confidential so that each party could not on Bligh Reef and improved Coast Guard radar use the other's information in preparing lawsuits. stations in Prince William Sou nd. Many scientists studying effects of the oil spill were frustrated and angered by these require Hazelwood and the Law ments, since information sharing is a normal and important part of effecl ive scientific investigation In a criminal trial in Anchorage, Alaska, former and helps avoid duplication. Other scientists Exxon Valdez Captain Joseph Hazelwood was lost funding or were denied funding because cleared of all but one misdemeanor charge, the their otherwise important research was deemed reckless discharge of oil. He was required to unsuitable as evidence in legal proceedings. pay a fine and pertorm community service in It was not until mid-summer, 1990, that towns affected by the oil spill. state, federal, and Exxon lawyers agreed to In civil action by the Coast Guard, charges share some scientific data. More information of drunkenness and misconduct were dismissed. sharing is expected. Charges of violation of Coast Guard policy State and federal governments also could prohibiting consumption of alcohol less than four not agree on a legal strategy to use to pursue hours before duty aboard a vessel were not Exxon. However, the governments agreed not contested by Hazelwood. The Coast Guard to sue each other. suspended Hazelwood's ship master license for nine months. The Coast Guard judge concluded the Exxon Valdez helmsman and third mate, who were left in charge of the ship by Hazel wood when the tanker hit Bligh Reef, were guilty of human error. No charges were filed against the two men. In a separate investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that Exxon failed to provide a fit master and rested crew, trimmed crew levels to save money, and should have had a program to help employees with drug and alcohol abuse. 25 Annotated Bibliography These publications, arlie/es, and videos represent a cross section of information on the Exxon Valdez oil spill and related topics. They reflect various perspectives and are intended to be useful to both lay and technical audiences. Contact your IDea/library for more sources. A Report by The Wilderness Society: 100 Spil/s/1,aOO Alaska Oil Spill Commission. Spiff: The Wreck of the Excuses. Washington, D.C. : The Wilderness Soci Exxon Valdez. Implications for Safe Transportation ety, 1990. This report lists the 100 worst oi l spills, of Oil. Final Report, 1989. Anchorage: Alaska Oil including pipeline and storage tank leaks, thai oc Spill Commission, 1989. 187 pp. Called lor by curred in Ihe year after the Exxon Valdez spill. The Alaska Governor Steve Cowper, the five volumes report outlines four broad approaches the United and fou r appendixes present recommendations Stales might adopt to decrease the likelihood of from a nine-month study by government and policy future spi lls. experts. The commission examined causes of the Exxon Valdez disaster and recommended action Adler, Jerry. ~ Alaska After Exxon . ~ In Newsweek, Alaska should take to prevent and respond to fu September 18, 1989, p. 50. This feature article ture oil spills. Technical changes in the way oil is presents an even-handed recap of the social and transported as well as legal changes are detailed. environmental effects of the oil spill six months The Sea Grant Legal Research Report is after the event. Appendix M. © 1989 MARION STIRRUP Eric Munk, a NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service SCientist, conducting a survey of organisms on a Kodiak Island beach before the aU slick arrived. Although some information on ecosystems in Prince William Sound was available before the spiJI, an overall lack of pre-spUJ data made assessment of damage difficult. 26 -Alaska's Big Spill--Can the Wilderness Heal?" In Na narrative of the oil spill ... a lair, mutlitaceted, tional Geographic, January 1990, Vol. 177, No. 1. compell ing, and urgent accouni ... ." The book de scribes how the spill occurred, details of ci tizen and Anchorage Daily News, March 25, 1989 to present. In industry response, and what the long·term effects 1989 this newspaper printed 545 stories and many may be. Includes hundreds of qlJOtes tram people photographs on the Exxon Valdez oil spill. All "in the throes of stress and denial.· Useful reading stories are accessible through a nationwide on-line for anyone interested in the environment, Alaska data base called VUfTEXT. Contact your local history, or public policy. library fo r information on availabili ty and use of VUfTEXT. Donald, Robert, et al. The Stress Related Impact of the Valdez Oil Spill on the Residents of Cordova Bader, Harry, ed, Legal Tools for Regional Environ and Valdez, Alaska. Valdez: Valdez Counseling menta/ Regulation. Fairbanks: University of Center, 1990. Researchers surveyed residents of Alaska Sea Grant College Program, 1990. SG·ED· Valdez and Cordova to compare the psychological 11. Forthcoming. A summary of legal 100ls for effects of the spill on residents of both towns. A improving state and reg ional environmental regu greater percentage of Cordova residents were af· lation. Derived from recent legal research on oil fected by harm caused to the environment, while transport regulation. Intended for policy makers, more Valdez residents seemed adversely affected environmental groups, and other local, state, and by the sudden influx 01 outsiders. Both groups re regional decision makers. Contact Alaska Sea ported symptoms consistent with post traumatic Grant, 138 Irving II, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5040. stress disorder. (907) 474·7086. Behar, Richard. "Joe's Bad Trip." In Time, July 24, Frost, Helen, ed. Season of Dead Water. Portland, 1989, p. 42. A supposed Inside view, well before Oregon: Breitenbush Books, 1990. 128 pp. A Exxon Valdez Captain Joseph Hazelwood's trial, 01 collection of poems, essays, stories, and sketches the moments leading up to the grounding, and who on the oil spill from almost lifty contributors, that a really bears responsibility for the mistakes. reviewer says " ... express horror, dismay and sad ness· and -.. . has little to do with statistics and much to do with feelings." The Oregonian says "II Briefing: Prince William Sound Tanker Spill Prevention th e [all spill) can be explained, it is done so here, & Response Plan. Anchorage: Alyeska Pipeline in these blunt. beautifu l writings." Service Company. 1990. 12 pp. Alyeska is re sponsible to tanker owners, operators, and char· terers lor oil spill prevention and response. This Harrison, E. Bruce, and Prugh, Thomas. "Assessing booklet summarizes Alyeska's oil spill prevention the Damage: Practitioner Perspectives on the Val and response plan, designed to be part of the State dez." In Public Relations Joumal, October 1989, of Alaska's oil spill contingency plan. Many of the p. 40. An interesting article on how big industry new ideas are already in operation. A video tape should employ "crisis management professionals· also is available that describes Alyeska's plan. It to most effectively communicate a company's dis focuses on new tanker escort systems and quick aster response to the public. Authors urge com· response capabilities to tanker accidents. Contact panies to avoid creating unrealistic expectations of Atyeska Corporate Affairs, 1835 Bragaw, no-risk operations, and urge a legitimate com· Anchorage. AK 9951 2. (907) 265·8197. mitment to environmentally sensitive operating policies. If a disaster occurs, chief executives are Dalby, Ron , ed. Alaska: The Magazine of Life on the urged to get personalty involved, including going to Last Frontier, June 1989. This controversial issue the disaster site. of a popular monthly magazine about the people and places of Al aska features severa l articles on Horton, Tom . "Paradi se Lost." In Roffing Stone, De· the damaging effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. cember 14-28, 1989. Immediately following the oil Well illustrated with color photographs, many spill th e author spent two months in Prince William tourism officials and advertisers were dissatislied Sound documenting the initial shock of the disaster. with gra phic, frank coverage. Contact Alaska, 808 He returned to the sound in lall 1989 to assess the E Street, An chorage, AK 99501. (907) 272·6070. situation after the summer cleanup stopped. The re sult is this comprehensive article. Davidson, Art. In the Wake of the Exxon Valdez: The Devastating Impact of the Alaska Oil Spill. San "In Ten Years You'll See Nothing." In Fortune, May 8, Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1990. 333 pp. Ac· 1989, p. 50. An interview with Exxon chief ex· cording to a Fairbanks, Alaska, book reviewer, Ihis ecutive officer Lawrence Rawl that explores Rawl's publication is "the first comprehensive, detailed response to the spill in terms of public relations. 27 Leavitt, Margaret, et al. Alaska's Oil. Wasilla, Alaska: Miller, Stanton S. "In a Faraway State." In Environ Quiana Publishing, 1989. 48 pp. A children's ac mental Science & Technology, September 1990, tivity book with stories, games. and color photos Vol. 24, No.9, pp. 1286-1289. Washington, D.C.: about the discovery of oil in Alaska, building the American Chemical Society, 1990. This excellent, trans-Alaska pipeline, and the Exxon Valdez oil easily read article concisely recounts the circum spill. (907) 373-2945. stances leading up to the oil spill, as well as the response, effects, cleanup technology, plans for changing spill response procedures and equip Lethcoe, Nancy, and Nurnberger, Lisa, eds. Prince ment, and research needs. The journal will print a William Sound Environmental Reader: 1989 TN five-part series on the spill, to begin in January Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Valdez: Prince William 1991. Sound Conservation Alliance, 1989. 112 pp. This book is semi-technical to technical and includes a description of the physical and biological environ National Research Council. Oil in the Sea-Inputs, ments of Prince William Sound, effects of oil in the Fate, and Effects. Washington, D.C.: National environment, discussion of oil dispersants and oil Academy Press, 1985. The bible of oil impacts. cleanup technology, and Exxon's cleanup plan for Very technical. the Alaska spill. Includes faSCinating and infor mative testimony by a Cordova fisherwoman and National Research Council. Using Oil Spill Disper biologist, given before the U.S. House Interior sants on the Sea. Washington, D.C.: National Committee, that focuses on the failure of the Academy Press, 1989. 335 pp. Addresses the Alyeska oil consortium to prevent or contain the ecological, aesthetic, and economic elements of oil spill. dispersant use in open water, and assesses the adequacy of dispersant technologies. Holmes, Krys. "The Exxon Valdez Spill: One Year Later." In National Fisherman, July 1990, Vol. 71, Nickerson, Sheila, ed. Alaska Fish & Game: Special No.3. This short, illustrated article provides a brief Oil Spill Issue, July-August 1989. Juneau, Alaska: overview of the status of the cleanup and effects of Alaska Department of Fish & Game, 1989. This the spill on commercial fish species. award-winning special issue of the ADF&G bi monthly, color-illustrated magazine focuses ex Mickelson, Belle; Trowbridge, Elizabeth; Bauer, P.J.; clusively on the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Written by Jason, Bonnie; and Bain, Claudia. Alaska Oil Spill ADF&G staff, articles provide the department's Curriculum. Cordova: Prince William Sound Sci perspective of the first two months after the spill. ence Center and Prince William Sound Community Includes a chronology of events and the spill's im College, 1990. This large volume is full of class mediate effects on people and wildlife. Contact room activities and other information to help stu ADF&G, Box 3-2000, Juneau, AK 99802-2000. dents learn how dependence on oil affects people (907) 465-4112. and the environment, and how life styles can be changed to move away from oil dependency No Safe Harbor: Tanker Safety in America's Ports. through saving energy and recycling. It is divided Washington, D.C.: Natural Resources Defense into activity sections for pre-school, kindergarten Council, 1990. 72 pp. Presents an evaluation of oil through third grade, fourth through sixth grade, and spill prevention, containment, and cleanup in the seventh through twelfth grade. Included are maps United States. Information and historical records of the spill, newspaper clips, and a bibliography of are applied to predict how vulnerable San Fran more than 100 books, magazines, video and audio cisco Bay, New York Harbor, and Los Angeles! tapes, newsletters, curricula, catalogs, and other Long Beach Harbor are to major oil spills, and to sources of information on oil spills, energy use, estimate how serious major oil spills might be in and related environmental topics. Contact Prince each of these harbors. Contact NRDC, 122 E. William Sound Science Center, P.O. Box 705, 42nd St., New York, NY 10168. (212) 949-0049. Cordova, AK 99574. (907) 424-5800. Nulty, Peter. "The Future of Big Oil." In Fortune, May Milgram, Jerome. Being Prepared for Future Argo 8, 1989, p. 46. Calling the Exxon Valdez oil spill a Merchants. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute tragedy but not a disaster, and characterizing of Technology Sea Grant College Program, 1977. Alaska citizens as pro-development, this article MITSG 77-10. 46 pp. This is a good example of argues that the "Valdez mess" could be disastrous the many useful publications produced before the if it weakens the will of the nation to tap oil reserves Exxon Valdez disaster that alerted industry to ways in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and off the to prevent and respond to tanker accidents. shores of Oregon and California. 28 O'Donoghue, Brian. Black Tides: The Alaska Oil Spill. approaches. Contact Oil Spill Restoration Office, Anchorage: Alaska Natural History Association, 437 E Street, Suite 301, Anchorage, AK 99501. 1989. 40 pp. This glossy, color illustrated booklet (907) 271-2461. presents a Fairbanks, Alaska, newspaper repor ter's observations of events covering the first four teen days of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Contact Restoration Planning Following the Exxon Valdez Oil Alaska Natural History Association, 605 West 4th Spill. Anchorage: Restoration Planning Work Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501. (907) 274-8440. Group, 1990. 80 pp. Produced by a joint state and federal work group, this document reports progress made restoring areas of Prince William Sound that Omohundro, J. Oil Spills: A Coastal Resident's Hand were affected by the oil spill. Contains an excellent book. Ithaca: Cornell University, 1979. 16 pp. bibliography of scientific publications on oil spill mi Information Bulletin No.164. This bulletin explains tigation. Contact the Oil Spill Restoration Office, protective measures beach front property owners address above. can use to protect their shorelines from oil slicks. Robert J. Meyers & Associates, and Research Plan Omohundro, J. Oil Spills: A Public Official's Hand ning Institute. Oil Spill Response Guide. Park book. Ithaca: Cornell University, 1979. 16 pp. Ridge, New Jersey: Noyes Publications, 1989. Information Bulletin No.166. This handbook pro 314 pp. A comprehenSive guide to planning on vides information for fire rescue, police, civil scene response to major oil spills or oil well blow defense, Red Cross, chamber of commerce mem outs. Discusses equipment, techniques, logistics, bers, resident associations, and other local groups and personnel. The book will help on-scene re involved in spill cleanup. Emphasizes understand sponse coordinators evaluate spills and identify ing how and why the public responds as it does to counter measures that will minimize negative envi emergencies and suggests how to work with people ronmental effects. Contact Noyes Publications, who arrive from outside the community, such as Mill Road at Grand Ave., Park Ridge, NJ 07656. media, cleanup crews, and emergency teams. (201) 391-8484. Plater, Zygmunt; Johnson, Ralph; Rieser, Alison; and Santa Rosa Press Democrat. "The Lessons of Bader, Harry. Legal Research Report to the Alaska Alaska." May 21-24, 1989. A special series Oil Spill Commission. Fairbanks: University of summarizing the Alaska oil spill and applying it Alaska Sea Grant College Program, 1990. AK-SG- to a hypothetical spill off northern California. 90-06. Forthcoming. A comprehensive technical report that identifies legal tools state and regional entities can use to strengthen regulation of ocean Satchell, Michael, and Carpenter, Betty. "A Disaster transport of oil, and more effectively prevent and that Wasn'\." In U.S. News & World Report, Sep respond to oil spills. The report explores three tember 18, 1989, p. 60. This interesting article themes: citizen empowerment, strong state states that Exxon's cleanup effort was not effec sovereignty, and judicial remedies. Intended for tive, but was necessary to assuage public outrage. attorneys, law faculty, and legal departments of The authors cite some scientists' assertions that industry, government. and environmental groups. beach cleanup techniques may be more harmful The research was integral to new laws enacted than helpful. and state that Prince William Sound by the State of Alaska after the Exxon Valdez oil beaches were no longer "an ecological disaster spill. The ideas can be applied to other environ zone" six months after the spill. mental regulation issues. Contact Alaska Sea Grant, 138 Irving II, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5040. (907) 474-7086. Schneider, Douglas. "Fishermen Fight the Spill of the Exxon Valdez." In Report from the Alaska Sea Grant College Program, 1985-1988, AK-ADMIN-18, Restoration Following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. pp. 4-13. Fairbanks: University of Alaska Sea Anchorage: Restoration Planning Work Group, Grant College Program. This illustrated article 1990. 183 pp. This is the proceedings of a public highlights how Sea Grant Marine Advisory Agent symposium held March 26-27, 1990, in Anchorage. Rick Steiner, leaders of the Cordova fishing com Scientists, Alaska Natives, environmentalists, gov munity, and University of Alaska research faculty ernment officials, tourism industry representatives, responded to the oil spill. It includes an interesting and others gathered to share ideas on restoration first-person account of cleanup activity in Valdez of Prince William Sound. Topics included: coastal and at an outlying beach. Contact Alaska Sea habitat. fisheries, birds, mammals, recreation, Grant College Program, 138 Irving II. Fairbanks, cultural resources, and alternative restoration AK 99775-5040. (907) 474-7086. 29 Science, August 18,1989, p. 704: and March 30,1990, dispersants. Contact your U.S. Environmental p. 1537. Contains two articles on bioremediation. Protection Agency regional office. The first describes "the biggest test ever conducted of the use of bacteria to clean up an oil spill." The The Northwest Environmental Journal. Spring/Sum second article is a short, cautiously optimistic report mer 1990, Vol. 6, No.1. Seattle: Institute for Envi on that test in Prince William Sound. ronmental Studies, University of Washington, 1990. Includes four articles on oil exploration, transporta Seattle Times, March 25, 1989-June 1990. This news tion, and cleanup, and an interview with the presi paper won a Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for its coverage dent of ARCO Marine that covers the above topics. of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Over 400 articles on The articles focus on potential impacts of oil and the spill are accessible through two on-line data gas development off the Washington and Oregon bases, including a special series on tankers, en coasts, effects of oil on homing migration of Pacific titled 'Tankers Full of Trouble." Contact your local salmon, the best responses to local oil spills, and library for information on availability and use of pros and cons of cleaning oiled beaches. Also these data bases, called VUITEXT and DataTimes. includes book reviews of In the Wake of the Exxon Valdez: The Devastating Impact of Alaska's Oil Sims, Grant. "A Clot in the Heart of the Earth." In Spill, and Superspill: Could the Valdez Oil Spill Outside Magazine, June 1989, p. 39. Describes Repeat Itself in Puget Sound? the remarkable grass roots role played by Prince William Sound commercial fishermen and residents U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. as they struggled to respond to the oil spill, and Coping With an Oiled Sea: An Analysis of Oil Spill action that ultimately saved multi-million dollar Response Technologies. Washington, D.C.: U.S. salmon hatcheries from the spreading oil slick. Government Printing Office, 1990. 70 pp. Highly recommended. This clearly written, well-illustrated Spencer, Page. White Silk and Black Tar. A Journal booklet provides excellent descriptions of existing of the Alaska Oil Spill. 181 pp. Minneapolis: oil spill cleanup technology (described as marginal Bergamot Press, 1990. A personalized account at best) and cleanup issues. States that improve of the spill. ments can be made through good engineering de sign and testing, skilled maintenance and training. timely access to and availability of the most ap The Day the Water Died. Anchorage: National Wildlife propriate and substantial systems, and the means Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, to make rapid, informed decisions. The report Wildlife Federation of Alaska, and Windstar Foun stresses prevention. Available from Superinten dation, 1990. 80 pp. This report is a compilation of dent of Documents, GPA, Washington, D.C. often highly emotional citizen comments received 20402-9325. by a citizen commission during public hearings in Cordova, Kodiak, Old Harbor, Homer, and Anchor age in November 1989. Sponsored primarily by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Alaskan Oil National Wildlife Federation, these hearings gave Spill Bioremediation Project 1990 Update. Wash citizens affected by the spill a chance to comment ington, D.C.: Office of Research and Development, on how the spill and cleanup affected their lives, 1990. 20 pp. An interesting, non-technical, well and to voice their recommendations on how to min illustrated description of the largest study to date of imize the threat of future technological disasters. bioremediation oil spill cleanup techniques, con Highly recommended for those interested in social ducted in Prince William Sound in 1989. Also de effects of the spill. scribes field and laboratory activities scheduled for summer 1990. The National Response Team. The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: A Report to the President, 1989. Washing Editor's note: Exxon provided the following titles ton, D.C.: U.S. Department of Transportation and shortly before this publication went to press. For the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1989. more information or to order, contact Exxon Alaska 68 pp. This multifaceted report is a frank discus Operations, Media Relations, 3301 C Street, Suite sion of inadequacies of the Exxon Valdez oil spill 309, Anchorage, AK 99503. (907) 564-3645. response. It provides a detailed chronology of the first 34 days of the spill, and discusses environmen Natural Recovery of Cold Water Marine Environments tal and social effects. The report focuses heavily on After an Oil Spill. Baker, J.M.; Clark, R.B.; and federal response, with emphasis on U.S. Coast Jenkins, R.H. 111 pp. This technical report com Guard activity. Describes oil spill cleanup technol missioned by Exxon reviews scientific literature de ogy, including skimmers, super suckers, contain scribing the natural recovery of birds, mammals, ment and absorbent booms, and a discussion of oil and other organisms subjected to oil spills in cold JO environments. The report also describes informa Ocean Ranching. Anchorage: Prince William Sound tion on natural cleaning of areas polluted by oil Aquaculture Corporation and University of Alaska spills. Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, 1990. 29:00 min. VHS. $15.00. One of the few successful re Environmental Recovery in Prince William Sound and actions to the oil spill was the effort of fishermen the Gulf of Alaska. Baker, J.M.; Clark, Robert B.; to cordon off sensitive spawning areas and some and Kingston, Paul F. 12 pp. This color illustrated of the world's largest and most valuable salmon booklet, written for a lay audience, summarizes the hatcheries. Recorded the summer of the oil spill, above technical report. this program provides an interesting look at the his tory of those hatcheries and describes the proce Water Quality in Prince William Sound. Neff, J.M. dures that produce millions of salmon each year. 36 pp. This technical report describes findings Order from Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, of several research organizations hired by Exxon 2221 East Northern Lights Blvd., Suite 110, to monitor the distribution, concentration, and Anchorage, AK 99508-4140. (907) 274-9691 . changes over time of petroleum hydrocarbons in Prince William Sound. The report states it is extremely unlikely that hydrocarbons from the KURT SYERS Exxon Valdez spill in the water column have had or will have adverse effects on organisms living in Prince William Sound. Also available is a four page, color illustrated brochure written for lay audiences that summarizes this technical report. The Lamp. Spring 1990. This issue of the Exxon shareholders quarterly newsletter features an article thai describes Exxon's cleanup activities. It includes before-and-after color photos of treated beaches. Prince William Sound, Alaska- One Year After. 30 pp. This booklet contains 31 color photos of beaches on five islands directly hit by the Exxon Valdez oil spill , photographed before and after treatment. Exxon Alaska Update. Published for Exxon employ ees, this newsletter series covers many aspects of Exxon's response to the oil spil l. A Sound Response. A brief brochure that describes Exxon's response to the spill, and effectiveness of cleanup. Videos Alaska's Big Spill. Anchorage: KTUU, Channel 2, 1989. 50:00 min . VHS or Beta. $19.95. An ex cellent account of the spill, emphasizing response of fishermen and other local residents. Describes efforts to save wildlife, and the effectiveness of cleanup techniques. Order from Alaska Video Publishing, 3700 Woodland Drive, Suite 800, Anchorage, AK 99517. 1-800-248-WILD. Inside Alaska, 248-9453. The Chugach Native Corporation seafood processing plant in Cordova, Alaska. 31 Oil Spill: Threat to Subsistence. Juneau: Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Subsistence Division, 1990. 20:00 min. VHS. Free while supply lasts. This program explains how the oil spill threatened the health and life style of Alaska Natives in sub sistence communities affected by the spill, and clearly explains how fish and game were tested for oil spill contamination and the results. Contains graphic footage of oil cleanup and oiled land and animals, augmented by interviews with scientists and residents of subsistence villages. Interesting and educational, this tape is excellent for high school students, lay public, and anyone with an interest in the spill's effects on people and wildlife. Order from: James Fall, ADF&G Subsistence Division. 333 Raspberry Road, Anchorage, AK 99518. Sea of Oil. New York: Affinityfilms Inc., 1990. 29:00 min. VHS and 16 mm film. Funded by the Alaska Humanities Forum and the City of Valdez, this program examines the social and emotional effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on the people of Valdez, Alaska. For prices and to order, contact Affinityfilms Inc., P.O. Box 1702, New York, NY 10011. (212) 654-4865. The Big Spill. Boston: WGBH Television, 1990. 58:00 min. VHS. $250.00. Three-day rental, $125. This is a tape of a NOVA program broadcast on Public Broadcasting Service. It reviews the spill and circumstances that led to the disaster, and examines how advances in research and technol ogy might help prevent future spills. Order from CoronetlMTI Film and Video, 108 Wilmot Road, Deerfield, IL 60015-5196. 1-800-621-2131. Tran scripts available for $5.00 from NOVA Transcripts, Journal Graphics, 267 Broadway, New York, NY 10007. (212) 227-READ. Voices of the Sound. Cordova: Cordova District Fishermen United, 1989. 20:25 min. VHS. $25.00. This program was quickly produced after the spill by residents of affected areas. The program shows the unspoiled majesty of the sound, marine mammals, birds, and other animals. Those elements are contrasted with graphic images of destruction wrought by the oil spill. Personal reactions are presented through interviews with local government officials, Natives, industry representatives, and commercial fishers. Order from Cordova District Fishermen United, P.O. Box 939, Cordova, AK 99574. 32 Summary of Effects of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill on Natural and Archaeological Resources Condensed from documents filed by the United States Justice Update Department in U.S, District Court of Alaska, April 8, 1991 his laci sheel highlights information MA RINE MAMMALS TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS T from a report entrtled Summary of Effects of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill on Steller Sea Lions Brown Bears Natural Resources and Archaeological Some tissue samples showed exposure to Analyses of fecal samples indicate Resources. 1989- 1990. The data came oiL It is not known if continuing population exposure to oil, but no injuries or fatalities from studies conducted by several federal declines are caused by exposure to oiL have been attributable to hydrocarbons. agencies. For the complete report, Pupping surveys from 1990 are being Radio collared brown bears on the Katmai contact: LJ. Evans, Public Information analyzed. coast and at a control site on the Alaska Office, Alaska Department of Peninsula continue to be studied. Black Environmental Conservation, Oil Spill Killer Whales bears were not studied. Response Center, 4241 8 Street. Suite There are 182 killer whales in the sound, 304, Anchorage, Alaska 99503. belonging to nine distinct family groups. Mink and Other Small Mammals The report reveals damage such as Twenty,two killer whales, including several No deaths from exposure to oil have been brain damage in harbor seals, altered females with calves, are missing from two documented. Scientists who fed oil DNA in sea otters, fish and salmon larvae pods in Prince Witliam Sound. contaminated food to ranch-bred mink in deformations, reproductive failures in Abandonment of calves by females is laboratories found Ihalfood passed seabird populations, and hydrocarbon unprecedented. but no evidence exists rapidly through the digestive tract, contamination in clams and mussels. that connects the disappearances to possibly depriving mink of nutrition. Effects on subsistence life styles and on exposure to oil. Killer whale surveys archaeological sites are further continue in 1991 . Dee, documented. No injuries or deaths have been at1ributed Another recent federal report states Sea Otters to the spill. Some deer taken for human thai high pressure, hoI water sprays used An estimated 3,500 to 5.500 sea otlers consumption had slightly elevated levels to dislodge oilirom beaches forced oil died in the spill. Of these, 1,011 of hydrocarbons in body tissues. deep into shoreline surfaces and sterilized carcasses were recovered and catatoged. beaches. However, Alaska cleanup Causes of death were hypothermia, River Otters officials maintain that hot waler treatment ingestion of oil, and inhalation of toxic A few dead river otters were found, but no was Ihe besl way to recover the grealest aromatic hydrocarbons. Evidence was cause of death was cited. Hydrocarbons amount 01 oil in the shortest possible time. found of abnormal blood chemistry and were detected in bile. River otters in oiled DNA. and unusual rrortality of prime age areas were found 10 have larger ranges, TIming Was Bad for B iol a sea otters. Pupping rates were not their movements were more erratic. and The oil spJII occurred just prior to the most significantly different from before spill. bul body weights were lower than otters in blologicaUy active season In southcentral population continues to decline in Prince unoiled areas. Studies continue. Alaska, exposing planls and animals to William Sound. Higher yearling mortallty ~Ihe most concentrated, volalile. and rates in oiled areas, and adult sea otters potentially damaging forms 01 the spilled released from rehabilitation centers show BIRDS olL~ Seaward migrations 01 salmon fry, reproductive failure and high levels of major migratlons of birds, and the primary mortality. Computer models indicate 260,000 10 reproductive period for most species of 580,000 deaths. Models will be run again birds. mammals, fish. and marine Harbor Seals to refine the estimate. In 1989. 114 invertebrates took place during the two An estimated 200 harbor seals died in the species of dead birds were collected from month period following the spill. spill. Unexplained declines in harbor seal oiled areas. populations were occurring prior to the Coastline Oiled spill. However, population surveys Bald Eagles More than 1,200 miles of coast up to 600 following the spill measured a 35 percent After the spill, 144 dead bald eagles were miles from Bligh Reef were oiled, including population decline in oiled areas found. Total mortality is unknown. coastlines of Prince William Sound. the compared to a 13 percent decline in Productivity surveys in 1989 indicate a Kenai and Alaska peninsulas, Kodiak unoiled areas. Brain lesions and high failure rate of 85 percent in heavily oiled Island, and lower Cook Inlet. Also oiled concentrations of hydrocarbons were areas. and 55 percent in unoited or lightly were the coasts of the Chugach National found in bile long alter the spill, indicating oiled areas. Effects on eagle population Forest; Alaska Maritime, Kodiak, and continuing exposure to oil. During 1989, may nol be apparent for several years. Alaska PeninsulaIBecharof National observers witnessed abnormal behavior. Additional surveys were taken in 1991 . Wildlife Refuges: Kenai Fiords and Katrnai National Parks; and Aniakchak National Humpback Whales Common and Thick-billed Murres Monument and Preserve. No mortalities or reproductive fallures afe Colonies affected by Spill lost 60 to 70 directly attributable to the 011 spill percent of their populations. an estimated 300,000 deaths. Complete reproductive failure is estimated to have caused the spawning areas, which degraded rearing Fucus, the dominant kelp and a prominent deaths of 215,000 chicks in 1989 and habitat and may have adversely affected food in the tidal ecosystem, showed 1990. larval survival and growth rates. reductions in size, reproductive ability, recruitment, and abundance. Sea Ducks Pink Salmon More than 2,000 sea duck carcasses were Harm to hatchery salmon released into Subtidal Habitat recovered atter the spill, including more oiled waters cannot be assessed until they Hydrocarbons were found in bottom than 200 harlequin ducks. These injuries return to spawn in 1991. sediments as much as 330 feet under will be further investigated in 1991 . water, and in bottom dwelling fish. Clams Continuing exposure to petroleum Trout and other invertebrates absorbed and hydrocarbons is likely because of sea Dolly Varden trout retained the highest retained hydrocarbons and they remain a duck dependence on nearshore concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons potential source of hydrocarbon invertebrates. of at! fish sampled. Mortality was 32 contamination to sea otters and other percent greater in oiled areas than in oil· predators. The oil had significant effects Other Birds free areas. Cutlhroat lrout suffered on benthic organisms associated with There were reduced numbers of black mortality rates similar to Dolly Varden eelgrass beds. 0yslercatchers, pigeon guillemots, and trout. Growth rates were reduced in some marbled murrelets. Effects on loons, areas. Studies continue on both species. cormorants, and gulls are unknown ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND because pre-spill information is nol Pollock, Halibut, Sabteflsh. Cod, SUBSISTENCE RESOURCES available. Breeding success of black Yellowl!n and Flathead Sole, and oyslercalchers was reduced, due mostly Rockftsh Archaeologica l Resources 10 death of chicks on oiled beaches. Hydrocarbons were found in the bile of A minimum of 26 sites were damaged, About 1,500 to 3,000 pigeon guiHemots yellow!in sole, rock sole, rockfish , and including home sites and some burial sites were killed. Scolers, marbled murre lets, pollock. Each species continues to be that were irreversibly damaged. sandpipers, glaucous-winged gulls, red exposed to bottom sediments that contain Assessment is not complete. Some breasted mergansers, king eiders, black petroleum hydrocarbons deposited over a damage makes accurate study and artifact legged kittiwakes, and other spedes were large area. Significant injuries have not dating impossible. Natives worry thai affected. Major wintering areas lor many been documented, and studies continue. widespread knowledge of the sites may spedes were contaminated. lead to looting. Paciflc Herring There were large increases in Ihe Subsistence Re sources FISH AND SHELLFISH percentage of abnormal embryos and SUbsistence life styles remain disrupted larvae in oiled areas of Prince William by real or perceived contamination of No massive die·offs of adult fish have Sound during the 1989 reproductive traditional and historically important been documented. Fish are unique in that season. Larvae [n oiled areas had a subsistence resources. The report they metabolize petroleum hydrocarbons grealer incidence of eye tumors. These Subsistence Use of Fish and Wildlife in 15 so that hydrocarbons are not likely to be effects continued at lower rates in 1990. Aluliiq Villages after the Exxon Valdez Oil lound in the edible flesh. Salmon Greater egg mortality occurred in oiled Spill details effects on subsistence life successfully migrated to spawning areas areas as compared with oil-tree areas. styles. With the exception of clams and after the spill. Morphological and Herring that return as adults in 1992 and mussels in certain oiled areas, traditional reproductive problems were detected in 1993 will be examined for injuries infli cted foods were determined safe for human salmon and herring. during the larval stage. consumption. Hatchery Production In 1989, returns of adult salmon to COASTAL HABITAT SIGNS OF HOPE hatcheries located in heavily oiled areas were half the percentage of returns to Supratidal Natural recovery is making headway. hatcheries in oil-free parts of the sound. Oil contamination and beach cleanup Winter storms have helped wash away decreased productivity of beach rye grass and break down weathered oil on exposed Wild Producllon and other vegetation that help stabilize shores. Fertilizers applied by cleanup Mortality of pink salmon eggs deposited in berms. Increased vegetation was found in workers have accelerated breakdown of oiled intertidal streams was 70 percent Prince William Sound, possibly due to petroleum hydrocarbons, although long greater than mortality of pink salmon eggs fewer predators or to fertHizers applied to term effects of fertilizers on the deposited in unoiled intertidal streams. beaches to speed oil breakdown. environment are unknown. Plant and Salmon larvae from heavily oiled streams animal communities have begun to showed gross morphological Intertidal reestablish themselves in lightly oiled abnormalities, Including club fins and Abundance of algae, barnacles, limpets, areas. The U.S. Coast Guard in 1990 curved spines. Eggs and larvae continue amphipods, isopods, and marine worms installed a marking light on Bligh Reef, to be exposed to oll in intertidal gravel. was decreased, and the biomass of and upgraded its Valdez ship radar mussels and fish was significantly tracking facility to more effectively monitor Sockeye Salmon reduced. Uptake of hydrocarbons tankers traveling in Prince William Sound. Closed fishing seasons caused persists. Gill parasitism and respiration Tanker crews undergo tests for alcohol in overabundance of adult salmon in rates were higher in fish from oiled areas. the bloodstream before sailing. Landing craft preparing to deliver oil spill cleanup workers. According to Exxon, approximately 11.000 workers, 1.400 vessels, and 84 aircraft participated in the oil spill cleanup attempt of 1989. Fisherman's Foreboding The pulse that pushes through the vein Betrays the heart that seeks the gain. For with the black blood of the earth, We kill the sea that gives us birth. To lubricate the works of man We pump the crude that stains the hand. While in bondage to our selfish goals We burn the oil that blacks our souls. And as we lust for less than fife Then must we bear the stain. That marked Macbeth the murderer, And makes us one with Cain. -Bill Hall. 1971 Cordova commercial fisherman and bank marketing director U NIVERSITY Of' A~sKII F... 1R HIoNKS IfIk