Alaska Regional Response Team

Places of RefugeBy

John BauerAlaska Department of Environmental Conservation

ARRT Places of Refuge Working Group

Alaska Regional Response Team Places of Refuge Working Group

• Meeting March 10 with industry, regulators, RCACs, pilot association

• Present guidelines for use throughout Alaska

• Identify process for decision making• Concurrent with the PS/BC Task Force POR

ARRT Places of Refuge Working Group

Alaska POR Guidelines• Assist authorities in POR decision making• Use standardized format for evaluating risks• Recognize the authorities and resources of

agencies, local governments, landowners• Decision making guidelines separate from

pre-identifying POR• Include guidelines in the Unified Plan update

ARRT Places of Refuge Working Group

Identifies jurisdiction of:• US Coast Guard• State• Local and tribal governments• Resource agencies• Vessel masters

ARRT Places of Refuge Working Group

Management Structure • If time allows, COTP activates a Unified

Command• Provide for consultation of local and tribal

governments, landowners, resource agencies

• If time does not allow, COTP addresses the POR request and notify stakeholders as soon as possible

ARRT Places of Refuge Working Group

Risk-based decision-making process to evaluate the risks of the vessel, public health and the environment

• If the ship remains in the same position• If the ship continues on its voyage• If the ship reaches a place of refuge• If the ship is taken out to sea

ARRT Places of Refuge Working Group

Step by step process and checklists • Master or company to provide status of

ship• Evaluate if ship should be offered a place

of refuge• Determine a specific place of refuge or

grounding site• Identify environmental resources at risk

ARRT Places of Refuge Working Group

Process for pre-identifying Places of Refuge

• Local committee performs risk analysis• Pre-identify potential places of refuge• Include places of refuge in subarea

plans

PWS Places of PWS Places of RefugeRefuge

Scope of Work OverviewScope of Work Overview

Larry IwamotoLarry Iwamoto

PWS RCACPWS RCAC

BackgroundBackground

COOK INLETCOOK INLET - Prior Events: - Prior Events:

Perl Island Drill – October 1996Perl Island Drill – October 1996

Barge Oregon – January 1997Barge Oregon – January 1997

PWS Tanker Drill – October 2003PWS Tanker Drill – October 2003

Latest Updates:Latest Updates:

9 sites pre-identified, part of Change 19 sites pre-identified, part of Change 1

INTERNATIONALINTERNATIONAL

Prestige Spill – November 2002Prestige Spill – November 2002

Cook Inlet Subarea - Places of Refuge

Anchorage

Drift River

Nikiski

Kachemak Bay

Koyuktolik Bay

Port Graham

Port Chatham

Seldovia

Seward

Whittier

Other Other InitiativesInitiatives

Pacific States/BC Task Force Work Group formed to address this issue

Aleutians GRS development will address Places of Refuge as well

Separate Initiative for Prince William Sound underway, sponsored jointly by PWS RCAC and DEC

General Criteria● Status of the vessel ● Public safety● Vessel traffic ● Prevailing winds● Anchoring ground● Water Depths for Anchoring*● Environmental resources at risk● Strategies to protect sensitive areas● Navigational approach to the mooring site● Available dock/support facilities● Available skilled/spill response labor● Economic concerns and potential impacts* *added for PWS

PWS POR PWS POR DevelopmentDevelopment

Work Group – 1st Meeting in May

Use PWS Marine Firefighting Plan as a source document

Process to be reviewed as part of pre-drill training for PWS PREP Drill

Overall product incorporated as part of Change 2 to PWS SCP

PWS Northeast Zone

Project Project DeliverablesDeliverables

Risk Assessment Map (draft completed)

Facilitate Meetings of the PWS POR Work Group (Initial meeting, monthly meetings planned)

Prepare Initial Draft Document of PWS POR for review and comment by Work Group

Prepare Final Draft Document for inclusion into the PWS SCP, Change 2 public review draft

June 2004: Initial draft document to work group for review and comments; possibly applied during MATES training

July 2004: Public comments solicited; comments reviewed by work group for action

July 2004: Final product submitted to DEC and RCAC Project Managers.

Fall 2004: Incorporated as part of Change 2 for public review

Project TimelineProject Timeline

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?

PWS RCACPWS RCAC