Crude AwakeningsOil Spill Response and Recovery

Workshop

Sponsored by: The Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute; Kenai Fjords National Park; and Alaska SeaLife Center.

Prince William Sound

Prince William Sound

Prince William Sound

Prince William Sound

Fishermen in CordovaFishermen in Cordova

Super Tankers loading at Valdez

1964 Good Friday Earthquake

At approximately 12:30 am on At approximately 12:30 am on March 24, 1989 The Exxon March 24, 1989 The Exxon

Valdez ran aground on Bligh Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef.Reef.

Attempting to contain the spill with booms

Cold water wash method

Hot water wash method

Physical removalPhysical removalof debrisof debris

•11 million gallons spilled•1,300 miles of shoreline oiled•470 miles away from spill site•10,000 workers•1,000 boats•100 aircraft

•250,000 Seabirds•1,000 – 2,500 Sea Otters•300 Harbor Seals•250 Bald Eagles•14 Killer Whales•12 River Otters•Fish ??

Estimated Mortality

2001: pooling oil remains below the surface.

Resources Not RecoveringAccording to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Council

Harlequin Ducks

Cormorant

Loons

Pigeon Guillemot

Clams

Pacific Herring

Harbor Seals

Recovering ResourcesAccording to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Council

Orca Whales

Sea Otters

Marbled Murrelets

Mussels

Intertidal Communities

Designated Wilderness

Archeological Resources

Recovered SpeciesAccording to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Council

Bald Eagle

Common Murres

Black Oyster Catcher

Pink Salmon

Sockeye Salmon

River Otter

The Alaska SeaLife Center opened in 1998

Oil Spills in the US since 1989March 24, 1989 Gulf of Alaska 11,000,000 gallonsFebruary 7, 1990 Southern California 300,000 gallonsMarch 16, 1990 New Jersey 127,000 gallonsJune 8, 1990 Galveston, Texas 5,100,000 gallonsAugust 10, 1993 Tampa Bay, Florida 336,000 gallonsApril 7, 2000 Maryland 111,000 gallonsJuly 6, 2000 Middleton, Rhode Island 14,000 gallonsNovember 28, 2000 Mississippi River 567,000 gallonsAugust 4, 2001 Valdez, Alaska 35,000 gallonsSeptember 22, 2001 La Porte, Texas 43,000 gallonsOctober 4, 2001 Interior Alaska 300,000 gallonsApril 6, 2002 Louisiana coast 90,000 gallonsFebruary 14, 2003 Midway Atoll NWR 100,000 gallonsNovember 26, 2004 Delaware River 475,000 gallonsDecember 10, 2004Unalaska, Alaska 480,000 gallonsAugust/September 2005 New Orleans, Louisiana 7,000,000 gallonsMarch 28, 2005 Alaska’s North Slope 111,300 gallonsJune 19, 2006 Calcasieu River, Louisiana 3,550,000 gallonsJanuary 2, 2007 Galveston, Texas 44,500 gallonsNovember 12, 2007 San Francisco, California 60,000 gallons

Crude AwakeningsOil Spill Response and Recovery

Workshop

Sponsored by: The Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute; Kenai Fjords National Park; and Alaska SeaLife Center.