CIRCAC PARTNERS WITH MARATHON PETROLEUM COMPANY AND AVTEC FOR NEW SCHOLARSHIP FOR MERCHANT MARINERS

Through a joint partnership with Marathon Petroleum Corporation and the Alaska Vocational Technical Education Center (AVTEC), CIRCAC is making a new scholarship available to students attending AVTEC's Maritime Training Center. Read more.

BOARD MEETS IN SELDOVIA IN SEPTEMBER

CIRCAC'S Board of Directors will meet in Seldovia on September 6. Tentatively on the agenda are remarks from the U.S. Coast Guard, updates from Hilcorp and Harvest Alaska LLC on the decommissioning of the Drift River Oil Terminal and seismic testing in Cook Inlet, and a report from Nuka Research on the Pipeline Infrastructure Risk Assessment. Once finalized, the agenda and Board Packet will be posted here.

COOK INLET'S ICE CAMERAS GETTING MUCH NEEDED UPGRADES

CIRCAC staff is updating and expanding the Ice Monitoring Camera Network (previously the Ice Forecasting Network).

Work on the cameras on the Middle Ground Shoals (MGS) "A" platform and the Granite Point Platform is in progress. The MGS "A" platform has two cameras onboard, both of which are being replaced due to technical issues. The Granite Point platform camera which had corrosion issues has been replaced. Once renovations are complete, a camera will be installed on the Tyonek platform. All replacement cameras include the use of electrical current isolation kits to eliminate corrosion from the induced current.

CIRCAC's contractor has developed an evergreen operation and maintenance manual for the camera system to be used by future system support contractors and staff. This manual is being designed to provide prospective personnel with background and technical information about the system's development and operational components. It should contain all technical details about the system's components, development parameters, and logic.

CIRCAC RECERTIFIED FOR ANOTHER YEAR

The U.S. Coast Guard has recertified the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (CIRCAC) as meeting its responsibilities under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). In so doing, the Coast Guard approved CIRCAC as the official citizens’ advisory group to oversee oil transportation and production in Cook Inlet, Alaska. The new recertification expires on August 31, 2020 and marks CIRCAC’s 28 ^th consecutive year of being granted recertification without exception.

 

Coast Guard Commander of District 17, Rear Admiral Matthew Bell, Jr., notified CIRCAC of the recertification in a letter dated July 31. He said the 7.1 earthquake in Anchorage “served as a reminder that disasters or events can happen at any time and highlighted the importance of the planning and preparation that your organization oversees in promoting safety in Cook Inlet.” Read more .

CIRCAC RECOUNTS THE HISTORY OF RCACs AT CLEAN PACIFIC CONFERENCE

At the July 2019 Clean Pacific Conference in Vancouver, BC, CIRCAC's Director of Operations Steve "Vinnie" Catalano expounded upon the history of Alaska's regional citizens advisory councils. Clean Pacific is an annual event of specific interest and benefit to the oil spill response community in the Western United States and Canada. Among its goals, the conference strives to cultivate the relationships that are crucial before, during, or after a response. This year's track sessions were devoted to communication and engagement, response and recovery, and planning and preparedness.

Alaska's RCACs were modeled on the terminal and tanker oversight mechanism in place at Scotland's Sullom Voe Terminal, today considered among the safest terminals in the world. Mr. Catalano focused his remarks on the immense progress in oil spill prevention and response, and how the RCAC model continues to mirror Sullom Voe with robust contaminant monitoring, habitat assessment, and oil spill prevention and response programs. In addition to Vinnie Catalano, other CIRCAC-affiliated attendees included Executive Director Mike Munger, Board Directors Deric Marcorelle, Bob Flint and Walt Sonen, and PROPS Committee Public Members James McHale, and Bob Pawlowski.

CIRCAC's Prevention, Response, Operations and Safety (PROPS) Committee met in July at the Nikiski Senior Center for the first time. The Committee chose the venue to share its work with an audience that may be less familiar with its activities.

Two former State of Alaska on-scene coordinators, Steve Russell and Geoffrey Merrell, joined the meeting. Now a consultant, Mr. Russell attended the Glacier Oil/Cook Inlet Energy drill on CIRCAC's behalf and presented his drill evaluation. Geoff Merrell, who began working for BlueCrest Energy in June, updated the Committee on the Cosmopolitan Facility's operations.

Pictured: On balcony: James McHale and Vaito'a Heaven (staff); (l to r) Steven Lufkin, John Bauer, and Board Members Gary Fandrei, Carla Stanley and Deric Marcorelle. Photo: Steve "Vinnie" Catalano.

Environmental Monitoring Committee (EMC) members and CIRCAC staff toured the Kasitsna Bay Labs during NOAA's July 28th Open House marking their 60th anniversary of marine science and education.

Pictured from left: University of New Hampshire Graduate Student Jesse Ross shares his research on marine snow with CIRCAC Director and EMC member Carla Stanley; and CIRCAC staff Maddie Jamora at the "touch tank."