The purpose of this section is to provide information for the identification and protection of sensitive areas (biological resources as well as areas of public concern due to human use or cultural/historical importance), that may be impacted by a SEAPRO member company oil spill incident. Options and strategies for shorelines and wildlife response activities, including recommendated cleanup techniques for various shoreline types, are discussed, giving full consideration to seasonality, toxicity, discharge persistence, and appropriate prioritization. Specific preplanning and prevention activities, if appropriate, (i.e. pre-placement of buoys for diversion boom), to avoid possible impact to the most sensitive areas, are the responsibility of each facility and should be addressed in each facility's contingency plan.
The information that follows illustrates SEAPRO’s total area of operation (9 zones in Southeast
Alaska) and certain important biological resources, or human use areas, found there. Zone-specific
information can be found at NOAA’s Southeast Alaska Shoreline Habitats (Vol. I) and Biological Resources
(Vol. II) maps as well as the Alaska Department of Fish and Game blueline maps identifying anadromous
streams and fish in Southeast Alaska.
While SEAPRO has in its files all of the available charts and maps for Southeast Alaska, information regarding
ESA's (Environmentally Sensitive Areas) is available in great detail on the Alaska Department of
Environmental Conservation website and can be accessed by clicking here.
SEAPRO also has a permit to access the locations of culturally/historically
important sites through the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) Office of History and Archaeology.
ADNR would be contacted early in an incident to identify any archaeological resources in the vicinity of a
spill so that special precautions could be taken with respect to any response activities, i.e., special
cleanup procedures or total avoidance of the area.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has identified eleven areas in Southeast Alaska as “biological hotspots”. These “Most Environmentally Sensitive Areas” are called MESAs (refer back to the map of MESAs in Southeast Alaska in the Areas of Major Concern section at the site linked above). Detailed information on each ESI is provided and this information will alert SEAPRO member companies to the MESAs in or near their area of operation, as well as assist them in preplanning response strategies for the protection of these areas in the event of an oil discharge.
The coastlines of Southeast Alaska and its offshore areas provide seasonal feeding, breeding, birthing, and staging grounds for large numbers of migratory birds, and marine and terrestrial mammals. In the event of an oil spill in Southeast Alaska, it is possible that some birds and mammals (marine and terrestrial) may come into contact with oil on the water, along shorelines, in marshes, or in tidelands. The number of affected individuals and species will depend on several variables: the size of the spill, the weather, tides and currents, the location (and associated habitats), and the time of year in which the spill occurs.
Several response strategies have been specified in the Wildlife Protection Guidelines for Oil Spill Response in Alaska (PDF) for the protection of migratory birds, marine mammals, and terrestrial mammals threatened as a result of an oil spill. These strategies are prioritized into Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary and described separately for each group (birds, marine mammals, and terrestrial mammals).
The Primary Response Strategy involves controlling the release and spread of spilled oil at the source to prevent or reduce contamination of wildlife and/or their habitat. Secondary response strategies involve deterring wildlife away from oiled areas (including pre-emptive capture and relocation). Tertiary response strategies, the last resort, involve substantial handling of the wildlife through capture, treatment, stabilization, transportation, rehabilitation, etc. Both secondary and tertiary strategies require approval of an action plan and special permits from the appropriate wildlife agencies and FOSC. A permit is also required for carcass collection as part of a primary response strategy.
If it is determined wildlife is at risk during a spill, SEAPRO has contracted services with International Bird Rescue (IBR) and International Wildlife Research (IWR). IBR and IWR have significant knowledge and expertise relative to oiled wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and emergency response arising as a result of oil spills.
Upon activation, Bird Rescue will consult with the client and immediately commence deployment of a trained response team and associated resources whose duties include the following, in accordance with all elements of their oiled wildlife care protocols:
Wildlife protection requires immediate attention upon notice of a spill. SEAPRO maintains as much information on file as possible, with regard to shoreline typing and biological and human use resources in Southeast Alaska. (This material includes NOAA’s Shoreline Sensitivity and Biological Resource maps (Vol. I and II), and Alaska Fish & Game’s Anadromous Streams maps for Southeast, as well as many other reference materials).
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) provides a map, which includes Anadromous Waters, Fish Passage, and Fish Inventory for all of Alaska. The insert below provides a great reasource for planners when looking at potential impact to fish habitat.
In the event of an oil spill, at the request of the Responsible Party, SEAPRO will obtain weather and spill trajectory data from NOAA and (using the NOAA and ADF&G information referenced above) will identify areas that may be impacted by the spill or activities associated with it.
In line with the Primary Response Strategy, SEAPRO will, at the request of the Responsible Party, provide booming and skimming equipment, as well as personnel to protect the identified sensitive areas. These activities would be part of the general oil spill response effort and must be conducted in a manner that minimizes adverse effects to wildlife and/or habitats on the part of air, water, or shore-based responders. In predeployment briefings, SEAPRO responders are reminded to avoid disturbance to sensitive species and habitats such as nesting raptors and seabird colonies. SEAPRO is aware that such disturbance may affect the survival of young birds and other wildlife or, if they are not oiled, cause them to become so in an attempt to escape or avoid the disturbance. SEAPRO responders are also instructed not to keep wildlife remains (in whole or in part, i.e., eagle feathers), should any be discovered during spill response activities. Specific procedures for controlling disturbance to sensitive habitats or wildlife are, however, unique to each spill situation.
Time frames for the deployment by zone of booming and skimming equipment, and trained personnel, can be calculated from the planning tool available in Guidelines for Developing Equipment Deployment Strategies.
Scavenging of dead oiled birds or other wildlife may result in secondary poisoning due to hydrocarbon ingestion. Should a spill have resulted in oiled carcasses, permits for access to the site, and then, to “salvage” the carcasses would be sought from the appropriate land trustee agency and from wildlife trustee agencies.
Before initiating certain wildlife response strategies, the Responsible Party, or SEAPRO, if so directed, must notify, obtain approval from, and coordinate the proposed plan with the appropriate wildlife trustee agencies, including, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Early notification of these agencies is necessary in order to obtain the required permits, authorizations and guidance prior to initiating any wildlife response strategies such as hazing (unless passive), collection, holding, transporting of live animals, or carcass collection. The appropriate contacts, permits and procedures can be found at the hyperlinks above.
| Required Permits for the Collection, Holding and Hazing of Wildlife |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildlife | Alaska Department of Fish and Game |
US Fish and Wildlife Service |
National Marine Fisheries Service |
|||
| Collect and Hold |
Haze | Collect and Hold |
Haze | Collect and Hold |
Haze | |
| Migratory Birds |
No | Yes (except for passive hazing) |
YES includes salvage of oiled carcasses) |
No | No | No |
| Sea Otters | No | No | YES | YES includes salvage of oiled carcasses) |
No | No |
| Whales, Porpoises, Seals, Sea Lions |
No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Terrestrial Mammals |
Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Endangered Species |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Procedures for Obtaining Wildlife ResponsePermits During an Oil Spill |
|---|
Note: Active hazing (pyrotechnic devices such as cracker shells, screamers, rockets, fireworks, propane cannons as wells as use of aircraft, vehicles and sonic or audio- visual devices) does require a permit from ADF&G. |
As soon as a wildlife response strategy has been identified that includes hazing or other wildlife contact (collect, hold, transport, etc.), one or both of the forms in the permits section must be completed and submitted to the appropriate wildlife trustee agencies and FOSC for approval and coordination. SEAPRO would consult with and involve the wildlife trustee agencies early in the process of developing wildlife response strategies because of their knowledge and the wealth of wildlife and habitat information they have on file in various databases. SEAPRO, if so requested by the Responsible Party, would prepare and submit any permit applications to the appropriate agencies and the FOSC and obtain the necessary approvals before any wildlife activities commenced.
As well as the potential oiling of wildlife, when oil reaches a coastline, logs, grasses, etc., can become oiled. SEAPRO would arrange for the collection and disposal of any debris in one of several ways. Under certain circumstances, debris burning, with appropriate approvals, is an option. If not, SEAPRO would collect and load the debris and contact waste management and recycling services company for disposal options that would vary depending upon the type and quantity.
The contents and locations of SEAPRO’s hazing kits can be seen at this link.
Should it be determined in a spill response that hazing is necessary and a specific plan approved, at the request of the responsible party SEAPRO would activate International Bird Rescue (IBR) and International Wildlife Research (IWR). IBR and IWR are under contract with SEAPRO and are familiar with the SEAPRO equipment, are trained, and would work with the trustee agencies’ representatives in briefing, coordinating, and monitoring qualified responders at the spill site. Should the situation involve a requirement for more than the hazing kits owned by SEAPRO, additional kits would be obtained from other Alaska spill response co-ops, i.e., Alaska Clean Seas, CISPRI, and SERVS, or other wildlife response organizations.
State of Alaska regulations regarding contents of oil discharge and contingency plans under 18 AAC 75.425 specify that the following information be included within the Non-Mechanical Response section of a plan:
“ protection of environmentally sensitive areas and areas of public
concern - for a stationary facility or operation, or a railroad, and, if required by the department,
for a vessel, identification of environmentally sensitive areas and areas of public concern that
may suffer an impact from a spill of the applicable response planning standard volume; if identification
of those areas and site-specific strategies for protection of those areas are in an applicable subarea
contingency plan, the plan holder may incorporate that information by reference; whether prepared
separately or incorporated by reference, the identification of and planned protection measures for
those areas must be based on mapped predictions of discharge movement, spreading, and probable points
of contact, based on expected local, seasonal, meteorologic, and oceanographic or topographic
conditions; and, for each probable point of contact, must include a description of each
environmentally sensitive area and each area of public concern, including:
(i)the effect of
seasonal conditions on the sensitivity of each area;
(ii)a discussion of the toxicity effects
and persistence of the discharge, based on type of product; and
(iii)an identification of
which areas will be given priority attention if a discharge occurs; (18 AAC 75.425(e)(1)(F)(v)
& 18 AAC 75.445(d)(5)
ADEC Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plan Application and Review Guidelines provides, in part, the following information regarding required contents of this section:
Plan holders must contact appropriate state and federal resource agencies for help in identifying priority protection areas and summarizing them in their plan. These areas might include public water intakes, bird nesting areas, recreational beaches, rookeries, etc. Maps and charts of critical areas in the proximity of the operation must be obtained for reference in the event of a spill.. ...”