Alaska Outrage Over Federal Agency Oil Spill Response Plans

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Nov. 16, 2013 - PRLog -- ANCHORAGE, AK, Nov. 16, 2013 -- Federal agency-sponsored community and Tribal outreach meetings were held in Anchorage on Friday to present information on plans that give pre-authorization for the spraying and injection of the same controversial chemical dispersants used on the 1989 Exxon Valdez and 2010 Gulf of Mexico British Petroleum (BP) Oil Spills to be used in Alaskan waters.

The Alaska Inter-Tribal Council and the Change Oil Spill Response Global Alliance-Alaska Delegation who attended the meeting, say Tribal Nations, fisherman and concerned citizens vehemently oppose the plan because it erodes the regulatory power of the Clean Water Act.

“We do not understand why non-toxic alternatives we have repeatedly presented to replace these harmful chemicals have been ignored despite more than 200 pages of evidence of a better way to deal with spills. We suspect that the drive for preauthorization of dispersants is an industry preference, not a science based preference.” said Nikos Pastos, an Alliance Spokesperson.  “Even the Coast Guard has admitted they would like to find a non-toxic alternative to dispersants but insist on pushing through this plan—it makes no sense,” he continued.

The Alliance members are protesting the meeting process saying it is a means for disseminating mis-information to quiet public concerns over the use of chemical dispersants for the remediation of oil spills.  The group says that the classification of preauthorization is the same as issuing the Coast Guard a license to ‘poison Alaskan waters’.

The Alaska Regional Response Team (ARRT) a federal inter-agency body tasked with formulating response plans to oil-and-hazardous substance discharges in Alaska, plan to hold remaining workshops next week in Kodiak, Valdez and Dutch Harbor to hear further public comment and engage with Tribal Governments on the proposed chemical dispersant preauthorization plan.

In a widely distributed Public Notification (http://protectmarinelifenow.org/alaska-alliance/important...) kit to Tribal Governments and Alaskan citizens, the alliance group explains that US policies, and laws mandating government to government consultation with Tribal Nations on such plans are being undermined and short-circuited by the ARRT.

The ARRT’s ‘questionable Tribal Consultation process’, that began on Nov 13, “is a misuse of public funds to force through approval of the Coast Guard’s dispersant-use-plans, setting a dangerous precedent for inappropriate government-to government-consultation with Federally Recognized Tribes,” said Walter Parker, Arctic expert with 40 years experience in oil-and gas-oversight.  Parker went on to say, “Chemical Dispersant use in oil spill response should be retired globally as obsolete and is especially inappropriate for Alaska, since they are ineffective in frigid waters.”

More Information can be found at the Change Oil Spill Response Global Alliance Alaska Delegation Webpage.

http://protectmarinelifenow.org/alaska-alliance/important-briefing-on-alaska-federal-agency-push-for-chemical-dispersant-pre-authorization-november-2013

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

NIKOS PASTOS: 1-406-459-1829 OR

CARL WASSILE: 907-382-3403

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