Comprehensive view of oil and gas infrastructures in Arctic Alaska
University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) released a report that offerscomprehensive view of oil, gas, and commercial transportation development in Arctic Alaska.
This report builds on the National Research Councils (NRC) 2003 study entitled Cumulative Environmental Effects of Oil and Gas Activities on Alaskas North Slope. The authors of that study identify the need for information that can contribute to comprehensive planning of oil and gas activities in the region. Comprehensive planning, in their view, considers the effects of oil and gas activities cumulatively over the entire region, over long-range time frames, and from the perspectives of regional residents and other stakeholders. However, the NRC authors point out that, Permitting decisions [for oil and gas activities] generally have been made one case at a time without a comprehensive plan to identify the scope, intensity, direction, or consequences of industrial activities that are judged appropriate and desirable. When non-comprehensive planning occurs, the ecological and social consequences of a given development projecton other areas of Arctic Alaska and over timecan remain hidden from pre-development analysis.
Regional overview
In terms of the natural environment, Arctic Alaska is made up of multiple ecoregions that are large areas of land and waters containing vegetation communities that share species and ecological dynamics, environmental conditions, and interactions. Ecoregions in Arctic Alaska range from Polar Arctic Tundra in the far north to Subarctic Tundra in the coastal west to Boreal Forest in the interior areas of the region. The marine ecosystems of the Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Bering Strait are also part of Arctic Alaska. These regional ecosystems are in relatively pristine condition compared to many other parts of the world, partly because human activities in the Arctic have been historically restricted by harsh environmental conditions.
In addition to unique plant and animal species, Arctic Alaska is the homeland of multiple Alaska Native groups. According to the Alaska Native Language Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, these groups include speakers of the Koyukon, Tanana, and Gwichin languages in the interior areas of the region, speakers of Inupiaq in the coastal and northern areas, and speakers of two types of Yupik in the Bering Strait area. The 2013 US Census estimates that the four census areas fully or partially within Arctic Alaska are home to over 30,000 people and the Alaska Native portion of the four areas populations ranges between 53% and 80%.
Many residents of Arctic Alaska are closely linked to regional ecosystems through their subsistence based life ways, whereby they draw at least a portion of their living directly fromocal landscapes and seascapes.
In addition to the resources acquired through subsistence activities, many residents of Arctic Alaska also depend on the regional commercial economy for financial resources. Industrialized natural resource extraction, mainly for out-of-state markets, is the main source of activity for Arctic Alaskas commercial economy.
Striking a sustainable balance between subsistence-based life-ways and the commercial economy has been identified as a key goal for future comprehensive planning in Arctic Alaska. However, regional stakeholders can have differing opinions about how to achieve a sustainable balance and how to define that term.
Arctic Alaska stakeholders are planning for the future and making decisions about how to promote regional sustainability in an atmosphere marked by rapid Arctic change, both environmentally and socially.
When these changes are considered alongside the sometimes divergent opinions of stakeholders in Arctic Alaska, the need for comprehensive planning at the regional level that includes multi stakeholder participation becomes apparent. Without it, a sustainable balance between the subsistence-based life-ways of many regional residents and the growing commercial economy marked by increasing industrial activity may never be achieved.
Phases of Oil and Gas Activities in Arctic Alaska
This report breaks down the activities associated with oil and gas production in Arctic Alaska into five main phases:
- Leasing
- Exploration
- Development
- Production and Transportation, and
- Decommissioning and Abandonment.
Each phase, described in detail below, involves a complex network of actors from the governmental, private, and civic spheres of society. The phases do not necessarily occur in sequential order, can overlap in time and geography, and can vary widely in terms of the amount of time they take and the government agencies that are involved. A wide range of federal, state, and local laws exist to protect the quality of the human and natural environment from potential negative impacts of oil and gas activities. Issuing permits under these laws can be straightforward, with applications quickly followed by issuance of a permit or other authorization. Alternatively, permitting can also be extremely involved; complex or controversial projects in remote Arctic areas can take multiple years and can require significant investment in baseline environmental and socioeconomic studies to assess potential impacts.
Conclusion
Expansion of oil and gas infrastructure, commercial transportation, and related industrial operations in Arctic Alaska will generate a variety of reactions from different stakeholders, who have diverse perspectives. Recalling the six categories of stakeholders described in the Introduction (tribal governments and Alaska Native organizations, industrial and commercial stakeholders, the State of Alaska, municipal governments, conservation organizations, and the federal government), it is easy to imagine areas of converging and conflicting opinions about increased industrial activity in Arctic Alaska. Given the range of stakeholders, multiple voices and positions will influence the future trajectory of commercial development in the region.
To achieve sustainable solutions that are fair to all stakeholders, decision-making processes must be inclusive and must be founded on a common set of information. To that end, this document can help advance sustainable solutions in Arctic Alaska by disseminating information about industrial expansion in a format that is useful for all stakeholders and decision-makers.
Source and Image Credit:University of Alaska Fairbanks
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