Tag: Alaska

 Two members ​of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement's (BSEE) Oil Spill Preparedness Division ​recently ​traveled to communities along the Arctic to verify and inspect oil spill response equipment staged to support ongoing oil exploration in the Chukchi Sea.Along with several members ​of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the team traveled to Wainwright and Prudhoe Bay, to verify equipment preparedness and inspect required items in Shell’s approved Chukchi and Beaufort Sea Regional Exploration Program Oil Spill Response Plans.The equipment is owned and/or operated by Alaska Clean Seas, and Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation Arctic Response Services, two of Shell’s oil spill removal organizations listed in the company’s plans. The joint inspection team verified that the equipment was available and maintained as detailed in the plans, following inspections of specified equipment, maintenance records, and equipment operability.The inspections are a continuation of BSEE’s commitment and comprehensive effort to ensure safe and environmentally responsible offshore oil and gas development in the Arctic. As federal regulators, BSEE enforces operator compliance with regulations regarding oil spill response equipment preparedness and conducts inspections and exercises, to validate the tactics, logistics, resource availability, and personnel proficiency identified and relied upon in the approved oil spill response plan ...

Non-tank vessels in transit through Western Alaska waters en-route to or from a US port are required to follow Alternative Planning Criteria (APC) in order to fulfil federal requirements. The International P&I Club informs that in order to meet these APC requirements operators have, to date, been required to enrol with the sole provider of such services in Western Alaska, namely the Alaska Maritime Prevention and Response Network (AK-AMPRN).  Operators are informed that National Response Corporation (NRC) and Resolve Marine Group have now received final approval from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) for their Western Alaska APC, which focuses on the northern Pacific Great Circle route for non-tank Vessels transiting through the Aleutian Islands in Western Alaska. With this final approval from the USCG, NRC/Resolve is now providing non-tank vessel operators with their “1-Call Alaska” coverage for vessels transiting the Aleutian Islands Subarea of Western Alaska in compliance with OPA 90 regulations. Therefore, non-tank vessel operators now have a choice of APCs to follow for their non-tank vessels transiting Western Alaska. Availability of the 1-Call Alaska coverage Operators are informed that, at present, the 1-Call Alaska cover only applies to non-tank vessels, although NRC/Resolve expects to receive final USCG approval to expand their ...

USCG responded to a barge grounded on the Kongiganak River near Bethel

New alternative planning criteria for US Vessel Response Plans in Western Alaska

  A Unified Command consisting of representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of the Interior, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, City of Seldovia and the responsible party, formed to respond to a 6,000 gallon diesel fuel discharge into the Gulf of Alaska has completed fuel removal from the damaged tank trailer aboard the motor vessel Thor's Hammer.  Response crews and contractors from Alaska Chadux Corporation removed the 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel remaining in the punctured tank, as well as 28 bags of oily waste collected by the motor vessel Thor's Hammer’s crew. The 6,000 gallons of spilled diesel is no longer recoverable due to weathering and evaporation.  A Western Alaska Captain of the Port Order required the motor vessel Thor's Hammer to remain in Seldovia until the vessel was cleaned and determined to be safe for transit to Homer.  The vessel was later authorized to proceed to Homer where Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Homer personnel are scheduled to conduct a safety examination.  The Captain of the Port Order also required the Thor's Hammer to remain in Homer until determined safe for commercial operation.  The Coast Guard is currently conducting an investigation into the operations of the vessel.  ...

The USCG is monitoring repairs aboard the liquid natural gas carrier Excel in Homer, Alaska, Friday

  The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) announced they will extend the public comment period for 30 days for proposed regulations to ensure that future exploratory drilling activities on the U.S. Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) are done safely and responsibly, subject to strong and proven operational standards. The proposed Arctic-specific regulations focus solely on offshore exploration drilling operations within the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea Planning Areas. Using a combination of performance-based and prescriptive standards, the proposed regulations codify and further develop current Arctic-specific operational standards that seek to ensure that operators take the necessary steps to plan through all phases of offshore exploration in the Arctic, including mobilization, drilling, maritime transport and emergency response, and conduct safe drilling operations while in theater. The original 60-day comment period ends on April 27. The 30-day extension will end on May 27 and will allow the public more time to provide input. The proposed regulations are available here. Source: BOEMIn the origin, I was outspoken with you propecia before and after has changed my existence. It has become much more fun, and now I have to run. Just as it is ...

The Captain of the Port, Western Alaska, detained and released two vessels in February and March

United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Kimberly Christina Reidel-Byler, 46, and Darren K. Byler, 54, both residing near Kodiak, Alaska, charging them with offenses relating to the improper disposal of human waste into waters in and around Kodiak, Alaska. According to the Indictment filed in this case, the Bylers owned and operated the Wild Alaskan, a converted 94-foot Bering Sea crabber anchored in St. Herman Harbor, Kodiak, Alaska.  Between June 25, 2014, and November 30, 2014, the Wild Alaskan was a floating bar and strip club.  Customers were ferried to the vessel from shore by the Gulf Coast Responder, a 35-foot landing craft. During its operation, Kimberly Byler told the U.S. Coast Guard that human waste from the Wild Alaskan was being stored in a 5,000 gallon tank on the vessel, and then disposed of shore side by a commercial waste disposal firm.  Darren Byler told the U.S. Coast Guard that waste from the Wild Alaskan was being disposed of at Pier 2, St. Herman Harbor, or that he would transport the human waste in the Gulf Coast Responder to a point three nautical miles offshore, where he would ...