ITEM TITLE:
#20-14 - Supporting the Maintenance of Strong Alaska Laws and Regulations Related to the Prevention, Response, Contingency Planning, Financial Responsibility, Oversight and Monitoring Related to the Safe Handling and Transportation of Oil and Other Hazardous Substances
SUBMITTED BY: Sheri Pierce, MMC, City Clerk
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve Resolution No. 20-14 and authorize City Clerk to submit to ADEC.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
On October 15, 2019, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation opened a public scoping process to solicit comments and input from stakeholders, the public, and industry on areas where Alaska’s Oil Spill Regulations 18 AAC75 - Article 4 and Alaska State Statute 46.04, Oil and Hazardous Substance Pollution Control, could be streamlined.
Alaska State Statute 46.04, the basis for the oil spill regulations, contains many key laws designed to prevent oil spills and ensure that there are enough trained responders and equipment in place should prevention measures fail. For instance, this statute includes Alaska’s Oil Spill Response Planning Standard. This standard was created after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill as a direct result of the massive failure of the spill response system at that time. The standard establishes a foundation that continues to distinguish Alaska, and particularly Prince William Sound, as having a world-class preparedness and response system.
While regulations can be changed by the agency that oversees them (in this case ADEC), state statutes can only be amended by the legislature. This means that ADEC will need to propose any statutory changes they would like to see during the legislative session in Juneau. Should that occur, public input to individual representatives in the House and Senate will be crucial to preventing rollback of state statutes that protect our communities, local economies, and the environment.
RCAC, Kodiak, Homer, Seldovia and VFDA have all submitted resolutions or letters supporting the retention of existing regulations and State laws related to safe handling and transportation of oil and other hazardous substances.