OIL SPILL PREVENTION AND RESPONSE
FOR THE TAPS TANKER TRADEIN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA
Eugene P. Till and Sharon O. Hillman
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company/SERVS
P. O. Box 109
Valdez, Alaska 99686

Abstract
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, Ship Escort Response Vessel System(SERVS) is the primary response action contractor for Trans-Alaska Pipeline
System (TAPS) laden tankers within Prince William Sound Alaska and an
oil spill removal organization for the Gulf of Alaska. During the past sevenyears, SERVS has implemented a major spill prevention and responseorganization for this region.
The activities of the SERVS prevention and response organization include
escort prevention service, spill prevention activities, response equipment,
contingency planning, nearshore response, community involvement, fishingvessel program, citizen oversight and training. Plans have been made fordispersant use, in-situ burning, waste management, coastal resource andsensitive environment inventory, wildlife protection and rehabilitation andother response strategies. Response equipment and strategy updates areclosely coordinated with ship operators/charters (planholders), agencies, andthe public, including the Prince William Sound Regional Citizen Advisory
Council.

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Introduction
State and federal laws require each tanker loading oil at the Valdez Marine
Terminal and transiting Prince William Sound to have an approved
contingency plan, to contain and clean up an oil spill, to contract for cleanup
resources and to post evidence of financial responsibility.
Alaska regulations (18 AAC 75.500-75.570) provide that an "oil spill primary
response action contractor" can be obligated under contract to the holder ofan approved oil discharge and contingency plan issued under Alaska Statelaw (AS 46.04.030) to provide resources or equipment to contain, control orclean up an oil discharge. Alyeska Pipeline Service Company/Ship Escort
Response Vessel System (SERVS) has been certified as an oil spill primary
response action contractor by the Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation (ADEC).

SERVS Organization
The Ship Escort Response Vessel System (SERVS) organization is the
Valdez-based operational unit within Alyeska Pipeline Service Company
that acts as the primary response action contractor (RAC). SERVS provides
marine response services on behalf of Prince William Sound tanker
operators/shippers/charters who are contingency plan "planholders". The
services provided by SERVS generally include escort duties and initial oil
spill response. Services that are specifically provided include the duty to
implement the latest update of the Prince William Sound Tanker Oil
Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plan approved by ADEC in October
1995. The SERVS vision and mission statement reflects these duties andresponsibilities:

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VisionTo be recognized as a world leader in marine oil spill prevention andresponse.
MissionTo PREVENT oil spills by assisting tankers in sate navigation throughPrince William Sound and to PROTECT the environment by providing
effective RESPONSE SERVICES to the Valdez Marine Terminal andAlaska Crude Oil Shippers with oil spill response agreements and plans.
More than 250 people are directly assigned to the organization operating inor out of Valdez. Personnel include staff, managers, response specialists,
chartered or contracted vessel crews, response crews, material handlers andmechanics. The organizational structure of SERVS is designed to support
day-to-day operations and transition into the incident command systemefficiently for effective response to a major spill in Prince William Sound.

Role of Alyeska
Alyeska's services include communication with the tanker when inbound oroutbound between the Valdez terminal and the area of Seal Rocks to preventor minimize a discharge or threatened discharge of oil. On behalf of theplanholder Alyeska complies with Alaska regulation 18 AAC 75.475 formaintaining the response equipment listed in its oil spill primary response
action contractor application in response-ready conditions and providing theequipment out-of-service notifications to ADEC. When Alyeska discovers, oris advised, that an oil spill has occurred it provides initial oil spill response
services and promptly notifies the planholder of the oil spill.
Transfer of the response occurs when the responsible party assumes from
Alyeska the management and control of efforts to contain and clean up an oil
spill. However, Alyeska/SERVS response equipment and response

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personnel are made available for continued use under the management of
the responsible party in its oil spill response. Transfer of the response
obligations required in Alaska Statute, AS 46.04.020(g) occurs at the timeagreed to by the federal on-scene coordinator and the state on-scene
coordinator.

Prevention
The real key in the business of oil spills is prevention. Prevention of a tanker
incident in Prince William Sound (PWS) has been greatly enhanced during
the past seven years. Prevention is practiced and emphasized in a number ofways in PWS for Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) trade tankers,
including, but not limited to:l drug and alcohol screening and testing;l 24 hour standby for all SERVS response equipment, including
equipment at Cape Hinchinbrook and Naked Island;l six hour average response time for SERVS equipment;l response equipment stationed at five communities, five fish hatcheries
and sensitive aquatic habitat (duck flats);
l tugs are tethered to tankers through the Valdez Narrows to Buoy #9;
l at least one escort response vessel and one tug escort with the capability
to tow or push accompanying each laden tanker through PWS;l major risk assessment of system conducted;
l USCG automatic dependent surveillance system for tanker position
monitoring;l traffic separation scheme;
l industry ice navigation procedures;
l multiple visual and electronic observations of conditions to observe
additional traffic, ice and other phenomena;

5l pre-booming of tankers prior to transfer operations, shutdown transfer
operations due to splashover of booml PWS transit speed limit of 10 knots, with 5 knot limit in the Valdez
Narrows and 8 knots in Valdez Arm;l communications to question or alert tanker of atypical behavior;l escort tug on standby at Hinchinbrook while tanker moves 17 miles
outside PWS;
l independent vessel tracking by radar, electronic navigational aids, andvisual observations to insure optimum tracking; andl outbound laden tankers are not allowed to transit Hinchinbrook
Entrance at winds above 45 knots or seas above 15 feet.

Escort Vessel Program
The function of the escort vessels is to be immediately available to assist
tankers in case of emergency, to warn of any impending danger and toprovide initial spill response. All laden tankers transiting Prince WilliamSound (including partially laden inbound tankers) are escorted by two escort
vessels, at least one of which is an escort response vessel (ERV). Each ERV isdesigned and equipped for towing and is filled with fenders to comealongside a tanker. An ERV under contract with Alyeska will provide
emergency services to a tanker as requested by the tanker master. ERVs
carry boom, skimmers and other equipment for immediate response in theevent of a spill.
Outbound and inbound laden tankers are escorted between the Valdez
Marine Terminal and Seal Rocks via Hinchinbrook Entrance. Escort vessels
remain within a quarter mile of the tanker being escorted throughout thepassage unless the safety of any vessel is compromised. The escort vessels
remain at close quarters when transiting the Valdez Narrows where amaximum speed of 5 knots is mandated by the U. S.Coast Guard.

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Escort vessels are positioned to provide the maximum possible assistance if
needed. This positioning varies according to weather, ice or operational
conditions, depending on the judgment of the tanker master, pilot, or theescort vessel master. Four ERVs and four tugs currently handle the escort
schedule in a normal rotation. A substitute vessel may be used, if needed,because of routine maintenance, downtime and other circumstances. The
number of ERVs or tugs available will always be a function of tanker traffic.
Tanker traffic is suspended by the Coast Guard when reported sustained
winds in Port Valdez, Valdez Narrows or PWS reach or exceed 40 knots.
Once an escort is underway it will normally proceed to completion. However,during periods of severe weather the masters of the escort vessels may
require slower escort speeds or terminate the escort to seek shelter. If theescort is terminated, the USCG Vessel Traffic Center is notified.

Emergency Tow Program
Two emergency tow packages exist for tankers in Prince William Sound.
Both are intended for emergencies only and not for long term towing
operations.
l Each escort vessel is fitted with rapid deployment emergency towing gearthat is made up and ready on the deck.
l Each tanker is fitted with Prince William Sound towing equipment. The
operating guidelines for the use of this towing equipment are containedin the Prince William Sound Emergency Towing Plan.
The Gulf Ser4dce rescue vessel is stationed at Hinchinbrook for standby andrescue.

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Response Organization
The quantity and quality of equipment and personnel that have beenassembled and trained for this response are among the best in the world.
Shortly after the T/V Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound, the TAPS
owners and shippers working with Alyeska Pipeline Service Company,
formed SERVS. Over the last seven years, the organization has grown in
response to the contingency planning needs and now has one of the largest
complements of oil spill recovery equipment and supporting vessel/barge
recovery and storage systems in the world (see Appendix A, Reportable
Equipment by Responding Unit).
The following scenario excerpt exemplifies the extraordinary quantity ofresources which, weather permitting, can be brought to bear within Prince
William Sound in the first 12 hours of an incident.

Location: Hinchinbrook Entrance, Prince William Sound, Alaska
Time:

Never

The tug Sea Voyager and the Escort Response Vessel Pioneer
Service are escorting the tanker .25 miles astern of the vessel. At fiveminutes after midnight the tanker reports a major spill to the USCG and
the escort vessels. The response specialist reports the situation to the
SEP VS duty officer. Within minutes, the response is in motion. The
ship's master completes the required regulatory and company
notifications after reporting the incident.
The SERVS duty officer notifies the operations control center duty
officer at the Valdez Marine Terminal and initiates SERVS initial
response notification procedures. The SERVS manager directs the
SERVS duty officer to have all available off duty-SERVS staff report
immediately to the SERVS base and directs the SERVS operations
manager to mobilize and dispatch all SERVS vessels to the incident.

8Concurrently with the following equipment actions the unified command
will be assembling including the incident commander for the responding
party (initially Alyeska); the federal on-scene-coordinator (FOSC),USCG Commander of the Port Valdez; and the state on-scenecoordinator(SOSC) and the ADEC representative in Valdez.

The oil spill response equipment and personnel includes:l Task Force: TransRec barge Z-Big-1 with ERV Gulf Service
from Port Etches [ETA 2:30 a.m.].
l Task Force: TransRec barge Tidemar 460 with Gulf Brent tugfrom Naked Island [ETA 4:30 a.m.].
l ERVs Liberty Service, Heritage Service, and Freedom Service
from Valdez [ETA 5:30 a.m.].
l Task Force. TransRec barge Crowley 450-8 with tug from
Valdez [ETA 7:30 a.m.].
l Task Force: TransRec barge Crowley 450-3 with tug from
Valdez [ETA 7:30 a.m.].
l Task Force. Skimming vessel Valdez Star with barge Allison
Creek from Valdez [ETA 07:30 a.m.].
l Task Force: Equipment/lightering barge JI-344 with tugfrom Valdez [ETA 7:30].
l Nearshore barge Responder 500-2 with tug from Valdez[ETA 8:30 a.m.].
l Fishing Vessel call-out initiated (50 core-fleet vessels calledwith additional vessels available)
In addition to this equipment, the nearshore and shoreilne equipment
complements and crews are also being mobiized, along with thesupporting incident command system (ICS) staffing, environmental
resources, citizen-advisory' group members and the regulatory' agencies.

(Scenario excerpted from Prince William Sound Tanker Oil Discharge

9Prevention and Contingency Plan, 1994 Supplemental information
Document No. 22.)

Gulf of Alaska Response Capability
Under OPA 90 the tanker owners and operators for the TAPS trade areresponsible for satisfying applicable federal response planning requirements
for the Gulf of Alaska. The response requirements include a capability to
conduct oil spill recovery up to 200 miles from shore under federally
stipulated weather conditions. To meet this requirement SERVS became
certified by the USCG as an offshore spill removal organization (OSRO). The
tanker owners and operators have contracted with APSC/SERVS to use
specified equipment should a Gulf of Alaska response be initiated. TheSERVS response and equipment included several equipment and proceduralmodifications to ensure personnel safety for response in the Gulf of Alaska.
Three recovery barges with TransRec skimmer systems have been modified
to include on barge accommodations for up to 12 people. Modifications
include all sleeping quarters; food preparation galley; sanitation, water andelectric facilities; oil spill recovery equipment; wave protection breakwaters;
and elevated catwalk. Additional lighting equipment was also installed.
Each of the barges would be pulled by an ocean tug and accompanied by a
210 foot escort response vessel (ERV). Crewing includes up to 12 on the barge,
8 on the tug and 10 on the ERV. Up to 11 additional staff could be added
aboard the ERV. A fast rescue boat has been installed aboard each of the
ERVs and additional safety and offshore survival equipment and training
has been included.

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Spill Response Drills/Simulations
An announced or unannounced exercise is conducted at least once a year.
These exercises are designed to test or observe the adequacy, in content andexecution, of the Prince William Sound Tanker Oil Discharge Prevention andContingency Plan and all its components. As part of Alyeska's ICS spilltraining and curriculum, numerous equipment exercises are also conductedeach year. At least once every three years an exercise will be a full-scale drill(involving Prince William Sound tanker owners/operators/charterers,
government agencies, Regional Citizens Advisory Council (RCAC) members,
and deployment of SERVS equipment and fishing vessels). The intent ofthese simulations will provide various stress levels and test Alyeska's crisis
management team in "real time" and "compressed time" crisis operations.

Training Program
The SERVS training program is coordinated within Alyeska and a special
joint program with the Prince William Sound Community College. The
training program includes mandatory safety, hazwoper and supervisory
training, as well as basic and advanced oil spill response techniques,contingency planning, wildlife capture and rehabilitation, fishing vessel andincident command system (ICS) training. Several hundred hours of training
are offered. Agencies and members of the PWS Regional Citizens Advisory
Council and its committees are invited to participate in the specialized
training programs as well. In addition, all contractors are responsible forproviding appropriate required training for its employees.
ICS training is provided to all members of Alyeska's crisis management
teams. ICS was designed as an all-risk emergency management system;
original course instruction manuals and student workbooks were developed
for wild land fire fighting. To incorporate oil spill terminology andoperational procedures, courses have-been reworked so that trainees canunderstand specific duties of their oil spill response jobs. ICS training is11sequential and cumulative. Courses vary in length from one to three days.
Section specific and advanced courses are provided for the command section
and section leaders.

Response Strategies Including Open-Water, Nearshore and Onshore
The open-water strategy relies on on-scene response and deployment ofavailable resources in a rapid and practiced response role. The elements ofthis strategy include available equipment and regular practice. However, as
in all oil spills the actual open-water response will and must be uniquely
tailored to the event, environmental conditions and circumstances underwhich it occurs. The ERV will be immediately available on-scene and inposition to commence a response. At least one of the escort vessels is an ERV,and carries aboard it approximately 4,600 feet of boom, two skimmers and aworkboat. In addition, as outlined in the scenario, skimmers, booms, vessels
and storage capacity is available, and manned in PWS to be dispatched in
response to a 300,000 barrel incident. Lightering equipment and storage
capacity is also available. If applicable, dispersant and burning equipment isavailable and ready for response. The primary objectives of the first phase of
the open water response are 1) to control the spill at its source in order toconcentrate the oil and maximize recovery by mechanical means or burning;
and, 2) to minimize contamination of the shoreline. Cascading boom
configurations may be utilized to enhance the approximately 800 footcontainment boom opening for a TransRec barge recovery system that
employs two TransRec 350 skimmers and one GrahamRec skimmer system
for a combined adjusted nameplate recovery capacity of more than 7,000
barrels per hour. Four TransRec barge recovery systems are available for
deployment.
The nearshore response strategies include free oil recovery, protection
strategies such as exclusion and diversion booming, oil entrapment
techniques, passive collection, sensitive habitat protection, wildlife support

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activities and on-shore cold water deluge protection strategies. The
nearshore program involves a large number of fishing vessels; a group ofsmaller skimmers, specially designed and constructed mini barges and alarger support and oil storage barge. The nearshore response strategy
focuses on the collection of oil that has escaped the primary oil spill recovery
equipment and may be threatening nearshore or onshore resources.
Communities that may be affected by an oil spill in PWS have beenorganized to assist as part of the plan. Community resources consist largelyof fishing vessels under contract to Alyeska as the response action contractor(RAC), and equipment staged at five fish hatcheries, and in fivecommunities in PWS.
Onshore response involves planning and conducting cleanup operations after
the oil has reached the shore. The planning includes a shoreline cleanup
assessment technology (SCAT) process, with agency, landowner, andresponsible party assessments. Equipment for an initial response, (utilizing
primarily cold water deluge, low and high pressure cold water-wash systems)
has been purchased and is part of the existing response capability. Training
in shoreline response methods as well as the prerequisite SCAT processes is
included in the training and exercise program.

Fishing Vessel Program
As the RAC, Alyeska maintains more than 300 contracts with fishing vesselowners throughout PWS to support oil spill response. Fishing Vessel
Administrators (FVA) are located in Valdez, Cordova, Whittier, Tatitlek,
Chenega Bay, Seldovia, Seward and Kodiak. In the event of a spill the FVAs
provide logistical support as requested by SERVS in the dispatching offishing and other local vessels from their areas as well as boom and supplies.
The fishing vessel support is an integral element for open-water, nearshore,
wildlife protection, and burning response

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strategies. Fishing vessel specifications are maintained in a computerized
database to determine response support roles.

Sensitive Areas and Hatchery Protection Program
The protection of sensitive areas and fish hatcheries exposed to the possible
threat of a spill in PWS is a priority in the nearshore response strategies.
Hatchery protection equipment has been identified, dedicated and staged atfive operating hatcheries in PWS:
l Armin F. Koernig Hatchery, Sawmill Bay, Evans Island;l Cannery Creek Hatchery, Unakwik Inlet;
l Wally Noerenberg Hatchery, (Lake Bay) Esther Island;l Main Bay Hatchery, Main Bay; andl Solomon Gulch Hatchery, Port of Valdez.
Additionally, the Valdez Duck Flats aquatic habitat has equipment prestaged. The equipment is containerized and sized for rapid deployment. Eachset of equipment is specific for the individual site character, and thedeployment plans have been prepared in detail. Year around maintenanceand security is in place. On-site training is conducted with the response
personnel from SERVS and nearby fishing vessel crews on a regularlyscheduled basis.

Response Centers
Oil spill response equipment has been located in the communities of Valdez,
Chenega Bay, Cordova, Tatitlek and Whittier. The response center
equipment is multifunctional and includes, booms, sorbents, anchors,personal protective equipment, miscellaneous support equipment used in aspill response (survival and first aid equipment, tools, mechanical,
decontamination, and mooring equipment, plastic bags, shovels, rakes, andthe like). The equipment is secured in storage vans, and periodicallymaintained, and inventoried. In case of a response the mobilization and14deployment of the equipment is a local activity utilizing the fishing vessel
and area administrator programs. Response Center personnel participate inperiodic drills and training activities.

Dispersant and In-situ Burning Strategies
The development of detailed strategies and equipment for dispersant andburning response techniques is an integral part of the response planning for
Prince William Sound. Working groups under the regional response teamhave developed permitting and application guidelines, while Alyeska hasdeveloped information documentation in conjunction with agency andregional citizen council participation and support. Major efforts areundertaken to stay abreast of the latest technology advancements andresearch efforts. In addition, major efforts have been expended to equip
SERVS for operational response and provide operating procedures for
deployment of the specialized equipment.
Alyeska has committed considerable equipment and stockpiles to thedispersant program. The equipment includes dedicated C-130 aircraft(Lynden), 2 ADDS Pack systems in Anchorage, Alaska; three vessel systems,
dispersant and two helicopter bucket systems based in Valdez. Alyeska hascoordinated with the 17th USCG District in the development and testing of
the USCG dispersant capability. Alyeska and the USCG have executed amemorandum of understanding regarding assistance in case of a major
incident requiring dispersant use.
SERVS also participated in the Newfoundland (NOBE) in-situ burning
experiments. Operational equipment and procedures for the active use of insitu burning are in place in the nearshore response group and are practiced
in advanced oil spill training exercises.

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Technology exchanges with the local communities are conducted to assist in
education and understanding of the environmental tradeoffs that are an
important part in the decision making process for the use of response tools.

Wildlife Protection and Rehabilitation
A detailed and noteworthy wildlife protection and rehabilitation plan,equipment stockpiles and facilities have been prepared. More than four
years of analysis, trustee agency coordination, and public reviews havecontributed to the program. The wildlife protection and rehabilitation planaddresses primarily birds and otters, and provides for wildlife capture andstabilization facilities within the first day of an incident, if necessary,followed by the setup of the treatment facilities already identified. In late1995, the construction of a contingency otter treatment center was completed.
The 16 conex unit was constructed to fit inside a building at the terminal anduse oil terminal utilities, power, water, oil waste water treatment etc. State
guidelines call for response treatment to be available within 72 hours. The
response size is based on the response planning standards, and based upon
all of the program elements is sized at a capacity to treat 500 birds and up to
20 otters a day, with a facility maximum of 200 otters. The plan elements
also include an agency-guided euthanasia protocol for animals that cannot
be successfully treated.

Coastal Resources and Sensitive Environment Inventories
The contingency plan includes detailed written, graphic and computerized
data on the types and locations of sensitive coastal resources. Response
priorities are being developed by the area committee that was formed by the
USCG in response to OPA 90 requirements. However, the industry andagencies formed a joint Coastal Resources Working Group, co-chaired by the

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Alaska Representative of the Department of Interior, and the Alyeska
representative, to review, update and concur on one joint data base forcoastal resource and sensitive information for the Prince William Sound area.
The work group will also be addressing the Copper River Flats, outer Kenai
Peninsula, and Kodiak Archipelago areas during the next two years.

Conclusion
Prince William Sound includes 11,000 square miles of shoreline, islands andopen water, an area larger than the state of Vermont. The sound supports awide variety of marine life and is the site of the largest oil terminal in thewestern hemisphere. Every laden oil tanker is escorted by an ocean going tug
and a 210 foot escort response vessel from the terminal to Hinchinbrook
Entrance. The ERVs are equipped to tow or assist tankers with power or
maneuvering problems. They also carry oil spill response equipment for
immediate deployment. Skimming and storage barges are locatedthroughout the sound to provide immediate and timely ocean class spill
response. The fishing fleet provides ready and available local assistance andtrained expertise. Drills and frequent exercises train responders in advanced
spill response techniques. Citizen involvement reviews the organization
strengths and identifies areas for improvements.
Alaska/SERVS has assembled a major oil spill response operation in Prince
William Sound. Prevention is the primary duty carried out daily with theaverage twice daily escorts of the Alaskan North Slope crude laden tankers.
SERVS stands ready to respond with significant response equipment andtrained crews deployed throughout Prince William Sound.

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Bibliography
Alaska Administrative Code, Title 18. Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation.
November 1993.
The Alaska Federal/State Preparedness Plan for Response to Oil and Hazardous
substance Discharges/Releases (Unified Plan) Vol. I & II. USCG and State of
Alaska, November 1993.
Prince William Sound Tanker Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plan, Parts 1,
2, and 3 (Supplemental Information Documents 1 through 22), March 25, 1994.

APPENDIX A
Reportable Equipment by Responding Unit
Escort Response Vessels: Liberty Service, Freedom Service, Heritage Service, andPioneer Service
3,000 ft quick deployment boom
1,600 ft Vikoma ocean boom(2) Sea Skimmer 50s(1) boom towing work boat(1) fast rescue craft
towing winch
emergency towing package
Escort Tugs: Gulf Brent, Dr. Jack, Sea Voyager, and Sea Swifttug fendering system
towing winch
emergency towing package
TransRec barges: Z-Big- 1, Tidemar 460, Crowley 450-8, and Crowley 450-3(2) TransRec skimmer systems
1,320 ft Ro-Boom 2,000(1) GrahamRec skimmer system
Lightering Barge JI-344(4) TK 150 portable lightering pumps and associated equipment(4) lightering ship to ship fenders
35 ton crane (in place by Dec. 31, 1994)
Nearshore barge Responder 500-2

18(2) barge-mounted 35 ton cranes fixed hydraulic system(7) DESMI skimmer systems(4) Rope Mop skimmer systems(4) mini barges(4) inflatable barges
Gulf Service 220 ft; 11,200 horse power rescue tug deployed at Hinchinbrook Entrance