A diverse group of Alaskan organizations have come together to develop a guidebook and geographic response strategies (GRS) to help keep state harbors clean. Now harbor managers have a guidance and management tool to make it easier for them operate mooring facilities in an environmentally friendly way. A working group composed of government representatives, natural resource agencies, non-profit groups, and marine industry members came together to develop these standards.
Funding for the effort came from Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (CIRCAC), ConocoPhillips, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and Cook Inletkeeper. The initial Alaska Clean Harbor Project is composed of two components; a Clean Harbors Guidebook and Geographic Response Strategies for the harbors of Homer and Seldovia.
Alaska Clean Harbors Guidebook
Natural resource managers in Alaska have been focused for many years on preventing large oil spills and other major pollution incidents. Many people on the waterfront understood that there were many smaller pollution incidents occurring in state harbors everyday that needed to be addressed. The guidebook developed by this project provides harbormasters with information on current best management practices and lays the groundwork with a series of checklists for starting a statewide clean harbor certification program.
The effort took the best of clean marina programs found elsewhere in the United States and tailored them to the specific conditions found in Alaskan waters. The guidebook has two sections, the first deals with harbor design and the second with harbor operation and management.
Part One, Harbor Siting and Design
The environmental impact of a harbor is greatly influenced by its initial design. Some design considerations included in the guidebook:
- Harbor Flushing Management Measures
- Water Quality Management Measures
- Habitat Assessment Management Measures
- Shoreline Stabilization Management Measures
- Stormwater Runoff Management Measures
- Fueling Station Design Measures
- Sewage and Pumpout Facility Design Measures
Part Two, Harbor and Boat Operations and Maintenance
The way harbors and boats are operated and maintained greatly effects the health of the environment. Some procedures addressed in the guidebook:
- Solid Waste Management Measures
- Liquid Chemical and Hazardous Waste Management Measures
- Petroleum Product Management Measures
- Boat Cleaning and Hull Maintenance Management Measures
- Sewage and Pumpout Facility Operation
- Vessel Operation Management Measures
Harbor Geographic Response Strategies
Harbor GRS (Geographic Response Strategies) are designed to provide harbormasters with oil spill response plans that will mitigate the environmental damage that can occur from large marine oil spills. The GRS focused on preventing oil spills from happening within mooring basin and in the event of a spill outside of the harbor, keeping the oil from entering the harbor.
The harbors of Homer and Seldovia were selected as initial examples for the harbor GRS plans, with the hope that other harbors in the state could build on this work and craft oil spill response plans appropriate for their own facilities.
Harbormasters and boaters have a vested interest in keeping their harbors clean and preserving our water based access to natural resources well into the future. Copies of the Alaska Clean Harbor Project files are available at the project homepage maintained by Nuka Research.
Article first appeared at Suite101.com
Copyright © 2010 by Alan Sorum
