Project Information

Title: LTM Program - Lingering Oil Component Project 21200114-P

Project Year and Number: 2021: 21200114-P

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 2024: 24200114-P , 2023: 23200114-P , 2022: 22200114-P , 2020: 20200114-P

Principal Investigator (PI): Mandy Lindeberg (NOAA/NMFS Auke Bay Laboratory), Ron Heintz (Sitka Sound Science Center)

Managing Agency: NOAA

Assisting Personnel: None

Research Location:

Restoration Category: Monitoring

Injured Resources Addressed: Not Specified

Abstract:

Oil from the Exxon Valdez remains sequestered under beaches throughout the spill area. This lingering oil, as it is known, has been a source of concern for the federal and state government and the public for over 30 years. In 2015 the United States and State of Alaska governments advised the federal district court they would not be filing for additional damages based on the presence of lingering oil and the “reopener claim.” In their joint status report, the Governments noted that, although the Governments would not pursue the additional claim, “[the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee] Council (EVOSTC) and its member agencies have discretion to consider and proceed with actions to reduce residual oil in the Spill area. . . .” In subsequent Council meetings, the Trustees noted their commitment to continuing lingering oil monitoring to ensure that the oil is not bioavailable or creating damage to the spill area habitat and its resources. Subsequent Councils requested EVOSTC staff develop a lingering oil monitoring project to address targeted areas to effectively monitor the presence and condition of lingering Exxon Valdez oil spill oil.

This project was developed in coordination with EVOSTC staff to provide a sensible monitoring program that continues past efforts. Past monitoring projects began with an initial assessment in 2001 where over 9,000 pits were excavated to estimate how much oil remained on beaches in Prince William Sound. Results from this survey showed oil was lingering in the environment longer than expected and not changing in its chemical composition or “weathering”. Additional surveys were conducted from 2003-2015 to determine the oil’s extent and to refine model estimates. Recommendations from these surveys were to continue monitoring these known sites periodically on a 5-year cycle to maintain the oil chemistry time series and evaluate any change. This project fulfills those recommendations and has become an important case study in the long-term impacts of oil spills.

This project proposes a low-cost presence/absence approach to monitoring that can be combined with previously Council-funded modeling efforts to provide managers with up to date information on where oil is located and its potential to cause injury. COVID-19 mandate restrictions prevented this project from conducting the field survey in summer of 2020 and has been postponed until summer of 2021. The principal investigators are not changing project objectives or requesting additional funding, simply shifting tasks into FY21.


Proposal: View (287 KB)

Reports:
FY17-21 Final Report: View (1,704 KB)

Publications from this Project: None Available