RCAC raises alarm over oil spill regulation review

The Prince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council issued a statement recently decrying a the decision by the governor’s office to review the state’s regulations regarding oil spill prevention. The move was not met with open arms by the nearly 30-year-old organization.
    “We will not support any changes that could increase risk, diminish response and prevention measures and basically bring that complacency which Congress found after the Exxon spill was a huge contributing factor to to that occurring,” said PWS RCAC External Communications Director Brooke Taylor.
    Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Jason Brune told the RCAC at is September meeting in Kenai that all Alaskans are overburdened by regulation.
    “The burden on everyday Alaskans is there with the significant amount of regulations that we have for things that are completely unnecessary right now. We are looking at all of our regulations,” Brune said. “The governor has instructed every department, every Commissioner to look at all of their regulations to make sure that they are current.”
    RCAC member Bob Shavelson, who has been an environmental watchdog in Southcentral Alaska for more quarter century, wasn’t buying into that answer.
    “In the past 25 years, I've been working on environmental issues in Alaska and before that elsewhere, and whenever I hear the term 'efficiencies,' it's just code for rollbacks. Okay? It's as simple as that,” said Shavelson. “And you know, you're being fairly opaque. You know, you're playing around, you're dancing around these things. We don't know what these actual concerns are. You did go to the Resource Development Council and ask them very openly, what can we do for you? What can we do to change the rules to make things less burdensome? So it's all about the bottom line, it's about profit, but I think it's important to represent: I don't think these oil companies are doing that bad."
    To which Brune responded:
    “You've brought up me speaking to RDC one time. I have been to this group twice. I've met with you probably 10 or 12 times individually. So I will ask you and every single one of you, 'What can I do for you, Bob? What can I do for you, Prince William Sound RCAC?’,” he asked, adding, “I am here, I am a representative of the governor but I work to help Alaska's environment and public health. That is the mission DEC. And if there is input, if there's feedback on any issues, I welcome that. I want to hear that. I'm open to it. I'm not just open to feedback from the RDC.”
    Though Shavelson didn’t get Brune to say it, the commissioner did admit to getting much of the input for the proposed changes from industry during an exchange with council member Kirk Zinck of Seldovia.
    “I'm wondering if you're getting comments from industry, are you getting comments from citizens?” Zinck asked.
    “Yes,” said Brune.
    “Okay,” Zinck continued, “which one predominates?”
    “I mean, of course a lot of them came from industry,” Brune said.
    Taylor says the RCAC sees itself as a resource to industry, the Coast Guard and to state regulators and as such would like to see more transparency in the state’s intent.
    “We're not opposed to improvement. We're certainly not opposed to gathering information. What we're really having issue with right now is the lack of transparency in what is happening,” Taylor says. “And if this really isn't anything that the public should be concerned about, and it's not coming from a place that is about reducing resources, we don't see why the information can't be shared with the public at this phase.”
    The RCAC has sent out a call for citizens to go to the ADEC and make comments, and to ask for more than just 30 to do so.