Chevron’s Oil – Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.
Prince William Sound
For the residents of south central Alaska, hearing the words “Exxon Valdez” causes a visceral reaction in the gut. The carelessness, recklessness, and ineptitude of one of our supposed partners in economic development that caused the spill of 10-30 million gallons of crude oil (depending who you believe) was a stab in the heart – the heart being the beautiful and pristine waters of Prince William Sound. The Sound was home to wildlife, a playground for outdoor enthusiasts, a spiritual place of great significance to Native Alaskans, a means of livelihood for fishermen, home to several coastal communities, and a jewel in America’s crown that many outside of Alaska came to enjoy, or dreamed of visiting.
The Sound has never recovered from that spill. Recent studies tell us that the resident pod of orcas will not survive. Digging in the beaches near Bligh Reef will reveal thick black crude oil inches below the surface. Many people lost their livelihoods, and more than 20% of the litigants who sued Exxon for their negligence had already died while Exxon dragged out the appeals process for almost 20 years. A conservative Supreme Court ruled again and again in favor of the corporation, while payments due to victims were whittled down to a fraction of the original amount.
The temptation to use the word “evil” to describe Exxon is strong. But this entity which seeks to maximize profit and minimize loss is only behaving like a corporation. Alaskans don’t get angry at polar bears for killing people. We don’t call them “evil”. They are just polar bears after all, and they do what polar bears do. If it moves, it’s food. Nothing personal. End of story. But, as thinking people who value our lives, we do learn to guard ourselves against them, and we never trust them, and we don’t believe people who tell us we should.
And so should it be with corporations. People don’t factor in to their equations. They maximize profits, and minimize losses, and make as much money as possible for their shareholders. They are just corporations after all, and they do what corporations do. The difference between corporations and polar bears, is that we haven’t learned to guard ourselves against corporations, and sometimes we still trust them, and the people who tell us we should.
Today, on the shores of Cook Inlet, a body of water which lies on the other side of the Chugach Mountains from Prince William Sound, there is a tank farm owned by Chevron. This tank farm consists of seven tanks, each one capable of holding 270,000 barrels of oil. That’s more than 11 million gallons total. This tank farm sits next to the Drift River which feeds into the Inlet. And it also sits at the base of Mt. Redoubt, which happens to be an active volcano that is currently at “orange alert” meaning it will likely erupt sometime soon.
The last time Mt. Redoubt erupted, the searing heat caused the glacier on its north face to melt, sending at its peak of flood 60,000 cubic meters of water per second rushing past the tank farm, a volume comparable to the output of the Mississippi River, only boiling hot. What might happen this time? With things like volcanoes, one can never be sure.
But we have been burned before by not being prepared. Now, in Prince William Sound, we only allow double hulled tankers, containment booms are at the ready. So, when we see a potential problem in the making, like lots of oil sitting between the volcano and the deep blue sea, we want to know how much oil is actually in these tanks, what precautions Chevron is taking to make sure we don’t have an environmental disaster on our hands, what equipment is available, and what Chevron plans to do if the worst happens. We need to know this in part because Cook Inlet is home to important salmon fisheries, halibut, and endangered beluga whales. Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, sits on its shores, and it reaches the coastal communities of Kodiak, Homer, Seldovia and many others.
So what is the status of the tank farm, and what are Chevron’s precautions and plans? How much oil is there?
I’m not going to tell you.
It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s that Chevron doesn’t think I, or you, or any member of the public has the right to know. We can expect such a response from a polar bear corporation. Transparency, accountability and the public disclosure of spill risk can make for some publicity that might undermine the profit goal. And the profit goal is what they do. Nothing personal.
But surely, there’s someone out there looking out for the public’s interest. What about the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC)? I see a recent press release about contaminated oysters…but nothing about Chevron. Surely the Coast Guard is there to ensure that proper disclosures are made. But, the Coast Guard agrees. You don’t have a right to know.
And what is the rationale for their secrecy? Homeland security. Yes, the Coast Guard and Chevron will have you believe that this information will play right into the hands of hardy terrorists who have decided to travel to Alaska in the dead of winter, and traverse more than a hundred miles of virtual wilderness, across a major body of water with no bridge, and use this secret knowledge to commit some diabolical act of terror in a region of Alaska where there are no people.
Bob Shavelson, the executive director of Cook Inlet Keeper said in a recent interview with Bobby Kennedy regarding this situation:
“We knew right after September 11th, we saw the Bush administration come in with these draconian secrecy policies that the oil and gas industry and other corporate chiefs were very happy to embrace because it totally attacked the public’s right to know about chemical hazards and threats to our public water supply. This is a perfect example. You’ve got an oil supply at the base of an active volcano that’s about ready to blow. Chevron refuses to tell anyone how much oil is in these tanks, and they also refuse to share their plans, even though we’ve got remarkable salmon fisheries that lie right at the base of this facility.”
So, for argument’s sake, let’s assume this is true; that this knowledge in the wrong hands is dangerous. It is so dangerous, in fact, that it trumps the public’s right to know.
So, naturally then, if you ask how much oil there is in the tank farm in the coastal community of Valdez, where the last big oil spill occurred, you’ll get the same answer, right? “Homeland security. Sorry, can’t tell you.” You’d think that, wouldn’t you? But you’d be wrong. You see, the Alyeska tank farm in Valdez not only will tell you how much oil is there if you ask, they release that information every single day. For instance, I can tell you that on February 3, the Alyeska tanks were 68% full because that’s public information. A couple hundred miles away, they’re obviously not worried that I’m a terrorist. See here [alyeska]
So, what are we to make of this, while keeping in mind the lesson of the polar bear? Bears will be bears and corporations will be corporations. Both are formidable, and neither should be trusted. Ask yourself why Chevron doesn’t want you to know how much oil is there at the base of a volcano that’s about to erupt. But more disturbingly, ask yourself why the U.S. Coast Guard considers the tank volume information from Chevron at Drift River “sensitive security information” pursuant to the Homeland Security Act, and cloaks this information in secrecy, while a couple hundred miles away in Valdez that same information is being delivered openly on a daily basis. And ask yourself why the State of Alaska is not defending your right to know.
Mt. Redoubt at sunset, seen from Anchorage.
(This article is cross-posted on The Huffington Post)
oh, dear
Am I reallly first???? (sorry!!) That is some amazing information AKM! We have to keep Cook Inlet safe! Keep digging in that muckity muck and flinging it to places like Huffington. Beautiful picture, reminds me to download some of mine
I sure do miss those mountains, and that beautiful winterscape.
I emailed Countdown today – on a totally unrelated issue (suggesting Bill O Reilly should be worst person, Again!) – the “R” word. It’s near and dear to my heart. But, as a PS – I suggested that the Countdown People (whoever reads KO’s email) should check out Mudflats. I know others here have emailed KO about the ‘Flats. I figured the more they get emails about you, the merrier.
And Mt. Redoubt has been making the side bars in our local (very conservative!!!!) Free Lance Star, here in Fredericksburg, VA. I catch a side bar on Mt. Redoubt about once a week, now. We have volcano watch in Fred!
That is so scary AKM. Every Alaskan should be totally furious, hell, every American should be absolutely furious. Damn, I live in the UK and I am furious.
I will have to move Chevron to the evil end of the oil spectrum.
Our gov is already at the evil end, but really, wtf is wrong w/her? Could we get some public announcement about this, like “here’s plan A” and “here’s plan B”?????
I knew there was a reason why I boycotted Chevron.
Thanks for the information, talk about nervous. That was a good write up on this.
I will pass this information along.
I cannot express my indignation.
I hope our new Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar (CO), will address this soon, if he hasn’t already. Unfortunately, it will take time to put new regulations and safeguards in place, but he has already put a moratorium on drilling in environmentally important places like Canyonlands in Utah, and Roan Plateau in Colorado. The tank farm should be emptied, until such time Mt. Redoubt is deemed safe again.
AKM, you are right about Chevron- a business is in business to make a profit.
OT……ROFLMFAO
I just now realized that I am a day ahead!! I was certain today was Friday and yesterday was Thursday, thus why my posts are dated a day ahead LMAO
Thanks to OPRAH on TV I just realized today is Thursday and NOT Friday. Hee hee, over anxious for the weekend??? NO probably more caught up in all the events and stuff going on that I just lost track of the days LOL
Ann
Sorry just had to explain why my UPDATES were a day ahead LOL
Eloquently said–and beautiful photo.
They’ve been drawing down the tanks at Drift River since Redoubt went orange.
Did you see Olbermann’s rant about Cheney earlier this week (or maybe late last week)? We sat back and let these men systematically strip us of our civil rights for 8 long years. We, in our ignorance and fear, put ‘national security’ ahead of the rule of law and common decency.
It will take a long time to undo the damage.
I challenge all of us, but especially President Obama and the Justice Department, to step up to the plate and begin that process.
And as long as I’m in rant mode, eff Sarah Palin and her toadies, eff the old white geezers in the AK legislature who think the Last Frontier is their personal playground to exploit of all natural resources, eff the oil companies, oh, and let’s not forget, eff that CEO of Bank of America who got nailed by Congresswoman Maxine Waters yesterday. Just threw his manicured, waxed, smug self in for good measure.
Sorry. Got a little carried away.
The homeland security argument is silly for several reasons – the obvious of which is that the volume of the tanks is already known, so the maximum amount of oil can already be estimated.
if the tanks are empty — they would probably heave from freeze-thaw cycles.
so if the tanks haven’t heaved — they obviously have liquid in them — enough weight of tank plus liquid to counter the pressure of the freezing soil pushing up (this is basic engineering physics stuff).
either way – the location of the tank farm was a very poor decision.
i would think that the SARA Title III Community-Right-To-Know law would apply to the storage of hazardous materials. seems like they would need to file Form R’s with the State Emergency Response Coordinator….
1. Also they should have a Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan (SPCC) that details their secondary containment, stormwater runon and runoff controls and various and sundry things they intend to do if there was a tank failure — see epa website:
http://www.epa.gov/OEM/content/spcc/index.htm
2. here is an interesting read — conference on oil spill prevention in 2004 — mentions the InletKeeper:
http://www.dec.state.ak.us/spar/ipp/docs/CPR2_Workshop_110904.pdf
3. this gal is a professional engineer and seems to have good work experience directly related to the topic (not advertising for her — just saying her vita seems spot on):
http://www.arctosak.com/AboutExp.html
4. from the governor’s desk: http://gov.state.ak.us/omb/10_omb/budget/DEC/comp1922.pdf
i feel your pain AKM — we tend to think there are rules in place that protect the public and the environment — but the truth is those rules belong to agencies that have been starved budgetarily for the past 8 years.
AKM this is probably the most important blog that you have put out there (despite the typo). It inspired a visceral reaction for me and fear for our resources and our people. Where the f**k is the governor on this?!?!?! What a disgrace!
This is a disaster waiting to happen. And all for the love of money! I am POed and I dont even live in Alaska.
True and present dangers! You Betya!
Are Gov. will just call it a Act of God, if Mt. Redoudt should move into the next level of activity. Another sign of the coming Armageddon.
I have yet to hear what the,” Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (RCAC) ” has to say about this. We all would like to think that, RCAC should have access to safe guards, and a handle on protecting are watershed. This is a nightmare waiting to happen.
I’m guilty of emotional exhaustion after the 89 spill. I got total burnout testifying after the 89 spill. Solutions for coastal pollution’s was the song I was singing. I was trying to create a Environmental Resource Vessel (ERV), that would demonstrating energy efficiency, share solutions for coastal pollution’s, demonstrate a Sailpowering vessel, and renewable energy options. That was my song at the time. It got me a divorce. I did help pave the way for waste oil tanks and recycling facilities to be put in place in are coastal towns. Small gains, small steps, and small support being proactive with progressive measures to save are seas. Its very hard keeping up safe guard measures with the oil industry, there are many issues regarding clean water.
Thank You Bob Shavelson! You have a tuff Job, with a very limited budget. I think I would be suicidal by now if I had your job. The industry still dumps there drilling muds into Cook Inlet!!!!! How can this be??? The only place in the world were its OK to dump drilling waste and heavy metals into one of the most productive watersheds in the world.
RCAC is funded by the Oil Industry as far as I know. Could be just a shell of true protection. Something to make us let are guard down again. Pay a few fisherman to be on standby, and pat there chest with with a good PR program on KBBI. I hope there is some back bone with RCAC!
grewingk (17:44:53) :
“They’ve been drawing down the tanks at Drift River since Redoubt went orange.”
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and the source for that? –
The Daily News article by Tom Kizzia that I linked to in the article mentions that. AKM
I just saw this on HuffPo! Great pics AKM! Great blog! What’s GINO doing about it? Obviously nothing as usual….
Who can we petition? Who can we email? What can we do?
and sarah palin thinks there should be less government and let business take care of themselves. ya that that is ever going to work out for the people. business is there to make money. End of story
so your state is not only high on the corruption list, but also high on the polution list as well???
oops, two l’s…pollution
AKM, thank you for this article. It is probably one of the most important you have written. You would think the Governor would be on this, but she is in the bed of the oil companies.
We need alternative energy now!
No more oil. They need to become absolete.
Y’all know I’m not one to quote scripture, but
“A righteous man regards the life of his beast, but even the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. Proverbs 12:10
We’re supposed to look after this place – we can’t live without it, and I don’t know about Chevron’s shareholders and their grandchildren, but I can’t eat, drink or breathe money.
Big corporations are formidable enough as opponents with their huge resources of money and legal personnel.
The Bush administration grabbed considerably more power under the guise of “Homeland Security.” When that power is extended likewise to a big corporation like Chevron, that corporation adds one more firewall against inquiry and transparency.
Greed plus huge resources plus government- sanctioned power…..becomes exponentially formidable.
Hopefully, the Obama administration will evaluate the directives of Homeland Security and strip away some of those firewalls that have been erected against this country’s own citizens and their rights to information which concerns their health and well-being.
Meanwhile, don’t count on Alaska’s governor to be a champion of Alaskans’ concerns about this very worrisome issue involving Chevron. Palin’s another dictator like Bush and Cheney.
@yukonbushgrma(18:20:05) :
grewingk (17:44:53) :
“They’ve been drawing down the tanks at Drift River since Redoubt went orange.”
=======
and the source for that? –
The Daily News article by Tom Kizzia that I linked to in the article mentions that. AKM
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Oh, gee, I didn’t even read Tom’s article. My sources are a floor hand on one of the platforms in Cook Inlet and a deckie on one of the boats that service the rigs in the Inlet. (i.e. a couple of neighbors.) They saw tanker traffic over there.
For those of you who use Enstar gas in ANC, we’ve had an LNG tanker ship on the hook out in Kachemak Bay, just sitting. The word is that the LNG tanks at Nikiski are full of the reserve gas they need for ANC. That’s it. There’s no gas right now to load that ship and send it on it’s way. It’s because of that long cold snap we had — people used way more gas than normal for heating. (My source: a longshoreman who works the Nikiski waterfront.)
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@Team Alaska(18:18:03) : RCAC is funded by the Oil Industry as far as I know. Could be just a shell of true protection. Something to make us let are guard down again. Pay a few fisherman to be on standby, and pat there chest with with a good PR program on KBBI. I hope there is some back bone with RCAC!
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The Prince William Sound Regional Citizen’s Advisory Council is the real deal. John Devens is the ED. He was the mayor of Valdez when EVOS happened, and his son is my SO’s lieutenant. (My SO is Johnny’s captain.) RCAC is funded by Alyeska, but they have no control over RCAC.
http://www.pwsrcac.org/
In Cook Inlet, we have Cook Inlet Citizen’s Advisory Council — CIRCAC.
Nice work, AKM. You’re fast *and* good!
@Lance the Boil aka Crust Scramble
“I don’t know about Chevron’s shareholders and their grandchildren, but I can’t eat, drink or breathe money.”
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profound and well said! I hope they read this…if their greedy hearts can digest it.
Yes, sir Lee!!!!
Its almost at the point were we can just build efficient off grid home and manufacturing centers. We will have to change are life styles to accommodate working with the natural forces of the planet.
I Germany and Sweden they are building supper insulated office buildings and homes with no fossil fuels to heat and cool.
Just think of the 150 foot dome colosseum built about 2000 years ago. They had a 22 foot opening at the top of the dome. People come from around the world to look at the daily light show in side the colosseum.
We need to simplify are lifestyles and maximize solar, wind, hydro, geo, and current energy systems. Independent renewable energy systems! Sure do a grid connect system if a surplus power is there to share, or develop green manufacturing were there is wind, solar, water, or geo resources to expose.
This whole grid system only mentality is a myth. First time construction cost might be cheaper on the grid, but we have to think in life time cost, environmental cost, social cost, and drama of not being in control of are power needs.
We have brain power to go green now. We have the power providers that like us to pay higher and higher monthly bill.
Its time to be more responsible, get dirty, dig a root cellar, compost are own crap, farm hemp again, grow food, and share hybrid transportation.
It makes no cense to build new schools that look like and act like prisons, with dead end halls, flat roofs, and miles of extra wiring and plumbing. We are on the path to a total collapse with this dysfunctional, energy wasting, incriminating, self supporting, grid connected mindset.
THe key is to create a steady state of balance on the planet, not economic growth. We have produced and produced such power and possible destruction on this planet.
We have such a clear idea of good and bad in a society. If you are bad you go live in a square building, in a square room, just like a square school you were kicked out of, because you had a hard time being in square rooms.
I’m sorry for going off like this. I just cannot believe that we are building more very costly prisons in Alaska again. It sickens me that we have to resort to building more square prisons as a means for economic growth in the great state of Alaska. I think the plan is to make these prisons manufacture more than street signs car plates. After all, these people broke the law and don’t get to work for poverty wages anymore. SO let’s keep locking them up and get a high bed count to pay for this dysfunctional system.
Team AlaskaNo Gravatar (20:12:10) :
I just cannot believe that we are building more very costly prisons in Alaska again. It sickens me that we have to resort to building more square prisons as a means for economic growth in the great state of Alaska. I think the plan is to make these prisons manufacture more than street signs car plates. After all, these people broke the law and don’t get to work for poverty wages anymore. SO let’s keep locking them up and get a high bed count to pay for this dysfunctional system.
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Yes. It boggles my mind that our prison population in the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave dwarfs the rest of the world.
I thank God every day for the internet. How else would we come together from such divergent places and have our voices heard and our presence felt?
Don’t really have much to add from what’s already been stated but was wondering… what is the devil wearing these days? Didn’t she just sell her ruby red slippers? Does Nordstrom’s sell Prada?
Interesting juxtaposition with Chevron. On one hand, gw was calling Chavez a devil but on the other hand, he kept the info on Chavez super secret. Not sure that it’s the State of Alaska that’s not protecting your right to know but the nitwits who still appear to be making those types of decisions at Homeland Security.
A quick FOIA request by a local reporter ought to bring that info out from the vaults.
Team Alaska (20:12:10) :
Xcel Energy is completing a pilot smart gird program in Boulder, Colorado- looks like it will be very successful, and they will expand it to all of Boulder. In Colorado, 12% of our energy comes from wind and solar; Xcel has canceled plans to built at least one new coal power plant due to improvements in energy efficiency and customer conservation. This can be done in Alaska, too-
I still cannot get over the fact that GINO could not name one Supreme Court case that she knew of (to Katie Couric’s question) – not even Exxon/Valdez vs. Supreme Court! How could ANYONE be that ignorant, esp. the governor of Alaska?
Lance the Boil aka Crust Scramble (20:30:22) :
Team AlaskaNo Gravatar (20:12:10) :
Crust Scramble?
I’m just a hard square headed Swede. I like curved structures and boats very much. Working with the wind and water is my joy. Please tell me what a Gravatar is? I don’t get out much..
@ Team Alaska
“Its time to be more responsible, get dirty, dig a root cellar, compost our own crap, farm hemp again, grow food, and share hybrid transportation.”
Somehow I just can’t picture the Republican public figures we have in AK doing this – but it sure conjures up a picture to die for and gave me a great belly laugh! Palin composting her crap? She’d never have time to do anything else. Lisa Murkowski, getting dirty, I don’t think so. But let’s check in with her dad, Frank, to see if he’d like to grow hemp in his retirement. And maybe Ted Stevens can try that hybrid transport thing, because he’s small but drives like the Hulk so the gas guzzlers will be no match for him! Hey, Fred Dyson is pretty bored these days at the edge of the playground, maybe he’d like to throw his hand into growing some food while being ignored. Andrew Halcro, not a politician yet but wants to be – he could dig the root cellar because he’s REALLY GOOD AT DIGGING.
The last one has me stumped, though, in thinking of Republican politicians in AK – who could we POSSIBLY talk into being actually responsible?
Also, too, ahem… also, too, ahem… AKM you are scaring me so knock it off please!
Chevron also has steadfastly refused to adopt readily available technology to reduce its pollution levels in Cook Inlet – even though other oil companies have done so for years on the Slope.
Chevron is not being a good ‘corporate citizen.’
This was a main course post.
I love it when you write like this.
Simply excellent work, thanks.
This is one disaster that could be prevented. Right? Like how long does it take to draw down these tanks? Someone surely knows that, right? Come on there has to be some math minds out there on the Mudflats. So many gal tank takes so long to fill, so long to drain. So how does the oil get into the tanks and how does it leave? This may be rocket science but someone knows this. And if they know it we can know it. I may be a dumb ole granny but I know that if we ask the right question of the right person we can find out.
If only for the practice, we could move the oil but to where? At what cost? And for how long. Looks like so out of work tankers (get on your CB’s and cell phones and get those Jepo drives up there, PDQ and demand it be moved. Now, if they are holding it until the price goes back up….the price will go up just from the cost of moving it, right? And if it all gets blown up the Mt blows, the price will go up anyways. And look at the cost of the mess that will cause. I’m not getting it, wouldn’t it seem to be better to relocate it now? Of coarse where to take it? Gee isn’t there some villages that need some heating oil? Or am I off base with that? Gee I need more info.
Come on…we can’t know when this Mt is going to blow, but it looks pretty sure it will go off some time….
I hate living in fear….I would rather use the oil now and work out other solutions as we move forward. Just one side question, is Mother Earth trying to tell us something? Like I’m really tired of you people skewing up, get your act together and play nice.
EatWildFish(21:37:26) :
Chevron also has steadfastly refused to adopt readily available technology to reduce its pollution levels in Cook Inlet – even though other oil companies have done so for years on the Slope.
Chevron is not being a good ‘corporate citizen.’
**********************************
The answer to that is to impose painful penalties for pollution. Not the kind that happen once; the kind that accumulate until the problem is fixed. It’s the only way.
Excellent article AKM.
Chevron supposedly ‘pride’ themselves on their environment policies -
“We’re committed to helping meet the world’s demand for energy while taking steps to protect the environment. We believe that it’s the right thing to do and that it’s critical to our success in a world in which energy sources should be developed in an environment that’s clean, safe and healthy.”
http://www.chevron.com/globalissues/environment/
- yet this letter (August 2008) from the Waterkeeper Alliance to the CEO of Chevron about the company’s activities in the Cook Inlet gives a better version of their ‘commitment’.
http://www.inletkeeper.org/energy/080608%20Bobby%20Kennedy%20Letter%20to%20Chevron.pdf (opens as pdf)
Unless they stop hiding behind Homeland Security, one can only assume that they have no plans in place to avoid a disaster.
crystalwolf a.k.a. caligrl (18:35:01):
You asked in an earlier post of who you would write to. My first thought would be to write to as many TV networks, media outlets you can. Use a header name of Homeland Security Disaster in Alaska. For sure to CNN as that is a station viewed by Washington. I suspect these see all but being CNN is so policitical, it’s a constant.
Within the post personally I would include something like:
Since Chevron is not prepared to advise the public as to what is in the tanks siting security reasons, then for safety reasons, Homeland Security should obtain the information or Washington will have another Exxon on their hands when the volcano blows, which is presently at Level Orange and unpredictable. Today, tomorrow or next week, a disaster could happen as volcanoes don’t give you an email alert. The oil in the tanks should be drawn down.
I would mention that Valdez gets a daily notification so why the secrecy. Mention the RCAC who is doing nothing for the safety of the citizens and natives or the environment.
If you have a myspace page, I would suggest to make a direct message to Rick Sanchez and Don Lemon at CNN. Re line Homeland Security Alert. Catch their attention. Being both do shows with viewer interaction from Twitter and Myspace, they are more involved with the viewers. Twitter doesn’t allow enough space to write. Another suggestion is if someone can record an iReport video and upload it on CNN — Again caption Homeland Security Alert or Oil Disaster soon.
I write these suggestions as I had a situation in Canada to which I could not get the attention of the company and politicians are tools so I took it to the media. I’ll just say — the company was PO’d and threatened a lawsuit. So — bite me. I had the sympathy support. They got hammered and I loved every minute of it. When it comes to a number of issues, your state Pitbull would be an appetizer to me.
Just a thought and suggestion as of course I have no knowledge other than seeing reports re the volcana. I just find my way of thinking in situations is I don’t want to rely on others not knowing if they are doing something and I especially wouldn’t put faith in your Gov. I could more imagine her ‘sleeping with the enemy’.
Emails and posting to every Enviromental group on the web, Blogs, Facebook, MySpace, and Youtube, also come to mind. Link every email, or post back here, for more information. ASAP. Redford, and all the others in the Actors Guild to protect our planet need to know this as well.
Captions for Posts to your favorite Blog:
“Save the birds, Save the whales, Save (fill in the blank). Take action today before MtR blows her top.
Anyone else have any ideas?
Another thought is the animal organization that Ashley Judd is a part of. Being that has already drawn attention this past week, it would easily get attention.
I want to do so much, but,, am tired. When will our gino work for our people?
Do you think these big oil companies havent bought off all those corrupt politicians?
It’s really time that corporations stop being treated like they have ” rights” and that as consumers and citizens theirs are more important than ours.
AKM, GREAT ARTICLE !!! Glad to see you on Huff Po keeping everyone informed as to what is REALLY going on in Alaska and not just what Palin’s PR flacks what people to hear.
@mt, take heart, get some rest and do what you can, when you can. It will not always be this way. Hold them accountable. We hope is on the way. We can call these big oil companies before congress just like they did the bankers this week. Get this country to move back on the right track may not happen over night, but then again….tomorrow is another day. Look for something very good to happen in the morning.
AKM, I never fail to be amazed and impressed by your excellent writing, your investigative approach and your take on situations, but this article excells – I can’t believe that the MSM is not all over it. KO, Rachel? Where are you?
I agree. An enthralling article.
co almost native wrote:
Xcel has canceled plans to built at least one new coal power plant due to improvements in energy efficiency and customer conservation. This can be done in Alaska, too-
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yes, another one bites the dust!
was there pressure put on Xcel to drop the coal plant project?
I know I’m behind the posts, hopefully you can update this.
I think it’s very interesting. The oil sands in northern Alberta are coming under scrutiny again for pollutants that have been leaching out of tailings ponds. A private citizen laid charges. Another private citizen laid charges back in 1982 for the same reason. What changed in those 27 years? Nothing. Did anyone from our government step in to lay charges under various environmental laws? No. They did nothing.
So it follows that Chevron has done nothing since the last time Redoubt erupted. This is an oil company, remember? Even without the Homeland Security excuse, Canadians can’t find out how much, when, etc.
Redoubt might sputter out. Or we might see another Novarupta: the largest volcano of the 20th century, that made Pinataubo look like a campfire. Oh, that’s right. Nobody remembers.
Thanks, everyone for the nice compliments. Water issues as they relate to humans, and non-humans alike are near and dear to my heart. The story of Cook Inlet is not only the potential hazards like what I discussed above, but what is actually happening now, and the billions of gallons of toxics that are legally dumped there on a continual basis.
And my hat’s off to Bob Shavelson of Cook Inlet Keeper, Pam Miller at Alaska Community Action on Toxics and the many many others in Alaska who are out there in the trenches dealing with this stuff every day on behalf of people who can be pretty apathetic.
OK, I’m going to stop before this turns into a post!
I imagine Gino is secretly pleased at the thought of the volcano damaging the tank farm in Cook Inlet. She hopes the damage would mean she would no longer have to abide by environmental rules that are presently obstructing her own plan to destroy Cook Inlet. It would be her personal message from God.
Thank you AKM for this story. It should alarm everyone.
I’ve been out of state for a couple of weeks, so am playing catch-up with your posts, AKM. This one sent a real chill down my spine. As one on the front lines way back when the Trans Alaska Pipeline was first purposed to terminus in Valdez, and the whole state was in greedo mode, my little town stood alone in opposition. We did not oppose the pipe-line per se, just it’s terminus in Prince William Sound. We preferred the alternate route (ironically being proposed now for AGIA) thru Canada, and reaching the midwest and NE where the oil was needed. It was a different time, and there was little interest or support from fledgling environmental groups. We were commercial fishermen that imposed our own financial levy on our catches to pay for our cause, sending fisherman nationwide with our story. It got some attention of national groups that slowed the start of the terminus plan, but failed to get the protections we knew were needed (and now in place, after the fact of the spill we knew would eventually come).
The oil companies have discovered (and probably always knew) that so-called “clean-up” after the fact, is cheaper than costly protections up front. And the Supreme Court of The United States backs them up.
Attention MudFlaters: Go to HuffPo and “buzz this up”. Attention and dissemination of information is the first step.
There’s been a major renovation project done over at the Drift River tank farm since Redoubt blew last time. It was because of the flooding caused by the lahars last time and was done to mitigate damage in case of another major flood event. I will have to go talk to a neighbor who worked on the project for details.
Here’s a really cool webpage on Redoubt and lahars:
http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/methods/hydrologic/afm_redoubt.php
Welcome home CRFlats!
Thanks, it was a working trip. Got face time with all of Alaska’s delegation. It’s mayhem back there. Will be interesting (but probably not in a good way) to see how the stimulus $$ are spent in Alaska. Would feel better if more confident in our leadership here at home. Would really like to see the $$ for school construction left in the package. Sure seems like it would stimulate jobs as well as be good for the kids. The construction season is so short here in Alaska that a one month delay can mean what till next year. What gets left out of “Stimulus” will go thru the long process of Appropriations, and the rules there are complicated. Alaskan projects will get special scrutiny, no doubt.
Anyway, good to be home.
Re: wired differently – Keep on carrying on! Epic rant. I couldn’t agree more!
“Only when the last tree has been cut down; only when the last river has been poisoned; only when the last fish has been caught; only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.” American Indian Proverb
CRFlats (12:15:38) :
re: stimulus $$ in AK – I was happy to see $$ left in for rural broadband … some of us out in the boonies still have dial-up and can’t access all the goodies …
Y’all can start your own diaries on the Daily Kos—also, too.
Moose Pucky’s ramblings can be found at:
http://akmk.dailykos.com/
@yukonbusgrma
Wonder if that will be affordable rural broadband… or just rural broadband business as usual that’s priced too high for many!?
Thanks AKM, and apologies for my slow comment. But yes, I sat in a briefing last week where the Coast Guard and Chevron both refused to say how much oil remained in the tanks. All they would say is that the volume of two 270,000 barrel storage tanks was “less than 50%.” So, with 42 gallons per barrel and assuming 49%, that’s over 10,000,000 gallons of oil sitting at the mouth of Drift River, where the lahars from the 1989-1990 Redoubt eruption caused major flooding, emergency unloading and evacuations, etc. As you note, the Homeland Security rationale falls on its face when Alyeska releases tank volumes EVERY DAY. So, once again, Cook Inlet is the forgotten step child. No high powered tug escorts for laden tankers, when Price William Sound and Puget Sound both require them (don’t forget the Seabulk Pride tanker grounding in 2006 – see http://www.inletkeeper.org/2005/IssuesAndAdvocacy/Seabulk%20Pride%20Incident%202006.htm). And Cook Inlet remains the ONLY coastal waterbody in the nation where Chevron and other legally dump billions of gallons of toxic waste into our rich fisheries each year (we’ve had to spend precious resource to sue them in federal court to stop this archaic practice, but Chevron makes more money by foisting the cost of treatment on the back of our public water resources – http://www.inletkeeper.org/energy/production.htm). And what did the Coast Guard say when a supply boat went down last month next to Chevron’s Granite Point platform, with 40,000 gallons of diesel aboard and hundreds of gallons of hazardous chemicals? “It’s a drop in the bucket and not a serious concern.” See http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/655303.html. Don;t get me wrong, the Coast Guard does great work. But when it comes time to stand up to the largest and most powerful corporations in the world, our state and federal agencies treat Cook Inlet as a corporate colony. So, as we prepare for fishing season, it’s business as usual in Cook Inlet. But we’ll keep pushing this string, and hope others here will get incensed enough to speak out. A good first step is an email to Larry Hartig, Commissioner at ADEC, asking why Alaskans don;t have a right-to-know how much oil threatens our salmon fisheries: larry.hartig@alaska.gov
As someone privy to Exxon’s nefarious and malevolent intentions in manipulating governments around the world in order to appropriate the world’s resources for their own profit, I strongly object to your comparison of a polar bear’s carnivorous instincts and Exxon’s brand of corporate self-interest.
The two are NOT comparable and your comparison is wholly unfair to polar bears. Polar bears do nothing to warrant your ugly and misplaced comparison.
Not all corporations will do anything to maximize profits. (Most corporations stop short of murdering their competition for example even though it would maximize profits.) Exxon, on the other hand, IS deserving of the term evil, because it is run by carefully a chosen upper management team of men who share a disdain for the natural world and future generations. My father used to laugh about dragging the Exxon-Valdez trial out and brag about paying off governments to ignore oil spills all over the world.
Here’s what I’d do: Assume they are full since it’s all so top secret. If that volcano blows, that’s the maximum they’re likely to lose.
Then, write to the CEO and copy the list of industry analysts that cover Chevron and let them know that nothing seems to be getting done to protect their asset of millions of barrels of oil and copy that you’ll send the copy to the analysts if you don’t hear from them in a couple of days. Fax the letter to the CEO’s office and let them know you’ll send it to the media outlets at the same time as the analysts. Then you’ll get someone to pay attention–when it hits their (Chevron’s) pocket book.
Saw this on HuffPost. Your making it to the big time.
Also reminded me I had been too long away.