Exxon Valdez Spill Effects on Southern Alaska 10 years later… [Aug. 31]
We spent last week vacationing in beautiful Seward, Alaska – the Final frontier. The town only has 3000 residents, so ammentites are limited, but that’s not why we went. We are (and have been) on a personal quest to see wildlife in their own domain. Living in San Diego, we have been supporters of the San Diego Wild Animal Park for their excellent efforts in breeding endangered species successfully and bringing dangerously low numbers up. However, there is nothing like seeing fat, healthy animals “in the wild”, as they should be.
As we cruised around the Kenai Glacier Fiords of Seward, we were thrilled to see gray whales feeding (plumping up for their winter travel south), Puffin nesting in the high grasses of rocky cliffs, slumbering sea lions resting on sunny rocks, and schools of white Beluga whales feeding on the salmon spawn in the River arms.
Despite the immense beauty and crisp clean air, the ill-effects of the Exxon Valdez were still evident and we couldn’t shake that feeling of remorse. Hundreds of thousand of animals were killed in the spill (Orcas,Sea Lions,Otters,all types of birds, fish),and unfortunately the animals are not coming back as expected. 13 endangered Orcas, (out of a resident pod of 30) were killed as well as hundreds of endangered otters. We never knew sea lions were endangered until we were told that they too have been over-hunted for pelts, and the spill just made matters worse. Even though the spill is not “visible” to the eye now, the animals are not breeding as expected. Small life such as plankton, single cell invertibrates, and small fish were severely affected thus sending the whole food chain reeling. Obviously the local fishing industry was non existant for many years – they are now fishing again, but the numbers are not nearly what they used to be.
Exxon had to pay out $900 million as a settlement to Alaska for cleanup, fees, and for wildlife funds. Out of this settlement, a beautiful state-of-the-art Marine Wildlife Center in Seward was built and just opened up last May where researchers from all over the world are stationed to study the environment and to find ways to improve natural breeding. If you happen to visit this area in Alaska, this is a must see. (Although it’s bittersweet – seeing such a beautiful building & refuge from blood money)
It’s even more depressing to note that on August 18th it was reported that the Alaska pipeline (Trans Alaska Pipeline System)is safe to operate, despite some frightening flaws. Six unnamed middle-level managers who warned that the 800-mile oil pipeline and its Valdez marine terminal were at risk of an imminent disaster — such as an explosion or rupture — worse than the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.
So, in otherwords…disaster is just waiting to happen again. Exxon will then pay a fine and it will be business as usual. However, the already gasping wildlife will not make it through one more oil disaster.
Perhaps our quest to see “wildlife” in their natural habitat is more of a “race” now than ever ….
Hippie Staff, Aug. 31, 1999 Comments? [email protected]
Please visit The Alaska Rainforest Campaign (ARC) – coalition of national and Alaska conservation groups that work to protect the remaining wildlands of the Tongass and Chugach National Forests from clearcutting and other harmful development. www.akrain.org
