Multi-stakeholder Marine Risk Assessments in Alaska: Updates from Cook Inlet and the Aleutian Islands

Abstract

ABSTRACT Marine risk assessments are underway for two operating areas of Alaska: one focuses on the most populated region of Alaska and the other on a much more remote area. Both assessments involve a combination of technical analysis and input based on the values and experiences of diverse stakeholders. Collectively, they represent the first implementation of a multi-stakeholder risk assessment process recommended in 2008 by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the U.S. National Academies. The Aleutian Islands Risk Assessment (AIRA) has been underway since 2009, with a total budget of $3 million from the 2004 M/V Selendang Ayu grounding and oil spill settlement funds. A similar, though smaller, risk assessment was initiated for Cook Inlet in 2011. The Cook Inlet Risk Assessment (CIRA) has a total budget of $900,000. Both assessments seek to identify and evaluate risk reduction options to minimize the risk of oil spills from vessels of 300 GT or larger, or those with at least 10,000 gallons of fuel capacity. Both projects are being conducted under the guidance of a small Management Team. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and U.S. Coast Guard sit on both Management Teams. The other Management Team members represent the additional relevant funding agencies: for Cook Inlet, this is the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens' Advisory Council (managing part of the funding for this project) and for the Aleutian Islands this is the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (managing the funds for this project). For each project, there is also a larger Advisory Panel, comprised of representatives of diverse and critical interests in each region, including the shipping and fisheries industries, local government, state and federal agencies, and environmental organizations. Advisory Panel members are selected by the Management team based on their local knowledge, expertise and understanding of the risk posed by the maritime transportation industry. Opportunities for public comment and engagement are provided, along with websites housing all project documents. There is also a Peer Review Panel for the AIRA project. Though the AIRA and CIRA are still underway, this paper provides an update on the wide ranging risk reduction options being considered, the types of technical analyses done and, how these analyses have informed project direction and decision-making, and preliminary observations related to the approaches used.