Cleanup Options Research Articles

Ash formation and deposition during oxy-coal combustion in a 100 kW laboratory combustor with various flue gas recycle options

Fouling and slagging processes are important in oxy-coal combustion processes because they greatly influence heat transfer and boiler performance. Ash partitioning processes are precursors to deposition processes and so in order to predict the latter one must have a good understanding of the former. This work involves a 100kW rated down-fired oxy-fuel combustor outfitted with sophisticated ash aerosol and ash deposit sampling equipment. The work differs from that previously published, in that here we focus on the effects of changes in the composition and amounts of actual recycled flue gas (RFG) streams used in oxy-coal combustion, not using once through CO2, as before. Conditions examined here included oxy-coal combustion with three different RFG cleanup options and two different RFG amounts, and results consist of size segregated compositions of the ash aerosol and spatially resolved compositions within the deposits. In general, results suggested that oxy-combustion conditions did not cause major changes in ash partitioning, fouling and slagging. There are, however, changes in both the compositions of the ultrafine particles and in that of the inner layer of the deposits, and these were due to higher flame temperatures, when these occurred. These results are discussed and interpreted in detail.

Model Development for Single Substrate Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Biodegradation

The kinetic of microbial growth and substrate utilization can be used to predict the fate and behavior of contaminants like PAHs in the environment through appropriate models. Further kinetic study results are useful in evaluating and weighing suitable treatment option for remediation and clean up of contaminated sites.. In this research a mathematical model for biodegradation of PAHs using isolated bacteria from municipal sludge was studied.. The model was developed using the Monod equation.. Results showed that the remaining PAHs in all samples decreased within time.

Study on cellular changes and potential endotrophy of wheat roots due to colonization of Chromium reducing bacteria

Chromium is a highly toxic metal for all living organisms. Industrial use of chromium has resulted in serious widespread pollution. Biological treatment (bioremediation) has proven to be a cost-effective option for cleanup of metal-contaminated sites. Several bacteria and plant species are able to tolerate high levels of chromium compounds that can be used for cleanup. An experiment was designed to study the colonization behavior of two indigenous Cr(VI)-reducing bacterial strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa Rb-1 and Ochrobactrum intermedium Rb-2 that were grown in wheat system amended with and without Cr(VI). Hydroponically grown wheat seedlings were co-inoculated with bacterial cultures to study the root colonization potential by fluorescent and electron microscopy. Bacterial inoculation caused significant increase in the growth of seedlings under Cr(VI) stress. Fluorescent microscopy showed good colonization potential of both bacterial strains with roots of inoculated seedlings. Electron micrographs revealed that Rb-1 tended to accumulate in the form of clusters, while Rb-2 preferred to be attach in groups of two or three cells to the root surface of inoculated seedlings. Chromium stress led to the elongation of bacterial rods along with uneven cell surface due to wrapping of cells in mucilaginous material. Cr(VI) stress also resulted in the damaging of plant root surface. Hence, few cells of Rb-2 entered the damaged root cortex cells and appeared as endophytes. Excessive production of fibrillar material by both bacteria under chromium stress could clearly be observed. Both strains displayed auxin production and Cr(VI) reduction ability, showing promise for bioremediation purposes.

SHORELINE RESPONSE - A PARADIGM SHIFT

ABSTRACT From time to time an event or a series of events can produce a change in strategic thinking or operating practices. One outcome of the Deepwater Horizon response was to learn from the process by which the shoreline response program was developed while the majority of planning and operational effort was directed towards the multi-faceted and intensive on-water program to recover or eliminate oil on the water before it could reach the coastal zone to minimize the impacts of the spill. This emphasis is typical of most marine and coastal spill response operations even though the duration of on-water operations may be a few days or weeks, whereas the onshore phase typically extends over weeks, months, or even years. The chronic nature of the Deepwater Horizon spill resulted in the on-water phase lasting for several months so that resources that typically would have transferred over to shoreline operations within a short time frame (days to a few weeks) remained committed to offshore and nearshore operation well into the summer of 2010. Shoreline cleanup is arguably the most intensely scrutinized and potentially expensive, in terms of time and effort, part of any response. Pre-planning shoreline cleanup in detail can be very challenging. Notwithstanding the types and volumes of oil, primary factors affecting shoreline cleanup strategy include potential oil pathways, shore types, seasonal coastal ecosystem and individual resource sensitivities, stakeholder involvements, and tactical cleanup options and restrictions. Few organizations have dedicated resources for shoreline cleanup: these must be identified and mobilized for a specific scenario (shore type, oil character, volume, etc.). However, a readiness to respond rapidly and expertly to oil on shore is critical as cleanup actions typically are most effective and efficient immediately following deposition, before oil is remobilized, buried or weathers to a state more difficult to clean. These preplanning challenges often mean that crucial details in a shoreline response plan are developed while oil is heading towards or even is onshore. The development of a Shoreline Response Program (SRP) addresses these challenges. The model SRP is a paradigm shift in the sense that it represents a change in some basic assumptions for spill response planning and first-phase response operations related to shorelines.

Riboflavin-mediated RDX transformation in the presence of Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 and lepidocrocite

The potential of riboflavin for the reductive degradation of a cyclic nitramine, hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), was investigated in the presence of lepidocrocite and/or Shewanella putrefaciens CN32. RDX reduction by CN32 alone or CN32 with lepidocrocite was insignificant, while 110μM RDX was completely reduced by CN32 with riboflavin in 78h. The transformation products identified included nitroso metabolites, formaldehyde, and ammonium, indicating the ring cleavage of RDX. UV and visible light analysis revealed that riboflavin was microbially reduced by CN32, and that the reduced riboflavin was linked to the complete degradation of RDX. In the presence of both CN32 and lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH), 100μM-riboflavin increased the rate and extent of Fe(II) production as well as RDX reduction. An abiotic study also showed that Fe(II)-riboflavin complex, and Fe(II) adsorbed on lepidocrocite, reduced RDX by 48% and 21%, respectively. The findings in this study suggest that riboflavin-mediated RDX degradation pathways in subsurface environments are diverse and complex. However, riboflavin, either from bacteria or exogenous sources, can significantly increase RDX degradation. This will provide a sustainable clean-up option for explosive-contaminated subsurface environments.

Estimating discount factors for public and private goods and testing competing discounting hypotheses

The observation of declining discount rates in experimental settings has led many to promote hyperbolic discounting over standard exponential discounting as the preferred descriptive model of intertemporal choice. I develop a new framework, consistent with the random utility model, which directly models the intertemporal utility function and produces explicit maximum likelihood estimates of discounting parameters. I apply this estimation method to a stated-preference survey of river basin cleanup options and revealed-preference lottery payment choices. Formal statistical tests fail to find evidence in support of hyperbolic or quasi-hyperbolic discounting. Annual discount rates range from ten to fourteen percent across the data sets and empirical specifications.

Distribution of cesium-137 in tree crop products collected from residence islands impacted by the U.S. nuclear test program in the northern Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands Program at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has completed a series of radiological surveys at Bikini, Rongelap, Utrōk, and Enewetak Atolls in the Marshall Islands designed to take a representative sample of food supplies with emphasis on determining 137Cs activity concentrations in common food plants. Coconuts (Cocos nucifera L.) are the most common and abundant food plant, and provided a common sample type to characterize the level and variability of activity concentrations of 137Cs in plant foods collected from different islands and atolls. Other dominant food types included Pandanus (Pandanus spp.) and breadfruit (Actocarpus spp.). In general, the activity concentration of 137Cs in food plants was found to decrease significantly between the main residence islands on Bikini, Rongelap, Utrōk, and Enewetak Atolls. The mean activity concentration of 137Cs measured in drinking coconut meat and juice was 0.72 (95 % CI 0.68–0.77) and 0.34 (95 % CI 0.30–0.38) Bq g−1, respectively, on Bikini Island; 0.019 (95 % CI 0.017–0.021) and 0.027 (95 % CI 0.023–0.031) Bq g−1, respectively, on Rongelap Island; 0.010 (95 % CI 0.007–0.013) and 0.007 (95 % CI 0.004–0.009) Bq g−1, respectively, on Utrōk Island; and 0.002 (95 % CI 0.0013–0.0024) and 0.002 (95 % CI 0.001–0.0025) Bq g−1, respectively, on Enewetak Island. High levels of variability are reported across all islands. These results will be used to improve the accuracy and reliability of predictive dose assessments, help characterize levels of uncertainty and variability in activity concentrations of fallout radionuclides in plant foods, and allow atoll communities to make informed decisions about resettlement and possible options for cleanup and rehabilitation of islands and atolls.

Estimating Discount Factors for Public and Private Goods and Testing Competing Discounting Hypotheses

The observation of declining discount rates in experimental settings has led many to promote hyperbolic discounting over standard exponential discounting as the preferred descriptive model of intertemporal choice. I develop a new framework, consistent with the random utility model, which directly models the intertemporal utility function and produces explicit maximum likelihood estimates of discounting parameters. I apply this estimation method to a stated-preference survey of river basin cleanup options and revealed-preference lottery payment choices. Formal statistical tests fail to find evidence in support of hyperbolic or quasi-hyperbolic discounting. Annual discount rates range from eight to thirteen percent across the data sets and empirical specifications.

Effect of two different Cr-(III)-organic compounds exposure to Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Bioreduction of Cr-(VI) to less toxic and less mobile Cr-(III) is considered to be a viable clean-up option. Cr-(VI) biotransformation also produces soluble Cr-(III)-organic complexes with insoluble Cr-(III) compounds. It was reported that once Cr-(III)-organic complexes are formed they are relatively stable and recalcitrant in short-term biodegradation. There are no reported data regarding the toxicity of the Cr-(III)-organic complexes. The aim of this current research was to investigate the toxicity of the soluble Cr-(III)-organic complexes [Cr-(III)-citrate and Cr-(III)-histidine] on yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae L-1 wild type. Growth inhibition, direct viable cell count, dry biomass and changes in cell shape and size were measured to explore the potential toxicity of the Cr-(III)-citrate as well as Cr-(III)-histidine. Cr-(III)-citrate exerted the toxicity with an EC50 calculated from the % growth inhibition at 51.03 mg L−1, whereas the EC50 for Cr-(III)-histidine was 71.85 mg L−1. Scanning electron microscopic result showed deformation in cell morphology.

The Beat

The Beat

Estimating Discount Factors within a Random Utility Theoretic Framework

Choices involving tradeoffs of benefits and costs over time are pervasive in our everyday lives. The observation of declining discount rates in experimental settings has led many to promote hyperbolic discounting over standard exponential discounting as the preferred descriptive model of intertemporal choice. In this paper, I develop a new framework that directly models the intertemporal utility function associated with an intertemporal outcome. This random utility model produces explicit maximum likelihood estimates of the discounting parameters. The main benefit of this approach is that I am able to perform formal statistical tests of quasi-hyperbolic and hyperbolic discounting, which has not been done previously in the economics literature. I apply this estimation method to two original data sets, a stated-preference survey of cleanup options for the Minnesota River Basin and revealed-preference choices of lottery payment options, in addition to one published data set. Formal statistical tests fail to find evidence in support of hyperbolic or quasi-hyperbolic discounting. Constant (exponential) annual discount rates range from eight to eleven percent over the three data sets, which are lower than those usually found in experimental studies but consistent with interest rates found in capital markets. I propose that confounding experimental artifacts may be responsible for previous evidence in favor of hyperbolic discounting. Specifically, uncertainty in future rewards, perceived future transaction costs, and subadditive discounting may confound estimates of rates of time preference (discount rates) from previous experimental designs.

Technology Focus: Drilling and Completion Fluids (November 2008)

Technology Focus Drilling and completion (D&C) fluids are used in every well and are critical to drilling efficiency and reservoir productivity. Technological advances of D&C fluids are more evolutionary than revolutionary. Over time, these evolutionary changes have accumulated such that the quantity of knowledge and available technologies is extensive. This is where we are today for all fluids-related technologies. Clearly, the industry has more scientific knowledge about how fluids behave, and the number of unique options available to drill or complete a particular well has never been greater. Recent advancements of note are nonaqueous fluids (the rheology of which is affected less by temperature), novel weighting agents, increasingly complex drill-in fluids, cleanup options for openhole completions, and significantly improved fluids-processing equipment. The difficult part is sorting out what to use and when. Keep in mind that many of these new technologies have increasingly narrow applications. As engineers, our goal should be to select the most effective technology for a particular task, not necessarily the most recently developed "new technology." Many fluids with a history of use in a given area or for a particular application are used for good reason; they work well! But the world is changing. D&C costs are increasing at rates not seen for more than 25 years, and the kinds of wells being drilled are changing. So it is critical to re-examine each application continually and strive to choose fluids that minimize problems and yield a better-quality well. I frequently am surprised when people do not understand the fundamental information about fluids that is documented in classic SPE technical papers. Only by understanding these fundamentals can a person make good decisions about which fluid or technology to use in a given application. For those of you who are new to the industry and are interested in D&C fluids, I recommend that you take time to read classic fluids papers and keep up with at least the topics of currently published papers. While they have not been updated recently, I recommend and often cite information from the SPE Reprint Series, especially No. 44 Drilling Fluids and No. 22 Drilling. Please take time to read the paper summaries that follow as well as the papers listed below; you will learn something. Drilling and Completion Fluids additional reading available at the SPE eLibrary: www.spe.org SPE 108653 • "Assessment of the Fate and Ecological Risk of Synthetic-Paraffin-Based-Drilling-Mud Discharges Offshore Sarawak and Sabah (Malaysia)" by P.B. Dorn, Shell, et al. SPE 112687 • "Automatic Measurement of Drilling-Fluid and Drill-Cuttings Properties" by A. Saasen, SPE, StatoilHydro, et al. SPE 110341 • "Unique Characteristics of Mixed-Metal-Oxide Fluid Cures Lost Circulation While Meeting European Environmental Regulations" by Reinhard Oswald, Petrom, et al. Additional reading available at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org OTC 19210 • "Understanding the Impact of Completion-Brine Packer Fluids on Cracking Susceptibility of CRA Materials for Deepwater Applications" by Paul H. Javora, BJ Services, et al.

Past radioactive particle contamination in the Columbia river at the Hanford site,USA

One closed-loop and eight single-pass plutonium production reactors originally operated onthe Columbia river. During the 26 years of single-pass reactor operations, small amounts ofradioactive particles were released in liquid discharges to the Columbia river and weredeposited in sediment and cobble along the shoreline and on islands in the river. Islandslocated adjacent to D island and immediately downstream of D island had the greatestdensity of particles. In 1979, the small particles contained between 63 and 890 kBq ofcobalt-60 activity. Dose rates emanating from those particles ranged from 1 to14 µGy h−1. Because of the short half-life of cobalt-60 (5.3 y), the hot-particle problem at Hanford hastaken care of itself through radiological decay. Some scientists have proposedthat it is economically and environmentally advantageous to manage isolatedlow-level contaminated sites with institutional controls until the activity decaysand the sites can be released rather than to pursue expensive clean-up options.

The Navajo People and Uranium Mining

Vol. 115, No. 4 AnnouncementsOpen AccessThe Navajo People and Uranium Mining Alexandra C. Miller Alexandra C. Miller Search for more papers by this author Published:1 April 2007https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.115-a224aCited by:1AboutSectionsPDF ToolsDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail Edited by Doug Brugge, Timothy Benally, and Esther Yazzie-LewisAlbuquerque:University of New Mexico Press, 2006. 210 pp. ISBN: 0-8263-3778-3, $29.95The Navajo People and Uranium Mining, edited by Doug Brugge, Timothy Benally, and Esther Yazzie-Lewis, is an easy and informative read. The book tells an important and heretofore untold story about the experiences of Navajo miners and families in the uranium mining industry. With a stirring foreword written by Stewart L. Udall, former U.S. Representative for Arizona and Secretary of the Interior under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, the book clearly intends both to be educational and to evoke an emotional response from the reader. The book is informative and thought provoking.The Navajo People and Uranium Mining is a collection of 12 chapters. Seven chapters contain oral histories and narratives that reveal the experiences of the Navajo people from diverse perspectives, including history, psychology, culture, advocacy, and policy. These narratives, obtained through interviews, are told directly by the miners themselves or by their families, and are thus steeped in emotion. They also create a powerful documentary of the experiences of the Navajo miners, which have been largely unknown by most Americans. As with other dangerous industries in the United States, the self-sacrificing stories of the workers are usually the forgotten ones.The other chapters in the book describe the social, cultural, and political aspects of the Navajo people and uranium mining. The authors describe the health effects of uranium and how these medical issues adversely affected the lives of the miners and their families. A lack of proper health care following uranium exposure led to further consequences. Attention is also given to the psychological consequences of uranium mining, including post-traumatic stress disorders and their harmful effects on the families. The authors also discuss the political aspects of uranium mining, including effects on the environment and the use of uranium in weapons. Furthermore, these chapters provide information on the legal aspects of uranium mining and the Navajo miners. The authors provide a detailed description of the 1990 Radiation Exposure Compensation Act and the history of its passage so that the reader can put other chapters into perspective.Despite the excellent oral histories, the book contains some small flaws. The book is intended to evoke an emotional and empathic response from the reader and it does so in a powerful and honest way. However, the authors themselves acknowledge that many aspects of the book “are not superficially precise as quantitative science.” It is the “quantitative science” that enables medical research to help uranium workers and the medical community understand risk and the health hazards of uranium mining. In the chapters that cite studies related to uranium health effects, some references are not peer-reviewed publications but are advocacy books or transcripts of Senate hearings. Furthermore, in some chapters referencing peer-reviewed literature, the conclusions often are based more on advocacy and opinion than on the scientific facts.The Navajo People and Uranium Mining is, however, an excellent book that helps to fill the information void regarding the Navajo people and their uranium mining experiences. This book provides for the Navajo people access to a large audience of readers to whom they can tell their personal and unheard stories. As a scientist who has studied uranium health hazards using objective methods, I found it nice to read a book that endeavors not only to educate but to personalize the experiences of the people our research is supposed to help.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited By Ram N, Moore C and McTiernan L (2016) Cleanup Options for Navajo Abandoned Uranium Mines, Remediation Journal, 10.1002/rem.21473, 26:3, (131-148), Online publication date: 1-Jun-2016. Vol. 115, No. 4 April 2007Metrics Downloaded 124 times About Article Metrics Publication History Originally published1 April 2007Published in print1 April 2007 Financial disclosures License information EHP is an open-access journal published with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. All content is public domain unless otherwise noted. 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Reductive Dechlorination of Tetrachloroethene by a Mixed Bacterial Culture Growing on Ethyl Lactate

Chloroethenes like tetrachloroethene (PCE) are the most prevalent groundwater contaminants in the USA. Their presence as nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) makes remediation difficult. Among options for NAPL cleanup, co-solvent injection has demonstrated success. However, the process has the potential to leave considerable residue of the co-solvent as well as residual chloroethene. Our rationale in this study was to examine whether this residual solvent could be a potential electron donor for the remediation of the residual chloroethene. We hypothesized that ethyl lactate, a “green” solvent, could serve both as a NAPL extraction solvent and an electron donor for reductive dechlorination of residual chloroethene. We examined whether a mixed culture known to degrade PCE with lactate could also grow on ethyl lactate and whether it could stimulate PCE dechlorination. Biomass growth and PCE dechlorination were observed by protein and chloride production, respectively, in the culture; with a specific dechlorination rate of 50–150 µg (mg cell d)−1. Ethyl lactate abiotically breaks down to ethanol and lactate, the latter being a rich source of hydrogen for reductive dechlorination. The results demonstrate that ethyl lactate may be promising for in situ bioremediation following NAPL extraction.

Analyses of Lake Superior Seiche Activity for Estimating Effects on Pollution Transport in the St. Louis River Estuary under Extreme Conditions

Cleanup of toxic residues within the Great Lakes basin requires the assessment of various cleanup options. An important tool for such evaluations is water quality modeling where impacts under hypothetical hydrodynamic conditions can be simulated. In assessing various options for a contaminated site in the St. Louis River estuary at the western end of Lake Superior, it was found that inclusion of the lake seiche is vital to accurate predictions of mass transport. Seiche amplitudes are analyzed and are used to develop simulated seiche activity relevant to simulating potential erosion and/or pollution transport under extreme conditions. Methods and results for calibration of the hydrodynamic/water quality model are also presented.

Assessment of contamination by heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons at Atlas Cove Station, Heard Island

Located on the northwest coast of Heard Island, a World Heritage-listed sub-Antarctic territory of Australia, Atlas Cove served as the site of the first permanently occupied Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) station (1947–55). Subsequent to its closure, Atlas Cove Station was abandoned and left largely to the mercy of the natural elements, although it has been visited and occupied on an infrequent basis by ANARE. All activities on the island are now subject to the provisions of the Heard Island Wilderness Reserve Management Plan. During 2000–2001 a major clean-up of the site was undertaken, with most of the remaining structures demolished and material collected for return to Australia and disposal. To assess the extent and intensity of contamination within the station area, soil and water samples were collected and analysed for petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Assessment of site contamination was made with reference to specific background control limits calculated for Atlas Cove Station, and comparison was also made with Australian and New Zealand guidelines for the protection of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Contamination by heavy metals is evident throughout the station but not at levels of sufficient magnitude to infer a significant potential toxic impact on local ecosystems. Hence remedial action to reduce the concentration and mobility of heavy metals in soil and water is not a high priority, although monitoring of changes at the site through time is recommended. Contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons is at a level that may cause a significant toxic impact on the environment and requires further investigation to assess impacts and possibly to undertake remedial action. Given the large quantity of petroleum-contaminated soil present, remediation processes that can be carried out in situ are likely to be the preferable clean-up options. The benefits of remediation, however, must be balanced against any negative effect this might exert on the plant and animal wildlife that have recolonised this historically important site.

Externality effects of small-scale hazardous waste sites: evidence from urban commercial property markets

Studies have found that severely contaminated properties, such as those on the U.S. EPA's National Priority List (NPL), reduce the value of nearby single-family homes. However, the vast majority of hazardous waste sites (HWS) are not so severely contaminated as those on the NPL. We also know little about HWS effects on other land-uses such as commercial and industrial properties, which may be of greater interest since these properties are more likely to be located near contaminated sites. Using data for Atlanta, Georgia, HWS are found to negatively affect the market value of nearby commercial and industrial properties. Although none of the HWS in this study are on the NPL, their impacts are estimated to be quite substantial in magnitude. Estimates of the total value losses caused by many of the sites are sufficiently large relative to the cost of remediation to justify tax-increment financing as a clean-up option.

Treatment and Cleanup Standards: The Development of End-Point Criteria for Oil Spills

ABSTRACT Every oil spill response operation has an end point when treatment or cleanup is stopped. How an end point is reached involves unique decisions that reflect the individuality of each spill incident. Factors involved in the decision process include assessments of the probable environmental and socioeconomic effects of the spill, the rate of natural recovery, the effects of the various treatment or cleanup options, and the effects of increasingly more stringent criteria or standards. Other factors that influence the decision process include the roles and responsibilities of the interested parties and the perceptions of the public sector. The establishment of end-point criteria is an essential step at the outset of a spill response in order to provide a foundation for selecting appropriate treatment or cleanup strategies and tactics and for planning operations activities and logistic support. A variety of techniques can be applied to measure treatment or cleanup end points, and typically these are qualitative rather than quantitative measurements. Field analytical techniques that define the presence or absence of hydrocarbons can be used to measure a treatment end point, but this approach can be complicated if other hydrocarbon sources are present in the affected area. Chemical and toxicological data may be appropriate for damage assessment studies but it may well be impractical, or even illogical, to expect that analytical techniques can provide accurate and timely assessments for measuring the treatment or cleanup end point in all circumstances.

Public Perceptions on the Use of Oil Spill Response Methods in Alaskan Waters and the Level of Trust in Organizations to Prevent Oil Spills

ABSTRACT All of the cleanup methods available for responding to a marine oil spill in Alaska have operational limitations. In Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet, non-mechanical response methods such as the use of chemical dispersants or in situ burning can be requested as secondary cleanup options. This study identifies citizens’ concern and determines the preference of response methods and perceived effectiveness of each method. Environmental risks, values, and the level of trust residents in communities of Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet are also examined., A correlational research design was used to answer research questions with survey data collected by randomly sampling 1657 residents in fifteen communities of Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet. Of the 1657 surveys mailed a response rate of 41% was obtained. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used to analyze the survey information. General descriptive statistical analysis was used to examine responses to each statement in the survey. Inferential statistical analysis was used to quantify the direction and strength of a relationship between variables., In general, 92% of the respondents support the use of mechanical recovery methods, 61% support the use of in situ burning and 45% chemical dispersants. The population recognizes burning as a means of removing large quantities of oil from the sea surface and the environmental risk of displacing pollutants into the atmosphere. Environmental concerns associated with the use of chemical dispersants are tied to seasonal abundance of and impact to marine organisms, amount of area and subsistence use and dependency on marine resources., The survey population's ecological priorities are commercial fishing, sea mammals and sea birds. The U.S. Coast Guard and Commercial Fishing Associations are held to the highest level of trust while the Alaska State Legislature and U.S. Congress received the lowest level of trust for ensuring Alaska waters remain oil free.