8195 Kenai Spur Highway
Kenai, Alaska 99611
Phone: 907-283-7222
February 2019 Cook Inlet Navigator e-News
NEW COMMISSIONER, SPAR DIRECTOR AT THE ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
In December, Governor Mike Dunleavy appointed Jason Brune as his Commissioner of Environmental Conservation. Mr. Brune has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Carleton College and graduate work in environmental science at Alaska Pacific University. He has served on the Alaska Sealife Center Board, Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Endangered Species Act (ESA) Recovery Team, Tyonek Tribal Conservation District Board, the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Public Advisory Committee, and numerous other business and civic organizations. Prior to his appointment, he held high level positions with Cook Inlet Region, Inc., Anglo American, and the Resource Development Council. Commissioner Brune's appointment is subject to Legislative Confirmation.

ADEC's new Director of Spill Prevention and Response (SPAR) might be new to the Division but Denise Koch of Juneau initially started with Department in 2002. She’s spent over ten years in ADEC and 5 years as an environmental consultant in Alaska. Before her appointment to head SPAR, Ms. Koch served as ADEC's Director of Air Quality starting in 2015. Prior to that Koch was instrumental in getting EPA approval for ADEC to implement the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) wastewater permit program and helped establish ADEC’s cruise ship program and Ocean Ranger Program. CIRCAC looks forward to working with both Commissioner Brune and Director Koch. Congratulations. (Photos: Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation)
CIRCAC SHARES THE STAGE WITH OIL SPILL PREVENTION AND POLICY EXPERTS AT ALASKA FORUM ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Alaska's largest statewide gathering of environmental professionals, the Alaska Forum on the Environment (AFE), gets under way February 11-15. Each year, government agencies, non-profit and for-profit businesses, community leaders, Alaskan youth, conservationists, biologists and community elders gather in Anchorage to discuss issues of statewide, national and international significance. With the upcoming 30th Anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill just around the corner, AFE is focusing several sessions on that major event's long term impacts. CIRCAC is participating in two of them.

On Thursday, February 14, at 10:30 AM, CIRCAC's Director of Science and Research, Sue Saupe, will join Matthew Hobbie, Mary Goolie, Betsi Oliver, Graham Wood and Andres Morales for 30 Years Later: Policy and Response Changes Since Exxon Valdez. Thursday afternoon, at 3:30PM, CIRCAC's Executive Director, Mike Munger, joins Donna Schantz, Matthew Hobbie, Geoff Merrell, Todd Paxton and Brooke Ivy for Partners in Prevention: Avoiding a Major Oil Spill in Alaska. You can review the full AFE Agenda here.
IN SUPPORT OF S.21/H.R. 367 TO ENSURE COAST GUARD FUNDING
In a January letter to Alaska's Congressional Delegation, CIRCAC's Board of Directors indicated their full support of S. 21 and H.R. 367 to ensure Coast Guard funding. Cosponsored by Senator Lisa Murkowski and Senator Dan Sullivan, S. 21, the "Pay our Coast Guard Act," and H.R. 367, "Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act of 2019," which is cosponsored by Congressman Don Young, would ensure Coast Guard personnel do not face financial hardships in the event of a government shutdown. In the letter, the Board highlighted CIRCAC's close partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard and deep appreciation for the dedicated men and women stationed in Alaska.
CIRCAC ACCEPTING LETTERS OF INTEREST TO SERVE ON COMMITTEES
CIRCAC's Environmental Monitoring and Prevention, Response, Operations and Safety (PROPS) Committees are soliciting letters of interest from the public to fill upcoming vacancies. EMC members generally have a background in science. PROPS members bring experience in the regulatory process, oil facility operations, or maritime issues.

You can learn more about the committees by visiting our web page. Letters must be received by March 4, 2019.
(Left to Right) Barbara Callahan (IBRC Response Services Director) John Bauer (PROPS Public member) Carla Stanley (City of Homer Board Representative) V. Heaven (CIRCAC staff).
Members of the PROPS Committee tour the Alaska Bird Rescue Center.
Photo by Jerry Rombach
ROSS CONTINUES MARINE SNOW STUDY
University of New Hampshire graduate student Jesse Ross (left) returned to Alaska in January for another round of sampling and to present at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium in Anchorage. CIRCAC is supporting Ross's studies to help inform what we know about oil behavior and effects, particularly when it comes in contact with marine snow, which is made up of biological aggregates that naturally form in the top layer of the ocean and settle to the seafloor. Revisit our September 2018 issue to reacquaint yourself with Jesse and his project.