CITY OF HOMER

HOMER, ALASKA

                                                                                                                Mayor

RESOLUTION 06-62

 

A RESOLUTION OF THE HOMER CITY COUNCIL REQUESTING THAT THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE LEVEL OF OIL SPILL PREVENTION AND RESPONSE FOR KACHEMAK BAY; THE PRIMARY PORT OF REFUGE FOR COOK INLET AND THE GULF OF ALASKA.

 

WHEREAS, Kachemak Bay is a state-designated critical habitat area that supports rich and productive fisheries and marine life and plays an important role in the social, economic, and cultural lifestyles of residents in Homer and throughout the Lower Kenai Peninsula; and

 

WHEREAS, Kachemak Bay is also the de facto Port of Refuge for stricken or disabled vessels in Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska because it provides ample shelter and support services found nowhere else in the region; and

 

WHEREAS, On February 2, 2006, the T/V Seabulk Pride parted its lines at the Nikiski Docks due to heavy ice and tide conditions, ran aground nearby carrying nearly 5 million gallons of oil product, and was later directed to Kachemak Bay with unknown hull damage; and

 

WHEREAS, At the time of the Seabulk Pride incident, the U.S. Coast Guard had in effect its extreme winter ice rules which were intended to prevent such incidents; and

 

WHEREAS, There have been numerous similar incidents in the past, where damaged or leaking vessels were directed to Kachemak Bay, including, but not limited to, the barge Oregon (1997), the T/V Chesapeake Trader (1999), the T/V Angelo D’Amato (1999), the T/V Torm Pacific (2000), and such incidents pose an unacceptable risk to the people, resources, and economies of the Kachemak Bay region; and

 

WHEREAS, Cook Inlet is the busiest shipping channel in Alaska and navigation can be difficult due to extreme tides and heavy ice conditions; and

 

WHEREAS, Kachemak Bay lacks adequate spill prevention and response capabilities, including adequately equipped and powered tug vessels dedicated to such purposes; and

 

WHEREAS, At the Port of Refuge meeting sponsored by the City of Homer in March 2006, the panel of experts and invited speakers unanimously agreed that Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet are in desperate need of appropriately powered and equipped tug vessels with firefighting capabilities, and that this was the most important step that could be taken quickly to prevent catastrophic oil spills; and

 

 

Page Two

Resolution 06-62

City of Homer

 

WHEREAS, The enhancement of spill prevention and response capabilities in Kachemak Bay will help create jobs, support terminal services, and improve protections for the region’s sensitive fisheries and marine life.

 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Homer City Council hereby requests that the U.S. Coast Guard quickly identify Ports of Refuge in Cook Inlet, complete a new risk assessment study, and convene a public meeting in Homer, Alaska in the Fall of 2006 to discuss these issue with regional stakeholders; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Council calls upon the State and Federal Governments to provide immediate funding for adequate spill prevention and response capabilities in Kachemak Bay, including tug boats, and to establish a mechanism to provide on-going funding for operations.

 

PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Homer City Council this 22nd day of May, 2006.

 

CITY OF HOMER

 

 

 

 

 

JAMES C. HORNADAY, MAYOR

 

ATTEST:

 

 

 

 

MARY L. CALHOUN, CMC, CITY CLERK

 

Fiscal Note: No Fiscal Impact.