Northwest Arctic Borough Oil Spill Workshop: Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) & Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; University of New Hampshire Coastal Response Research Center

On May 22-23, 2012, at the request of the Northwest Arctic Borough (NWAB), the Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) and NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (ORR) hosted an oil spill workshop in Kotzebue, Alaska. More than 50 participants from all 11 communities in the NWAB, plus about 20 agency or non-governmental (NGO) representatives, attended the workshop. The goals of this meeting were to: * Discuss community involvement in oil spill response, natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) and restoration/recovery; * Integrate local community and Inupiaq traditional knowledge into the Arctic Environmental Response Management Application (Arctic ERMA); and * Enhance relationships between local communities and government agencies regarding planning and preparation for potential oil spill response, NRDA and restoration/recovery. During a series of breakout groups, participants articulated their concerns about potential oil spills in the region and developed ideas and recommendations for conducting NRDA, planning restoration, and improving Arctic ERMA (https://www.erma.unh.edu/arctic/erma.html). This report presents the results of the discussions, including the breadth and diversity of opinion, articulated at the workshop. The summary of the discussions describes priority concerns of community members and general recommendations to address some of the concerns. Priority Concerns: * Implications of harsh environmental conditions (ice and severe weather) on spill response, restoration and recovery * Delays in response (e.g., travel distances for spill response equipment) * Limitations in spill infrastructure and logistical support (e.g., vessels, fuel, boom and other supplies, equipment maintenance; food, housing, waste management) as well as ports, harbors and USCG facilities * Increased disruption to subsistence practices and food security. The subsistence lifestyle in the NWAB is essential for human health, spirituality, and maintenance of Inupiaq culture * Ecological and long term effects of oil on local populations, migratory species and sensitive habitats (e.g., lagoons, river mouths, hunting areas) * Lack of training and infrastructure (e.g., equipment) for the Northwest Arctic villages and existing local spill response teams, especially with respect to off-shore response methods * Lack of community inclusion in decision making for response, including use of local knowledge General Recommendations: * Build local spill response capability * Incorporate local community and Inupiaq traditional knowledge (subsistence and ecological status) into tools and ensure community oversight in its uses * Determine baseline conditions of species and habitats likely to be affected by oil spills * Begin restoration planning now, involve locals (e.g., Northwest Arctic Borough, local emergency planning committee (LEPC’s), Economic Development Commissions (EDCs) and Planning Commission in developing specific project ideas) These concerns and recommendations will be provided to the State of Alaska and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) for their use in planning oil spill response in the region. The report findings will be used by NOAA and other agencies to establish priorities for NRDA and restoration. NOAA will also use the report to establish priorities for data to augment in Arctic ERMA.

Northwest Arctic Borough Oil Spill Workshop: Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) & Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA)

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