Aleutian and Pribilof Islands Oil Monitoring
The oil pollution monitoring project is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and was established to develop oil monitoring protocol, increase local capacity, monitor subsistence areas, determine if there is low-level PAH contamination, identify potential sources of contamination, explore the establishment of regional monitoring partnerships and increase the capacity of tribal environmental staff to monitor for oil in the environment which could impact subsistence resources. The baseline hydrocarbon data is useful for supporting the environmental impact statement for the exploration and development of oil and gas in the North Aleutian Basin. This project developed a program for monitoring the marine environment for oil from spills and other pollution events including chronic releases of oil from the land, natural seeps in the ocean and spills and discharges from sea going vessels, perform monitoring of the water in Aleutian and Pribilof Island villages and to provide recommendations based on the findings for the long-term prevention of oil spills and pollution in the region.
The field samples TPAH (total polycyclic aeromtic hydrocarbons) ranged 44 to 53000 with Akutan having the highest reading. The PAH weathering model indicates the source of the PAHs as combustion byproducts. This may be explained by the active incinerator found at the Trident fish processing facility only a few hundred meters from the village.
The field samples TPAH (total polycyclic aeromtic hydrocarbons) ranged 44 to 53000 with Akutan having the highest reading. The PAH weathering model indicates the source of the PAHs as combustion byproducts. This may be explained by the active incinerator found at the Trident fish processing facility only a few hundred meters from the village.
