Oil spill strike force formed.

• Position: Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation's plan for an oil spill management team

The Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 taught Alaska's environmentalists some valuable lessons in emergency response preparedness. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is sponsoring demonstration projects in Juneau and Seldovia to help the department determine what equipment, personnel and procedures are pertinent to forming local response "corps" and establishing a coordination center, or "depot."

If an oil spill does occur, it is the duty of the particular oil company to contain the oil flow and follow with an effective cleanup program. But catastrophic dangers can be posed by break-away oil slicks that may wash into fragile fish and wildlife areas, contaminating the environment and damaging the local commercial fishing industry's cash crop.

John Sandor, DEC commissioner, says that the state will conduct the "Nearshore Demonstration Projects" help locals develop a "permanent strike force capability," and mandate it as part of Alaska's oil spill preparedness program. The funds for the project, $1.17 million from the Oil and Hazardous Spill Response Fund, were authorized by the state legislature to begin an evaluation, by an independent contractor, to aid the state in program design, equip response teams and set up depots. The contractor must identify and purchase the best selection of equipment to be utilized by the local "vessels of opportunity"...