Alyeska Pipeline wins wildlife award

Petroleum News

On July 21, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognized Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. with an Outstanding Partner Award for contributions made by Alyeska to the conservation of natural resources in Alaska, where it operates the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, or TAPS.

The award recognizes employees’ recent work with USFWS to update and implement wildlife protection guidelines for oil spills, and their continuing commitment to protecting wildlife during all Alyeska activities.

“We are humbled and honored to be recognized with this environmental award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,” said Alyeska President Brigham McCown. “Our people are innovative, collaborative, and at the top of their game. Environmental stewardship is a team effort and a responsibility we take very seriously.”

Alyeska personnel Ken Wilson and Stacia Miller were part of a multi-stakeholder effort to revise the Wildlife Protection Guidelines for Oil Spill Response in Alaska, a guidance document for minimizing the impacts of oil spills and response activities on wildlife. Throughout the process, Wilson and Miller worked with the USFWS and other stakeholders to update the guidelines and make them more user-friendly for on-the-ground responders. Alyeska personnel tested the usability of draft tools, forms, and checklists during response exercises and trainings.

“For more than two years, Ken and Stacia helped draft the Wildlife Protection Guidelines, worked to gain support to incorporate new processes into Alyeska drills and spills, and provided honest feedback on those processes,” said Bridget Crokus, assistant oil spill response coordinator with USFWS Alaska Region. “The Wildlife Protection Guidelines would not be as useful as they are now without the enormous amount of effort (from) Ken and Stacia. I cannot overstate the importance of their involvement.”

- Petroleum News