INTRODUCTION

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), with participation by the cooperating agencies of the Native Village of Eyak (NVE), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), has completed the environmental review for a proposal to enhance oil spill response capabilities in southeast Prince William Sound (PWS) by developing an oil spill response facility near Cordova, Alaska. It will consist of a deepwater dock, a staging area contiguous to the dock for oil-spill recovery equipment, and an access road or upgrade to the existing transportation system linking the dock facility to the Cordova airport.

Following release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Cordova Oil Spill Response Facility on December 27, 2006, the public comment period on the Final EIS concluded on January 29, 2007. The BIA Record of Decision was signed on November 27, 2007. This concludes the environmental review required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

FINAL EIS

The Final EIS was prepared in compliance with NEPA, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing NEPA, and other relevant laws and regulations. An electronic version of the Final EIS may be consulted or downloaded from this website at the page entitled “Final EIS.”

PUBLIC REVIEW

A Notice of Availability for the Final EIS was published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2006, (found at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2006/December/Day-27/i22142.htm). This marked the beginning of a 30-day review period. Concurrently, copies of the Final EIS were distributed to cooperating, state, and federal agencies, and to the members of the public who had commented on the Draft EIS. Copies were also made available to the public at several libraries, including the Alaska Resource Library and Information Systems (ARLIS), the Cordova Public Library, and the Valdez Consortium Library, through the project website (http://www.cordovaresponsefacility.com/), and by contacting the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Alaska Regional Office. BIA received comments on the Final EIS through January 29, 2007. A total of 54 comment letters were received.

RECORD OF DECISION

All comments were considered in the preparation of the Record of Decision (ROD), which was signed on November 27, 2007. The ROD identifies the specific course of action chosen for the project (40 CFR 1505.2). This is the final step in the NEPA process. The ROD identifies the alternative selected for the project, presents the basis for the decision, describes the alternatives considered, discussed management considerations, and identifies conditions of approval based on the mitigation measures included in the Final EIS. An electronic version of the ROD may be consulted or downloaded from this website at the page entitled “Record of Decision.”

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

In March 1989, the T/V Exxon Valdez went aground on Bligh Reef in PWS, in southcentral Alaska, spilling 10.8 million gallons of crude oil. More than $335 million was expended for cleanup, studies of damages, and preparation of resource recovery plans. The lack of deepwater port access in the area complicated the logistics of responding to a spill of such magnitude, and the absence of dedicated staging areas contiguous to docking facilities slowed the timely flow of equipment and supplies needed for spill response actions.

As a result of the Exxon Valdez disaster, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) was enacted. OPA 90 required that emergency spill response equipment be positioned at strategic locations throughout PWS. Along with other broad provisions, OPA 90 specifically requires pre-positioned oil spill containment and removal equipment in communities and other strategic locations within PWS.

In 1992, a civil lawsuit was settled between the State of Alaska and the U.S. Government, and Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. Terms of the settlement were outlined in the Alyeska Agreement and Consent Decree, which specified funds and facility components for oil spill response enhancement projects in three PWS communities. The three locations would form a triangle that would be bisected by the central and southern portions of PWS oil vessel traffic lanes. Spill response facilities and docks have been constructed in Chenega Bay and Tatitlek; however, the Cordova facility has not yet been constructed.