Nominations are due Jan. 21 for two at-large seats on the board of the Oil Spill Recovery Institute, which is housed at the Prince William Sound Science Center in Cordova.
The institute was formed in the wake of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster. It authorized by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to identify and develop the best available techniques, equipment and materials for dealing with oil spills and to “determine, document, assess and understand the long-range effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on the natural resources of Prince William Sound.”
In 1996 Congress amended the act to expand the area of emphasis to Arctic and sub-Arctic marine environments.
Composition of the board, specified under the Oil Pollution Act, was revised under the 1996 Coast Guard Authorization Act.
The revised board is comprised of 14 voting and two non-voting representatives.
For information on how to nominate yourself or another individual call 907-424-5800 or send a message at osri.us/contact.
OSRI is funded with annual interest earnings from a portion of the National Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Since 1998, OSRI has spent some $900,000 annually on a range of projects, including those to improve knowledge of how oil moves in the ocean and under ice, how to find it and how to get it cleaned up.
