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Don't Let an Oil Spill Ruin the Copper River Salmon Run
  1. Signatures
    440 out of 1,000
    Petitioning
    1. The U.S. Senate (+ 7 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • The U.S. Senate
      • The U.S. House of Representatives
      • Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK)
      • Rep. Edward Markey (MA-07)
      • Sen. Mark Begich (AK)
      • United States Congress
      • State Senator (Johnny Ellis)
      • President of Alyeska Pipeline Company (Thomas Barrett)
  2. Created By
    Copper River Watershed Project
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

The ageing Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) crosses five major tributaries to the Copper River, all of which are salmon spawning rivers.

Despite state and federal pipeline oversight, "there have been repeated leaks and spills in the Alaska pipeline network over the last several years. The most serious occurred in March 2006 when corrosion in BP’s network of north Alaska feeder lines caused a spill of more than 260,000 gallons of oil..." (New York Times, Jan. 9, 2011.)

In fact, there have already been two major spills in 2011. In January more than 13,000 gallons of crude oil spilled at Pump Station 1 causing a system shutdown and, in July, a series of pipeline leaks spewed between 2,100 and 4,200 gallons of methanol and oily water onto the Alaskan tundra.

Enough is enough.  Many people in the Copper River drainage rely on salmon for their livelihoods and way of life.  Commercial salmon harvesting annually contributes approximately 143 million dollars to Prince William Sound's economy and more than 500 million dollars to Alaska's economy overall (Alaska Department of Fish & Game, "2010 Alaska Commercial Salmon Harvests and Exvessel Values," http://bit.ly/o3fLyZ ). These numbers don’t take into account the millions of tourism dollars brought in through sport fishing and the invaluable nourishment and self-sufficiency provided by subsistence fishing. 

Citizens can’t afford to sit idly by and wait for another Exxon Valdez scale catastrophe to ruin the 34 major and more than 800 other rivers and streams crossed by the pipeline. If a spill occurs at the pipeline's Tazlina River crossing, it will take only 6 hours for oil to travel 23 miles downriver (United States. Trans-Alaska Pipeline Spill Scenario -Mid August. Cordova: ecotrust, 2006. Print.). Oil will quickly end up in the main stem of the Copper River and damage spawning and migratory habitat of the world-famous Copper River salmon.

The Prince William Sound Regional Citizen Advisory Council (http://www.pwsrcac.org/) provides an example of the safety and environmental benefits of independent citizen oversight. It’s time to extend these benefits beyond the terminal; it’s time for Congress to authorize a TAPS Citizen Advisory Council.

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Create a Trans-Alaska Pipeline Citizen Advisory Council

Greetings,

I just signed the following petition addressed to: United States Congress.

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Create a Trans-Alaska Pipeline Citizen Advisory Council

One of the most prominent features in the Copper River watershed landscape is the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). TAPS carries oil from the North Slope to Valdez and ultimately supplies 15% of the nation's crude oil.

Although the pipeline is clearly a critical component of our nation's energy infrastructure it is also a serious threat to Alaska's most vital waterways and fisheries. The pipeline crosses four major tributaries to the Copper River, all of which are salmon spawning rivers. Residents of the Copper River watershed fear a spill from a pipeline breach could quickly end up in the main stem of the Copper River and permanently damage spawning and migratory habitat of the world-famous Copper River salmon.

Today the pipeline is 34 years old and already 4 years past what oil companies estimated was its useful life. Due to corrosion, lax regulation, natural disasters, vandalism, and human error the pipeline posses a constant threat to the Copper River watershed. Just this year another leak caused a 24-hour shutdown. Please help us protect and support the Copper River watershed and the thousands of people who depend on its healthy waterways for their livelihoods. By signing the below petition your voice joins a growing chorus of individuals and organizations calling for citizen oversight of the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline.

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Sincerely,

[Your name]

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