Environmental Catastrophe Recap

A recap upon Alaska's North Slope largest “non-accidental” illegal discharge of hazardous waste.

There was a time in history, before the EXXON Valdez wreck, wherein oil field workers would come to odds with so-called environmentalists. It was “Oil Men verses the Green Guys”. I was an oil worker and at the same time a “green guy”. I remember many Totem debates with environmentalists down in Valdez, wherein I, along with my co-workers would win out the debates every time. See, what the environmentalists didn't realize or refused to accept was the fact that it takes an environmentalist's attitude in the field to make sure “Big Oil” maintained some semblance of environmental responsibility. Don't laugh! Look, when we were not at work making sure 2-million barrels of the “black gold” was making its way down the Trans-Alaska-Pipeline, for most of us it meant a week or two off the time-clock with unabated freedom surrounded by the greatest wilderness still “wild”. When the “Last Frontier” meant something. It meant spending a whole lot of time out fishing, hunting and hiking. We learned early on that we had to maintain this beauty for future generations, our children, as most of us where raising families during this time period. So we would be fools to let the natural beauty of the “Last Frontier” erode away just for the “black gold”. With that said, we became internal whistle-blowers, making sure that management couldn't pull a fast one to the detriment of the environment. It was the ultimate homegrown oversight. Look, we didn't need the state oversight to police the ways and means of the industry. We were on-sight all the time, official oversight only some of the time. And we were taught to make sure things were done right! Sure there came “accidents”, but what we are seeing today is a pathetic journey down the road to environmental ruins. I am talking the “Independents” that are given tax relief and royalty relief and with that a “license to kill”, leaving all environmental responsibility checked at the door. Case in point: The largest “non-accidental” illegal discharge took place about a year ago. It was at Pioneer Natural Resources' Oooguruk facility, located on Harrison Bay of the Colville River Delta, a gateway to the Beaufort Sea. This is pristine wilderness, the backyard of the Inupiat landholders, not in any shape or form desolation row or a wasteland. But when used glycol could not be sold, it was “shammed” away down-hole, injected out-of-sight without the proper permits. When first reported to the company management, not outside to regulators, PNR representatives denied all such allegations. And to try to discredit the individual worker that maintained a concern over the illegal discharges as defined by EPA guidelines, the attorney representing PNR went crying to the AOGCC, once again denying all allegations. PNR wanted to get it on record that nothing happened, as they supposedly performed their own internal investigation. Didn't we learn in kindergarten not to tell lies? But when evidence to the contrary surfaced, then the management realized they were caught red-handed without a plausible lullaby. So overnight it went from no illegal discharges to over 49,000-gallons of contaminated glycol now reported to the agencies in charge. The entire ship of fools it was! This is the largest “non-accidental” discharge on record for the “slope”. Because the oversight was lacking and could have prevented this had they been performing “oversight”, the regulators fined PNR a measly $10,000-dollars, a pittance and equal to about 20-minutes of crude oil production. As was the discharge a “sham”, so was the fine! At the same time, the Justice Department fined a fish processor $1.9-million in fines, for discharging a far less amount of glycol during a fishing operation in the Gulf of Alaska waters. That fine was based on the fact that the operation did not have the proper permits and the discharge was not an accident. And the fish processor didn't deny the discharge, but self-reported the ordeal, like is required by law. PNR did just the opposite, tried to hide it. The $5,000-dollar fine that PNR received for the illegal – without a permit – dumping, is is in no way shape or form a deterrent. It is a joke. But when we have a panic stricken legislature that wants to fill the void in the pipeline, with the likes of the Independents infiltrating where there was at one time some semblance of environmental responsibility, may as well shut-down the regulators, as it is business “not as usual” in Alaska's oil patch. Maybe the North Slope “wasteland” label will become fact over fiction, as just a few weeks ago and within eyesight the Oooguruk dumping grounds, ENI blasted crude oil out a flare stack at its Nitaitchuq production facility, only tens days after starting up the operation! The Beaufort is within a stones throw. Sorry, no fine! Had this been BP or ConocoPhillips, we would see a completely different outcome. This is a joke but not a joke, because ENI didn't even know who to call! They finally called the State Troopers! They don't even understand the proper reporting criteria, but still they have a permit to drill for oil? Doesn't the state perform a background check on the Independents? Look, I can't get by security on the “slope” without a personal background check, what gives. And this reporting wasn't a mistake, as it appears that it was all supposed to be under-the-table, just the way the Independents want it here in Alaska! They want their cake and eat it too. The fact that the EPA allowed PNR to get away with not even a slap on the wrist with the illegal disposal of 49,000-gallons of contaminated glycol, it is suspect. Hold that thought. It is beyond suspect and goes to show that things have changed on the “slope”, not for the good, but for the worse! There is no oversight, except for someone watching the money flow into the state coffers. May as well shut-down all the regulators, as we will save a whole lot of loot. So much for the environment. I am glad my kids enjoyed it while it was still “virgin” territory!

Update #1

Recently, the Justice Department levied a fine totaling $1.9-million in penalties and cleanup costs against UniSea Inc., for what could be gathered from local new articles, violations against federal and state environmental laws. It appears that what was missing this action that made it illegal was the fact that UniSea did not have the required permits for these particular discharges, including discharges of propylene glycol. There appears to be “grave” injustice this fine, as there are other “Clean Water Act” violators operating in Alaska that are getting away with far less fines and penalties for malfeasance well above and beyond what UniSea was indicted upon. In most cases, in no way shape or form a fine that spells it out that this kind of irresponsible behavior will be tolerated, as a deterrent. In a case of interest against Pioneer Natural Resources, the end result, it certainly does not send an important message of deterrence and accountability for environmental violations. Pioneer Natural Resources(PNR), a Texas based petroleum exploration corporation, was the 1^st Independent to operate on Alaska's North Slope, starting up the Oooguruk Island production facility back in 2008, located in Harrison Bay of the Colville River Delta, Beaufort Sea. As a direct employee during the early part 2010, I filed complaints internally with Pioneer's management with respect to illegal injection of used glycol, leftover from the warm-up start-up of the production facility's pipelines. Upon receiving my complaint titled “Alaska's Deadliest Sin”, PNR filed a counter-report with the State of Alaska AOGCC(Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Committee), the regional EPA and the State of Alaska Attorney General, denying all and any illegal injection allegations, based on those complaints mentioned earlier. When I provided PNR and the AOGCC and the EPA further proof that the illegal injection did indeed take place, as documented in PNR's own “Operations Log Book” - a legal document - PNR amended their original report with the AOGCC, this time admitting to the injection of 49,000 gallons of used propylene glycol, without a permit. This is probably the largest illegal injection on record that ever occurred on Alaska's North Slope in 30-years of operation, with respect to the oil & gas industry. But in the end, PNR was fined only $10,000 dollars, or based on oil prices at the time the fine was levied, about 20-minutes worth of oil production time. The fine was meager and confusing, due the fact that the AOGCC could not determine how many days the illegal activity went on, evidence lacking, so PNR was fined the maximum daily fine of $5000, for two days only, or something to that effect. Had I not been persistent and had not before me the overruling evidence to prove that the illegal injections took place without the proper permits, as PNR's AIO(Area Injection Order) did not allow for glycol injection, PNR management would never had reported this and probably would have continued this illegal discharging until such time all of the questionable glycol was hidden away. And this “sham” recycling as it is called, it was done as a means to get rid of contaminated fluids(used glycol with elevated ph levels) that could not be sold for re-use. To properly dispose of this chemical fluid, it would have been a very costly venture, but it is the cost of doing business on the “slope”. It was not a mistake, I repeat, not a mistake or a defense that the “operators” thought it was OK from past experiences as the AOGCC report delivered by PNR finds so convenient an excuse as a lullaby. The operations' staff was instructed to do this by the PNR Operations Superintendent, through verbal orders, to get rid of the stuff he could not sell. The matter was of such concern to the AOGCC, it instigated a 3^rd party investigation upon PNR and the AOGCC's oversight capabilities, yet even today we see that PNR was levied nothing close to what could be righteously considered a deterrent. I have filed two complaints with the EPA over this matter, they have the reports from PNR, they have been in the loop, but nothing has come of my concern. Not even any feedback, as if they would rather not touch this one. I believe that the EPA is staying clear their responsibilities this issue for reasons that are not consistent its mission and goals, to protect the environment and prosecute violators. There is a lot of pressure from the Alaska legislature to make the Independents feel comfortable here in Alaska, to fill the so-called void in the pipeline, by developing “marginal” fields. Our own D.C. Delegation is behind the “Independents” success. I believe this is getting in the way of environmental stewardship. With that in mind, I have requested that the Justice Department in its authority, look into this matter as to what went on between PNR and the AOGCC and EPA, in efforts to make sure preferential treatment has not placed the oversight in a weak position. Once again, when one compares what PNR did illegally to that conviction upon UniSea, there is something drastically wrong this equation, with respect to the outcome. UniSea's fine, it is a deterrent. With Pioneer, more like a bonus!