Tsunami Relief: Are We Ready?

Sen. Mark Begich today requested $15M for tsunami debris relief be rolled into the Hurricane Sandy  relief package.  This is a well-meaning and important request.  But is Alaska ready to act on those funds?

Marine debris clean-up in western Kodiak. Tsunami debris
visible in foreground.  Brook Kourmetis photo.

A recent paper published by Washington Sea Grant suggests 15,000 to 187,500 tons of MD will make landfall not in Washington at all, but in Alaska.  This accounts for approximately half the tsunami debris estimated to make landfall in the United States.  This shouldn't surprise anyone, since according to the National Ocean Service, Alaska accounts for 65% of the "general seacoast" of the pacific U.S.  

The cost of cleaning up this coastline is massive, with costs per pound of marine debris from remote Alaska ranges from $1.00 to $2.50 per pound, even with volunteer labor.  

Still there are early indications that the existing relief fund, $5M provided by the government of Japan, will be divided equally among the five pacific U.S. States (California, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, and Alaska).  We feel that receiving only 20% of the funding would shortchange Alaska, who is saddled with half of the tonnage of marine debris and costlier clean-ups.  

But the state of Alaska has not done much to recognize the environmental threats caused by tsunami debris.  They have commissioned an aerial survey of the Gulf coast and are currently crunching the data.  But there is no agency with a mandate to respond to the findings.  The natural choice, the Department of Environmental Conservation, has no money in their budget to address marine debris issues and has not requested it for 2013.  Is Senator Begich asking for funding for a state that does not want it?

We feel this issue deserves the Governor's swift attention.  At a minimum, a mandate must be given to ADEC to prepare to organize a statewide response.  A much stronger message could be sent by declaring a  state of emergency.

Alaska's  should not send mixed messages to Washington D.C. about our coastlines.  The threat caused by marine debris is real,  it is imminent...and it affects us all.