Cook Inlet–Following months of organizational meetings and solicitations for membership, the Managing Board for the Cook Inlet Harbor Safety Committee has selected 22 representatives and 10 alternates to begin working together to improve navigation safety in Cook Inlet as members of the 2015 Cook Inlet Harbor Safety Committee.

“Forming a harbor safety committee was a priority recommendation of the Cook Inlet Navigational Risk Assessment as a proven and effective means to improving navigation safety,” said Captain Ron Ward, President of the Southwest Alaska Pilots Association and founding member of the Managing Board of the Cook Inlet Harbor Safety Committee. “These people were selected based on their interests, expertise and extensive knowledge of Cook Inlet’s marine and shore-based operations and environmental safety. We are fortunate to have such a high caliber of candidates ready and willing to serve the Cook Inlet region in this important capacity.”

2015 Cook Inlet Harbor Safety Committee

Voting Seats	Primary	Alternate
Commercial Fishing Organization	David Martin	vacant
Environmental Organization	Rachel Lord	vacant
Marine Oil Terminal Operators	Jack Jensen	Paul Mehler
Tanker Operators	Jere White	Patrick Callahan
LNG Carrier Operators	John Taylor	vacant
Dry Cargo Ship Operators	Pat Kilgore	vacant
Cruise Ship Operators	vacant	vacant
Small Passenger Vessel Operators	vacant	vacant
Tug and Barge Operators	Louis Audette	Sharm Setterquist
Harbor Tug Operators	Brad Kroon	Sven Christensen
Offshore Oil Production Operators	Drew Anderson	Gunar Berlund
Recreational Boaters	Mark Tornai	vacant
Southwest Alaska Pilots Association	Pete Garay, Vice-Chair	Michael O’Hara
CI Regional Citizens Advisory Council	Mike Munger	Jerry Rombach
Port of Anchorage	Stephen Ribuffo , Chairman	vacant
Port MacKenzie	vacant	vacant
Port of Homer	Bryan Hawkins	vacant
Response Organization	Mike Watson	vacant
Salvage Organization	David DeVilbiss	Todd Duke
Ship Agents	Bob Arts	Luke Hasenbank

Ex Officio Seats	Primary	Alternate
U.S. Coast Guard	CMD Hector Cintron	LT Eugene Chung
U.S. Army Corp of Engineers,	vacant	vacant
NOAA	Catherine Berg	vacant
Dept. Defense, JBER	vacant	vacant
Marine Exchange Alaska	Ed Page	vacant
AK Dept. Environmental Conservation	Steven Russell	vacant
AK Marine Highway	Dana Jensen	vacant

The Cook Inlet Harbor Safety Committee (CIHSC) will serve as a link for local marine, environmental and business interests to act collectively in a single forum on behalf of those interests and the future health and wellbeing of Cook Inlet. Among the CIHSC’s duties will be to provide a proactive setting for identifying, assessing, planning, communicating and implementing those operational and environmental measures that promote safe and efficient use of Cook Inlet and adjacent waters; act as an education and resource network through which ideas, materials and procedures can be provided to persons interested in safe and equitable marine and associated shore based operations; promote improved operational and environmental safety for Cook Inlet and adjacent waters; act as a resource for information regarding issues related to marine operational and environmental safety; promote and sustain the goals of marine and environmental safety programs; and help insure that marine safety and environmental measures are coordinated with security concerns and initiatives.

The 2015 CIHSC will hold its first meeting on September 22, at the Port of Anchorage at a time to be determined. Remaining vacancies will be filled at a future date following the meeting. To add your name to the Cook Inlet Harbor Safety Committee mailing list, click on the following link:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/a/nukaresearch.com/viewform?hl=en&ndplr=1&formkey=dDF5ZkJZOENzaC1RMWJRQmVxWERUQ3c6MQ#gid=0

For more information, contact:

Tim Robertson, 907 234-7821, timrobertson@nukaresearch.com