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Tank Talk - Bulk Fuel PodcastAuthor: Integrity Environmental
Tank Talk - Bulk Fuel Podcast is a podcast that delves into various aspects of environmental management and regulations, mainly focusing on bulk fuel storage, fish processing, and utility facilities across the Pacific Northwest. Hosted by industry expert Shannon Oelkers, Tank Talk features discussions with industry leaders to answer questions commonly asked by terminal managers. Episodes cover various topics involving State and Federal regulations, tank inspections and permits, and industry vendors. Tune in to navigate the complexities of rules and operations, offering insights and information to listeners involved or interested in environmental compliance and best practices within specialized industries. Language: en-us Genres: Education, Natural Sciences, Science Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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A First Person Account of the Exxon Valdez Response & the Birth of OPA 90
Episode 3
Tuesday, 3 March, 2026
In this episode of Tank Talk, we sit down with Senior Environmental Consultant Leslie Pearson for a first-person account of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and how it reshaped spill prevention and response in Alaska and across the nation. Leslie shares her firsthand experience working on the response in 1989, from documenting shoreline impacts in Seward to navigating the early days of incident command and emergency operations. She reflects on the gaps in preparedness that were exposed, the challenges of working in remote environments, and what it was like to learn on the fly during one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history. The conversation explores how the spill led to the creation of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), major revisions to SPCC and Facility Response Plan requirements, and Alaska’s decision to implement some of the strictest spill prevention regulations in the country under 18 AAC 75. With decades of experience as both a regulator and consultant, Leslie explains why these regulations are more than paperwork - they are institutional memory designed to prevent history from repeating itself. This episode offers valuable perspective for environmental professionals, facility operators, and anyone working in spill prevention, preparedness, and compliance. Support the showintro/outro created with GarageBand
