The Oil Spill Recovery Institute (OSRI) was established by Congress
in response to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. The Congressional
mandate given OSRI is:
- To
identify and develop the best available techniques, equipment
and materials for dealing with oil spills in the Arctic and sub-Arctic
marine environment; and,
- To complement federal and state damage assessment efforts and
determine, document, assess and understand the long-range effects
of Arctic and sub-Arctic oil spills on the natural resources of
Prince William Sound, and the environment, the economy and the
lifestyle and well-being of the people who are dependent on those
resources.
The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 established OSRI. Amendments in 1996 and 2004 extended the original mandate through September 2012 and provided a funding mechanism for the Institute. Legislation in 2005 assures
that OSRI's research program will continue as long as oil exploration
and development occurs in Alaska.
OSRI is administered through and housed at the Prince William Sound
Science Center, a non-profit research and education organization
located in Cordova. The PWS Science Center facilitates and encourages
ecosystem studies in the Greater Prince William Sound region.
Click on "About OSRI" for
a general overview of the organization and current programs.
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