Gordon Scott

Gordon Scott came to Alaska in 1974, and began fishing out of Whittier, Alaska while living in Girdwood with his wife, Elly, and their three sons. During the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, he spent 186 days working on the cleanup. Since the oil spill, Gordon has been involved with various oil spill prevention and response activities, including volunteering for the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council’s Oil Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) Committee. Through OSPR, Gordon was able to apply his expertise to development of the oil industry’s first manual for towing boom in Prince William Sound. The manual initially said boom could be towed at two knots, which Gordon knew was four times the real half-knot top speed. It took years, but the manual was finally revised to reflect reality. He also testified at a June 1993 Coast Guard hearing on escort vessel requirements for oil tankers. Gordon Scott continues to make a living as a commercial fisherman for halibut and cod, and recently re-opened his spot shrimp business that was closed for over 25 years due to the oil spill.