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Funds for the Oil Spill Recovery Institute were authorized
by the United States Congress through the Oil Pollution Act of 1990
(OPA'90) and amending legislation passed in 1996 and 2002. The Prince
William Sound (PWS) Science Center, a non-profit research and education
institution in Cordova, Alaska, administers the OSRI programs as
directed by OSRI's Advisory Board.
The PWS Science Center receives the interest earnings
from a $22.5 million trust held by the U.S. Treasury and dedicated
to finance the OSRI programs. The interest earnings are currently
running about $850,000 per year and will continue as long as oil
and gas exploration continues in Alaska. The original source of
the $22.5 million trust fund was the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
(TAPS) fund which is now part of the National Oil Spill Liability
Trust Fund.
Professional audits of the PWS Science Center's financial
records, including the OSRI program fund, are completed annually
by a nationally recognized accounting firm. Mikundra Cottrell completed
the most recent audit for FY06. Copies of the audited financial
statements are available on request to Penelope Oswalt, Finance
Director, PWS Science Center, P.O. Box 705, Cordova, AK 99574, or
e-mail poswalt@pwssc.org.
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