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Sharon Bushell

Sharon Bushell lives in Homer, Alaska and has been collecting stories of individuals for over twenty years. Her work gathering memories of Alaskan pioneers earned her the Alaska Governor's Award for the Arts and Humanities in 2004. Many of those stories were published in the Anchorage Daily News from 2002 to 2005 and in two books We Alaskans and We Alaskans Volume II. In 2007, Sharon was hired by the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council (PWSRCAC) to conduct and edit close to 100 interviews of individuals directly involved with the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Her book, co-authored with Stan Jones, is The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster (Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2009). Excerpts of interview transcripts appear in the book, while some of the full interviews can be heard and transcripts read in the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Project Jukebox. For more about Sharon Bushell, see her website.

Sharon Bushell appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

As Interviewer

Interview Title	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Abstract
Tom Copeland	2013-26-07	Exxon Valdez Oil Spill	Tom Copeland was interviewed on April 28, 2007 by Sharon Bushell in Bellingham, Washington. Tom's interview was conducted as part of Sharon Bushell's work on the book, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster, by Stan Jones and Sharon Bushell. (Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2009). In this interview, Tom describes his experiences surrounding the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, his individual efforts to assist in the cleanup independent from the government, his theories of how the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill occurred, and the effects of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Tom also talks about his participation in the 1993 blockade of the Valdez Narrows by the local commercial fishing fleet, and his role as a representative to the the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council (PWSRCAC).
Gary Bader	2013-26-02	Exxon Valdez Oil Spill	Gary Bader was interviewed on May 29, 2007 by Sharon Bushell. The location of the interview is unknown, however Gary Bader was the Alyeska liaison representative to the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council, so it is likely the interview was conducted in Valdez, Alaska. Gary's interview was conducted as part of Sharon Bushell's work on the book, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster, by Stan Jones and Sharon Bushell. (Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2009). In this interview, Gary talks about his experience during the first few days after the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and the oil industry's response to the disaster. He talks about his experience working with the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council (PWSRCAC) and discusses his opinion of the lasting impact the oil spill had on Prince William Sound.
John Devens, Sr.	2013-26-10	Exxon Valdez Oil Spill	John Devens, Sr. was interviewed on October 8, 2007 by Sharron Bushell in Valdez, Alaska. John's interview was conducted as part of Sharon Bushell's work on the book, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster, by Stan Jones and Sharon Bushell. (Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2009). In this interview, John talks about his role as Mayor of Valdez during the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, the reaction of the town of Valdez to the oil spill, the cleanup efforts by local residents, oil companies, and the government, and the impact the oil spill had on Prince William Sound, the fisheries in the area, and the people of Valdez, Alaska.
David Janka	2013-26-05	Exxon Valdez Oil Spill	David Janka was interviewed in Cordova, Alaska on October 1, 2007. David's interview was conducted as part of Sharon Bushell's work on the book, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster, by Stan Jones and Sharon Bushell. (Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2009). In this interview, David talks about his work on the oil spill cleanup, his thoughts on the management of the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup, and the emotional impact the oil spill had on the people of Cordova, Alaska.
Marilyn Leland	2013-26-08	Exxon Valdez Oil Spill	Marilyn Leland was interviewed on June 29, 2007 by Sharon Bushell. The location of the interview is unknown. However, because Marilyn was the Deputy Director of the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council from 1994-2006, it is likely this interview took place in Valdez, Alaska. Marilyn's interview was conducted as part of Sharon Bushell's work on the book, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster, by Stan Jones and Sharon Bushell. (Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2009). In this interview, Marilyn talks about the Cordova District Fishermen United Union's response to the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, the factions in the Cordova community created by the spill, and changes in Cordova since the oil spill.
John Devens, Jr.	2013-26-09	Exxon Valdez Oil Spill	John Devens, Jr. was interviewed on August 15, 2007 by Sharon Bushell in Copper Center, Alaska. John's interview was conducted as part of Sharon Bushell's work on the book, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster, by Stan Jones and Sharon Bushell. (Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2009) After the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, John worked as an oil spill cleanup “scrounger” for VECO. In this interview, he talks about his experiences performing that job. He also talks about the lack of resources available for cleanup activities, his perception of the effectiveness of the cleanup process, and why he chose to eventually leave the cleanup efforts.
Jane Eisemann	2013-26-11	Exxon Valdez Oil Spill	Jane Eisemann was interviewed on September 18, 2007 by Sharon Bushell in Kodiak, Alaska. Jane's interview was conducted as part of Sharon Bushell's work on the book, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster, by Stan Jones and Sharon Bushell. (Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2009). In this interview, Jane talks about how the people of Kodiak responded to the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and the cleanup efforts that took place near Kodiak. She also talks about the emotional and economic impacts of the oil spill on the town of Kodiak.
Robert Benda	2013-26-12	Exxon Valdez Oil Spill	Robert Benda was interviewed on October 7, 2007 by Sharon Bushell in Valdez, Alaska. Bob's interview was conducted as part of Sharon Bushell's work on the book, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster, by Stan Jones and Sharon Bushell. (Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2009). In this interview, Bob talks about how marine wildlife suffered in the wake of the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, the response efforts taken to rehabilitate injured animals, and his involvement in the oil spill response and wildlife rehabilitation.
Jerome Selby	2013-26-04	Exxon Valdez Oil Spill	Jerome Selby was interviewed on September 17, 2007 by Sharon Bushell in Kodiak, Alaska. Jerome's interview was conducted as part of Sharon Bushell's work on the book, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster, by Stan Jones and Sharon Bushell. (Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2009) In this interview, Jerome talks about the impact the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill had on the town of Kodiak, the personal conflicts caused by the oil spill, and important lessons learned from the spill and the subsequent cleanup efforts.
Craig Matkin	2013-26-03	Exxon Valdez Oil Spill	Craig Matkin was interviewed on July 25, 2007 by Sharon Bushell. The location of the interview is unknown. However, because Craig lives in Homer, Alaska, it is likely the interview took place there. Craig's interview was conducted as part of Sharon Bushell's work on the book, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster, by Stan Jones and Sharon Bushell. (Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2009). In this interview, Craig talks about helping lay boom for the oil spill response, Exxon wanting to pay him, and his scientific studies of the herring and killer whale populations. Craig also provides his assessment of the beach cleanup effort.
Scott Sterling	2013-26-01	Exxon Valdez Oil Spill	Scott Sterling was interviewed on October 15, 2005 by Sharon Bushell. The location of the interview is unknown. However, because Scott lives in Anchorage, Alaska it is likely that is where the interview took place. Scott's interview was conducted as part of Sharon Bushell's work on the book, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster, by Stan Jones and Sharon Bushell. (Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2009). In this interview, Scott talks about his work as the attorney for the City of Cordova during the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, working with the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council, and negotiating with the oil industry for public oversight of operations for improved safety.
Walt Parker	2013-26-21	Exxon Valdez Oil Spill	Walt Parker was interviewed on May 28, 2007 by Sharon Bushell in Anchorage, Alaska. Walt's interview was conducted as part of Sharon Bushell's work on the book, The Spill: Personal Stories from the Exxon Valdez Disaster, by Stan Jones and Sharon Bushell. (Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press, 2009) In his interview, Walt talks about the legislative response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the legislation passed by Congress in response to the oil spill, and the problems with complacency in the oil industry.