Nick Lewis - Garbage in, Garbage out in Antarctica

Garbage In, Garbage Out
Managing Impacts in Antarctica’s High Mountains
Nick Lewis
Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions LLC

ANTARCTICLOGISTICS&EXPEDITIONS
• ALE provides logistic support in West Antarctica:
• Government Research (National Operators)
• Private Expeditions
• Adventure tour programs e.g. Vinson, South Pole,
Emperor Penguins
• Purchased Adventure Network International (ANI) in 2003
• Headquarters in Salt Lake City
• Operations Centre in Punta Arenas, Chile
• Intercontinental runway, main camp and skiway at Union
Glacier, Ellsworth Mountains
• Satellite camps at Vinson, South Pole and Gould Bay
• 120 field, air and support staff
Who we are

Background
• Global Commons - Space, Oceans, Antarctica
• Early 20th Century: “Golden Age of Exploration” - separate
national projects (Amundsen, Scott, Shackleton, Mawson)
• 1920-40s: National claims; Roosevelt initiative for US
sovereignty; US suggestion for UN trustee arrangement and
subsequent rejection
• Proposal that control should be vested in hands of interested
bodies to allow promotion of science
• International Geophysical Year 1957-58
• Antarctic Treaty signed in Washington DC, 1961: Argentina,
Australia, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South
Africa, UK, USA and USSR
• Modern concern for Antarctic environment driven by whaling,
fishing, ozone hole, oil spills, climate change
• Protocol on Environmental Protection signed in Madrid, 1991

The Antarctic Treaty
• Antarctica is to be used for peaceful purposes only
• Freedom of scientific investigation and co-operation
• Free exchange of scientific data, observations and
personnel between expeditions and stations in
Antarctica
• Territorial claims are not recognised, disputed or
established by the Treaty
• Nuclear explosions and radio-active waste disposal
are banned
• All stations and equipment are open for inspection by
any Treaty member

The Environmental Protocol
• Designates Antarctica as a natural reserve, devoted
to peace and science
• Sets out principles for environmental protection
• Bans all commercial mineral resource activity until
2041 when Protocol is reviewed
• Requires the Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) of all activities before they are allowed to go
ahead
• 6 Annexes
I. Environmental Impact Assessment
II. Conservation of Antarctic Flora and Fauna
III. Waste Disposal and Waste Management
IV. Prevention of Marine Pollution
V. Area Protection and Management
VI. Liability Arising From Environmental Emergencies

ALE Environmental Policy
• Activities to have no more than a minor or transitory impact on the
Antarctic environment
• Promote safe and sustainable tourism;
• Visitors to leave Antarctica with a greater understanding and
appreciation of its natural values;
• Engender a culture of environmental awareness, backed by suitable
training, within ALE staff and contractors;
• Full compliance with international and national environmental
regulations and requirements;
• Minimum disturbance of wildlife and natural habitats;
• Correct waste management including, where practicable, total
removal of waste from Antarctica;
• Re-use, recycle or licensed disposal of waste outside Antarctica;
• Use of renewable resources, where practicable;
• Monitoring of activities to verify minimization strategies;
• Regular environmental audit of practices; and
• Support of IAATO and encourage development of tourism
management strategies.

ALE Environmental Documention
• Advance Notification to US State Department
• Initial Environmental Evaluation to US
Environmental Protection Agency
• 5-Year
• Predictions on Personnel, Waste, Emissions, Locations
• Supplementary Information – annual updates
• Waste Management Permit from US National
Science Foundation

Union Glacier Camp
Air operations
Staff accommodation
ANI operations
Guest area

• Batteries power majority of electrical loads.
• Batteries are recharged by solar power, or by generator
as a backup.
• Generators also used for welding and other occasional
large loads in the Mechanical Workshop.
• Zoned, independent systems
• AC power distributed in camp by overhead power lines.
• AC to DC converters used to power existing distributed
DC loads.
Energy Supply

Fuel Management

Meals
Cooking

Pollution Prevention

Oil Spill Plan

Fuel Conservation Device

Waste Management
• Annex III of Protocol: “Wastes generated at field camps shall,
to the maximum extent practicable, be removed by the
generator of such wastes”
• ALE aims to remove all its waste from Antarctica
• Removal of packaging prior to departure to Antarctica
• All hazardous wastes are removed
• Accidental spillage of fuels dealt with by Spill Response Plan
• Human waste:
• Both solid and liquid removed from Union Glacier
• All LD and Vinson trips remove solid wastes (Wagbags).
• Currently not practical for extended overland expeditions or climbing
expeditions to remove solid or liquid waste due to volumes and weight.
• Use of pee bottles on daytrips
• “Grey water” much harder to manage:
• Currently dumped at Union Glacier and VBC
• Continuing research into better method for future use.

Womens Toilets
URINE

Human Waste

MOUNT VINSON (16,050’/4892m)
• 32 miles and 9,000 feet of ascent
• Temps down to -40 F
• Winds to >60 knots
• 5-8 days
• 50° ice
• 60 pound loads

VINSON WASTE MANAGEMENT
• BRIEF EVERY INCOMING GROUP AND REMIND DURING ASCENT!
• TOILETS:
• BASE CAMP, LOW CAMP & HIGH CAMP
• DESIGNATED CAMP AND TRAIL PEE HOLES
• USE OF PEE BOTTLES & WAGBAGS
• CLEANING OF WALLS…
• NEED FOR ACCURATE GPS WAYPOINTS AT END OF SEASON!
• GREY WATER DISPOSAL:
• SIEVES AND BUCKETS
• GARBAGE
• TOTAL REMOVAL!
• CACHES CAREFULLY MANAGED ON THE MOUNTAIN
• ALE RANGER PATROLS

SEPARATION OF FOOD WASTE FROM GREY WATER

Summit Plateau
High Camp &
Repeater
Top of fixed
ropes
Shinn Camp
Summit Cache

ANTARCTIC LOGISTICS & EXPEDITIONS LLC
4376 South 700 East, Suite 226, Salt Lake City UT 84107-3006 USA
Tel: +1 801-266-4876/4982 Fax: +1 801-266-1592
Vinson Info Map 2007 Email: info@antarctic-logistics.com Web: www.antarctic-logistics.com
Vinson Info Map – Notes for Climbers
The map overleaf is taken from the Omega Foundation Vinson Massif Map and is their copyright ©.
COMMUNICATIONS:
Vinson Base Camp (VBC) is open 24hrs a day and
each team must make contact every day.
The VBC Manager will give you a time to call—you can
use either Iridium or VHF. At night call on the Iridium.
VBC Iridium: +8816 4149 9330
NEVER LEAVE VOICEMAILS ON ALE IRIDIUMS!
These are never collected by staff.
VHF: ‘Simplex’ = 145.100 MHz—coverage between
VBC and Low Camp and above 4300m.
Branscomb Ridge Repeater = TRANSMIT 144.025
MHz / RECEIVE 148.975 MHz—coverage of entire
route from VBC to summit.
If you cannot contact VBC in an emergency call
Patriot Hills on +8816 4144 4799.
WASTE MANAGEMENT—VBC:
· Please read the Waste Management Guidelines.
· Use garbage bags to collect waste—give to ALE staff
when full.
· Dispose of pee in marked pee holes.
· Use designated toilets for feces.
· Strain ‘gray water’ to separate liquid from food waste
and dispose of liquid in drilled urine holes—plastic
buckets and strainers are available in VBC for this.
· Place food waste in your garbage bag.
WASTE MANAGEMENT—ON THE MOUNTAIN:
· You must carry all garbage and feces back to VBC.
· Separate pee from feces everywhere on Vinson.
· Feces must go in doubled garbage bags. Make sure to
take enough garbage bags with you.
· Only pee and grey water go in pee holes at each
camp—empty pee bottles in pee holes.
· There are additional pee holes between camps.
· Use your pee bottle if you need to pee on the route.
· Do not defecate in pee holes or on the route.
· ALE provides 3 WAG bags per climber to use between
camps and on summit day.
· Carry all toilet waste to VBC either in doubled bags or
in WAG bags.
· Do not contaminate the snow anywhere else with pee
or gray water—you may have to drink it later in your
climb!
· Do not leave garbage or equipment anywhere on the
route—this includes food, caches, broken equipment.
ROUTE NOTES:
VBC (2100m/6900’) to Low Camp (2750m/9000
feet): 650m/2150 feet of ascent, 4-6 hours, 9km/5.5
miles, gradually rising glacier, some crevassing.
Low Camp to High Camp (3715m/12,400 feet):
1000m/3300 feet of ascent, 5-7 hours, 4.5km/2.75 miles,
up to 40° slope (“Headwall”). Take care climbing the
Headwall as there are serac hazards on either side and
significant crevassing at top.
High Camp to Summit (4892m/16,160 feet):
1200m/4000’ of ascent, 10-14 hrs return, 14 km/8.75
miles return, gradually rising valley with 40° slopes and
rocky ridge on summit pyramid.
· 24hr daylight occurs on Vinson during the summer.
· All camps and most of the route have periods of shade
when the temperature falls considerably.
· VBC is in shade from about 03.00–05.00. Teams
generally leave in morning or afternoon.
· Low Camp is in shade from about 03.00–11.30. Teams
generally leave around 13.00–14.00.
· High Camp is in shade from about 23.00–08.00.
Teams generally leave around 09.00–10.00.
· Climbing during periods of shade greatly
increases the risk of frostbite and other cold
related problems.
RESCUE:
ALE does not provide a rescue service on Vinson. All
parties are expected to be self-sufficient on the mountain.
Rescue caches are situated at Low Camp (‘Low
Rescue Cache’), High Camp (‘High Rescue Cache’)
and below the summit pyramid in the high valley
(‘Summit Rescue Cache’).
Rescue caches are only to be used in an
emergency!
If you use a cache, notify VBC Manager of all gear
used as soon as possible.
There are separate ALE caches at Low Camp and High
Camp. These are marked specifically for the use of ALE
staff—do not touch these unless authorized or
instructed to do so!

Waste Management on Ski Expeditions

Lastly…
Nick Lewis
Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions
nick.lewis@antarctic-logistics.com

Nick Lewis - Garbage in, Garbage out in Antarctica

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