James Edward McHale Jr.
June 13, 1942 - June 3, 2025
Educated in Project & Business Management and Administration; national and international studies in contingency planning, prevention, and response strategies; published nationally and internationally in conference proceedings, magazines and journals; lectured nationally and internationally on contingency planning, oil spill prevention and emergency response. Approaching 30 years in emergency management; past regional and international manager of oil spill response corporations; consultant providing professional, technical and emergency management services and Incident Command Systems training to the U.S. and foreign governmental agencies, local communities, the cruise ship, commercial fishing and oil industries; current ICS and IMS training certifications.
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Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council (CIRCAC) was saddened to learn about the passing of long time Prevention, Response, Operations, and Safety (PROPS) Committee member James McHale in June.
James was first appointed to the PROPS Committee in 2014, where he served as Vice-Chair, bringing decades’ worth of experience and insight to the group.
“Jim was a pioneer in the oil spill response industry,” said CIRCAC Executive Director Michael Munger. “If I wanted an answer to a spill response question, I could always count on Jim.”
Another longtime CIRCAC Board member, Bob Flint (Recreation Groups), said he first met McHale during the response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, while Flint was with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and McHale was working with the Ship Escort Response Vessel System (SERVS) for Alyeska Pipeline. “We shared I don’t know how many rides to and from the airport over the years for different meetings. He brought so much to the PROPS Committee and was a great teacher. We’ll miss him.”
A Vietnam veteran, Jim had more than 35 years’ experience working in various management capacities with Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, Alaska Clean Seas, SEACOR Environmental Services International and British Petroleum among others. With undergraduate studies in Business Administration, Jim participated in national and international studies on contingency planning, prevention and response strategies and is published nationally and internationally in conference proceedings, magazines and journals.
We offer our condolences to Jim’s family, and thank him for his years of dedicated service to CIRCAC.
Remembering Longtime PROPS committee member James McHale, July 1, 2025, Circac.org
Larry Blachut
I am sorry to hear about Jim's passing. I first met Jim in 1989 in Valdez where I was conducting some training for SERVS people in their old quarters above the Copper Valley Telephone offices. Jim was very welcoming and helped me out in the training sessions. I admired his project management skills and of course all of his spill response expertise.
Rest in peace Jim.
Frank Heffernan
We served in Vietnam at the same time and shared memories in Valdez. He was a great man.
Larry Wood
Jim was a gifted, friendly, and capable individual. I really enjoyed chatting with him, so very hospitable, knowledgeable, and helpful no matter my inquiry of the day! Our deep sympathies to Jim's family.
Cathy Girard
I met Jim in the early 1990's: he was a leader in SERVS and I was a young regulator with ADEC. It was clear from our first meeting that Jim was a no-BS man who knew his business and his value. I instantly trusted him and appreciated his direct and grounded nature. He was always a gentleman and consummate professional. I'm sorry to hear of his passing but I'm happy that he had a long retirement. Rest in Peace, Jim.
Dave Norton
I worked with Jim in Projects before he joined SERVS and he was a steady hand. He was also involved with Ducks Unlimted when I was project manager for the the BWT Tanks project and I valued my time with him in Valdez. RIP
Richard Ranger
I knew Jim from his pre-Alyeska days, when I was working for ARCO and ARCO was chasing dreams in Cook Inlet. Jim was one solid guy, as a manager or project leader of integrity, as a judge of people, as a mentor, and as a thoughtful conversationalist. After I joined Alyeska, and Jim moved to Alaska Clean Seas, I used to enjoy random run-ins with him around Anchorage when I was in town from Valdez - and always at the Great Alaska Shootout. He's someone who defines and anchors my Alaska experience. May he rest in eternal peace.