Alyeska Pipeline Service Company and state officials are continuing their investigation of an oil spill sheen near the Valdez Marine Terminal’s small boat harbor first reported on April 12.
Early indicators suggested that the crude/water mixture was leaking from a sump that overflowed. As of Tuesday, April 21, additional tests had been performed to verify the integrity of other piping in the area and all tests passed indicating the 58-SU-3 sump was the only source of the incident.
The product spilled was primarily a mixture of Alaska North Slope crude with water, DEC officials said. The amount released was unknown and will be estimated based on recovery numbers, the agency said.
More than 240 personnel from the pipeline company, U.S. Coast Guard and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation were engaged in the response effort.
Fifteen fishing vessels working to support on-water containment and recovery operations are among the responders, according to ADEC.
Boom has been deployed to protect the Solomon Gulch Hatchery, the Valdez Duck Flats, Saw Island and Seal Island.
Oil skimming efforts continue, with 35,784 gallons of oil water mixture collected through April 21, and 511 gallons of oil recovered. Officials said the primary containment boom has been adjusted to contain the spill closer to the spill outflow area. The bigger boom still maintained the outer perimeter of the boomed areas, being monitored to ensure adequacy of containment. Response crews were continuing oil skimming operations and use of sorbents for passive recovery.
ADEC officials said additional plans were being prepared to address the spill outflow location. The shoreline cleanup plan is already approved for the next stage of nearshore cleanup operations, they said.
DEC officials said the oil traveled under the snow-covered surface and came out near the head of Berth 4 into Port Valdez. A tanker was loading at Berth 5 at the time of the spill, but was not affected. Most of the sheen was contained behind the Berth 4 area with sorbent boom and sweeps and two layers of hard yellow boom, according to DEC.
Wildlife have been observed near the spill area, including one oiled Kittiwake, one deceased gull and three deceased Kittiwakes.
As cleanup operations continued, the incident was having no impact on operation of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System pipeline itself.
