Oil spill cleanup winds down on southern Shuyak Island, about 47 miles north of Kodiak. The area is critical habitat for marine mammals like sea otters and Steller sea lions.
A Port William dock collapsed in late February, and caused a building and a container filled with fuel to fall into the water, releasing an estimated 3,000 gallons of oil.
U.S. Coast Guard Commander James Binniker, who helps lead the $9 million cleanup, said spill responders have met the Coast Guard’s goals for the response.
“We wanted no oil left on the rocky surfaces or the pilings that we could access where oil would come off when rubbed, so we don’t want anything that’s gonna oil a bird or any marine mammal or any wildlife that gets on that beach.”
Responders used booms to contain the oil and cleaned up debris from the fallen structures and pressure washed harder surfaces.
The unified response includes contractor Alaska Chadux Corporation and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
According to the latest DEC situation report, responders have collected more than 1,800 bags of oiled absorbent material so far including from heavy oil called Bunker C fuel, in addition to oils like diesel and gasoline.
Some oil is still in the remaining two structures on the water, Binniker said. The person currently managing the site agreed to allow the responders to remove a portion of it.
But at this point it’s out of the Coast Guard’s hands, Binniker said.
“The remaining pier structures are not unlike many throughout Alaska, and it’s not our determination at this point that it poses an imminent threat of collapse and pollution.”
While the response is winding down, the state also will check out tanks held in a structure further up the property, Environmental Conservation program manager Geoff Merrell said.
DEC has an open, ongoing case related to the tanks.
According to the Coast Guard, in 2013 one of the tanks was shot, which led to oil leaking onto the property.
Merrell said that’s what they’re going to look into as part of their next steps.
“What we’re going to investigate is the impact of that leak on the ground and soils and potential contamination.”
Chugiak resident Mark Krall said he’s the effective manager of the land.
He explains he took on that role in 2012 in light of the poor health of the owner, a friend of his, and he said he was running a lodge in the area until last year.
Krall said vandalism led to the leak, and he flew to Shuyak Island to take care of it.
“There was a slight sheen, but not much of it evidently got to the water when the vandals shot it. Actually, most of it absorbed into the soil on the hill above the water.”
At the time, Krall said, it was either clean up the land or else the property owner would deal with more expensive fines from the Coast Guard.
He shipped in oil response equipment and footed the bill, which ended a little more than $40,000, a cost which he said contributed to him closing the lodge.
Krall stored the remainder of the oil from the tank in a container in one of the buildings at the docks, where it stayed until strong winds in February knocked it into the water, causing the most recent spill.
Krall was employing a caretaker for the property at the time.
The caretaker emailed him the day the container carrying the fuel fell into the water.
Krall was unclear about what he intends to do with oil still stored there. He also indicated he was trying to end his involvement with the property. Krall did not respond to further emails seeking clarification by deadline.
A representative from DEC says the state is still investigating who might be the responsible party.
