Crowley Aniak Containment

Location: Crowley Petroleum Services’ (Crowley) Aniak Lower Tank Farm, approximately 2 miles southwest of the village of Aniak. Aniak is on the Kuskokwim River, approximately 90 nautical miles northeast of Bethel.
Time/Date: The spill is estimated to have taken place between 1:45 PM on March 7, 2011, and 11:35 AM on March 8, 2011, when it was discovered. O’Brien’s Response Management reported the spill to ADEC on behalf of the responsible party at 1:00 PM on March 8, 2011.
Spill Id: 11279906701
Product/ Quantity: The Responsible Party (RP) initially estimated that 23,000 gallons of Jet-A fuel had been released. Subsequent estimates by the RP reduced that quantity to slightly less than 7,000 gallons. The discrepancy is attributed to faulty initial tank gauging observations by tank farm staff. Reportedly, the release has been wholly contained within a lined tank farm secondary containment.
Cause: Crowley staff found a valve on a 220,000 gallon bulk fuel tank partially open. Subsequent investigation determined that the release was caused by a combination of the failure to fully close the tank valve, and the concurrent failure of a check valve on a fuel line.