Incident Update
- Date: 2 p.m. Tuesday May 5, 2020
- Contact: Unified Command Joint Information Center
- 907-834-6990
Unified Command transition
The response to the Valdez Marine Terminal (VMT) Admin Sump Incident continues as the footprint of the work and workforce involved continue shrinking. With the initial control and recovery phase completed, the work has transitioned to ongoing investigation and remediation of the impacted areas. Reflecting that, the Unified Command – comprised of representatives from Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, the United States Coast Guard and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation – has officially concluded as of May 5.
Moving forward, Alyeska will lead this project, and it will do so with considerable input and oversight by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Coast Guard and other regulatory agencies as appropriate.
Outflow is no longer entering Port Valdez at the VMT small boat harbor after a temporary oily water transfer pipeline was connected and became operational on Sunday. The pipeline is delivering oily water from the oil/water separator at the water’s edge to the VMT’s Ballast Water Treatment facility.
The work is evolving as the impacted area has decreased by more than three-quarters and the majority of response vessels have been decommissioned. On water, the sheen is entirely contained by boom. Crews continue beach cleanup tactics along the rocky shoreline close to the outflow point near the VMT small boat harbor.
The spill source was identified as a sump located about a quarter-mile uphill from the VMT small boat harbor. The sump was isolated and secured on April 13. TAPS operations have not been impacted. An in-depth investigation of the spill is ongoing and is not part of the response.
For more information, contact Kate.Dugan@alyeska-pipeline.com.
Indicates an external site.