Americas News
Bunker Spill in Alaska
A U.S. Army Reserve vessel is estimated to have leaked over 15,000 gallons of diesel fuel in Chiniak Bay near Kodiak, Alaska, after it struck a rock late on Friday.
Two oil containment booms have been placed around the vessel, which was beached to prevent it sinking, with a third boom being set at the mouth of the near by Buskin River.
"It looks like the booms are effective," Coast Guard Petty Officer Grant DeVuyst was quoted as saying, adding they were "aggressively working to stop the fuel tank and to contain what has leaked."
Absorbent pads, some of which were changed out Sunday, were soaking up "a lot of fuel" with officials saying there is not enough fuel in the water to consider using a dispersant.
The Alaskan Dispatch said Steve Russell with the state Department of Environmental Conservation had confirmed that "there has been diesel in contact with the beaches," but that it was "no great concern at this time."
The Monterrey, a 174-foot landing craft with an estimated 40,000 gallons of fuel on-board, damaged two of its fuel compartments in the incident.
It was carrying equipment and supplies for the U.S. Marine Corps to help relocate a village.
