Perhaps the MSM would have picked this up if it weren't for the Mother of All Oil Spills in the Gulf.
http://www.adn.com/...
Alyeska 'may have dropped ball,' official says
The trans-Alaska pipeline remained shut down today as responders took a cautious approach to cleaning up thousands of barrels of crude oil that spilled into a containment area at a pump station.
Investigators from six state and federal agencies have arrived or are on their way to the pump station near Delta Junction to investigate the accident there...
Alyeska 'may have dropped ball,' official says
By MEGAN HOLLAND and ELIZABETH BLUEMINK
mholland@adn.com
Published: May 26th, 2010 03:32 PM
The trans-Alaska pipeline remained shut down today as responders took a cautious approach to cleaning up thousands of barrels of crude oil that spilled into a containment area at a pump station.
Investigators from six state and federal agencies have arrived or are on their way to the pump station near Delta Junction to investigate the accident there.
Although the spill was contained within the pump station site, "some procedures weren't properly implemented, apparently" said Mike Thompson, the state pipeline director at the Joint Pipeline Office, a group of federal and state agencies that regulate the pipeline.
North Slope oil production remains at a reduced level because of the problem at the pump station.
Meanwhile, Alaska oil prices have spiked, rising to $71.01 a barrel on West Coast open markets, up $4.81 for the day.
Up to several thousand barrels of crude oil spilled Tuesday during a scheduled pipeline shutdown at Pump Station 9, about 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks. A spill of that size -- totaling over 100,000 gallons -- is one of the largest ever for the 33-year-old pipeline.
Thompson said the spill happened after Alyeska shut down its main power to test its battery-controlled backup power system, but the backup power failed.
At about 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, valves opened to allow oil from the pipeline to pour into a partially filled storage tank. The valves are normally closed but are designed to release oil into the tank during power outages to protect the trans-Alaska pipeline from too much pressure.
While the valves were open, oil detoured into the 2.3 million-gallon tank. At 11 a.m., workers reported the storage tank was overflowing, with oil spilling into a large, bermed containment area, an outside yard underlain with an impermeable liner. The valves were closed at 11:15, said Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., which runs the pipeline and pump station.
It's not clear why the backup power failed and why no one anticipated at that point that the storage tank would begin filling with oil, according to Thompson.
"They may have dropped the ball on that," he said.
Alyeska evacuated the pump station and kept power shut off to avoid igniting volatile fumes.
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation on-site coordinator Tom DeRuyter said today that crews determined it was safe to restore power to part of the facility but not yet to the storage tank.
The tank continues to leak oil into the containment area, but DeRuyter couldn't say how much. He estimated Monday night that the leak was continuing at about 5 gallons per minute.
"The oil is still in a containment (area) and there is no evidence of any leakage (outside of it)," he said.
DeRuyter said the storage tank was damaged and deformities could be seen near its top....
I started subscribing to news alerts from the Anchorage Daily News during the presidential campaign to keep track of what they think of Sarah up in Alaska. It's an interesting paper, so I've kept it active. (One of the leading headlines today is "Don't pick up moose calves, wildlife officials remind Alaskans"
The good folks of Alaska don't seem to be horribly enamored of Caribou Barbie of late. The have, it seems, been following with great interest and concern news about the oil volcano in the Lower 48. Memories of The Exxon Valdez are still fresh in many minds.
Now this.
The oil industry is a great source of income for Alaska and Alaskans, but a great source of concern as well. The article concludes
"This is a developing story. Return to adn.com today for updates."