Tug grounding near Sitka spilled 5,300 gallons of diesel

The state Department of Environmental Conservation has determined that about 5,300 gallons of diesel spilled from the March 21 grounding of a tugboat in Neva Strait, near Sitka. The agency calculated that about 700 gallons were recovered by surface skimmers after the accident that left the tug Western Mariner stranded on the beach and leaking fuel.

Additional fuel was removed from the water by deployment of absorbent materials, the state said.

Before the tugboat was refloated on March 30, all of the fuel in the undamaged tanks on the vessel was pumped to recovery boats. The Western Mariner was towed to the Samson Tug and Barge dock in Sitka.

The tug was towing a barge at the time of the accident.

Along with other cleanup efforts, the Southeast Alaska Petroleum Response Organization flushed the shoreline near the grounded tug and deployed absorbent booms.

“Absorbent materials and containment boom were initially used to capture any remnant oil from the shoreline flushing operations, but the absorbent pads were not effective in absorbing the weathered silvery sheen that was flushed from the shoreline,” the department said.

Observations on beaches affected by the spill will continue this month, the department reported, and the assessment team will return to the grounding site for further inspections.