On its 20th anniversary, we all relive the human and environmental tragedy that was the Exxon Valdez oil spill. But today, right now, Alaska faces down another threat that could devastate a $1.5 billion annual salmon fishery, endangered beluga whales, and coastline communities in the most densely populated area of Alaska, from Kodiak to the Kenai Peninsula, to Anchorage, and beyond.
Mt. Redoubt, a volcano which has awakened from slumber after a 20 year period of dormancy, has been erupting for the last few days, shooting ash plumes more than 9 miles into the atmosphere. Lahars (slides of mud, and volcanic debris) are flowing down its flanks in the direction of the shoreline where Drift River feeds into Cook Inlet. This would normally not be an issue of concern. The area is basically unpopulated, and the "Ring of Fire" has been having its way with this area of the world for a very long time. With the exception of some interrupted airline traffic, and 1/4 inch of ash deposited on a few small communities in the Susitna Valley to the north, the volcano hasn't had much impact so far.
The problem comes when you take into consideration that between these lahars, which are filled with train car sized chunks of rock and ice, barreling down the flanks of Redoubt on the one side, and the point at which the Drift River meets the pristine waters of Cook Inlet on the other side is a tank farm. The tank farm is owned by Chevron, and two of the seven tanks contain, at this moment, 6 million gallons of crude oil perched, as it were, between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. And the Devil ain't done yet.
So far, Chevron and local media sources are reporting that the tanks "were successfully protected." Past tense. By "successfully protected," Chevron and the media lead us to believe that this is all over. After the near catastrophe at the tank farm in 1989 when Redoubt last erupted, containment walls were built around the tanks, and they have held so far. But, bear in mind, that volcanic eruptions are not predictable things. There have been six major eruptions in the last three days, and the Alaska Volcano Observatory shows Redoubt at "code red," which is just what it sounds like. A major eruption could be imminent.
Photos released by Chevron and a video available on Alaska's KTUU confirm that the volcanic debris has breached the first containment wall, caused significant damage to buildings at the facility, and that there are incursions into the secondary diking system. It doesn't take a geologist, or a petroleum engineer, or a vulcanologist to look at the pictures and see that another major lahar means we're in trouble.
Rumors persist that there is vigorous internal debate at Chevron, discussing whether or not to drain the tanks. In 1989, nobody at Exxon had the luxury of debating whether or not they'd turn the tanker around before it slammed into Bligh Reef, and hemorrhaged 11 million gallons of oil into the previously pristine waters of Prince William Sound. Chevron has that luxury, but may be thinking about the Supreme Court decision this June that let Exxon walk away from the mess with a slap on the wrist two decades later - payment of only three days profit to those whose livelihoods were destroyed. "That's not so bad," Chevron may be thinking.
Redoubt may go back to sleep. It may send debris in another direction. Or it may wipe out a coastal tank farm and dump six million gallons of crude oil into one of the most economically and environmentally valuable bodies of water since....well....what Prince William Sound used to be. Are we willing to take that chance? The photographic evidence clearly shows us that there is zero room for an error in judgment.
And what is the governor of the state of Alaska doing about this? Well, so far, nothing. A look at the most recent press releases on the State of Alaska website reveals she's been concentrating more on the "Latest Bogus Ethics Complaint", and commenting on the "President's Remarks on Leno" than stepping up to the plate and demanding that Chevron drain their tanks, and get the oil out of harms way.
Perhaps it's time to help Governor Palin prioritize, and urge her to listen to Cook Inletkeeper and citizens who are calling on Chevron to draw down the oil in the tanks.
"Worker safety is paramount, and we need to ensure the oil can be removed in a safe and orderly fashion," said Bob Shavelson, executive director of Cook Inletkeeper. "But we never knew Chevron planned to keep 6 million gallons of crude at the base of an erupting volcano until yesterday, because Chevron kept hiding behind the façade of Homeland Security."
Public agencies responsible for the safe and legal operation of the Drift River terminal include the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and the Alaska Department of Fish & Game.
Guess which was more cordial.
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I then wrote the following:
Dear Secretary Salazar,
With concerns of the 6 million gallons of oil holding in the Chevron tanks at Mt. Redoubt growing, I feel that the Federal Government needs to step in and get them to drain the tanks.
The pristine environment of Cook Inlet is at great risk. Did we not learn from the Exxon Valdez disaster from 20 years ago what an oil spill can do to the Alaska coast? That did not stay a State issue, it was a National disaster.
Considering that Governor Palin is taking no action, has not mentioned anything about this do you really want to wait for some action from her? Considering it took her months to acknowledge the food and fuel shortage in the western part of her own state, I think not.
Yes, Mt. Redoubt might not blow again for another 20 years. Yes, the slides might go somewhere else. But, looking at the pictures Chevron gave to the press about the tanks "were successfully protected," there is no doubt another slide would do their protections in.
Who, on this troubled planet of ours, had the gall to give permits to hold oil at the bottom of an active volcano?
Let's safeguard our National resources.
I did email both of my strong Democratic Senators, Boxer and Feinstein as well as email Governor Schwarzenegger. A spill in Alaska would eventually affect the CA coastline as well.
If you want to email Chevron's webpage... here it is.
http://www.chevron.com/countries/usa/contactus/
Write to Secretary Ken Salazar, President Obama (and AK Gov. Sarah Palin, if you feel it would do any good) to tell them this is an URGENT MATTER. Get all of that crude oil out of Chevron's tanks, NOW!
There are some excellent information-filled posts on www.themudflats.net that will give you background on why it's not a good idea to have a tank farm at the base of an active volcano, next to a river and the as-yet-unspoiled waters of Cook Inlet - and why the 6 million gallons of crude currently sitting in Chevron's tanks need to be moved NOW, before it's too late.
Do we learn from our mistakes? Remember Exxon Valdez. 20 years ago.
Palin puts herself above both God & nature.
“Today is the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and we’ve learned that complacency is not one decision, or 100 decisions, but thousands of small decisions that lead up to a regulatory safety net that’s riddled with gaping holes,” said Shavelson. “We call the situation in Cook Inlet “The 1000 cuts of Complacency,” and it’s time we learned the lessons of the Exxon Valdez.”
Those thousands of complacent "small decisions" not only lull many people into focusing on the "trees, instead of the forest," but have an insidious way of diffusing responsibility if the worst comes to pass.
The two entities who should be stepping up right now are Chevron and Gov. Palin ( if she can be dragged away temporarily from her 2012 strategizing.) Prevention is vastly preferred to a crisis response!
Excellent post, AKM!
You will be happy to see that there is a strong contingent up there keeping Sarah on her toes, among other things.
check it out!
http://www.themudflats.net/
cool pictures of their eruption as well. Not as cool as our Mt St Helens, mind you, but timely what with Jindal's blathering....
Palin will just have the school children pray this away!