The state has confirmed that the large sheen observed on Steamboat Slough, just up the Kuskokwim River from Bethel, was diesel fuel spilled from the Frances Snow, a vessel owned by fuel distribution company Vitus Energy. The vessel has successfully been recovered and hauled out of the water, and now state and federal agencies are responding.
According to a report released Nov. 1 by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC), Vitus estimates that 250 to 300 gallons of diesel fuel and 10 gallons of hydraulic fluid were on board at the time the Frances Snow became partially submerged. It is not clear when that happened or when fuel began leaking.
According to the report, Vitus told ADEC that the vessel sank due to a 1.5-inch crack in the hull.
It's not clear how much fuel the boat could hold. The company claims 1,500 gallons, but the state lists it as having a maximum fuel capacity of 2,500 gallons.
On the morning of Nov. 2, Vitus Energy hauled out the approximately 60-foot vessel at the Port of Bethel.
The ADEC report says that Vitus will begin assessing the amount of fuel remaining on board to determine the size of the spill. Residents from Bethel to Napaskiak, about 7 miles downriver, reported smelling diesel fuel following the spill.
ADEC's Western Region on-scene coordinator, Bernie Nowicki, said that the agency is working with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game (ADF&G), and other agencies to respond.
“I know we are communicating with ADF&G regarding some potential water sampling out there. That has not been nailed down yet,” Nowicki said.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is also responding, although they’re still gathering information.
“This is an area surrounded by the Yukon-Delta National Wildlife Refuge, and we're concerned about fish and wildlife resources that could be impacted by the spill,” said Environmental Contaminants Specialist Angela Matz.
According to the ADEC report, waterfowl have already migrated out of the area potentially affected by the spill. But the report also notes the presence of numerous species of subsistence-caught fish that are “shared widely throughout the region.”
On the evening of Nov. 1, Vitus Energy CEO Mark Smith said that the company had met with state and federal agencies to discuss the next steps. Smith also said that the vessel had been inspected on a regular basis during the summer.
But nearby residents, including Barbara Anvil, who owns property near the site of the spill, said that they’ve noticed problems with the vessel since July.
KYUK reporter Francisco Martinezcuello contributed to this story.
