Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District
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Press Release

Date: Oct. 6, 2008
Contact: Petty Officer Sara Francis
Phone: (907) 271.2660 Ofc.

Coast Guard facilitates fuel transfer to Western Alaska village 

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- MST1 Michael Vinson, Coast Guard Sector Anchorage, monitors a fuel transfer of diesel from bladders to tank trucks in Unalakleet, Western Alaska on Oct. 2, 2008 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- MST1 Michael Vinson, Coast Guard Sector Anchorage, monitors the connections from the fuel truck to a tank at the fuel facility in Unalakleet Oct. 2, 2008. ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- MST1 Michael Vinson, Coast Guard Sector Anchorage, inspects fire fighting equipment at the Unalakleet fuel tank farm prior to a fuel transfer of diesel from tank trucks in Unalakleet, Western Alaska on Oct. 2, 2008. ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- MST3 Chris El-Cassabgui inspects bladders prestaged on the beach in Unalakleet during a fuel oil transfer monitor Oct. 2, 2008. Diesel was pumped form a barge to the bladders and then from the bladders to tank trucks to be taken to the fuel storage facility. Direct transfer from the barge to the facility was not possible. ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- MST3 Chris El-Cassabgui, Coast Guard Sector Anchorage, inspects the fuel storage facility in Unalakleet, Western Alaska on Oct. 2, 2008.

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For video please click the link: http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=395617

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Personnel from Coast Guard Sector Anchorage monitored the transfer of 56,000 gallons of diesel from a Delta Western barge OB6 to the Unalakleet village fuel farm Thursday. The fuel will heat and supply power to the village this winter.

Access to the Unalakleet River that the barge normally uses for deliveries is currently blocked due to low tides. Regular operations include beaching the barge and hooking up fuel transfer lines to the tank farm's fuel manifold. With the river access unavailable they could not reach the fuel manifold.

With oversight from the Coast Guard, Delta Western chose an alternate location on the beach adjacent to Norton Sound to put the barge. A containment area was erected and bladders designed to hold fuel were shipped to the village from Fairbanks. The bladders hold a maximum of 65,000 gallons. The fuel was then pumped from the barge to the bladders, and then to fuel trucks for transport across the village to the tank farm.

Petty Officers Michael Vinson and Chris El-Cassabgui, from Sector Anchorage, monitored the transfer to ensure it was done safely and in compliance with the regulations governing fuel transfers. 33 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 154, 155,156.

"Although there were many small transfers taking place to get the fuel where it needed to go this was a critical delivery for the village winter on the horizon," said Capt. Mark Hamilton, commander Sector Anchorage. "It was our responsibility to get it done safely and with as little risk to the environment as possible. We had people on site to respond if needed."

According to the Unalakleet village council the village took on 300,000 gallons of diesel before the winter in 2007 and used it all. They determined a need to take 350,000 gallons before the 2008 winter. This delivery still leaves them under 300,000 gallons. Plans have been put in place to conduct another shipment if possible and transfer in the same fashion as Thursday's operation to help reduce this shortfall. 

"The operation was conducted very soundly and there is minimal risk in allowing an additional fuel transfer," said Hamilton.

If the village is not able to take on fuel via barge the alternative is to have supplies flown in - a very expensive option.

The village of Unalakleet is a large village in Western Alaska, along the Norton Sound near Nome. Population is recorded around 750.

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