The Associated Press
The trans-Alaska pipeline is shown Saturday near Livengood as it snakes its way across the Alaska wilderness. Workers (lower right) were able to stop the flow of oil from a bullet hole in the line and return the line to full capacity early Sunday morning.

Alaskan oil spill expected to take years to clean up

Workers have cleaned up less than half of 285,000-gallon spill

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Originally published October 9, 2001

FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- Crude oil was flowing again through the trans-Alaska pipeline Monday, as workers focused on the cleanup of a 285,600-gallon oil spill caused by a bullet hole.

"Our plan is to remove gross contamination before freeze-up," said Bill Howitt, an Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. vice president based in Fairbanks. "We anticipate it will take literally years to get the area free of contamination."

By Sunday night, Alyeska had collected 108,402 gallons of spilled crude.

Permanent repairs on the line 75 miles north of Fairbanks were completed late Saturday night and North Slope oil began flowing at 3:24 a.m. Sunday. The pipeline was up to full capacity about four hours later, Alyeska spokesman Mike Heatwole said Sunday.

The pipeline, which carries about 17 percent of the nation's oil production or about 1 million barrels a day, had to be shut down after the line was shot Thursday. The line was repaired by welding a plug in place.

The normally lonely stretch of pipeline was teeming with about 200 cleanup workers, engineers, welders, safety specialists, and environmental regulators. Response officials said about two to three acres were contaminated by the spill. Michelle Brown, commissioner of Alaska's Environmental Conservation Department, said it could have been worse.

"It's actually a pretty small containment area for such a large amount of oil spilled," Brown said.

The leak was near a valve at the foot of a long, uphill climb for the pipeline. When workers found the leak and shut down the pipeline, about 840,000 gallons of oil on the hill flowed backward to rest on a valve near the bullet hole. The weight of the oil put intense pressure on the leak, an estimated 525 pounds per square inch, and oil sprayed out 75 feet.

Repair efforts Saturday were aided by actions away from the leak. Workers used "pump-around" procedures to reduce pressure inside the pipeline to 50 pounds per square inch by midmorning Saturday. Alyeska spokesman Tim Woolston said the workers used a small hose to channel oil around the closed valve and into a section of undamaged pipe on the other side.

The suspected shooter, Daniel Carson Lewis, 37, is charged with felony assault, weapons misconduct, criminal mischief and driving while intoxicated. He is being held in Fairbanks on $1.5 million bail.

Lewis is charged with firing at the pipeline several times with a .338-caliber rifle between 2:45 and 3 p.m. Thursday. Troopers found four bullet strikes in the pipeline near the puncture.

According to charging documents, when a bullet penetrated the pipe, Lewis fled on an all-terrain vehicle. His brother, Randolph Lewis, remained at the scene and explained to pipeline security officers what had happened. Daniel Lewis was apprehended a few hours later.

Indentations from bullets have been found in the line over the years. Pipeline officials said people have shot at the pipeline more than 50 times but never caused enough damage to produce a spill.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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