By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Almost two months after an oil spill was detected in freshwater around the Sitka Sound Science Center, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has zeroed in on the source of the contamination.
In a report published Dec. 29, the EPA wrote that the oil most likely originated on the grounds of the Sitka Sound Science Center.
“The source of the discharge appears to be related to the Science Center property. Whether it’s related to historic fuel storage possibly dating back to 1920, the former marine fuel header, or any other activities involving oil discharges at the site, is not known,” the agency wrote. “An attempt was made to investigate subsurface on the sound side of the well vault but was abandoned due to (the) existence of extensive underground utilities.”
The source of the spill is likely “of small quantity and isolated,” the EPA noted.
In the initial investigation of the Nov. 18 oil discharge that contaminated the waterway that feeds the Science Center’s salmon hatchery ponds, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation listed the Sitka Fine Arts Camp as the potential responsible party. In a follow-up release later in November, the DEC said potential sources included the SFAC property, the Science Center and the Stratton Library, all of which were part of the Sheldon Jackson school campus until recent years.
But after digging test pits in search of oil and analyzing oil samples, the EPA concluded that the campus, particularly the residual fuel oil in an open storage pit at the old central heating plant, is not the likely origin point of the spilled fuel.
“The oil at the Science Center is much lighter with more diesel and gasoline range organics compared to the oil at the campus oil storage vault. The assumption can be made that the discharge is unrelated to the campus vault. This is supported by no free product being discovered in the ‘test pits,’ or within the roadway during its reconstruction,” the EPA said.
The next steps regarding the spill will be taken by the Coast Guard, the EPA report says, though a specific timeline was not included in the document.
