Environment

Man under investigation for Shuyak Island oil spill says Coast Guard told him to store fuel that way

The tenant of the Shuyak Island property where an oil spill occurred says he was following Coast Guard instructions by storing the oil in a fuel bladder.

The Coast Guard has denied this, saying the bladder was suggested by the tenant as a storage option.

The oil spill is under investigation, and criminal charges could be the result.

Mark Krall has been using Port William Lodge to run guided fishing and hunting trips since 2012. He said that old fuel oil was being stored in a tank on the property until 2013 when a stray bullet punctured the tank.

"I was ordered by the Coast Guard to get the oil out of that tank and into the bladder," he said. "They specifically told me to put it in the bladder."

The fuel bladder in question was inside a building and suspended over the shoreline at Port William. Following a wind storm on Feb. 23, the building collapsed, resulting in nearly 3,000 gallons of bunker C fuel oil spilling from the bladder onto the beach and surrounding area. The clean-up of the spill cost roughly $9 million.

"They seem to think that I have some kind of liability because I own the bladder," Krall said. "But I was also ordered by the Coast Guard to put it in the bladder. It's like a Catch-22 government operation."

ADVERTISEMENT

When asked to confirm this, a USCG spokesperson said that the option of moving the oil into the bladder was presented by the tenant – and that the option was not approved.

"The Coast Guard then asked for other options to be explored and, at the time, we did not receive any other options to review," said the spokesperson.

Krall, who has been silent during the months since the February oil spill, is not the property owner, but he has been running the property for the past six years. As he relayed the troubled history of Port William, he said one phrase that's popped up during much the recent coverage has been vexing him.

"I'm getting tired of the Coast Guard saying it's an abandoned building," said Krall. "It makes us look bad to say we just left it abandoned. We're there. It's an active operation."

The current owner of the property is Bruce Cooper, a resident of Chugiak who's now in his late 70s. Cooper purchased the land in 1985 and set up a business called Y Knot Charters.

Krall took over running the business in 2012. He set up an LLC called Port William Wilderness Lodge and the property is a base to operate guided hunting and fishing tours.

According to Krall, the building that has been described as abandoned in recent press coverage was simply being used for storage. He said there are two other buildings that also suspend over the water, which have equipment for processing fish, boats and a hydroelectric generator inside.

"I have no idea what do to. I had a meeting with (USCG) Thursday before last, in Juneau," he said. "They're still gathering information, so I have no idea what they're actually going to do."

Whatever happens, Krall is shutting down the business he was running on the property after what could be described as a series of unfortunate events.

In 2015, one of the caretakers Krall had hired to look after the property shot the other. Early last year, Steven Ridenour was convicted of murder, attempted murder, first-degree assault and tampering with physical evidence. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison.

As for the recent oil spill, Krall said it was out of his hands.

"I did everything I could do to stop this from happening," he said. "I can't control Mother Nature."

This story is republished with permission from the Kodiak Daily Mirror.

ADVERTISEMENT