ANIAK -- A fuel spill at a tank farm near the Western Alaska village of Aniak wasn't as big as originally reported, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Tuesday in its final report on the incident. Less than 7,000 gallons spilled, compared with an initial estimate of 23,000 gallons, the department said.
The tank farm is owned by Crowley Marine Services Inc. and operated by Crowley Petroleum Distribution Inc., according to a company spokesman. Crowley initially overestimated the size of the spill because a worker read a gauge wrong, according to DEC.
The spill was caused when a worker failed to fully close a fuel tank valve, and another valve on a fuel line failed at the same time, DEC said.
The spill was contained within a lined area at the tank farm.
Crowley hired contractors to clean it up.
Anchorage Daily News / adn.com