To: The Tanker Renda
CC: The USCG Icebreaker Healy; The International Media; Alaska's congressional delegation, Alaska Governor's Office, Sitnasuak Native Corp.
Dear Russian-flagged tanker,
Boy, first off, congratulations on a job well done! As of the latest reports, you've completed your historic mission to complete an expedited delivery of diesel and gasoline purchased in a pinch by Bonanza Fuel Inc., a subsidiary of Nome's Sitnasuak Native Corp. The delivery apparently went off without a hitch, Bonanza's tanks are flush again, and any chance of a diesel or gasoline shortfall in spring has been erased.
We're not sure you know it since you're made of steel and lack eyes and ears, but your journey was a very hot topic, and not just because you made the first winter-time sea voyage to Nome in a very, very long time. News articles in outlets across the world reported that you were on a "rescue" mission to save residents who were in very near danger of freezing to death in a crippled city that didn't get its customary, final fuel delivery before freeze-up.
But after your mission started winding down, we learned that the emergency wasn't nearly as imminent as people may have been led to believe.
The missed delivery this fall could, by March, have caused fuel needed by the city and Bonanza's other customers to be diverted from a work project at a nearby Rock Creek Mine on Sitnasauk Corp. land. But the people of Nome weren't in any immediate danger.
Sure, without your trip, a fuel crisis could have developed this spring, but it is clear that your mission was not as much a dire humanitarian mission, as it was a business transaction between a fuel supplier and a fuel wholesaler -- facilitated at large cost by government, plus no small sacrifice by members of the Coast Guard and their families.
That's not to say there wasn't any danger to residents. A dramatic increase in the price of fuel could have happened in spring, and spooked residents could've started hoarding ahead of time, driving prices up and supply down. A fuel emergency like that could quickly become terrifying in the grip of a Norton Sound winter. But no one knows exactly how likely or unlikely a shortage would have been. And thanks to you and the stars that aligned, no one will have to find out.
We're usually not surprised when Outside reporters misunderstand Alaska, and it's not every day the unusual energy economy of Nome is front-page news. It apparently makes all too much sense to Outsiders that a remote Alaska town would only have one fuel supplier, and therefore that the whole town would be in danger of running out of fuel.
The sky is falling?
But we're concerned how much various state officials seemed to egg their misconceptions on even though perfectly rational economic arguments existed for your mission without whipping up all that fear and emotion. In early December, sky-is-falling press releases were flying out of government offices, hinting that critical things like law enforcement, city utilities and schools could grind to a halt if drastic measures weren't taken.
By the time the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation approved an expedited review of submitted oil discharge and contingency plans near the end of that month, the urgent pall of "crisis" hung in the air around the effort.
Heck, all kinds of leaders, government and private, were even comparing your mission to the 1925 delivery of diphtheria vaccine by dogsled to stop a burgeoning epidemic from killing hundreds of people. In that kind of distorted policy environment, and given that the sea ice was getting thicker by the day, it's no wonder the review process was shortened.
But your mission didn't just benefit Bonanza's customers. It also benefited a variety of political causes -- and was perfectly suited for some of them. The Alaska delegation was able to make a better argument about why "the little cutter who could" needs lots of little brothers and sisters. The Coast Guard was able to celebrate the success of a truly unusual mission and bolster its arguments about having a greater presence in Western Alaska and a larger future in the American Arctic. Researchers were able to gather more data about the wintertime Arctic and test out a seriously awesome aerial drone in real-life conditions.
As critics clucked at the unknown public expense and bureaucratic favoritism shown your task, some political causes were able to turn lemons into lemonade. People suggested that if there were a road to Nome, there wouldn't be any need for open-water fuel shipments. Others said an Alaska company turning to a Russian fuel supplier highlighted the need for an Alaska gas-to-liquids project or propane conversions. Who knows, maybe some people were even saying your trip was a reason for Alaska to raise or lower oil production taxes.
We were kind of concerned, though, that no one thought to mention the Pilgrim Springs geothermal project. A 2008 analysis by the Department of Energy found, before an assessment project began, that sufficient underground heat existed near Nome to at least relegate the city's current diesel-fired power plant to back-up status.
Hopefully no one down south starts to think Alaska was crying wolf. The state is already seen in many parts of the Lower 48 as a wealthy beggar with hands almost as big as the continental United States. It would be a shame if all the oil-drum-thumping this time made people hesitate to support Alaskans in the event of an immediate crisis.
All in all, despite the criticism, despite the way everything spun out of control in headlines worldwide, everything turned out great, and we couldn't be happier. But we're still wondering, why didn't you carry any heating oil? Reportedly there's plenty of concern remaining on that front.
?? ???????? ? ?????,