Alaskans pull together to minimize an environmental disaster off the Aleutian Chain: unfortunately, lives were lost, but organizations are working hard to save the environment.

On Dec. 7, 2004, at approximately 4 a.m., the U. S. Coast Guard was notified of a 738-foot Malaysian bulk carrier adrift off of the Aleutian Chain near Bogoslof Island. The Selendang Ayu was laden with 60,000 tons of soybeans, and carrying 440,000 gallons of bunker fuel and 18,000 gallons of diesel oil. Crewmembers of the Selendang Ayu were feverishly attempting to restart its engines that had stalled a day earlier as the enormous ship drifted helplessly into the Bering Sea after passing through the Unimak Pass.

Several ships were dispatched to assist the Selendang Ayu--the Coast Guard's 238-foot cutter, the Alex Haley; Foss Maritime's 126-foot, 3,000-horsepower tug, the Sydney Foss; and Magone Marine's 1,500-horsepower salvage tug, the Redeemer. The 94-foot, 4,000-horsepower Z-drive harbor tug, the James Dunlap, stood by on scene to assist as necessary. The Sydney Foss was able to get an 8-inch line on the distressed ship, slowing the drift to less than 1 knot. The towline eventually snapped under the stress of 20-foot to 30-foot waves; however the valuable daylight hours allowed for the rescue of most of the crew off the sinking ship.

DISASTER STRIKES

The Coast Guard sent out rescue teams to lift the crewmembers off the Selendang Ayu. In freezing wind and unpredictable seas, they were able to safely lift 18 people from the ship. It was during the last rescue attempt, less than 30 minutes after the ship ran hard aground, that the Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter crashed into the sea. A second helicopter crew was able to save the first aircrew and one Selendang Ayu seaman-six others were not found. Within an hour, the Selendang Ayu broke in half, spilling out the first 40,000 gallons of bunker fuel into the Bering Sea.

Gallagher, a ship service company based in New Jersey, held the ship support contract for the Selendang Ayu and had a long working relationship with Alaska logistics specialist Pacific Rim Logistics (PRL). Immediately upon hearing of the distressed ship, PR, an emergency response contractor for Gallagher, jumped into action putting in place the Incident Command System in Dutch Harbor as directed by Gallagher and the Unified Command Team.

Key members of the Incident Command Team were dispatched to Dutch Harbor the moment the Coast Guard was notified the tanker was in trouble. Ron Hyde, president/CEO of Pacific Rim Logistics, was appointed incident commander and gathered a team of individuals with diverse backgrounds, capable of orchestrating operations until Deputy Commander Howard Hile of Gallagher could put its team in place. Jack Wallis was appointed logistics section chief, responsible for coordinating details such as communications, flights, hotel rooms and feeding the crews that arrived on the island shortly after the mishap. Rick Wilson of Pacific Environmental (PENCO) was appointed vessel support coordinator and began the task of arranging the boats that would be necessary to assess the situation and eventually support response efforts. Karl Pulliam, also of PENCO, was appointed safety coordinator, and John LeClaire, spill response manager for Alaska Chadux Corp., was tasked with the immense responsibility of acquiring one of the most important assets, the work force of trained spill responders that would be necessary to clean up the inevitable environmental disaster that was about to occur.

Although final decisions are made by the Unified Command Team (a group of three individuals representing the Coast Guard, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and Gallagher, the representative for the ship owner, IMC Group of Singapore), the task of making it happens falls on the shoulders of the Incident Command Team.

TRAINED RESPONDERS

To Gallagher and Pacific Rim Logistics, success depended on hiring experienced Alaskans with local and historical knowledge of the area capable of understanding and reacting to difficult Alaska situations. The development of the mobilization plan was under way as soon as the first news of the troubled freighter reached the responsible parties. Using many local Alaska companies, PRL was able to launch a very rapid response.

Emergency spill responders are required to be trained and have a current certification in Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER). Alaska Chadux Corp. turned toward subcontracting spill-response companies CCI, Trident and Pacific Environmental to provide spill-response personnel. All three companies have vast experience in managing emergency spill-response situations throughout Alaska and have training that prepares them for incidents like the Selendang Ayu.

The first spill responders hit Dutch Harbor on Friday, Dec. 10, 2004. Bad weather kept personnel grounded for the first couple of days, but eventually everyone was assigned their respective jobs. Most are various ranks of Hazmat technicians, while others served as boat operators, safety and support staff, engineers, foremen and supervisors, all working at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week. As seating on flights became available, more crews headed to Dutch Harbor over the following weeks with as many as 95 responders and field support staff working side by side with wildlife biologists, salvage experts, and Incident and Unified Command teams.

The first month of the cleanup operation proved to be challenging to the Incident Command Team. Weather wasn't always cooperative. Storms forced response teams and their vessels into Dutch Harbor for days at a time before it was safe to go back out to the waters to lay boom and perform beach cleanup. The Grand Aleutian Hotel, normally at its slowest season of the year, geared up with a skeleton staff and served as the headquarters for Incident and Unified Commands. Norm Bautista of North Pacific Fuel insured that all of the local businesses had the resources necessary to handle the increased demands put on the small community of Unalaska.

Ron Hyde, initial incident commander, says, "This tremendous operation could not have been possible without the Alaskan spirit. These people are used to working long hours in the Bush, on the North Slope, and on Alaska waters in some of the worst conditions our state has to offer. The collective attitude of all of the companies involved combined with hard work and perseverance has allowed us to make the best progress possible considering the overwhelming challenges we faced."

Spring and summer cleanup operations are scheduled to gear up again on April 15, 2005.

Editor's Note: Pacific Environmental PENCO/Anchorage assisted in the development of this story.