Alaska issued an emergency order late Friday imposing strict new rules on the Valdez oil terminal and threatening the oil industry with criminal and civil penalties if it fails to follow the state's new get-tough policy, effective immediately.
Gov. Steve Cowper also has threatened to shut down the 800-mile trans-Alaska Pipeline and the Valdez oil terminal, source of one-fourth of American oil.Alaska's stringent new oil spill contingency plan, in the works since an Exxon tanker caused the biggest oil spill in U.S. history, was issued as an emergency order hours after President Bush directed a nationwide review of all oil spill contingency plans.
Alaska's order was directed at the Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., operator of the pipeline and the terminal. Alyeska was legally obligated to make the first response to a spill near the terminal but failed to do so, according to state findings of fact that triggered the order.
State Commissioner of Environmental Conservation Dennis Kelso issued the order which calls for limited oil tanker loading at the Valdez terminal until a long list of spill equipment is in place.
Alaska oil production had just reached its normal 2 million barrels daily for the first time since the March 24 tanker accident when the state slapped the order on Alyeska.
But Alyeska knew it was coming because two days earlier Cowper handed a draft to the three major owners of Alyeska: BP America, Arco and Exxon.
Alyeska has until May 15 to arm itself with oil spill cleanup equipment and stockpile booms and chemical dispersant to fight a major spill. When the Exxon Valdez ran aground, Alyeska had insufficient booms and dispersant to handle a spill of the magnitude of Exxon's.
Violation of the state order would subject Alyeska to criminal charges and civil penalties of up to $100,000 plus $5,000 daily. Alyeska also may face legal sanctions as a result of the Exxon spill, Kelso said.
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Tanker runs aground
A 635-foot Exxon tanker carrying gasoline and jet fuel ran aground near the mouth of the Mississippi River Friday, but company officials said no spill or injuries were reported and the ship was freed by midafternoon.
"She went aground on soft mud about 8 a.m.," Exxon spokeswoman Susan Reeves said. "There was no damage to her hull, no cargo spilled and no injuries." The tanker was en route from Baton Rouge to New Jersey. EXXON Input file was /asst/csi/0408/pass2/0159 Output file was /asst/csi/0408/pass3/0271