Question of the Day from Drift River.
20 04 2009
The legislative session in Juneau is over, and there’s sort of a “sigh of relief” vibe going around. But some things just won’t go away. There is still the question of oil. Actually, there are many questions about oil. The questions may not be as “provocative” as our governor in Arctic Cat leathers, or as entertaining as the filling of our vacant senate seat, but they are there, constantly, like a big dark spectre hanging over our heads. Chevron has millions of gallons of crude oil stored in tanks sitting in between the slopes of an active volcano, and a large salmon-rich body of water. We are allowing the forces of nature, and the whim of an active volcano to determine whether or not we will have a disaster on our hands.
Crossing your fingers is never a good environmental policy.
We’ve had weeks of weather that has kept Redoubt “out of sight and out of mind” for many Alaskans. But this morning, it was beautiful, crisp, almost spring-like, and clear as a bell. I’m lucky in that I can sit there in the morning while I’m pulling on my socks and see this absolutely awesome spectacle in perfect safety, right out my window. On clear days like today, you can see the plume change from moment to moment, and reflect the morning light. Mt. Redoubt is most definitely awake. And it’s beautiful, from here.
There are a few people out there who do not take their eye off this ball, regardless of the visibility. They are not distracted by Naughty Monkey pumps, or Right to Life Banquets. They have their laser focus on the tanks at Chevron’s Drift River facility. One such organization is Cook Inletkeeper, and they have questions. Lots of them.
So here’s our question for the day.
What’s going on?
Immediately after the March 22 eruption, pictures emerged showing significant flooding and mud and debris flows at the Drift River Terminal, including images showing over-topping of the tank farm’s protective diking system, loss of freeboard on the outside of the diking system, and mud and water accumulations and associated damage around various parts of the facility. Shortly after, the U.S. Coast Guard restricted the air space over the terminal, and since that time, detailed photos have been unavailable to the media and the public*.
Instead, information has been carefully controlled by the Unified Command, and the public has no information sources to verify accurate on-the-ground conditions. For example, as discussed previously, the unified Command has not posted the Drift River Terminal’s C-Plan on its web site. Additionally, in light of significant questions regarding mechanical spill response capacity in the conditions associated with a lahar-induced spill, the Unified Command has posted no information or plans regarding other response tools, such as the use of dispersants, or the use of in-situ burning (ISB). There have been legitimate questions raised regarding the effectiveness and relative toxicity of dispersants, and questions regarding air quality and air standards modeling have been raised for ISB. Accordingly, prior to, and now after, March 22, the public has been denied the basic information needed to help the Unified Command make open, transparent and informed decisions.
*In response to concerns expressed by Inletkeeper regarding updated photos of the facility, the Unified Command posted several images from an April 4 flyover. But those images are from high altitude, making it impossible to understand any impacts from the April 4 eruption; similarly, the most recent photos do not show areas of the facility previously impacted by mud, water and debris flows.
The last photo available that shows the tank farm is this one from NASA.
That itty bitty little white square surrounded by all that black volcanic debris, the flow of which has been described as “a wall of cement” coming down the mountain, is Chevron’s tank farm. So, what does it look like from close up?
What’s going on?
And that’s our question for the day.
April 20th, 2009 at 7:45 PM
AKM…beautiful view
When Mt St. Helen’s blew, we (SoCal) had ashy skies for what seemed like weeks…I can’t imagine what you went through up there!
April 20th, 2009 at 8:36 PM
Why the secrecy? Very good question, indeed.
April 20th, 2009 at 8:52 PM
SARAH AND HER PETS
(sung to the Elton John song “Bennie and the Jets”)
Hey kids, let’s sing this together
Sarah P’s as-so-ci-ates
Are as tasteful as shoe leather
They’re a filthy bunch of pigs that
Should be hosed-down
You’re never gonna wanna be ‘round a
Bigger bunch of clowns
Say, Kennie and Rossie, have you seen them yet – (ooh)
But they’re so way out, (sa sa sa sa sa) Sarah and her pets
Oh, then Uncle Ted and Whooten too
And Todd with his snow-machine
He’s got mukluk boots and a pink snow-suit
I saw it pictured in a magazine
Sarah and her pets
Hey Kids, she pals around with Greta
And her husband John
Each of them a bed-wetter
Don’t forget the Joes, Sixpack, and the Plum-ber
When we think of all her Kooks and her creeps
Our mood becomes such a bum-mer
Oh, Kennie and Rossie, have you seen them yet – (ooh)
But they’re so way out, (sa sa sa sa sa) Sarah and her pets
Oh, then Uncle Ted and Whooten too
And Todd with his snow-machine
He’s got mukluk boots and a pink snow-suit
I saw it pictured in a magazine (ohh ho)
(sa sa sa)Sarah and her pets
(Musical Interlude)
Oh, Kennie and Rossie, have you seen them yet – (ooh)
But they’re so way out, (sa sa sa sa sa) Sarah and her pets
Oh, then Uncle Ted and Whooten too
And Todd with his snow-machine
He’s got mukluk boots and a pink snow-suit
I saw it pictured in a magazine (ohh ho)
(sa sa sa)Sarah and her pets
Sarah, Sarah and her pets
Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah and her pets
Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah and her pets
Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah and her pets
Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah and the jets (jets) (jets) (jets)
Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah and the jets
April 20th, 2009 at 8:58 PM
Lynnerockets, you ROCK!
April 20th, 2009 at 9:35 PM
Lynnrockets: I REMEMBER BANANA SPLITS!!! ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8jlJpceXpY
April 20th, 2009 at 9:42 PM
I smell a rat and I’m 4,194 miles away. That ktu link from [49] Cynamen Winter is over 30 days old…no *cough* update?
Let’s just say I don’t believe much of what L. Santiago is being told to tell me.
.
Notice, no crediting whose quote that is from the ghost face Cook Inlet Pipe Line Co..
I don’t like being lead down the garden path. What AKM reported has more cred. Way more credibility.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:41 PM
Krubozumo: excellent questions. Those Mudpuppies who keep lists of media and governmental contacts, do you have emails of people in Dept. of Interior, or Homeland Security (home of FEMA, I think), to whom you might send these excellent questions? If the Federal Government got involved, I suspect there’d be more transparency. Or what about Kim Elton of recent Juneau fame? While he might not be in the right Interior Department, he may be able to pass them along to the right folks. There seem to be many Kim fans among the Juneau contingent, any with contacts?
April 21st, 2009 at 7:27 AM
meat haras, smackdown on Seibelius on MSNBC this am David Shuster reporting.
Claims strange timing on the campaign to stop confirmation. “not smartest way to stop confirmation”
David Shuster meat haras a little bit unusual.