Oil spill cleanup demo coming to Dillingham

Officials from the Department of Environmental Conservation will explain how to use spill response equipment like oil booms. (Department of Energy Conservation)
Officials from the Department of Environmental Conservation will explain how to use spill response equipment like oil booms. (Department of Energy Conservation)

State officials will be in Dillingham next week to demonstrate oil cleanup equipment and techniques.

A two-hour presentation will be Tuesday at the Bingo Hall, Dillingham, with more hands-on activities at the Harbor afterward.

Rick Bernhardt, the scientific support unit manager at the Department of Environmental Conservation, will discuss spill response and demonstrate how to use items in containers of cleanup materials.

“On average, we have about 2,000 spills reported to the Department of Environmental Conservation every year, and most of those are just teeny-tiny spills.”

A recent spill occurred at the Drift River Terminal on the West Side of Cook Inlet.

Most spills are small, but compounded a couple thousand times, they add up to a lot of environmental damage. DEC has shipping containers across the state stocked with cleanup materials ready to respond to spills. The containers contain absorbent and containment booms, storage tanks and the implements.

“We have 56 of these containers throughout the state,” Bernhardt said. “We like to consider them regional resources. We have two in Dillingham, but if a neighboring community had an oil spill, they are available for regional use.”

KDLG - Dillingham

KDLG is our partner station in Dillingham. KTOO collaborates with partners across the state to cover important news and to share stories with our audiences.

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