A tugboat that ran aground in Neva Strait last week has been towed back to Sitka.
The Western Mariner was refloated shortly after noon on Tuesday and arrived back in Sitka around 5 p.m. It’s currently moored at the Samson Tug and Barge utility dock.
According to a situation report from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, a light diesel sheen remained in the area where the boat was grounded. They’re still monitoring the containment boom left in the area to capture any remaining diesel sheen.
The state is trying to determine how much diesel is on shore in Neva Strait and nearby areas. On Monday, a shoreline cleanup team identified three beaches in Neva Strait that were “lightly oiled” and recommended flushing the areas out with low-pressure sea water. A crew began those beach cleanup efforts on Tuesday.
The Western Mariner was towing an Alaska Marine Lines freight barge on the morning of March 21, when a steering failure led the boats to collide, pushing the Western Mariner onto the beach. One of its fuel tanks ruptured in the accident, and diesel began spilling into the ocean.
It took salvage crews around three days to slow and finally to stop the spill. The Western Mariner can hold 50,000 gallons of fuel. Crews recovered around 32,000 gallons of fuel and around 11,000 gallons of mixed oil and water. The DEC reports that the exact amount of diesel spilled remains unknown.
