Transits through the Bering Strait have more than doubled in the last decade – and that’s not just American ships. Research, cargo and fishing vessels from numerous countries frequent the Arctic waters above. While they fly different flags, each has one big thing in common: fuel. Lots of it.
On Tuesday a mix of local, state and federal groups teamed up to practice response plans to environmental hazards like oil spills. The U.S. Coast Guard’s Arctic Coordinator, Shawn Hay, helped lead the efforts.
“You talk to any community within western Alaska and everybody's going to talk about the increase in maritime traffic and the associated risks that those vessels pose,” Hay said.
This year’s drill simulated a 319-foot fishing vessel that ran aground at the port’s entrance, with 150,000 gallons of marine diesel spewing out into the surrounding waters. To contain the spill, participants practiced draping a long, floating orange curtain called a “boom” across the harbor. The boom is designed to prevent diesel floating along the surface from spreading.
Hay said it’s important that locals know how to respond, especially given Nome’s remote location and unpredictable weather.
“The realities are the City of Nome, the local community, are the ones that are going to be responding during those initial few hours, potentially days,” Hay said.
Over in Nome’s Mini Convention Center, Charlie Lean helped place large white posters taped to the wall. Each included checklists and objectives for the exercise, which Lean admitted was a bit old-school. This year’s drill focused on training participants to use custom-made disaster response software.
“You get a dinosaur like me that doesn't work a computer very well, but there, it really speeds things along and and even if you're just communicating in-house and not being able to reach outside, it's still faster on a computer,” Lean said.
Marine Biologist Gay Sheffield has studied the Bering Strait region for over three decades. She said ships transiting the strait often carry heavier “bunker” fuel, more dense and dangerous to the environment than the diesel in Tuesday’s simulation.
“It could be worse than this exercise,” Sheffield said. “So, good they're starting with this important topic, and I'm glad they're here to start people thinking about our resources.”
Sheffield said any spill, however, would leave a mark.
“Any oil spill in our Nome area at sea could impact a number of marine mammals and seabirds, and fish and even the crab at the bottom,” Sheffield explained.
While the drill was only a test, responders said it could make a difference in a real emergency.
