Spills

Coast guard radar station; potato point, prince william sound, alaska

NOAAORR-6804

issued
1991-04-28 00:00Z
status
cancelled 1991-05-12 00:00Z
self-cancels
1991-05-12 00:00Z
authority
NOAA OR&R
sea
Gulf of Alaska
position
61.119, -146.583
source
incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z

Original warning text

Coast Guard Radar Station; Potato Point, Prince William Sound, Alaska.
Potato Point, Prince William Sound, Alaska.
1. On April 26, 1991, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Marine Safety Office (MSO) Valdez received reports from Alyeska Pipeline personnel of sheen measuring approximately 20 yards wide by 1 mile long near Potato Point in Valdez Arm. There were no vessels in the immediate vicinity. Further investigation revealed that fuel was leaching from the rocks below the generator shack of the USCG Radar Station, which is perched on a natural platform approximately 40 feet above the water. Soundings of the diesel fuel tanks indicated that 3,000 to 3,500 gallons of diesel had been lost. The USCG deployed barrier boom, sorbent boom, and sorbent sweeps to contain and collect as much oil as possible. Further plans included bringing in a backhoe and bulldozer to excavate around the tank and the fuel lines to find the exact source of the leak and to dig a trench on the beach to collect the oil. USCG district 17.
2. COMMODITY: DIESEL. MAXIMUM POTENTIAL RELEASE: 3500 GALLONS.
3. POSITION 61.119N 146.583W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 6804: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/6804

This area · spills & pollution incidents

107 within 180 nm since 1985 · 6 in the last 12 months · 1 in force now

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Spills

Oil and chemical spills, groundings and vessel casualties with a pollution threat: NOAA IncidentNews responses since 1957, and spill-response areas broadcast as navigational warnings. All current spills & pollution incidents →

Not for navigation. This is a re-rendering of an official navigational warning for awareness; mariners must use official NAVAREA broadcasts and their national MSI service.