On April 19th, an 81-foot tug sank at the Samson Tug and Barge Company pier and subsequently slid approximately 200 yards along an underwater ledge, in Sitka. Some residual diesel fuel and oil is leaking from the sunken vessel. The US Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Sitka, in coordination with Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation personnel, is responding to the incident.
According to USCG, Samson Tug and Barge Company has contracted Southeast Alaska Petroleum Response Organization for oil recovery and Hanson Maritime to dive and survey the tug. Samson Tug and Barge Company is developing a salvage plan.
The sunken tug, Powhatan, is an 81-foot vessel with a total fuel capacity of 20,000 gallons, owned by Samson Tug and Barge Company, that had been out of service for over ten years. Samson Tug and Barge Company reported only the forward fuel tank had been in use recently, with a maximum capacity of 2,500 gallons and the other fuel tanks had previously been drained.
SEAPRO has placed boom around the vessel to contain the leak.
“Our top priority is to protect public health, safety, and limit environmental impact as we work with the contracted companies to contain and clean-up the spill,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Ken Farah, federal on scene coordinator representative for the incident. “The Coast Guard and Alaska’s Department of Environmental Conservation are working together to guarantee an aggressive and effective response.”
The cause of the sinking is still under investigation.
