ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A mile-long diesel sheen spread across Alaska’s Prince William Sound on Friday where a tugboat had run aground near the site of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, the Coast Guard said.
Officials had hoped to remove the fuel from the tugboat’s tanks early Friday before towing it back to Valdez, but diesel removal was halted after about 10 minutes when workers noticed a new sheen on the water, said Coast Guard Lt. Erin Christensen.
The 136-foot tug Pathfinder had finished checking for dangerous ice and was heading back to port in Valdez when it hit Bligh Reef at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday.
The boat is part of the Ship Escort Response Vessel System that was created after the Exxon Valdez ran aground in 1989 and spilled nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil — the worst-ever U.S. spill.
The Associated Press
