Exxon Valdez Oil spill 20 Years Later - Part 7 -- Chevron Refuses to Deal With Drift River Disaster Potential

The Chevron Drift River oil storage facility could be the next Exxon Valdez disaster. Here's a picture of Mt. Redoubt yesterday:

And here's a picture of flooding from hot meltoff, adjacent to the terminal yesterday:
Here's a press release from Cook Inletkeeper, regarding Chevron's "We could give a flying fuck!!!" attitude:

Citizens Call on Chevron to Draw-Down Oil Tanks at Base of Volcano

Mt. Redoubt Eruption Flooding Drift River Terminal; 6 Million Gallons of Oil Sitting in Harm’s Way Above Rich Salmon Fisheries

ANCHORAGE, AK – Cook Inletkeeper today called on Chevron and responsible state and federal agencies to draw-down oil stored at the base of the erupting Mt. Redoubt volcano in Cook Inlet, Alaska. Chevron had previously refused to divulge the volume of oil in tanks at the Drift River Terminal, citing Homeland Security Act concerns. At the outset of the Mt. Redoubt eruption yesterday, however, Chevron announced over 6 million gallons of oil remaining at the tank farm. Reports late Monday revealed significant flooding and debris flows at the Drift River terminal.

“Since the start of the current seismic activity at Mt. Redoubt, Cook Inletkeeper has been criticized for asking Chevron how much oil remained in the tanks at Drift River, and why it could hide behind the Homeland Security Act when Alyeska reports the same information every day at the Valdez Terminal,” said Bob Shavelson, Executive Director of Cook Inletkeeper.

“Now it’s time for Chevron and the responsible state and federal agencies to safeguard Cook Inlet fisheries and the families and businesses they support, and to get the oil out of the terminal in a safe and responsible manner.”

The Drift River terminal sits immediately adjacent to Drift River, which experienced similar flooding that threatened the oil facility the last time Mt. Redoubt erupted in 1989-1990. The facility sits in the middle of Cook Inlet’s rich and highly productive sport and commercial fisheries. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game estimates the value of commercial and sport-caught fish in Upper Cook Inlet at well over $1.5 billion in 2008.

“We depend on clean and healthy Cook Inlet fisheries to feed our families,” said Tom Evans, an Alaskan Native from the Village of Nanwalek in Lower Cook Inlet. “It makes no sense to store oil at the base of an erupting volcano.”

“Today is the 20^th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and we’ve learned that complacency is not one decision, or 100 decisions, but thousands of small decisions that lead up to a regulatory safety net that’s riddled with gaping holes,” said Shavelson. “We call the situation in Cook Inlet “The 1000 cuts of Complacency,” and it’s time we learned the lessons of the Exxon Valdez.”

“My livelihood depends on fresh, healthy Cook Inlet salmon,” said Ben Jackinsky, a commercial setnet fisherman from Kasilof. “This is a replay from the last eruption in 1989, and Chevron and our state and federal agencies need to take steps now to protect our fisheries.”

In public statements, Chevron has suggested it retained oil in 2 of the 7 tanks at Drift River to maintain tank stability. But the fact that 5 tanks are apparently empty undermines Chevron’s rationale.

“Worker safety is paramount, and we need to ensure the oil can be removed in a safe and orderly fashion,” said Shavelson. “But we never knew Chevron planned to keep 6 million gallons of crude at the base of an erupting volcano until yesterday, because Chevron kept hiding behind the façade of Homeland Security.”

Public agencies responsible for the safe and legal operation of the Drift River terminal include the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and the Alaska Department of Fish & Game.