U.S. E.P.A. News Brief

(Seattle - Jan. 12, 2011) In order to protect the environment, water quality and wildlife habitat near Alaska's North Slope, yesterday the E.P.A. issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. The order requires a timely investigation and response to the recent oil leak at Pump Station one of the Trans Alaska Pipeline. The order specifies steps that Alyeska must take to comply with federal environmental laws as it responds to the leak and restarts the pipeline.

Under the order, the company will implement the pipeline Restart Project approved by the Unified Command and take actions to prevent oil spills to the environment during the start up. The restart Project requires Alyeska to increase its spill surveillance plan along the full length of the 800-mile long pipeline during start up and to demonstrate that it is prepared to report and respond immediately to any spills that do occur.

"This order directs Alyeska to take all possible steps for a safe start up of the pipeline that protects water quality and the fragile North Slope environment," said Dennis McLerran, EPA's Regional Administrator for the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

McLerran will be in Alaska starting on Wednesday to oversee first-hand the operations at the Incident Command Center in Fairbanks.

EPA's Unilateral Administrative Order: http://www.epa.gov/region10/pdf/AlyeskaFinalOrder.pdf

Alyeska Spill: http://www.epa.gov/region10/alyeskaspill.html

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