Delta Western, Inc. has resolved violations of federal oil spill prevention laws at its facility in Dillingham, Alaska, according to a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice. The facility, which is a critical supplier of fuel to a remote community, is located on the shores of the Nushagak River, home to one of the most productive sockeye salmon runs in the world and several other fish species.
“Oil spill prevention laws protect waterways, natural resources and the communities that depend on these resources,” said Jeff KenKnight, Manager of the Clean Water Act Compliance Unit in the EPA Seattle office. “Spill containment measures also save taxpayer money that would otherwise go to costly emergency cleanup. We’re pleased to see Delta Western improve its spill containment to protect the Nushagak River, a valuable resource for this region.”
An EPA inspection in July 2012 identified a number of violations of the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure rules under the Clean Water Act. The violations included failure to have adequate structures or equipment to prevent a discharge; failure to install secondary containment that would hold the capacity of its largest container; failure to ensure diked areas would contain oil safely; and failure to position oil containers to prevent discharge. The facility has the capacity to hold nearly two million gallons of oil.
As part of the EPA settlement, the facility agreed to comply with SPCC requirements by enlarging its secondary containment capacity to prevent harm in the event of a catastrophic spill. The company also agreed to pay a $205,000 fine.
