Unalaska clean-up operations making progress

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Four months into the resumption of the Selendang Ayu spring and summer shoreline cleanup, the Unified Command reports that oil is steadily disappearing from Unalaska Island shorelines due to the clean-up crews’ outstanding efforts.

Shoreline Clean-up and Assessment Teams designated 123 of 806 pre-identified segments as requiring treatment. Of these areas, 95 segments (77 percent) have been cleaned. Once a segment is treated, the pre-assessment team carefully scrutinizes it for final inspection or further treatment. To date, respective landowners have inspected 72 segments (59 percent) and State, Federal and responsible party representatives have certified them as clean.

During the height of the clean-up, 26 vessels were on-scene providing berthing accommodations and support for over 200 workers. Clean-up progress has allowed for the demobilization of several vessels and over 60 workers.

Beach treatment methods include manually removing heavily concentrated oil, cutting oiled vegetation, dry tilling, and sediment relocation. During dry tilling, heavy equipment is used to mix up a shallow layer of oiled sediment on the beach, breaking up the oil and exposing it to air. Sediment relocation involves moving lightly oiled shoreline sediments into the tidal zone, breaking up the oil through wave action. Prior to relocating sediment, containment boom is deployed on the site to prevent oil from remobilizing. Both methods accelerate natural degradation processes. Sites are cleaned of heavily concentrated oil to the maximum extent possible before either method is used.

The Selendang Ayu remains aground and broken in two at Spray Cape, with the bow section completely underwater. A local contractor has begun salvage operations to remove the superstructure and deck equipment from the stern section.