U.S. Coast Guard Buoy Tender Leaks Hydraulic Oil in Kodiak, Alaska

The U.S. Coast Guard responded over the weekend to a hydraulic oil leak from the Coast Guard buoy tender Spar in Womens Bay near Kodiak, Alaska.

Watchstanders at the Sector Anchorage Command Center received notification from the National Response Center at 9:40 a.m. on Saturday that the crew of the cutter SPAR reported a hydraulic oil discharge. The amount discharged is unknown at this time, but the tank involved has a maximum capacity of approximately 914 gallons, the Coast Guard said.

Coast Guard Sector Anchorage Incident Management Division and Marine Safety Detachment (MSD) Kodiak personnel are monitoring the cleanup, which has been contracted to Choctaw Defense Services (CDS). Personnel on scene deployed boom systems, absorbent pads, and a skimmer that is pumping to a vac truck.

The source of the discharge has been secured, and the cause is under investigation.

“Our primary focus is on mitigating potential impacts to the environment,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua Thorne, a pollution responder from MSD Kodiak.

USCGC Spar (WLB 206) is a Juniper-Class seagoing buoy tender home-ported in Kodiak, Alaska.