Pacific Producer May Remain Aground for Another Week

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT
The M/V Pacific Producer ran aground near the village of Ouzinkie on Friday. A situation report from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said the 169-foot fishing vessel ran aground around 5 a.m. on Friday with an estimated 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel, various lubes and oils and about 8,000 pounds of ammonia on board. No pollution or injuries have been reported and the DEC says the situation is stable.
Sara Francis is spokeswoman for the Coast Guard and said part of the crew was evacuated by a Good Samaritan vessel on Friday.

— (Pacific Producer 1 :43 “They had 16 people on board … any kind of leak.”)

The remaining crewmembers did identify a 10 inch crack in the forward freshwater tank and worked to repair it over the weekend. The crew is also monitoring fuel and lube oil tanks on a regular basis.
Jade Gamble is the DEC’s project manager for the Pacific Producer grounding and said a salvage team is working to create a plan to refloat the fishing vessel as soon as the tides allow, which may not be until March 26. Any salvage and pollution mitigation plan must be submitted to the Coast Guard for approval.
Gamble said the grounding took place near some critical habitat sites, which is concerning the longer the vessel remains.

— (Pacific Producer 2 :22 “It is within the critical … area, overwintering.”)

The cause of the grounding is under investigation by the Coast Guard.

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