On Thursday March 2, 06 BP Alaska reported a discharge of oil and produce water of an unknown quantity from a flow line in the western operating area of Alaska's North Slope Prudhoe Bay oil field. The line runs between Gathering Center 1 and 2 and parallels a gravel roadway. The line sits on top of tundra, a wetland and water of the US, although current conditions are winter artic and the tundra is frozen and snow covered. At approximately 10:45 AM AST BP provided an update to EPA and other agencies regarding the spill potenial. While the area impacted isn't delineated yet BP beleives that the potenail volume is very large, as a result of thier assessment they have requested that a Unified Command be established with them.
|