Finally, a little good news...

[Blue_In_AK]

In answer to citizen uproar since Redoubt first started rumbling in January, the oil is going to moved from the base of the volcano.

http://www.adn.com/volcano/story/746236.html

Oil in tanks near volcano to be moved

By RICHARD MAUER
[e-mail]

A Coast Guard official said this afternoon that a tanker is scheduled Saturday to begin loading 6.3 million gallons of crude oil from the Drift River oil terminal and two other "critically full" storage facilities on the west side of Cook Inlet.

Once the Seabulk Arctic finishes taking on the oil over two days, about 840,000 gallons of crude will be left in each of two active tanks at Drift River, a facility built 42 years ago downriver from Redoubt Volcano, officials said at a news conference.

Capt. Mark Hamilton, the federal on-scene coordinator for the region and one of three representatives in the unified command dealing with the oil-spill threat from Drift River, said the transfer will take place only if it can be done safely. Oil in the Drift River tanks will have to fall and rise to accommodate the pumping equipment and pipelines, but will never be allowed to rise above their current level of 3.1 million gallons in each tank.

Crews will have to be on hand at the terminal and platform to perform the operations. The facility was evacuated after Redoubt began erupting 10 days ago, but they've returned during the day when it's been safe to do so. Pumps and the terminal's power plant appear to operating normally, and the pipelines connecting it with the other facilities and the offshore shipping dock will be tested before loading operations begin, said Hamilton and Rod Ficken, vice president of Cook Inlet Pipeline Co., which owns the facility.

<snip>

Waythomas said the exploding, cascading domes can contain hot ash, rock and gas and risk melting Drift Glacier in their path, creating the threat of a flash flood adjacent to the oil terminal.

A dike built in 1990 has so far fended off the first of the floods that have come down the river. The dike remains in strong shape, officials said at the news conference.

[Gormy Cuss]

1. Gee, someone had to think about this one??????

[Blue_In_AK]

2. It's disgusting, isn't it?

All the progressive bloggers here, as well as Cook Inletkeeper, all the victims of the EXXON VALDEZ (the ones that are still alive, that is), as well as every salmon fisherman in Cook Inlet has been bitching about the oil since January. At first, Chevron wouldn't even say how much oil was in the tanks, citing "homeland security," of all things.

It's pretty stupid to have tanks there anyway, but I think it has something to do with there being open water in that part of the inlet throughout the winter.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Damn...I thought you were going to tell us Sara fell into volcano.

or got impeached as governator.

[MiniMe]

4. Well, they certainly wouldn't have been sacrificing a virgin if that happened

:evilgrin: