No Spill Detected So Far Near Grounded Tug

So far there have been no signs of a spill after a tug and barge went aground on Ukolnoi Island in the Aleutians – between Cold Bay and Sand Point. Five crew members from the tug “Polar Wind” were rescued. The owner, Northland Services, has joined a Unified Command team to respond to the grounding. The tug was 20 miles from Cold Bay when it became separated from the barge in 6-8 foot seas and 40 mile per hour winds.

Northland has hired a diving company to help with the salvage and contracted with a spill response organization in case they are needed. While there isn’t a hard timeline for getting the vessels off the rocks, contractors have already been hired to salvage the vessels and minimize the potential for pollution.