A truck carrying crude oil from BlueCrest Energy, near Anchor Point, spilled an estimated 900 gallons of oil in Happy Valley Tuesday morning in a head-on collision that injured three people.
Officials from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said the leak did not reach any nearby wetlands or immediately impact nearby wildlife. They said the site has since been blocked and a crew is removing the affected soil to be remediated.
The Carlile Transportation Systems truck was on a routine trip northbound on the Sterling Highway from BlueCrest with 12,500 gallons of crude oil split between two tanks, said Jade Gamble with the Division of Spill Prevention and Response.
It collided with a southbound Ford F-150 pickup around milepost 142 shortly after 7 a.m., according to the Alaska State Troopers. Troopers said the pickup hit the tanker at an angle on the passenger side.
One of the two tanks ruptured and leaked. Crews boomed the oil to stop it from spreading and removed the trucks from the site. Gamble said they’re continuing to excavate to get the contaminated soil out of the area.
The driver of the pickup, 57-year-old Yvette Lemaster, of Anchorage, sustained serious injuries and was flown to Providence Hospital in Anchorage. Her passenger and the driver of the Carlile truck, 47-year-old Aaron Miller, of Homer, sustained minor injuries and were transported to Southern Peninsula Hospital, according to troopers.
Troopers said they’re still investigating the cause of the crash.
