Alaska officials said Friday that up to 267,000 gallons of crude oil poured out of a pipeline at the Prudhoe Bay field, making it the largest oil spill ever recorded on the state's North Slope.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation estimated that a minimum of 201,000 gallons spilled at Prudhoe Bay, the largest U.S. oil field.
The spilled oil spread over 1.9 acres of snow-covered tundra and the environmental impact remains unknown, according to Leslie Pearson, on-scene coordinator for the Department of Environmental Conservation.
The spill was discovered March 2 on the west side of Prudhoe Bay by a worker for field operator BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.
Officials expect the cleanup to take four to six weeks. So far, 52,920 gallons of oil had been recovered, according to a news release issued by the state, federal and BP's joint emergency response team.
"Although it is a significant spill and it is a large volume, the footprint, being just under two acres, is small," said Pearson.
美國阿拉斯加政府10日透露,近日在該州北部普拉德霍海灣地區(qū)發(fā)生一起重大石油泄漏事故,約有26.7萬加侖(共6357桶)原油從輸油管中泄漏并污染了附近約2英畝的苔原地帶,是該州北部海灣最嚴重的一次石油泄漏事故。
據(jù)路透社3月10日報道,阿拉斯加環(huán)境保護部門表示,這次事故中泄漏的原油最低估計也有20.1萬加侖(4785桶)。該部門事故現(xiàn)場協(xié)調(diào)員萊絲莉。皮爾森說,泄漏的石油污染了1.9英畝白雪皚皚的苔原地帶,對環(huán)境造成的影響尚不得而知。
石油泄漏事故是由英國石油公司阿拉斯加分公司的一名工人,于3月2日在普拉德霍海灣西部發(fā)現(xiàn)的。官方估計清理這些泄漏的石油需要4到6個星期。截至目前,已有5.3萬加侖(1260桶)的石油重新裝桶。
皮爾森說:“雖然這是一次很嚴重的泄漏事故,而且石油泄漏數(shù)量也相當大,但所幸造成的污染面積只有不到2英畝。”阿拉斯加的同時也是美國歷的一次石油泄漏事故,是發(fā)生在1989年的??松就郀柕掀澯洼喰孤┦鹿?,共有1100萬加侖石油泄漏,污染了1300英里的海岸線,其中包括恰加國家森林和3個國家公園的部分地區(qū)。
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation estimated that a minimum of 201,000 gallons spilled at Prudhoe Bay, the largest U.S. oil field.
The spilled oil spread over 1.9 acres of snow-covered tundra and the environmental impact remains unknown, according to Leslie Pearson, on-scene coordinator for the Department of Environmental Conservation.
The spill was discovered March 2 on the west side of Prudhoe Bay by a worker for field operator BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.
Officials expect the cleanup to take four to six weeks. So far, 52,920 gallons of oil had been recovered, according to a news release issued by the state, federal and BP's joint emergency response team.
"Although it is a significant spill and it is a large volume, the footprint, being just under two acres, is small," said Pearson.
美國阿拉斯加政府10日透露,近日在該州北部普拉德霍海灣地區(qū)發(fā)生一起重大石油泄漏事故,約有26.7萬加侖(共6357桶)原油從輸油管中泄漏并污染了附近約2英畝的苔原地帶,是該州北部海灣最嚴重的一次石油泄漏事故。
據(jù)路透社3月10日報道,阿拉斯加環(huán)境保護部門表示,這次事故中泄漏的原油最低估計也有20.1萬加侖(4785桶)。該部門事故現(xiàn)場協(xié)調(diào)員萊絲莉。皮爾森說,泄漏的石油污染了1.9英畝白雪皚皚的苔原地帶,對環(huán)境造成的影響尚不得而知。
石油泄漏事故是由英國石油公司阿拉斯加分公司的一名工人,于3月2日在普拉德霍海灣西部發(fā)現(xiàn)的。官方估計清理這些泄漏的石油需要4到6個星期。截至目前,已有5.3萬加侖(1260桶)的石油重新裝桶。
皮爾森說:“雖然這是一次很嚴重的泄漏事故,而且石油泄漏數(shù)量也相當大,但所幸造成的污染面積只有不到2英畝。”阿拉斯加的同時也是美國歷的一次石油泄漏事故,是發(fā)生在1989年的??松就郀柕掀澯洼喰孤┦鹿?,共有1100萬加侖石油泄漏,污染了1300英里的海岸線,其中包括恰加國家森林和3個國家公園的部分地區(qū)。