Leaky Oil Tanker Departs Valdez

An oil tanker that leaked some oil from a small crack while in port departed with its cargo on Sunday from the Valdez terminal of the trans-Alaska pipeline, Reuters reported. The SeaRiver Benecia, owned by SeaRiver Maritime, received authorization from the U.S. Coast Guard to sail with its load of crude oil, said Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., operator of the pipeline and its marine terminal. The crack found between a cargo tank and a ballast tank was not considered to have an effect on hull integrity, Alyeska said. The crack, 3 to 4 in. long, was discovered after about 10 gallons of oil leaked from the vessel when it was in the final stages of loading. Representatives of Alyeska, the Coast Guard and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation examined the vessel and the sheen created by the oil leak. The spilled oil was contained within the protective boom laid around the tanker while it was being loaded, officials said. - (Reuters)