State opens comment on St. Paul Island fuel facility's spill plan renewal

St. Paul Fuel, LLC has asked the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to renew the oil spill plan for its bulk fuel facility on St. Paul Island, according to a notice DEC posted Tuesday.

Public comment opens Wednesday and runs through 11:59 pm Nov. 20.

The document is an oil discharge prevention and contingency plan. According to the DEC public notice, it must commit enough resources to prevent and respond to a realistic maximum spill from the facility. The notice says there is a potential risk of oil spills reaching state lands or waters. DEC is reviewing the application. It has not approved or denied the plan.

The facility receives fuel by barge. Its two tank farms can hold a combined 1,110,445 gallons of diesel and Jet A fuel. Fuel goes out to tank trucks at truck-loading racks. The City of St. Paul says in a federal port grant application that fuel barges reach the island only twice a year.

The facility's current plan expires March 10, 2027, according to DEC's approved-plan listing.

Residents of the affected area, or the governing body of an affected municipality, can request a public hearing before Nov. 5. People who need disability accommodations to take part must ask by Nov. 16.