State seeks public comment on Dutch Harbor fuel storage spill plan

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is accepting public comments through May 27 on a renewed oil spill prevention and response plan for fuel storage facilities in Dutch Harbor.

Petro Star Inc. operates four facilities in the Aleutian community that together store nearly 9 million gallons of jet fuel, diesel and gasoline. The company must maintain a state-approved plan showing it has adequate resources to prevent and respond to a realistic maximum oil discharge from the facilities, which supply fuel to the City of Unalaska.

The facilities are located at 1654 Ballyhoo Road and include the Ballyhoo, Resoff, Westward Seafoods and Captains Bay sites. The combined storage capacity is 8,867,838 gallons.

State regulations require oil storage operations to demonstrate they can respond to potential spills that could reach Alaska lands or waters. The plan under review is a renewal application.

Residents may submit comments online at dec.alaska.gov/comment or by writing to Mark Sielaff, Department of Environmental Conservation, 555 Cordova Street, Anchorage, AK 99501. Comments must be received by 11:59 p.m. on May 27, 2026.

The full application is available for review at dec.alaska.gov/Applications/SPAR/PublicMVC/IPP/CPlansUnderReview.

Residents in the affected area or the Unalaska city government may request a public hearing by writing to the department before May 12. The state will hold a hearing if it determines good cause exists.

For more information, contact Sielaff at 907-269-7532 or [email protected].