Personnel with the U.S. Coast Guard are working with partner agencies to monitor a lubricant leak from a container ship that was in transit to Anchorage on Saturday.
Personnel with the Coast Guard Sector Anchorage Command Center received a notification Thursday evening that the Maunalei, a 645-foot container ship, was leaking lubricant while in transit to the Port of Alaska.
The vessel is owned by Matson, Inc. It was reportedly discharging a biodegradable, environmentally acceptable lubricant at a rate of approximately six gallons per hour. The Coast Guard says that, given the low toxicity of the lubricant, the strong tidal currents and the slow release rate, threats to the wildlife and resources in the area are expected to be minimal.
Capt. Leanne Lusk, Captain of the Port of Anchorage said:
“The vessel contains perishable cargo and other supplies for distribution throughout Alaska. After coordinating with federal, state and local stakeholders and balancing the risk to the supply chain with the risk to the environment, I have authorized the vessel to continue its transit into Anchorage.”
Following the offload of cargo, Matson employees have arranged for the vessel to transit to dry dock in the lower 48 to begin repairs.