Home Heating Oil Tank Discharge; Sitka, Alaska

103 Metlakatla St, Sitka, AK 99835, USA | 2026-Jan-12

Initial Notification: U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Southeast Alaska notified the NOAA Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC) of a 300-gallon discharge from a residential home heating oil tank. The fuel had migrated from the crawl space through the driveway and into the storm drain, resulting in a visible sheen at the outfall in Sitka Sound. The incident location is in close proximity to the Sitka National Historic Park and the Sitka Sound Science Center. The USCG has requested the following support: a fuel trajectory based on local currents, if possible; an assessment of resources at risk; a spot weather forecast.