Unalaska, AK – The fuel spill in Adak is under control, and clean-up crews are working in the area. A leaking underground tank released 142,800 gallons of diesel fuel in Adak Monday evening as it was being filled from a tank ship. Most of the fuel was absorbed into the ground, but about 1,000 gallons leaked into the small boat harbor.

According to a report from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the storage tank was overfilled and fuel spilled over into a drainage system that releases water into Helmet Creek and the small boat harbor. The exact cause of the overflow is still under investigation.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Charly Hengen said Adak Petroleum personnel stopped the leak from the full 4.78 million gallon tank. She said that company personnel are using booms to contain the fuel and prevent it from going into Sweeper Cove.

"When the leak began Adak Petroleum right away deployed their boom. And they have approximately 1100 feet of hard boom and 75 feet of sausage boom that have been deployed."

Clean-up crews are also using absorbent pads to remove the fuel from the creek and harbor as well as a vacuum truck and skimmers. Hengen said #2 is diesel is very light and some of it dissipated quickly.

Responders have not seen any impacted wildlife, but a light sheen had spread about a quarter mile past the boom at the mouth of the small boat harbor by Wednesday morning. Crews placed booms at the mouths of other creeks to prevent more spreading. They also report some oiled shorelines.

The collected fuel and soiled sorbents are being stored in a secure area until they can be remove from the island and disposed of properly.

Representatives from the Coast Guard, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and oil spill response organization Alaska Chadux traveled to Adak to help with the clean-up and investigate the incident further. Adak Petroleum, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are also part of the unified command in charge of the clean-up.