Diesel fuel spilled from general store storage tanks in Southwest Alaska village [Video]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Thousands of gallons of diesel fuel that were spilled on frozen tundra near a Southwest Alaska town has been blamed on human error during a transfer operation between storage tanks belonging to a general store.

In a situation report released Friday, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said the spill happened overnight Wednesday into Thursday in the village of Kwigillingok, pinpointing the hours of 6 p.m. Feb. 7 to 10 a.m. Feb. 8.

The DEC explained that about 6,467 gallons of diesel spilled as the fuel was being moved from one storage tank to a smaller tank, both owned by Kwik Inc., a general store in the area.

The spill centered around the Kwik Inc. Marina, as shown in a satellite photo provided by the department. The DEC said that it’s believed that human error led to the fuel being spilled, and that the leak wasn’t …