Fall Spill Drill: 611th CES practices hazardous spill situation

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Christopher Gross
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Nearly 60 members from Elmendorf's 611th Civil Engineer Squadron participated in the annual Fall Spill Drill Sept. 14-18 here.

During this drill, the 611th CES simulated spilling JP-8 aviation fuel into one of Elmendorf's lakes. These drills help prepare 611th CES members, if there was to ever be a major spill, to be familiar with how the clean-up machinery works. Each year, the 611th CES practices two hazardous spill exercises. The second exercise of this kind will take place in the winter after the lake has frozen over.

All other Air Force bases have a strategy for hazardous spills, but 611th is the only civil engineer squadron in the Air Force that is regulated to practice their strategy hands-on because of the sites' remoteness, said Maj. Erik Sell, 611th CES Operations Flight commander.

A majority of the squadron members are relatively new to the 611th CES, so for most of them this was their first time practicing these procedures. "They're doing well and they're picking up (the procedures) quickly," said Major Sell. "These guys seem to be real interested in this. It's something new, exciting and different from their everyday job."

"Monday and Tuesday they went through some classroom training and Wednesday is when we started to mobilize the equipment out here," said Ron Lurk, 611th CES chief of operations.

The simulated spill took place Sept. 17 at Sixmile Lake. The group went through tactic and safety briefings throughout the morning and given the scenario that was to happen. They then roped off the simulated hazardous areas, set up decontamination equipment and made an entry point to keep track or personnel.

The group then continued with the simulated response by deploying containment, recovery and hazardous waste storage equipment.

The group used equipment such as a boom, which keeps the hazardous liquid, JP-8 aviation fuel, contained in a controlled area. They then wiped the hazardous waste off the water using machines called drum skimmers. The drum skimmers contain a rotating wheel with a plastic on it that collected the waste and scraped it off on a blade as it rotated.

A rope-mop skimmer was another piece of machinery used during the spill. A long feathered rope moved through the water and back in the machine in a circular motion wiping off any waste as it passed through the machine.

"Without this training, they wouldn't have a clue on how this equipment operates," said Mr. Lurk. "This training is absolutely necessary if and when a spill ever occurs."

Major Sell said the 611th CES area of responsibility is all Air Force communication and radar sites, currently and formerly operated, throughout remote Alaska. The sites range from Eareckson Air Station at Shemya to Point Barrow Long Range Radar Site on the North Slope, to locations in Southeast Alaska and throughout the state's interior. Many of these sites are along the state's coastline and are capable of storing 1 million gallons of fuel.

"So far, we're fortunate we haven't had to respond to a spill," said the major. "The training was a huge success. The 611th CES stands ready to respond to an oil spill incident anywhere in the state at any time."