THIS IS A DRILL
THIS IS A DRILL
THIS IS A DRILL
THIS IS A DRILL
THIS IS A DRILL
FAQs
2026 Knowles Head Exercise
May 12, 2026
Q: What happened?
A: At approximately 3:30 a.m. today, the tanker T/V Western Sea was involved in a collision
while anchored in Prince William Sound, in the vicinity of Knowles Head, causing a spill of crude
oil to water. Response personnel are still determining the spill volume.
Q: How much oil has been spilled?
A: The exact spill volume is unknown. The volume capacity of the two damaged cargo tanks is
5.88 million gallons. At departure from the Valdez Marine Terminal there were approximately 31
million gallons onboard.
Q: Who is in charge of the response?
A: A Unified Command, consisting of U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation, and Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, was established at the Valdez
Emergency Operations Center, to facilitate the response.
Q: Were there any injuries?
A: There are no known injuries as a result of this incident,
Q: Have there been any impacts to wildlife?
A: There are no reports of impacted wildlife.
Q: How many people are involved in the response?
A: 315 personnel are responding to the incident, in the field and at the incident command post.
Q: Are there any response resources in place at this time?
A: Four response barges are on scene and have deployed boom and skimmers and started
recovery work. Additional resources are enroute to the scene, including sensitive area
protection for the Knowles Bay area.
Q: Are there any limitations to travel in the area?
A: The U.S. Coast Guard has established a 2-mile safety zone around the incident area. A
Temporary Flight Restriction is in place at the incident scene of a 1-mile radius to 5,000 feet.
Q: Is the pipeline still operational?
A: The Trans Alaska Pipeline System remains operational.
Q: What do I do if I have a claim?
A: A claims number is established: 1-877-257-5778 Prompt 4 Prompt 5.
Q: Where can I find the latest information about the spill?
A: Visit www.crisispigeondemo.com for the latest information on spill response efforts.