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CUC assesses facilities for quake damage
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Posted on Feb 11 2005
The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. is thoroughly assessing all its facilities after one of its fuel storage tanks sustained damaged due to earthquakes last week.
CUC executive director Lorraine Babauta reported yesterday that Mobil Marianas, with the assistance of an inspector from the American Petroleum Institute Standard, will be assessing the fuel tank for the actual extent of the damage.
The fuel supplier’s findings and recommendations are expected to be submitted to CUC by the end of next week, Babauta said.
She added that power distribution, water, and wastewater facilities will also be inspected for damage, so CUC could seek funding assistance from the Emergency Management Office.
The earthquake last Saturday caused damage to CUC’s fuel storage tank at the Lower Base power plant, which contains approximately 12,000 barrels of fuel.
Babauta said that almost an hour after the earthquake, power plant personnel found some wet area in the fuel tank farm and observed bubbles and seepage of diesel fuel from the baseline of the tank.
According to Babauta, the personnel immediately coordinated the transfer of 9,839 barrels of fuel to an available storage tank owned by Shell Marianas. CUC’s fuel supplier, Mobil, will transfer the remaining fuel to another tank at the power plant.
Proper authorities, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Emergency Management Office, and the Division of Environmental Quality have been informed of the damage.
No reports of damage have been received from CUC’s offices in Rota and Tinian, Babauta said. (Agnes E. Donato)
