The US Coast Guard is responding to reports of more than 100 unmarked containers that have washed up on and around Montague Island in Prince William Sound.
The containers, ranging in size from 5 to 55-gallon drums, were first reported by Gulf of Alaska Keepers, a nonprofit organization that works to remove marine debris with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Response and Restoration Marine Debris Program.
Scattered along the southern coastline of the island, the containers are in varying conditions, and their contents remain unknown.
Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Valdez is leading the response effort and coordinating with several partner agencies to assess whether the containers pose a threat to the environment or public safety. Agencies involved in the assessment include:
- NOAA – Office of Response and Restoration
- Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- Chugach Alaska Corporation
“The Coast Guard is the lead federal agency responsible for recovery and removal of oil and hazardous material in U.S. waters and along the coastline,” officials said in a statement. “We are working with our partners to determine the extent of the threat and take appropriate action.”
Once the assessment is complete, the Coast Guard will oversee the removal of any containers determined to contain oil or hazardous substances. Officials emphasized that the effort is part of a broader mission to protect Alaska’s marine environment, ensure safe navigation, and safeguard the state’s vital maritime and commercial resources.
Remote Alaska coastlines, particularly Montague Island, have a long history of being a landing place for marine debris drifting in from across the Pacific. Usually not in this number, however.
After the 2011 Japanese tsunami, debris including containers, buoys, and even small vessels crossed the ocean and came ashore in Prince William Sound. Cleanup groups, including Gulf of Alaska Keepers, documented and removed hundreds of drums and containers over several years.
Even before that event, 55-gallon drums and industrial containers have regularly washed up on Alaska’s shores, believed to originate from passing vessels, foreign shipping, and fishing operations. Many arrive unmarked, and each requires inspection to ensure they do not contain hazardous substances.
Because of strong currents that funnel floating debris into the Gulf of Alaska, Montague Island has often been described by cleanup crews as a “catcher’s mitt” for marine debris from across the Pacific.