Oil and natural gas exploration is a predominant industry on the North Slope of Alaska. Although crude oil and natural gas is routinely conveyed through pipelines, overland transport of diesel fuels is necessary to support pipeline pump station generators, service operations, and fleet vehicles associated with the industry. Tanker trucks routinely haul these support fuels along "haul roads" and service corridors. Occasionally, tanker spills occur in a pristine environment. The response technique of burning fuels immediately after a spill, to minimize potential impact o the tundra and natural waters bears investigation. One such "rollover"incident occurred in November 1997 along a remote part of the Dalton Highway, on Alaska's North Slope. Approximately 5,500 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled on the frozen tundra and the fuel was ignited to prevent impact to the Kuparuk River. The consequences of the resulting conflagration exacerbated impact to the subsurface next to the river. This paper summarizes the case study to date and purports the premise that igniting spilled fuels on frozen ground can propagate subsurface contamination at the spill site.
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