Alyeska Pipeline Tightens Security in Valdez.

• Author: Schmitz, Richard F.
• Position: Brief Article

The Alyeska Pipeline's oil terminal at Valdez may just be the most-guarded place in Alaska following the security wake-up call of Sept. 11.

The harbor community is watched over by the U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers, city police, Alaska Air National Guard and the Alyeska Pipeline security contractor. Residents of Valdez also are guardians of the pipeline terminal.

"We live in a company town, so we're pretty security minded," said Valdez Mayor Burt Cottle. The pipeline shooting at Livengood, while strictly an act of vandalism, further raised the security consciousness of the community.

The Sept. 11 attack revealed security weaknesses in Valdez, Cottle said. "It brought to light the fact that we need our own (Coast Guard) cutter or enforcement boat here. It took 12 hours to get a boat here from Homer, and a day-and-a-half to get a boat here from Juneau."

No official figures have been released, but Cottle said he believes Alyeska Pipeline has hired 75 new security personnel in the weeks following the Sept. 11 attack, 10 of whom have been placed in Valdez.

"We're certainly close to our highest level of security," said Alyeska Pipeline Security Director Tim Woolston. "It's been a challenge, but we're staying ahead of things. There's a lot more of a security presence now, and restrictions on access to our facilities."

The work of the port has not been affected, Woolston said. "Tanker loading is continuing as normal. There's been no impact on the delivery of oil ... not even a slowdown, with the exception of the shutdown on Sept. 11 itself."

Other security changes include no-fly zones around the terminal imposed by Federal Aviation Administration...