As an industry leader, Republic Services handles environmental incidents across North America on land, on rail … and in water. Earlier this month, along the Seward Highway in Anchorage, Alaska, our Emergency Response team responded to a call that a long-haul driver had veered offroad into the Cook Inlet. Thankfully, the driver survived the crash and was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, but there was a lot of work to do to recover the truck from the ocean and prevent a possible fuel spill. “Cook inlet is a very important body of water in Alaska due to the fact that during Spring and Fall, all five species of anadromous salmon travel through this area to reach their spawning grounds,” said Dillan H., Emergency Response Manager.
When Dillan received the call, the cab of the truck was already submerged underwater and there was concern about a potential fuel release during the recovery. Dillan and his highly trained team responded immediately with a crew of three, a vac truck and a spill response trailer to deliver a comprehensive service. The team arrived onsite within an hour of the initial request, making good time considering the incident was a 45-minute drive from our Anchorage facility.
“Despite the heavy rains, the team did a fantastic job responding and assisting during this environmentally sensitive event,” Dillan said. “It’s humbling to work with the team that I am a part of here in Alaska, from leadership to technicians, there is a sense of family and community here at Republic Services Alaska Business Unit.”
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“Republic Services is a leader in environmental services. Whether it’s extreme weather, extremely remote locations, or pioneering work plans/actions plans to complete a scope of work, we are ready for the challenge. I’m proud to say the Alaska team is built of problem solvers who do not shy away from tackling the unknown. When a customer calls us, they know we can deliver a solution. We are often responding to very remote fuel releases or contaminated sites that need remediation work. I have worked in the environmental services industry for 13 years now. I was born and raised in Alaska with a few years out of state for schooling and mission work. I am proud to help keep our communities and the environment safe.” – Dillan H., Emergency Response Manager