Freighter grounding triggers federal criminal investigation

A freighter accident that spilled hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil along a pristine Alaska shoreline and left six crew members missing and presumed dead has triggered a preliminary criminal investigation by federal agents.

Investigators with the U.S. Coast Guard, FBI and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are examining the circumstances surrounding the Dec. 8 grounding of the Selendang Ayu, according to federal officials.

The 738-foot freighter was carrying a cargo of soybeans and more than 400,000 gallons of fuel oil when it lost power. Efforts by the Coast Guard and private tugboats couldn't keep the disabled ship from running aground and splitting in half off the coast of Unalaska Island.

Eric Gonzalez, a spokesman for the FBI's Anchorage office, would say only that the agency is investigating the incident.

"I really can't comment on anything specific to the case," he said.

The EPA has added one investigator to assist in the case, said EPA spokesman Bill Dunbar.

"Apparently, we have contributed one of our investigators to help out the Coast Guard and the FBI. We have not yet begun a criminal investigation of our own," Dunbar said.

Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Michael Wilford declined to say whether the Coast Guard was involved in a criminal investigation, referring calls to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Alaska. That office did not return calls for comment.

Jim Lawrence, a spokesman for the IMC Group, which manages the Malaysian-flagged freighter, said the company is cooperating with investigators.

"The goal, basically, just to be clear from our perspective, is to be helpful and have a thorough investigation," he said.

This is the third investigation into the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board is working to unravel what led to the accident. The Coast Guard has created a board to examine the cause of a Coast Guard helicopter crash during the rescue of sailors from the ship. The helicopter plunged into the Bering Sea, and the six sailors were lost and are presumed dead.

Salvage crews have collected more than 14,000 gallons of oil and diesel fuel from tanks on the ship's stern in the past two days. Nearly 370 dead birds have been recovered from the spill area, and another 29 live oiled birds have been caught and cleaned.

Warren Cornwall: 206-464-2311