the trans-alaska pipeline runs for more
than half its length exposed above the
ground it’s vulnerable to attack
dozens have tried and only succeeded in
denting it then in 2001 a drunk hunter
with a big-game rifle had a bit more
success 250,000 gallons spewed from the
pressurized pipe it took salvage crews
36 hours straight to plug the leak and
years to clean up the mess
the pipeline’s emergency spill
responders are based in Fairbanks Alaska
I dropped in to meet the men who take
the call and no one wants to get after
the 2001 sabotage Frank Dunkley helped
design this 1,800 pound clamp that can
quickly see a holes in the pipe
the operators got to get the hole right
inside here the operator has to get that
over the hole okay but it’s pretty easy
for him to find that because it tends to
be spraying out Frank’s going to put me
through a full practice drill training
designed to prepare me for toxic
flammable crude leaking from the pipe
his colleague Bruce Kenyon helps me into
a fireproof suit I’m ready to suit up so
what is the suit I’m putting on this is
an approach suit to help protect the
guys from being bird so if he had a hole
in the pipe give atomized flammable
liquid and gas you basically made a
giant blowtorch pretty much yes exactly
and that would be bad for us I’m
essentially sealing myself inside a
reflective airtight bag yeah this thing
is heavy and it’s hot a feeling so far I
feel like I’m ready to gotta microwave
now let’s see what it’s like to work in
it
I’m going to be the ground man here to
help Zack Brady line up the clamp over a
hole in the pipe and then I’m straight
up and down
what do you mean straight up and down
you mean particular to the pipe
this is just water we don’t want to
pollute this lot with crew
and the pressure is only 1/8 of what’s
actually inside the pipeline
already the temperature inside my suit
is over a hundred degrees it must be
terrifying facing down a real fire on an
actual spill
away from yourself or man the veil with
the baby eight inches
Zach and I managed to seal the breach in
just a few minutes
oh really hope we do not have a hole in
the pipe because I don’t ever want to
get back into this suit again
than half its length exposed above the
ground it’s vulnerable to attack
dozens have tried and only succeeded in
denting it then in 2001 a drunk hunter
with a big-game rifle had a bit more
success 250,000 gallons spewed from the
pressurized pipe it took salvage crews
36 hours straight to plug the leak and
years to clean up the mess
the pipeline’s emergency spill
responders are based in Fairbanks Alaska
I dropped in to meet the men who take
the call and no one wants to get after
the 2001 sabotage Frank Dunkley helped
design this 1,800 pound clamp that can
quickly see a holes in the pipe
the operators got to get the hole right
inside here the operator has to get that
over the hole okay but it’s pretty easy
for him to find that because it tends to
be spraying out Frank’s going to put me
through a full practice drill training
designed to prepare me for toxic
flammable crude leaking from the pipe
his colleague Bruce Kenyon helps me into
a fireproof suit I’m ready to suit up so
what is the suit I’m putting on this is
an approach suit to help protect the
guys from being bird so if he had a hole
in the pipe give atomized flammable
liquid and gas you basically made a
giant blowtorch pretty much yes exactly
and that would be bad for us I’m
essentially sealing myself inside a
reflective airtight bag yeah this thing
is heavy and it’s hot a feeling so far I
feel like I’m ready to gotta microwave
now let’s see what it’s like to work in
it
I’m going to be the ground man here to
help Zack Brady line up the clamp over a
hole in the pipe and then I’m straight
up and down
what do you mean straight up and down
you mean particular to the pipe
this is just water we don’t want to
pollute this lot with crew
and the pressure is only 1/8 of what’s
actually inside the pipeline
already the temperature inside my suit
is over a hundred degrees it must be
terrifying facing down a real fire on an
actual spill
away from yourself or man the veil with
the baby eight inches
Zach and I managed to seal the breach in
just a few minutes
oh really hope we do not have a hole in
the pipe because I don’t ever want to
get back into this suit again
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