By BECKY BOHRER
Associated Press Writer
JUNEAU, Alaska – The operator of the trans-Alaska pipeline system said late Friday it has restarted the 800-mile line idled after a contained spill this week.
The pipeline was shut down for 79 hours and 40 minutes, Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. spokeswoman Michelle Egan said in a statement. That’s its longest shutdown in at least a decade, surpassing the more than 66 hours it was down in November 2002 due to an earthquake.
The line from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez has been down since Tuesday, when Alyeska said a power failure during a planned shutdown allowed about 5,000 barrels of oil to spill into a containment area.