NATION IN BRIEF : ALASKA : Satellites to Track Jumbo Oil Tankers

The Coast Guard will test a new system for tracking oil tankers in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, site of the nation’s worst oil spill. It will utilize satellite signals and long-range aids to navigation rather than radar, a Coast Guard spokesman said. A satellite is a good tool for tracking “because it is not affected by mountains, which is a problem in Alaska,” the spokesman said. He added that the reliability of radar was limited by weather. Tanker traffic in Prince William Sound has been monitored by radar. But, when the Exxon Valdez ran aground last March 24, it was beyond the area normally scanned by radar, the Coast Guard said. The new system will be evaluated for a year in the sound and 22 other ports and waterways around the country. Vessel owners will be responsible for the cost of installing the “black boxes” that link up with the system, a Coast Guard spokesman said.