A Fairbanks jury has begun deliberations for a man charged with making false statements about the 1978 bombing of the trans-Alaska pipeline.
If convicted, Phillip Martin Olson could face up to five years in prison.
The FBI says an agent interviewed Olson in November and January and that Olson acknowledged responsibility for the pipeline explosion on February 15th, 1978, east of Fairbanks.
The resulting small hole allowed 12,000 to 14,000 barrels of crude oil to spill before it could be sealed.
The statute of limitations had run out for charges in the bombing.
Federal prosecutors say Olson lied and said another man had assisted him in setting off the explosion, costing the FBI time and resources investigating.
