Ecology, South King, Port of Seattle, Renton and Boeing fire departments responding to burning aviation gasoline spill in Federal Way

By Curt Hart, Spills Program

The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), South King Fire & Rescue, Port of Seattle, Renton and Boeing fire departments are responding to a 9,000-gallon aviation gasoline spill that caught fire and is still burning just off U.S. Interstate 5 in Federal Way.

All traffic lanes on I-5 are open.

The fuel spill and fire occurred after a tanker truck owned by Lee & Eastes Tank Lines and two cars were involved in fatal crash early this morning on southbound I-5 near exit 142 in Federal Way. The driver of the semi-tractor trailer truck was killed.

The fuel truck and trailer left the freeway and rolled, breaking through several concrete sound barriers. As a result, both fuel tankers burst and released the aviation gasoline – which has been burning since first responders arrived.

Firefighters are conducting a controlled burn of the remaining fuel that spilled from the trailers – including applying aqueous firefighting foam to flare ups and hot spots when necessary. On-site monitoring has not found any immediate health or safety concerns to nearby homes and businesses.

It is unknown how long the fire will last or how much fuel has been burned. Ecology is on site monitoring potential environmental impacts.

Responders from Lee & Eastes and their private cleanup contractor, NRC-Environmental Services, are working to clean up remaining fuel.

All oil spills cause environmental damage, regardless of size. Oil is toxic to the environment and the damage starts as soon as the oil hits water. A single quart of oil has the potential to foul more than 100,000 gallons of water.

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Weather permitting, Deep Sea to leave Penn Cove at 5 a.m., June 6

By Larry Altose, Ecology public information

The 140-foot fishing vessel Deep Sea, raised from the bottom of Penn Cove June 3, is ready to depart, depending on weather conditions.

Winds forecast for today could push wave heights to 4 feet, while safe towing conditions require waves under 3 feet.Tomorrow’s forecast predicts calmer conditions, and the Deep Sea’s tentative departure time is 5 a.m.The tug Taurus will move the vessel.

U.S. Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology officials yesterday determined that the Deep Sea presents no substantial threat of an oil spill.The Coast Guard today approved a tow plan for the vessel’s trip to Seattle.

The Taurus and Deep Sea will proceed at up to 6 knots, or about 7 mph. The Deep Sea could reach the Chittenden Locks in Seattle by early afternoon.The Taurus will deliver the Deep Sea to the Stabbert Yacht and Ship dry dock in Ballard for dismantling.

The larger of the two floating cranes that lifted the Deep Sea left Penn Cove late yesterday.The Deep Sea then moored to the smaller crane barge.

Meanwhile, environmental cleanup crews have started wrapping up efforts to remove oil from the water immediately surrounding the Deep Sea. They also began to remove some of the 5,700 feet of oil-spill containment boom and cleanup materials deployed for the lifting.The crews have conducted these operations since the vessel sank May 13 after a fire.

A multi-agency unified command is coordinating the recovery effort. The command comprises the Coast Guard, Ecology and Island County. Assisting in the response are the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Global Diving & Salvage Inc. (Global) and NRC-Environmental Services (NRC-ES).

Island County’s departments of Emergency Management and Public Works, and the Island County Sheriff’s Office, are providing local support to the response effort.

The unified command also receives assistance from the Washington departments of Health (WDOH) and Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and helicopter service from the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO).

The state Health Department closed all shellfish harvesting in Penn Cove on May 15. The closure will remain in effect until testing confirms shellfish from the area are safe to eat.

The Coast Guard has established a marine safety zone on waters within 200 yards of the Deep Sea. Vessels seeking to enter that zone must request permission from the Coast Guard's Joint Harbor Operation Center at 206-217-6001 or from on-scene patrol craft on VHF radio channel 13.

For more information:

Fishing Vessel Deep Sea Fire and Diesel Spill: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/FVdeepsea/index.html

Ecology's Spills Program: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html

Ecology’s social media: www.ecy.wa.gov/about/newmedia.html

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Preparations continue for Deep Sea lift, expected June 3

By Larry Altose, Communications Manager, Northwest Regional Office

COUPEVILLE, Wash. – Divers made progress as they worked in very soft silt to prepare to raise the sunken fishing vessel Deep Sea from the bottom of Penn Cove, near Coupeville on Whidbey Island. The vessel continued to release small amounts of oil, which formed thin coatings on waters nearby.

A multi-agency unified command is coordinating the recovery effort. The command comprises the U.S. Coast Guard, Washington departments of Ecology (Ecology) and Natural Resources (DNR), Island County Department of Emergency Management, Global Diving & Salvage Inc. (Global) and NRC-Environmental Services (NRC-ES).

Divers for Global, working under a contract with Ecology, reported today that they soon may complete a path for a “messenger line” under the hull at the center of ship. This will enable the placing of a heavy lifting chain. They previously completed a messenger line path under the stern. Installation of the lifting chains will mark a major milestone in the preparations.

NRC-ES crews continued to tend oil-spill containment boom and to deploy oil-spill cleanup materials in response to sheen – a thin oil coating – visible in surrounding waters. Most of the sheen was too thin to remove. The on-water crews received assistance from Ecology observers who made a helicopter flight this afternoon to help track sheen.

While more than 4,500 gallons of oil products have been removed or recovered since the Deep Sea sank May 13 after a fire, an unknown quantity remains trapped on the vessel. Some of this oil floats out through small openings. Divers have plugged some of these, but accumulations of oil tend to reach new outlets. Removal of the Deep Sea will eliminate this problem and the risk of further oil releases.

The Coast Guard has established a marine safety zone on waters within 200 yards of the Deep Sea. Vessels seeking to enter that zone must request permission from the Coast Guard’s Joint Harbor Operation Center at 206-217-6001 or from on-scene patrol craft on VHF radio channel 13.

For more information, see Ecology's FV Deep Sea incident webpage.

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Deep Sea lift to begin no sooner than Sunday

By Larry Altose, news media relations, Northwest Regional Office

Contractors plan to begin raising the sunken fishing vessel Deep Sea off the bottom of Penn Cove, near Coupeville on Whidbey Island no sooner than Sunday, June 3. Divers have been preparing the vessel since Friday and will continue to do so through this week.

A multi-agency unified command is coordinating the recovery effort. The command comprises the U.S. Coast Guard, Washington departments of Ecology (Ecology) and Natural Resources (DNR), Island County Department of Emergency Management, Global Diving & Salvage Inc. (Global) and NRC-Environmental Services (NRC-ES).

Divers for Global, working under a contract with Ecology, have cleared a path under the Deep Sea’s stern through which to pull a heavy lifting chain. The vessel rests on its left side, partially sunken in silt. Divers must dig a deeper hole for a second lifting chain under the vessel’s center. That second excavation involves moving the equivalent of three dump truck loads of material.

The dive team has encountered machinery, hatch covers and other material that fell off the Deep Sea. Divers had to remove some of these objects, which had settled deeply into the muddy bottom, to allow digging of lifting chain passages.

Planners expect the 300-foot crane barge, D.B. General, to depart Seattle for Penn Cove late Saturday. It will right the vessel and then provide the bulk of the lifting power in tandem with a 140-foot crane barge, the D. B. Oakland, which arrived late Monday afternoon. The Oakland is helping to put lifting chains under the Deep Sea’s hull. The two cranes belong to General Construction Co.

Environmental teams today surveyed the cove by boat and helicopter. They observed small patches of oil sheen, a thin coating on the water’s surface, in the area around the site of the sunken vessel. The sheen is too thin to recover, and is dissipating by evaporation and wave action.

Earlier underwater operations – soon after the Deep Sea sank May 13 after a fire – have removed approximately 3,100 gallons of diesel oil from the vessel. Crews working on the surface have recovered about 1,400 gallons more. Small amounts of oil continue to leak from the Deep Sea. Responders are preparing to contain or recover oil that remains on board – in unknown quantities and locations – that could escape during the righting and lifting.

The Coast Guard has established a marine safety zone on waters within 200 yards of the Deep Sea. Vessels seeking to enter that zone must request permission from the Coast Guard’s Joint Harbor Operation Center at 206-217-6001 or from on-scene patrol craft on VHF radio channel 13.

Deep Sea incident information: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/FVdeepsea/index.html

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First crane barge to arrive in Penn Cove later today

By Curt Hart, Communications Manager, Spills Program

DB Oakland crane (stock photo from General Construction)

The D.B. Oakland, a 140-foot crane barge owned by General Construction Co., left Seattle early this morning and is on its way to Penn Cove to support efforts to lift the sunken fishing vessel Deep Sea.

The crane barge should arrive in Penn Cove around 5 p.m. today.

Global Diving & Salvage dive crews continue with preparations to lift the Deep Sea, which sank May 13 in 60 feet of water. Divers have completed the two pulling lines under the vessel, which is resting on its port (left) side.

Once the crane barge is anchored in place, divers will start operations tomorrow to attach lifting chains from the crane to the pulling lines under the vessel.

The multi-agency unified command made of representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard, Washington departments of Ecology and Natural Resources, Island County Department of Emergency Management, Global Diving & Salvage Inc. and NRC-Environmental Services anticipates that operations to raise the 140-foot Deep Sea will occur no sooner than Wednesday May 30.

As work to raise the Deep Sea gets closer to commence, the 300-foot barge D.B. General, which carries a 700-ton crane will be brought to the site. At this time, it is unknown when the larger crane barge will be called in from Seattle for the Penn Cove operation.

The Deep Sea needs to be raised and removed because a small but continuous amount of oil is leaking from the vessel. The oil is being captured on the water’s surface inside a ring of containment boom directly above the vessel.

A total of 4,500 gallons of diesel fuel and other petroleum products have been removed from the vessel so far. The Deep Sea still contains an unknown quantity of oil and responders are taking precautions to protect the environment and shellfish resources when the vessel is lifted.

The Coast Guard has established a marine safety zone on waters within 200 yards of the Deep Sea. Vessels seeking to enter that zone must request permission from the Coast Guard’s Joint Harbor Operation Center at 206-217-6001 or from on-scene patrol craft on VHF radio channel 13.

There have been no reports of oiled fish, birds or mammals.

For more information:

Fishing Vessel Deep Sea Fire incident website: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/FVdeepsea/index.html

Ecology Spills Program: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html

Ecology social media: www.ecy.wa.gov/about/newmedia.html

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Penn Cove salvage work continues, removal operations no sooner than May 30

By Curt Hart, Communications Manager, Spills Program

Federal, state, local agencies and private contractors are continuing to work through the Memorial Day weekend to raise and remove the sunken 140-foot fishing vessel, Deep Sea that continues to slowly leak oil into Penn Cove in Island County.

A multi-agency unified command has been created to plan and carry out emergency response operations. This effort currently involves the U.S. Coast Guard, Ecology, state DNR, Island County Department of Emergency Management, Global Diving & Salvage Inc and NRC-Environmental Services.

The Washington departments of Health and Fish and Wildlife and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are also providing response support.

Ecology has set up a website for the incident at: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/FVdeepsea/index.html

A diver’s-eye view of the outer hull of the Deep Sea, shot on May 23, 2012.

Status report

• Global Diving & Salvage dive crews continue with preparations to lift the Deep Sea. When the vessel sank on May 13, it rolled and settled in 60-feet of water on its port (left) side. Divers discovered when the vessel rolled a tangle of debris fell off the main deck to the port side. They are encountering pieces of this debris buried in several feet of silt on the bottom of the cove.


• Federal, state and private planners anticipate that operations to raise the Deep Sea will occur no sooner than Wednesday May 30.


• Ecology has conducted daily aerial surveillance of the site. Responders have spotted a small but continuous thin coating of oil on the water’s surface inside the ring of containment boom on the water surface directly above the Deep Sea.


• A total of 4,500 gallons of diesel fuel and other petroleum products have been removed from the vessel so far. The Deep Sea still contains an unknown quantity of oil and responders are taking precautions to protect the environment and shellfish resources when the vessel is lifted.


• The Coast Guard has established a marine safety zone on waters within 200 yards of the Deep Sea. Vessels seeking to enter that zone must request permission from the Coast Guard’s Joint Harbor Operation Center at 206-217-6001 or from on-scene patrol craft on VHF radio channel 13.


• There have been no reports of oiled fish, birds or mammals.

For more information:

Fishing Vessel Deep Sea Fire incident website: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/FVdeepsea/index.html

Ecology Spills Program: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html

Ecology social media: www.ecy.wa.gov/about/newmedia.html

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Spill Log: Weekend spills prompt Olympic Pipe Line to shut down fuel line

By Curt Hart, Communications Manager, Spills Program

The Olympic Pipe Line Co shut down its 400-mile interstate liquid fuel pipeline system twice this past weekend after two separate fuel spills occurred at the company’s Mount Vernon control station.

As we watch the oil industry change the way and type of oil that’s being moved around the nation – a good example is the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project — it’s good to know Olympic Pipe Line did the right thing by shutting down their pipeline until the causes of the small spills could be better understood.

The Olympic pipeline is the main provider for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuels in Western Washington and Portland. This means disruptions are a pretty serious matter.

Saturday morning spill

Olympic Pipe Line reported the first incident to state and federal authorities shortly before 7 a.m. Saturday March 31.

The company knew something had happened because a sensor designed to detect petroleum hydrocarbons in the station’s stormwater sump system automatically shut the station down.

Further investigation revealed the spill occurred after a testing port valve cracked and failed on the company’s 20-inch pipeline inspection gauge – or “pig” – launcher at the Mount Vernon station.

As a result, an estimated 84 gallons of diesel fuel sprayed out but was captured inside the station’s concrete fuel containment area.

The company hired a contractor to clean up the spill. They replaced the damaged valve and put the pipeline back in service about 12 hours later.

Pipeline ‘pigs’

Companies install pipeline pigging systems to do all sorts of things inside a line without stopping the flow of the product in a pipeline.

Pigs can be used to clean the insides of a pipeline or measure pipe thickness and corrosion along the pipeline.

Since the Olympic pipeline transports about 4.4 billion gallons of gasoline, diesel and jet fuels annually in the same line, pigs are used to separate these different petroleum products.

The pig launcher is where these pigs are put into the pipeline. The launcher then is closed and the pressure inside the line is used to push it along down the pipe.

Sunday morning spill

At about 2 a.m. Sunday April 1, Ecology received a report that the same 20-inch pig launcher at the Mount Vernon station ran into another problem which shut the Olympic pipeline down again.

This time, a pressure gauge on the launcher broke and about 30 gallons of diesel fuel was released inside a pipe which ran back into the station’s sump system.

The sensor did its work again, automatically shutting down the station.

Olympic Pipe Line took the pig launcher out of service and put the pipeline back in service Sunday afternoon.

Uncommon occurrence merits investigation

It is uncommon for a pipeline company to have two fuel spills at the same location in such a short period of time.

And it’s even less common for Olympic Pipe Line to shut down their pipeline along the company’s 300-mile corridor from Blaine to Portland twice over a single weekend.

Ecology closely regulates Olympic Pipe Line. The company is required to maintain a robust oil spill contingency plan to ensure the firm can mount a quick and effective response to any oil spill.

These plans are continually tested and updated. We are pleased the company closely followed its plan:

• Olympic promptly reported the spills to Ecology.



• Their safety systems worked, keeping a major spill from occurring.



• The spilled oil stayed onsite at the Mount Vernon station; nothing reached the environment.

We will work with Olympic as the company evaluates the out-of-service pig launcher

More about Olympic Pipe Line

The Olympic pipeline is the primary source of fuel for Seattle’s Harbor Island, Sea-Tac Airport, Olympia, Vancouver, and Portland.

Fuels originate from four of the five petroleum refineries in Washington:

• BP Cherry Point Refinery, Blaine (currently shut down for repairs)



• ConocoPhillips Ferndale Refinery, Ferndale



• Tesoro Anacortes Refinery, Anacortes



• Shell Puget Sound Refinery, Anacortes

The Olympic Pipeline crosses either under or over most river systems that drain to Puget Sound and Western Washington from the Cascade Mountains.

Other regulated Washington fuel pipeline companies

Besides the Olympic pipeline, Ecology also regulates:

• Trans Mountain Pipeline, a crude oil pipeline in Western Washington



• Chevron Pipe Line Co., a finished fuel products pipeline in Eastern Washington



• ConocoPhillps Yellowstone Pipeline, a finished fuel products pipeline in Eastern Washington



• NuStar Pasco Pipeline, a finished fuel products pipeline in Eastern Washington

Getting to zero spills

Our goal is zero oil spills and Ecology works closely with all our regulated companies to prevent spills from occurring in the first place.

When spills do happen, the contingency plans required by Ecology help us ensure that prompt notification is followed by a rapid, aggressive, and well coordinated response.

It’s our policy to respond to and investigate every significant spill from regulated pipelines.

By doing so, we can prevent future spills and incorporate the lessons learned from incidents that do happen back into the company’s spill contingency plan to improve all future responses.

For more information, see Ecology's Spills Program.

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As mop-up continues at BP Cherry Point refinery, Ecology, EPA responders see no pollution threat to water but air monitoring continues

By Curt Hart, Department of Ecology, Spills Program

Responders from the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have determined that no oil or polluted runoff has reached Washington waters at the BP Cherry Point Refinery near Ferndale.

Ecology and EPA officials were at the refinery to assess and monitor potential environmental problems after a large fire broke out there the afternoon of Friday, Feb. 17, 2012.

Officials found that all water and other materials used to fight the fire – including related runoff – was contained within the refinery, where it will be treated in the facility’s on-site wastewater treatment system.

EPA contractors will continue taking air samples around the perimeter and downwind of the facility to help ensure the safety of nearby residents.

Contacts:
Curt Hart, Ecology Spills program, cell: 360-480-7908
Mark MacIntyre, EPA media relations, cell: 206-369-7999

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Ecology, Washington State Patrol and Tukwilla Fire Department responding to semi-tractor trailer truck accident in King County

By Curt Hart, spills communications manager, 360-480-7908 (curt.hart@ecy.wa.gov)

UPDATE: Dec. 8, 2011 (2:45 a.m.)

Ecology, Washington State Patrol, Tukwila Fire Department, Washington State Department of Transportation, King County Sheriff's Office and private cleanup contractors continued working through the night to remove the truck and trailer from the Duwamish River and keep traffic safely moving through the area.

Tukwila Fire Department put absorbent boom part way across river just downstream of the truck. At about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night, the trailer was removed from the river.

Shortly before 2 a.m. Thursday morning, a crane removed the truck from the river. No diesel fuel spilled from the saddle tank on the truck. An undetermined amount of engine oil did spill during recovery operations.

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FIRST POST: Dec. 7, 2011 (5 p.m.)

SEATTLE – The state Department of Ecology, Washington State Patrol and Tukwila Fire Department are responding to an incident near the intersection of State Routes 99 and 509 in King County. A semi-tractor trailer truck went over the roadway and into the Duwamish River. The truck was carrying processed frozen fish. The trucking company has hired a private cleanup contractor to remove the truck from the river.

More information about the incident will be provided as soon as it becomes available.

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Ecology Spills Program (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html)

Ecology homepage (www.ecy.wa.gov)

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Ecology, Coast Guard, NRC and Ballard Diving respond to fuel spill in Port Orchard

By Curt Hart, Ecology Communications Manager, 360-480-7908

SEATTLE – The Washington Department of Ecology, U.S. Coast Guard, NRC Environmental Services and Ballard Diving & Salvage will work tomorrow to raise the Top Notch, an 85-foot boat that sank and spilled diesel fuel today inside the Railway Marina in Port Orchard in Kitsap County.

Federal, state and private responders deployed oil containment boom around the area where the boat sank to keep approximately 50 gallons of fuel from further spreading into the marina. They also put out absorbent pads to collect oil on the water.

The Top Notch sank late Saturday, Dec. 3, inside the Railway Marina with about 300 gallons of diesel fuel on board. Divers today were able to close the vents on the boat, which kept more fuel from being released to the water.

Ecology, Coast Guard and cleanup contractors will work tomorrow to raise the Top Notch and safely pump out any remaining fuel and conduct an aerial over flight to determine if any oil has gotten outside the marina.

It is likely that a thin film of unrecoverable fuel may be visible tomorrow morning in Sinclair Inlet.

The reason why the Top Notch sank is under investigation.

Contacts:

Curt Hart, Ecology Communications Manager, 360-480-7908 (curt.hart@ecy.wa.gov)

Walter Daniels, Coast Guard media relations, 808-392-6405

For more information:

Ecology Spills Program (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html)

Ecology homepage (www.ecy.wa.gov)

USCG Homepage (http://www.d13.uscgnews.com/go/doc/21/473415/)

First blog about this spill incident (http://ecologywa.blogspot.com/2011/12/ecology-coast-guard-and-railway-marina.html)

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Ecology, Coast Guard and Railway Marina responding to sunken boat in Port Orchard

By Curt Hart, communications manager, 360-480-7908 (curt.hart@ecy.wa.gov)

OLYMPIA – The state Department of Ecology, U.S. Coast Guard and Railway Marina are responding to a 85-foot boat that sank today at the Port Orchard marina in Kitsap County. The wood-hulled pleasure craft, Top Knot, has an unknown amount of diesel fuel on board. Railway Marina has hired a private cleanup contractor to help respond.

More information about the incident will be provided as soon as it becomes available.

Ecology Spills Program (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html)
Ecology homepage (www.ecy.wa.gov)

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Multiple agencies respond to gasoline spill in Bellevue

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 2:30 a.m., November 28, 2011

BELLEVUE – The state Departments of Ecology and Transportation, Washington State Patrol, Bellevue Fire Department, a private cleanup contractor and other teams are responding to a gasoline spill after a tanker overturned on Interstate 405 on Sunday evening in Bellevue.

Up to 3,400 gallons of gasoline is believed to have spilled to the roadway, soil and storm drains near Northeast Eighth Street and I-405 near downtown Bellevue and just north of Highway 520. Some gasoline is confirmed to have reached Lake Washington, but it’s unclear how much. The tanker was believed to be carrying a total of 6,350 gallons.

Interstate 405 remains closed while cleanup crews work to contain the spill and clear the scene. The trucking company, Lee & Eastes Tank Lines, Inc., has hired a contractor, MRSA, to coordinate the cleanup. Ecology will remain on the scene to oversee the cleanup process.

According to the Washington State Patrol, the accident occurred when a car struck the tanker truck, causing the rear tank to roll over. A second vehicle appears then to have struck the overturned tanker.

Washington’s natural resources are always put at risk whenever oil is spilled or hazardous materials are released to the environment. All oil spills matter, regardless of size. The damage starts as soon as oil hits the water. Oil products are poisonous to the environment and they add to the toxic load to our water bodies. Spills also are difficult and costly to clean up. That’s why Ecology works to prevent spills from occurring in the first place.

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Media contact:
Dieter Bohrmann, Department of Ecology, 360-701-7401, Dieter.Bohrmann@ecy.wa.gov

For more information:
Ecology Spills Program (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html)
Ecology homepage (www.ecy.wa.gov/)

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Ecology, SPU and Coast Guard responding to gasoline release at south end of Lake Union

UPDATE: Nov. 24, 2011 (11 a.m.)
On Wednesday evening (Nov. 23, 2011), Ecology and Seattle Public Utilities worked closely with the owner of the property with the old gasoline storage tank. The property owner quickly hired a private cleanup contract to secure the site to keep any more gasoline-contaminated surface water runoff from further reaching the city's storm drain system — including stacking sandbags and building extra containment for runoff at the site.

This morning, the U.S. Coast Guard, Ecology and SPU inspected the outfall pipe that drains to Lake Union and determined no more gasoline was reaching the lake.

Ecology and SPU will continue their investigation next week about how residual gasoline from the old gas station underground storage tank, installed in 1949, reached the city's storm drain system. Officials will continue to monitor conditions through the holiday weekend.

FIRST REPORT: Nov. 23, 2011 (8 p.m.)
SEATTLE – The state Department of Ecology, Seattle Public Utilities and U.S. Coast Guard are responding to a gasoline spill from a stormwater outfall in the south end of Lake Union located at Ward Street and Fairview Avenue North.

The apparent source of the spill is an underground fuel tank associated with a former gas station located at Ninth and Madison, approximately six blocks away. An undetermined amount of gasoline has mixed with the stormwater runoff and is being discharged to the lake.

More information about the spill will be provided as soon as it becomes available.

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Media contacts:
Curt Hart, Department of Ecology, 360-480-7908
Andy Ryan, Seattle Public Utilities, 206-619-3893
Shawn Eggert, U.S. Coast Guard, 206-819-9154

For more information:
Ecology Spills Program (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html)
Ecology homepage (www.ecy.wa.gov)

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UPDATE: Agencies to monitor slow release of ammonia on Tulalip Reservation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 2:30 a.m., November 14, 2011
News release #2
Media contact: Dieter Bohrmann, Department of Ecology, 360-701-7401

TULALIP RESERVATION – The Washington Department of Ecology, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, and Tulalip Fire Department remain on the scene of a tank leaking ammonia on a marine beach on the Tulalip Indian Reservation. Ammonia is a corrosive gas that is toxic if inhaled.

Because of the chemical and toxicological hazards of ammonia – and the challenges of removing the tank – the responding agencies have decided to leave the tank in place to vent over a period of two or three days. This slow release will allow the nearby ammonia concentrations to remain below safe levels for residents in the surrounding area.

During the slow release, security measures will remain in place at the site, and remotely-operated chemical monitors will be maintained to ensure ammonia vapor concentration remains below safe levels. After the remaining ammonia has vented, crews will remove the tank for disposal.

Ecology estimates the tank has capacity of up to 470 gallons of ammonia, or nearly 2,000 pounds. It is unknown how much ammonia was released or how much is in the tank, but it does not appear to be full. There are no homes in the immediate area, and no evacuations have been ordered. A nearby walking trail has been closed to the public until further notice. The ammonia odor is currently detectable at about 100 feet.

The origin of the tank is also unknown, but Ecology believes it has been in the water for several weeks and has been slowly releasing ammonia. The beach has been secured, but anyone coming upon the environmental response teams is asked to please respect the caution tape around the cleanup site and remain a safe distance away.

More information about the cleanup efforts will be provided as it becomes available.

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Ecology Spills Program (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html)

Ecology homepage (www.ecy.wa.gov/)

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Multiple agencies respond to ammonia release on Tulalip Indian Reservation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 12:05 a.m., November 14, 2011
Media contact: Dieter Bohrmann, Department of Ecology, 360-701-7401

TULALIP RESERVATION – The Washington Department of Ecology, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, Tulalip fire and fisheries departments and a cleanup contractor are responding to an ammonia release from a tank on a marine beach on the Tulalip Indian Reservation. Ammonia is a corrosive gas that is toxic if inhaled.

Ecology has been on the scene since 4:30 p.m. Sunday and has hired NRC Environmental Services to conduct the cleanup effort. The contractor is currently performing an assessment to determine the safest means of removing the tank. EPA is monitoring air quality on the scene.

Ecology estimates the tank has capacity of up to 470 gallons of ammonia, or nearly 2,000 pounds. It is unknown how much ammonia was released or how much is in the tank. There are no homes in the immediate area, and no evacuations have been ordered. A nearby walking trail has been closed to the public until further notice. The ammonia is currently detectable at about 100 feet.

The origin of the tank is also unknown, but Ecology believes it has been in the water for several weeks and has been slowly releasing ammonia on the beach. The beach has been secured, but anyone coming upon the environmental response teams is asked to please respect the caution tape around the cleanup site.

More information about the release and cleanup efforts will be provided as it becomes available.

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Ecology Spills Program (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html)

Ecology homepage (www.ecy.wa.gov/)

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Edfu arrives safely at Port of Tacoma

By Jim Sachet, Spills Response Manager, Southwest Regional Office

The M/V Edfu arrived safely in Tacoma shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday. The Edfu lost both of its anchors during a maneuver on the Columbia Bar on Thursday evening. Because sailing with no anchors is dangerous and the recent history of this vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard required that it be escorted by tug boats from Astoria through the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Tacoma.

While in Tacoma, the vessel will be inspected by marine engineers, the Coast Guard and the Department of Ecology to identify the cause of propulsion problems, obtain anchors, and assure that the ship may safely sail in state and U.S. waters.

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Ecology incident website (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/mvedfu_2/MVEdfu2.html)

Ecology Spills Program (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html)

Ecology homepage (www.ecy.wa.gov/)

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UPDATE: Emergency response tugs escorting cargo vessel to Port of Tacoma

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 3:45 p.m., November 11, 2011
News release #2
Contact: Dieter Bohrmann, Department of Ecology media relations; 360-701-7401

OLYMPIA – The Department of Ecology is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard to escort a cargo vessel to the Port of Tacoma for inspection and repairs. The M/V Edfu is currently in the Strait of Juan de Fuca near Neah Bay.

The M/V Edfu briefly lost propulsion on Thursday evening and as it was crossing the Columbia River bar after leaving Astoria. The ship dropped both of its anchors then regained propulsion and is traveling under its own power. The Coast Guard ordered the vessel to hire tug boats to escort it on its trip from Astoria to Tacoma for inspection and repairs.

The tug boats Protector and Response are now providing escort. The M/V Edfu is expected to arrive in Tacoma about 3 a.m. Saturday.

The Coast Guard is reporting that the M/V Edfu lost propulsion due to a main engine failure and is missing both required anchors. Ecology will continue to work with the Coast Guard to monitor the ship. The Edfu was built in 1997 and is sailing under the flag of Egypt.

More information will be provided on Ecology’s incident website as it becomes available.

Ecology and the Coast Guard also responded last month when the Edfu lost propulsion near the mouth of the Columbia River on Oct. 11. In that incident, the ship was able to anchor and maintain its position. It eventually regained power and was escorted across the Columbia River bar to the Port of Astoria on Oct. 13.

Neah Bay tug an invaluable resource for spills prevention

Last year, after watching with concern the events of the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Washington State Legislature passed laws that help continue protecting this state from the risk of major oil spills.

Commercial vessels like the Edfu are now required to immediately notify Ecology when they experience a vessel emergency such as a loss of propulsion. Early reporting allows us to work with the Coast Guard and take actions to protect our economy and environment before a spill occurs.

In this case, the Coast Guard ordered the Edfu to hire several tugs to assist in a safe transit to a port of refuge to determine the cause of the loss of propulsion. The privately-funded emergency response tug at Neah Bay is one of the tugs hired. Since 1999, this response tug has been called out nearly 50 times. On 11 of these responses the tug had to take disabled vessels in tow to prevent them from drifting onto the rocks and spilling oil. The actions taken in those cases helped prevent a combined spill potential of nearly 5 million gallons of oil.

Prevention of spills and early intervention before they occur are examples of best achievable protection for Washington. Ecology will be working throughout 2012 to update the oil spill readiness rules to enhance our broader community’s ability to respond to an oil spill day or night under all conditions.

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Ecology incident website (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/mvedfu_2/MVEdfu2.html)

Ecology news release #1 (ecologywa.blogspot.com/2011/11/emergency-response-tugs-deployed-to.html)

Ecology Spills Program (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html)

Ecology homepage (www.ecy.wa.gov/)

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Emergency response tugs deployed to escort cargo vessel to Port Angeles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 10, 2011, 9:50 p.m.
Contact: Dieter Bohrmann, Department of Ecology media relations; 360-701-7401

OLYMPIA – The Department of Ecology is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard to escort a cargo vessel from Astoria to Port Angeles after it briefly lost propulsion Thursday evening as it was crossing the Columbia River bar. The M/V Edfu has since regained power and is heading west before it turns north up the Washington Coast.

The Coast Guard directed the tug boat Triton out of Astoria to provide the initial escort. The Triton is expected to meet the M/V Edfu about 10:30 p.m. Thursday. The privately-funded tug out of Neah Bay, as well as two additional tugs from Puget Sound, have also been dispatched to assist with the escort.

The Coast Guard is reporting that the M/V Edfu lost propulsion due to a main engine failure and is missing both required anchors. Ecology will continue to work with the Coast Guard to monitor the ship. The Edfu was built in 1997 and is sailing under the flag of Egypt.

More information about the incident will be provided as soon as it becomes available.

Ecology and the Coast Guard also responded last month when the Edfu lost propulsion near the mouth of the Columbia River on Oct. 11. In that incident, the ship was able to anchor and maintain its position. It was able to regain power and was escorted across the Columbia River bar to the Port of Astoria on Oct. 13.

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Ecology Spills Program (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html)

Ecology homepage (www.ecy.wa.gov/)

Ecology response to Edfu incident Oct. 11-13 (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/MVEdfu/MVEdfu.html)

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Spill Log: Puget Sound spills cap off busy week, Partnership sounds alarm

By Curt Hart, Communications Manager, Spills Program

On Thursday October 13, I wrote a blog about the oil spill affecting New Zealand and how two recent incidents involving commercial vessels in Washington’s waters highlighted similar spill risks here.

Oil spill in West Seattle

Anyone who turned on their TV, radio, surfed the web, or read a newspaper last Friday October 14 probably heard about the vessel that sank in Puget Sound about 1.5 miles south of Alki Point in West Seattle.

The Justin, an old military landing craft that had been converted into a construction vessel, sank at about 7:30 a.m. in about 20 feet of water. Ecology and the Coast Guard are still investigating how much oil spilled to Puget Sound. We do know that there were 2 miles of nearby shoreline affected by the spill.

Late Saturday, the Justin was lifted from the water, placed on a barge, and taken to a shipyard in Tacoma. It will take some time before our investigation is complete about why the craft sank, how much spilled, lessons learned from the response, and it affected the environment.

Spills from vessels in Tacoma, Gig Harbor

Ecology also responded to two other vessel spills to Puget Sound on Saturday October 15 – about 100 gallons of diesel fuel spilled from fishing tender vessel in Hylebos Waterway in Tacoma and a smaller spill occurred when a construction barge sank in Gig Harbor.

While we issued media releases describing both spills, I must apologize. While covering media calls for the spill in West Seattle, I literally ran out of time to give the public an update about the barge spill in Gig Harbor. So quickly:

• We estimate that less 25 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled in total.


• The barge owner, Marine Floats, immediately notified state and federal authorities about the spill.


• Marine Floats was able to pump the fuel remaining in the crane after the barge sank.


• The company put out their own oil containment boom to contain the spill in the harbor.


• Gig Harbor fire and police departments also put out 200 feet of boom Ecology provided in 2006.


• By Sunday, the company had successfully refloated the barge and towed it to their yard in Tacoma.

During recovery operations, no more oil spilled.

Puget Sound Partnership calls for action

On Tuesday October 19, the Puget Sound Partnership issued an interesting press release about oil spill risks in Washington and how the Partnership plans to add their support to Ecology’s efforts. Partnership Executive Director Gerry O’Keefe said that “three serious oil spills and two close calls this past week sounded an alarm that showed how vulnerable Puget Sound is to a devastating environmental disaster.”

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell and Martha Kongsgaard, who chairs the Partnership’s Leadership Council, jointed the call for action.

In the release, the Partnership announced they will be reconvening the Oil Spill Work Group to evaluate and make recommendations to reduce spill risks to our waters.

The Partnership also called on the Coast Guard to work with the state to assess the oil spill risks associated with the increasing maritime trade in the Puget Sound waters that we share with Canada.

“These close calls and other incidents are a wakeup call. Puget Sound can’t wait any longer, we must make additional progress now toward meeting the state’s zero oil spill goal,” Kongsgaard said.

Ecology looks forward to working with the Partnership’s Oil Spill Work Group and the Coast Guard to assess and reduce the oil spill risks we face every
day.

Last week was very busy.

We’re grateful these strong community leaders have added their voices of support to help Washington make progress toward its goal of zero spills to our waters.

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Ecology, Gig Harbor fire and police departments responding to oil spill in Gig Harbor

By Curt Hart, Communications Manager, Spills Program

Ecology and Gig Harbor fire and police departments are responding to an oil spill in Gig Harbor in Pierce County.

A barge owned by Marine Floats with a 5-ton deck crane sank in the harbor. The sunken barge has leaked an unknown amount of fuel, causing an oil sheen on the water. The fuel has been removed from the barge crane.

The barge owner has deployed boom and absorbent materials to help contain the spill.

More information about the spill will be provided as soon as it becomes available.

Ecology Spills Program: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html
Ecology homepage: www.ecy.wa.gov

For more information, call Curt at: 360-480-7908 cell (curt.hart@ecy.wa.gov)

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