Are we ready for next big oil spill?

Lack of secure funding threatens our ability to test spill response capabilities and a lot more

Aerial view of Seattle from Ecology's marine monitoring 

program, Eyes Over Puget Sound.

While Seattle sleeps, an environmental catastrophe unfolds in Seattle’s Elliott Bay.

A powerful ship loses its steering, and in the ink-black, pre-dawn of October 12, it collides with a tank barge pumping fuel into a giant container ship.

Several of the barge’s side tanks are punctured. A million gallons of oil spills into Puget Sound. Potentially, two million more gallons could quickly spill.

Oil in water.

Early morning joggers in West Seattle can already smell it. The oil spreads across the bay, coming into contact with the feathers of marine birds. It’s beginning to slime the picturesque beaches of the Seattle shoreline. U.S. Coast Guard officers are already worried. How will they keep open a critical Washington port that delivers food and medicine to the rest of the world?

News helicopters are buzzing overhead. Social media is lighting up. Facebook and Twitter are popping with outraged comments. By midday, protesters line the beaches. Tribal members are dismayed.

How could this happen? The story goes national – international.

This is our biggest nightmare – the kind of catastrophic oil spill we work so hard to prevent and prepare for.

Thankfully, this disaster never happened.

Table-top, worst-case scenario spill drill 
held in Seattle Oct. 12.

In reality, this was a “table top” oil spill scenario we used to test a Seattle company’s oil spill contingency plan. In this case, more than 100 participants gathered Oct. 12 in Seattle to test how well the company and partners could respond to the fictitious spill. Besides the company, other partners participating included the U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, state Department of Fish & Wildlife, a number of environmental contractors, and Ecology. Make no mistake, it was serious business.

Oil spill drills are part of contingency planning in Washington

This drill was literally a test of the company’s oil spill contingency plan, just one of the approximately 35 plans we review and approve for oil facility and commercial vessel operators across the state. We spent months ahead of drill day designing and organizing the drill with the company and other agencies so we could meet specific objectives within the plan.  It will take another couple of weeks to review what we saw at the drill and write our evaluation of the company’s performance.

We drill to help the oil industry be ready for spills

Oiled duck. Photo courtesy WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

Outside of a real spill, which we want to avoid, drills are the best way for us to see firsthand the strengths and weakness of these response plans and improve them.

Each of the 35 facility or vessel plans we oversee are required to conduct three drills a year. This means that we design, attend, and write an evaluation for more than 120 drills annually. At many of these, response equipment is deployed – including boats, pre-positioned booming and pre-trained personnel, and contractors. Our oversight and evaluations provide consistent best practices we are able to carry across industry sectors and improve everybody’s plans.

Why it matters

The 2004 Legislature mandated that Washington have a “zero spills” goal, and as a result of everyone's collective work, we have one of the lowest spill rates in the nation. We don’t do this work alone. We work with many partners to make progress towards that goal. The oil industry is a big partner in helping us protect our state’s resources and economy, and to prevent oil spills from occurring.

Washington has a lot at stake. A large spill would change everything. We have one of the world’s most unique marine environments and a thriving economy. However, we live with the constant threat of a major oil spill. More than 20 billion gallons of oil is transported through Washington each year by vessel, pipeline, road, and rail.

Keeping our funding strong

We are working to keep our funding strong. We want to continue to fully participate in oil spill drills with industry.

Based on information reported to Ecology, trains carry approximately
25 percent of crude oil that is transported in Washington.

We also need enough funding to carry out our legislatively directed 2015 Oil Transportation Safety Act. The Act was a significant step forward to protect Washingtonians from new oil spill risks, such as transporting oil by rail.

Without adequate funding, other important spill prevention and preparedness work is also at risk.

We are meeting with industry representatives to enlist their support for funding solutions we have in mind. We have a history of working together to build the successful program we have today.

Together, we want to find a reliable, equitable, ongoing revenue solution to support our oil spill prevention and preparedness work. We look forward to working with the Legislature, the governor’s office, the oil industry, tribes, and all stakeholders to maintain Washington’s spill prevention safety net.

By Sandy Howard, Spills Program

Cleaning Up: Snohomish spill site now preserved for farmland

The former RiverBend property is preserved for farming. (Forterra photo)

For years, the site of a past fuel spill carried the stigma of contamination.

Now, thanks to the Forterra conservation group and our Toxics Cleanup Program's Bellevue-based staff, the Snohomish County property is considered cleaned up and classified as preserved for farming.

An accident, then contamination

The 140-acre RiverBend Investment Co. site is located at 4304 State Route 530 NE in the Arlington area. In July 1992, a truck towing a tractor had an accident while traveling on Highway 530 near the property. The tractor ended up on its side near a driveway at the property.

The tractor spilled about 100 gallons of diesel fuel within about 30 feet of the Stillaguamish River. The responsible party cleaned up about 20 cubic yards of contaminated soil -- but the soil was stockpiled at the property.

Then in 2004, some leaking underground storage tanks were found on the property. They were dug and removed, along with 40 cubic yards of contaminated soil. But that soil was stockpiled too.

Digging into the past

The property changed owners a few times, and there was no clear record of what happened to the stockpiled soils. Eventually, a new owner contacted the Toxics Cleanup Program to find out if the site needed further cleanup before the property could be sold.

Dale Myers, a site manager in our Bellevue office, worked with the owner to determine the site's condition. A couple of dozen soil samples and samples from two groundwater wells showed no detectable levels of contamination. We issued a "no further action" (NFA) finding, meaning the site is now considered to be cleaned up.

The owner then sold the property to Forterra so the organization could maintain the land for farming instead of developing it for housing or other uses.

A 'community win'

Media reports focused on the successful preservation effort, including this TV news broadcast and this newspaper story. 

Michelle Connor, Forterra executive vice president, wrote to thank our staff for their part: "I wanted to extend deep appreciation from the entire team at Forterra for Department of Ecology’s efforts to assist us in working through the cleanup and technical work needed to receive an NFA letter related to an historic 140-acre farm near Arlington. ... Department of Ecology played a critical role in this community win."

This is just one example of how a site that's thought to be contaminated can find new life through the cleanup process.


By Seth Preston, Toxics Cleanup Program communications manager

Site on Maury Island recovering from 2004 Crude Oil Spill

by Lisa Copeland, communications manager, Spills program

It’s been eleven years since a significant and devastating crude oil spill occurred in Puget Sound’s Dalco Passage near Tacoma. But if you visited a former fishing port on Maury Island today, you’d probably never know the spill happened.

The October 2004 incident involved ConocoPhillips Co.’s oil tanker Polar Texas, which lost 7,200 gallons of crude oil during evening hours. The unreported spill spread oil out on the water throughout the night and later patches of oily sheen reached as far south as the Tacoma Narrows and as far north as Eagle Harbor.

The sheen touched 15 miles of shore along Colvos Passage, the Narrows and Quartermaster Harbor. Six miles of beach on southern Vashon and Maury islands required cleanup to remove the oil.

In 2010, Conoco Phillips Co. agreed to pay $588,000 to help compensate the public for environmental harm caused by the spill. Reports showed the spill caused harm to Puget Sound Chinook salmon and other salmon species, forage fish, shellfish and their habitats, as well as other bird and wildlife species. Several areas were analyzed, plans were developed and comments were collected. Dockton, an area on Vashon Island and one of three projects proposed by state, federal and tribal governments was selected to receive the restoration funds. King County agreed to manage the project.

The project got underway in 2012 and involved re-grading the Dockton site to re-create a salt marsh wetland. This was done by removing 350 feet of bulkheads to help restore natural shorelines. The project also included taking out boat houses and removing creosote-contaminated pilings and other debris in the intertidal zone.

“After removing the shoreline armoring and fill on the site, the shoreline can act naturally for the first time in over 100 years,” said Greg Rabourn, King County‘s Vashon Basin Steward and project proponent.

Today salmon, forage fish, birds, and shellfish are benefiting from the restoration. And the former village port isn’t just environmentally friendly, it’s beautiful.

Although not part of the restoration, recreational opportunities and public access to the Sound at Dockton Park are abundant and breathtaking. From dog-walking to beach-combing, these bonuses at the site promise something for all ages.

Check out the before and after pictures. Please visit our Flickr site for more photos.

Coast Guard honors Ecology employee

By Lisa Copeland, Spills Communications Manager

Elin Storey with R. Adm. Richard Gromlich

In Ecology’s Spills program, a good day at the office is usually one in which nothing happens. Most of the time, we draw attention only after something has gone seriously wrong.

So it was a wonderful change of pace last week when the U.S. Coast Guard awarded one of our own, Elin Storey, with that service’s Meritorious Coast Guard Public Service Award at a surprise celebration in Seattle.

Storey plans to retire at the end of September after 24 years working at Ecology in spill response, prevention and preparation. For the past several years, she has served as Ecology’s drill coordinator, organizing the regular training sessions that keep us prepared for accidents, incidents and natural disasters.

U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Richard T. Gromlich, commander of the Coast Guard’s 13^th District based in Seattle, presented the award on Aug. 27. The Coast Guard’s second-highest public service award, it recognizes individuals who have made substantial contributions to the Coast Guard’s mission, or whose accomplishments have provided unique benefits to the public.

“In recognition of notable services that have assisted greatly in furthering the aims and functions of the Coast Guard, I take great pleasure in presenting this award to you,” Gromlich told Storey.

Gromlich praised Storey’s support for his agency’s marine environmental protection mission and the collaboration she helped build between Ecology and the Coast Guard.

“The most notable included development of the nation’s first-ever combined area and regional contingency plan,” Gromlich said. “Using the Northwest Area Plan as a foundation, she set rigorous measurements used in evaluating industry oil spill drills today.”

Although Storey devoted much of her career to preparing for the worst, she also played an important role in leading responses to actual spills, including the 1991 Texaco refinery spill in Anacortes, the 1991 U.S. Oil refinery spill in Tacoma, the 1996 GATX spill in Seattle, the 1999 Olympic pipeline explosion in Bellingham, and the 1999 wreck of the MV New Carissa freighter off the Oregon coast.

Linda Pilkey-Jarvis, Ecology’s preparedness manager and Storey’s supervisor, said the Coast Guard honor was a moving tribute to a dedicated public servant.

“This is a huge honor and I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more than Elin,” Pilkey-Jarvis said. “She has been such an amazing asset to our program – a great friend to Ecology and the Coast Guard.  I am happy for her, but we’re all very sad to see her go.”

Grounded at Ocean Shores: Ecology’s response to the Tamara

By Chase Gallagher, Southwest Region Communications Manager

The Tamara, aground near Ocean Shores.

In the morning hours of Tuesday Aug. 11, the 42-foot commercial fishing vessel Tamara ran aground near Ocean Shores on the Pacific coast. The U.S. Coast Guard received a mayday call from the vessel and dispatched a rescue team from Coast Guard Air Station Astoria. A Coast Guard helicopter was able to safely rescue both crew members on the Tamara and bring them ashore.


The Coast Guard noted there was some level of pollution escaping from the grounded vessel and notified our spills team. We were informed there was as much as 1,000 gallons of fuel on board at the time of the grounding.

We dispatched two of our Southwest Region spill responders to the scene, who worked with a Coast Guard contractor to assess the situation.

Mid-day Aug. 12, 2015: Tamara visible from the beachat high tide.

On the ground, no sheen was visible, but there were reports of a diesel odor on the beach. Some debris that was likely from the Tamara had also washed onto the beach.

To get a better perspective, our spills team took to the air via helicopter. They were able to spot a notable sheen from the vessel being carried south by currents.

Oil sheen carrying south along Ocean Shores. Chance a la Mer State Park in background.

Working with the contractor, our responders attempted to reach the vessel at the next low tide (around 5 p.m. Aug. 11), but the cables and lines from the Tamara prevented them from being able to safely reach the vessel. The decision was made to try again in the morning, at the next low tide.

Thanks to a little help from the moon with a strong minus tide, our spills team and the contractor were able to reach the vessel and pump off 630 gallons of remaining fuel and oily water from the Tamara via a vacuum truck. Responders were able to recover buckets and containers of oil, as well as other hazardous materials.

Coast Guard contractor working to remove remaining fuel from the Tamara at low tide, morning of Aug. 12.

Luckily, no oil sheen has been reported washing up on the beach. With the pollution threat minimized, the Department of Natural Resources’ Derelict Vessel Program removed the Tamara from the beach on Aug. 13.

DNR Derelict Vessel program removing the Tamara (Photos: DNR)

More information on our spills program, including what to do in the event of a spill, is available on our website.

When Spills come to La Push

By Chase Gallagher, Southwest Region Communications Manager

Thursday our spills team responded to a sinking vessel near La Push on the Olympic Peninsula after reports of a large sheen from the boat.


Our partners at the United States Coast Guard were able to respond first, and when our spills team arrived the fishing vessel was actively leaking diesel into the harbor.

Some fuel recovered

Around 200 to 250 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled since yesterday, but the contractor hired to help cleanup was able to recover 250 gallons from the fuel tanks before entering the harbor and stop sources of residual oil.

Working with the Quileute Tribe, our team surveyed the shoreline areas and found no pockets of recoverable oil, and no injured or distressed fish or wildlife.

With the immediate pollution threat contained, the Coast Guard and Ecology's direct involvement comes to a close, but the vessel owner plans to get the boat back above the water soon.

Know What to do

Every spill of oil or fuel into the water causes damage to our environment, and it's always important to know what to do when a spill occurs.

Use our spills reporting page to call the National Response Center, Washington Emergency Management Division, and the regional office of the Department of Ecology to get all the important information to the right people.

Southwest Washington smelt run

By Chase Gallagher, Communications Manager Southwest Regional Office

In Southwest Washington, this year’s smelt run is causing a bit of a splash in the area’s rivers. As thousands of the small fish return to spawn, the circle of life completes and their bodies wash-up along the river’s shore.

A smelt completing the circle of life in the Columbia River.

As their bodies decompose, the smelt’s oil is released into the water, creating an oil sheen that to the untrained eye looks a lot like a hazardous spill. Our spills response teams received a number of calls last weekend about oil sheens in area rivers, but all evidence pointed to the smelt as the culprit.

The story behind every sheen

With smelt bodies along the shore, tracking the source of the oil sheen can sometimes be simple. But the river’s flow may also carry the oil downstream farther than the smelt bodies on shore, making it harder to identify. On close observation however, the smelt oil contains tiny scales, which can help guide our responders in determining the appropriate action.

While this die-off is nothing new, our unseasonably nice weather may be bringing more people outside, causing an increase in people witnessing the natural life cycle, and in turn creating an increase in calls to our spill responders.

Of course, humans aren't the only ones taking notice of the smelt:

Our friends @WDFW found these sea lions feasting on smelt at the Cowlitz River. More on that on our blog next week! pic.twitter.com/ZiJPVABnRb
— Ecology SW - Chase (@EcySW) February 27, 2015

It’s always important for our crews to assess and identify the source of any spill, whether from people or fish. Contact us to report a spill when you’re out and about, and together we can make sure we’re all doing our part to protect our waters.

Rule protects environment in event of an oil spill

by Lisa Copeland, communications manager, Spills Program

Rule protects environment in event of an oil spill

We made a list, checked it twice, and wait! We found some inconsistencies within the Oil Spill Contingency Plan (WAC 173-182). We also found discrepancies between the rule and applicable statute (RCW 88.46.060).

Say what?

Yes, until recently, only non-profit corporations that develop oil spill plans for large commercial vessels have received our approval to cover multiple vessels under one plan. We’ve now updated that rule and ALL corporations have the same or like requirements. It doesn’t matter who owns the company or what kind of organization it is – all oil spill plans are subjected to the same provisions.

Whew! The rule amendments also protect public health and the environment by making sure all vessel owners follow the laws AND have the right resources in the event of an oil spill.

I feel better already.

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Earth ... pass it on: Spills Prevention

Spills Prevention Team helps safeguard Puget Sound

by Lisa Copeland, communications manager, Spills Program

They aren’t a huge team, but they have a tall order. The Spills Prevention Team is helping ensure our waters stay clean by keeping spills from happening in the first place.

On a daily basis, Ecology’s team of maritime and environmental experts conduct ship inspections (which includes fishing vessels, container ships, car carriers, grain ships, log ships, and general cargo ships) and passenger ship inspections on board ships of 300 gross tons and larger. These ships range in length of approximately 150 feet to over 1100 feet long.


Ecology’s Laura Stratton, vessel inspector,

reviews  required documentation for oil-spill prevention.

Inspectors are looking at the equipment used when bunkering (fueling from a barge), the process used during fuel transfers, procedures in place in the event of a spill, and any gaps that can be identified that increase efficiency and minimize the chance of human error.

Ships' officers and Ecology work together

“Vessel inspectors talk with senior officers on the ships that call in our waters,” said Laura Stratton, vessel inspector. “Our objective is to raise their awareness of the importance of preventing oil spills and serious marine accidents. The face-to-face discussion on how to accomplish this is what makes the difference.”

Areas of discussion include work and rest hours, preventive maintenance, emergency procedures, training, and much more. Inspectors verify that crews are following state and federal rules and they provide recommendations for improvement. But how do they know when they are successful? How does one capture the number of spills that almost occurred? It’s not easy, but every now again inspectors receive feedback like the following letter from YM that confirms the work they’re doing is valued and taken seriously. And who knows? Maybe a spill or two was avoided.

Letter from a ship's captain

Good morning!

With reference to the Vessel Boarding Evaluation conducted on board YM North at your good port firstly, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your valuable recommendations aiming at upgrading the vessels’ capability as to environmental protection and secondly, I would like to take this opportunity to explain what have been done in addressing the recommendations.

1. A fleet circular “EMD-140303-1 CIRC-Precaution of Bunker Operations in US port” was issued on Mar/03/2014 describing the said recommendations in detail and means to achieve the relevant requirements.

2. Washington regulations with regard to bunkering were studied and Information was gained by shipboard experience from Chief Engineers for the preparation of revision to the SMS procedures.

3. Revision to the SMS procedures with regard to bunkering was announced to fleet by an Observation List required by Company internal procedures to request shipboard staff to take such recommendations and Company instructions into consideration while making risk assessment for bunkering prior to the dissemination of the revised SMS procedures.

I really hope the above can satisfy you that YM always commit in the continuous Improvement in safety, health and environmental protection and please contact me if you have any doubt or advices in this connection. ~ Capt. John Ba;

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Multiple agencies respond to sunken vessel at Gig Harbor marina

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 1:25 a.m., February 19, 2014

Contact: Dieter Bohrmann, Department of Ecology, Dieter.Bohrmann@ecy.wa.gov

Stopping gasoline spill from spreading into Gig Harbor

GIG HARBOR – The Washington Department of Ecology, U.S. Coast Guard and Gig Harbor Fire Department responded to a sunken 28-foot pleasure craft Tuesday night at Lucas Landing in Gig Harbor.

An undetermined volume of gasoline has leaked from the vessel into the harbor. The fiberglass craft also contains an unknown amount of gasoline in its tanks. A contractor, Global Diving and Salvage, has been hired to conduct the cleanup.

Ecology is working with the Coast Guard and the contractor to monitor the cleanup. More information will be provided as soon as it becomes available.

Boat continues to sink

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

Ecology homepage: www.ecy.wa.gov/

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Ecology responding to diesel spill at Tacoma rail yard

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 6:25 a.m., February 18, 2014

Contact: Dieter Bohrmann, Department of Ecology, Dieter.Bohrmann@ecy.wa.gov, 509-420-3874

TACOMA – The Washington Department of Ecology is responding to a spill of diesel fuel at the site of Progress Rail Services off Highway 509 in Tacoma.

Up to 500 gallons of diesel was spilled when a vehicle apparently crashed into a refrigerated rail car parked at the site late Monday night. Progress has hired a contractor, NRCES, to handle the cleanup. Most of the spill is believed to be contained to the soil with no immediate threats to nearby waterways.

Ecology is working with Progress and the contractor to monitor the cleanup. More information 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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When soap and water are not a good thing

By Linda Kent, Southwest Regional Office and Lisa Copeland, Spills Program

Madge may soak in it and rubber ducks may get cleaned up with it, but soap isn’t the answer when there’s an oil spill.

 

We all use soap countless times a day, and that’s a good thing – keeping those hands clean helps us kill germs and avoid getting sick, after all.

Turns out soap's not so great when it comes to cleaning up oil spills.

Oil Sheen with soap bubbles in Westbay Marina, Olympia


Oil sheen in Westbay Marina, Olympia

In an incident that Ecology responded to at WestBay Marina in Olympia this weekend, someone had spilled diesel fuel as well as soap.

Complicating cleanup

The soap did not clean up the fuel spill. In fact, the soap (and the fact that the spill was not reported promptly) complicated things and made readily-available methods of picking up the oil ineffective. That's because detergent breaks up oil puddles into very small bits by surrounding it with molecules of water soluble compounds. When the water soluble compounds are dissolved in water they take the oil with them. That just spreads the oil around.

And that meant we had to rely on evaporation and natural degradation.

The "readily available methods" that were rendered ineffective include:

•   Using absorbent materials like pads, sweep and boom that that attract oil and do not absorb water.
•   Vacuuming up oil with a suction head on a hose connected to a tank truck.
•   Skimming oil off the surface using mechanical means.

All of these methods — absorbents, vacuums and skimmers — require fairly thick layers or patches of thick oil for them to work.

In this case, the combination of time, which allowed the sheen to spread a greater distance, and soap dispersed the diesel fuel so it was too thin.
 Harming aquatic life
Soaps and detergents actually break up oil and send it lower into the water column, causing damage to more marine organisms.

And when spilled in our waterways, soaps and detergents in and of themselves are actually a pollutant that may be harmful.


They can have poisonous effects in all types of aquatic life:

• All detergents destroy the external mucus layers that protect the fish from bacteria and parasites,
• Detergents can cause severe damage to fish gills,
• Soap and detergents can affect the critters fish eat, such as insects, by disrupting their cell membranes and by removing the protective waxes that cover the insects, causing them to die due to excess water loss.

Soaps and detergents cause other problems:

• Detergents lower the surface tension of the water, making it hard for aquatic insects like water striders to float on the surface.
• They can leave fish and other critters starved for air. Detergent binds up oxygen to form bubbles. Yes, the bubbles are bad for fish. Phosphates in detergents also can lead to freshwater algal blooms. These blooms reduce available oxygen that fish need in waterways because, when algae decompose, they use up the oxygen. Lower dissolved oxygen can also change the chemistry of the sediments under water, releasing toxins that harm aquatic life.

Report your spills

If you cause a spill, the best action you can take is to report it immediately by calling 1-800-OILS-911.

Prompt reporting of oil spills is important because the sooner responders are notified, the sooner they can work to minimize potential harm to the environment.

Some people fear that reporting a spill will cause them to receive a fine. However, failure to report a spill (if you are responsible for the spill) actually causes people to have more liability because:

• It can delay response to the spill and increase the impact the spill has
• Not notifying responders in a timely fashion increases your chances of receiving a penalty, or fine.

Soap? Nope!

The bottom line: Soap isn’t the solution when it comes to keeping our waterways clean.

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We do more than just respond to spills

By communications staff with narrative by Carl Andersen, Spills Program, Department of Ecology, Lacey


As 2013 came to a close, many people were making resolutions and setting new goals. Carl Andersen, a lead spill responder in Bellingham, was also reflecting on the past and how it’s shaped his passion/perspective toward his job. Below he shares his touching account of an incident that happened nearly 10 years ago:

Carl Andersen, responding to a spill.

I was paged around 2:30 a.m. to respond to a fiery semi-truck/pickup truck incident that destroyed both vehicles. The collision occurred over a large area of I-90 and ended just east of Issaquah in the westbound lanes.

When I arrived on scene all three westbound lanes were closed and traffic was getting by on the far right shoulder. The collision was still generating heat and smoke, and fire-fighting foam covered the roadway, making it appear as if it’d snowed. 

I was told the semi-truck had lost control and pinned the pickup truck up against the left wall. For several hundred feet they travelled west – the pickup stuck between the semi and its’ trailer, and the concrete wall of the bridge. With all the metal scraping against the concrete and sparks flying a fire was ignited as both trucks came to a stop. 

Two occupants in the pickup were able to get out and jumped off the bridge. Not realizing in the dark how high up they were, one ended up with multiple fractures from falling 25 feet. The truck driver walked away unhurt. 

I checked in with the Washington State Patrol (WSP) Incident Commander who was concerned with the diesel and foam/water runoff into the nearby creek. He was also unsure of what was in the trailer, which had completely burned.

The fire burned so hot that the top of the semi-truck diesel-saddle tanks melted, exposing the diesel still inside. My job was to get the remaining diesel in the tanks pumped off prior to the morning commute. I also needed to assess the creek for fuel and any damage due to the fire-fighting runoff that went directly off the bridge to the creek. 

WSP gave me the green light and I started working with the trucking company to get a contractor mobilized to take care of the remaining diesel fuel. Once the contractor was en route I began investigating the creek.

I noted some fire-fighting foam, but with my flashlight only detected a sheen on the water. I did not see any recoverable product. It was still dark so with safety in mind, I decided to wait until daylight to do a further assessment. Meanwhile, WSP accident investigators were documenting the scene and continuing their work on the bridge above me.

That’s when it happened.

Troopers uncovered a small car trapped beneath the burnt shell of the semi trailer. Next they discovered a charred body and a sad gloom fell over the scene. 

Suddenly all activities came to a crawl as the scene grew to a large-scale fatality investigation. As responders carefully removed the semi trailer to get to the hidden vehicle, a white sheet was placed over the deceased so passing vehicles could not see the young man’s remains.

It was just starting to get light out and the scene was now covered with crime-scene tape and photo ID location markers. A flurry of WSP investigators were surveying the accident, documenting every piece of metal, glass, and skid mark.

As I walked to my truck I passed three troopers talking with a man in plain street clothes. I was just a few feet from the man when he fell to his knees crying, his head in his hands, “Oh dear God no. Oh dear God NO, it can’t be!” 

Brief eye contact with the female trooper told me the man had just been informed that his son died, trapped in the vehicle under the semi’s trailer. 

I walked by the car with the young man still inside as they gingerly removed the metal pieces around him. I prayed for his spirit to move quickly away from the accident to a better more peaceful place. I prayed that he was knocked unconscious or killed instantly from the accident and was not burned alive or trapped, suffering through those moments of helplessness. I also prayed for his family and hoped that they would make it through this horrible day and difficult time ahead.
 
I tried, unsuccessfully, to keep my mind from thinking about how horrific it would have been to be conscious and trapped in that vehicle, not being able to escape and worse yet, to be burned to death.
 
I finished assessing the creek which did not appear to have been impacted beyond some fire-fighting foam. I took a quiet moment while standing there next to the creek listening to the peaceful, calming and soothing gurgling sounds which drowned out the noise of the work being done above me.

As I stood there it struck me how totally different and distant a world it was from the horrific scene just above me. Two totally different worlds so far apart yet so close to each other. The creek flowed from the shadows of the bridge out into the bright daylight on its journey west and I hoped the young man’s spirit would follow a similar peaceful path.
 
I will never forget that day. Almost a decade later, I still can very clearly bring up the image of the young man’s body in the burnt shell of the smashed car – I wish I couldn’t.
 
We do more than just respond to spills.

We row out and save hypothermic fishermen off their partially submerged fishing vessels. We put our warm response coats around cold, elderly victims sitting on the side of the roadway, shaken from collisions. We comfort owners that have watched their boat burn and sink, taking to the bottom a lifetime of joyous memories of family adventures and children raised. We see the bodies of those that have passed in a tragic highway accident covered from view with a white sheet. 

Responding to spills, protecting the environment, that’s our job, that’s what we do. It’s a tall order being a responder and every now and again we are touched by our experiences and changed forever.

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Around the Sound: Derelict vessels in spotlight

By Seth Preston, Communications Manager, Toxics Cleanup Program

Boats abandoned around Puget Sound and in other Washington waterways pose significant environmental risks and possibly some big cleanup bills for taxpayers.

TVW’s “The Impact” program took a look this week at the problems that derelict vessels can cause. The report begins at about the 5:25 mark.

In the past two years, Ecology’s Spills Program had a major role in responding to two large-scale environmental problems caused by derelict vessels. In 2012, the fishing vessel Deep Sea (shown at right in a KIRO-TV image) caught fire and then sank near the fertile shellfish beds of Penn Cove off Whidbey Island. And in 2011, the old barge Davy Crockett was found leaking into the Columbia River.

Cleaning up those two incidents alone cost state taxpayers millions of dollars.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has a derelict vessel removal program. Gov. Jay Inslee signed legislation earlier this year to boost efforts to clear such vessels from state waters.

In other environmental news, Ecology’s Lucy McInerney authored this guest editorial recently in the Bellingham Herald on some major cleanup work in and around Bellingham Bay.

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Lower Granite Dam staff and nearby response agencies sharpen oil spill response skills

By Brook Beeler, communication manager, Eastern Regional Office

Photo courtesy US Army Corps of Engineers

On Wednesday June 26 ^th passersby will see boats and boom in the water downstream of Lower Granite Lock and Dam at Boyer Park and Marina on the Snake River.

It’s part of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) multi-agency training exercise to practice containing and recovering oil and other hazardous materials that potentially spill into the river. No oil will be released during the drill. The river will remain open to boaters and river traffic. The best time to watch is from noon to 2 p.m. from the north shore of the river at Boyer Park.

“Our goal is to foster close working relationships with all cooperating agencies in the instance of a spill,” said Sara White of the USACE Environmental Compliance Office for the Lower Granite Project. “We have 28 people, six watercraft, and two spill trailers ready for this practical hands-on training exercise.”

The Corps of Engineers is hosting the training exercise. Washington Department of Ecology staff will participate in the training. County sheriffs, emergency management, and fire and oil spill response agencies from Whitman, Garfield, Nez Perce, and Asotin Counties plan to participate.

Every year Ecology handles 3,800 reports of oil and hazardous material spills and mounts 1,200 field responses to incidents that threaten public health, safety and the environment.

Spill response training exercises form part of Ecology’s ongoing commitment to ensure a rapid, aggressive and well-coordinated response to incidents that pose an immediate threat to public health, safety and the environment.

For more information, see Ecology Spill Prevention, Preparedness and Response Program.

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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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Deep Sea update: Delivered to shipyard

By Larry Altose, Ecology public information

Photo Source: Global Diving & Salvage, Inc.

The former fishing vessel Deep Sea arrived June 6, 2012 in Seattle at the Stabbert Maritime dry dock for dismantling, after passing through the Chittenden Locks, as shown in the photo.

For more information on the Deep Sea incident, please see: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/FVdeepsea/index.html

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Deep Sea Update: En-route to Seattle

by Larry Altose, Ecology public information

Photo source: Global Diving and Salvage, Inc.

The Deep Sea departed Penn Cove shortly after 5 a.m. today, towed by the tug Taurus. The vessels are expected to reach Seattle by approximately early afternoon.  See Ecology's Deep Sea website for more information.

The state Department of Health re-opened the shellfish harvest areas north of Mueller Park June 5 after test results showed samples taken from those areas are safe to eat. The area of Penn Cove south of Mueller Park will remain closed until additional test results shows that shellfish there also meet standards. All shellfish harvesting was closed May 15 due to the fuel leaking from the Deep Sea. Click here for more information.

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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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Sunken fishing vessel Deep Sea brought to surface in Penn Cove

by Larry Altose, Ecology public information

Deep Sea Incident website: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/FVdeepsea/index.html

Deep Sea vessel status

Two floating cranes raised the 140-foot sunken fishing vessel Deep Sea to the surface of Penn Cove today, Sunday June 3.

The lift capped an intensive multi-agency response to protect the area’s shellfish and other resources against damage from thousands of gallons of oil on the Deep Sea when it sank at its mooring May 13 after a fire.

The Deep Sea must still undergo inspections to determine whether it can float safely or must be placed on a barge for a tow to Seattle as early as tomorrow for dismantling.

A multi-agency unified command is coordinating the recovery effort. The command comprises the U.S. Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology (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). The 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 King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO).

Sunday's activities

The lift operation began Sunday morning, paused briefly so divers could remove several tons of silt from the deck, and resumed by late morning. By 1:30 p.m. the deck stood above the surface, and crews began to pump water out of the hold.

The Deep Sea rose slowly as the pumps emptied it. By late afternoon the vessel’s own buoyancy supported almost all of its weight. Crews continued to seek and repair any openings in the hull.

The operation to raise the vessel involved about 80 people, including crews on the water from Global Diving and NRC-ES, and those who supported the operation on shore from local, state and federal agencies.

In addition to crane barge crews, divers and environmental response contractors, the effort included five volunteer teams from Island County’s Washington State University Beach Watchers Program who assisted Coast Guard personnel.Members of the Whidbey Island Audubon Society helped in shoreline assessment.

Removing spilled oil

Responders were prepared for a major release of oil because divers had been unable to determine whether two of the vessel’s six 5,500-gallon tanks contained fuel. In the first days after the sinking, divers and environmental cleanup crews hired by the Coast Guard removed more than 5,000 gallons of oil, mostly diesel fuel, from the vessel or surface waters above and around it.

The righting and lifting of the Deep Sea did dislodge smaller pockets of oil, which rose to the surface to form a light coating of oil on the water surface. Tidal currents pulled some sheen under and past 5,700 feet of floating oil-spill containment boom placed around the Deep Sea and vessels involved in the lifting. Light sheen reached shore in some places, but beach assessment teams found that this had evaporated, leaving no oil residue.A KCSO helicopter and crew helped environmental experts pinpoint patches of oil, and assess overall environmental conditions.

The response and preparations also included two NRC-ES oil-skimming vessels and two Ecology boats to aid environmental assessment.

Penn Cove Status

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.

Media Contacts:
Larry Altose, Ecology, 206-920-2600, larry.altose@ecy.wa.gov

Curt Hart, Ecology, 360-480-7908, curt.hart@ecy.wa.gov

Lt. j.g. Lindsay Cook, U.S. Coast Guard, 206-510-8031

Toni Droscher, Dept. of Natural Resources, 360-902-1523, toni.droscher@dnr.wa.gov

Terry Clark, Island County Department of Emergency Management, 360-632-3902

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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