The following provides updated information about the oil spill that occurred at Dalco Passage near Commencement Bay at about 1 a.m. Oct. 14, 2004.

Public meeting on Vashon Island:

The Washington State Department of Ecology, United States Coast Guard and the King County Parks Department will sponsor a public workshop Monday night. The workshop will be held at McMurray Middle School and Chautauqua Elementary School in the 9300 block of SW Cemetery Road on Vashon Island on October 18, 2004.  An open house is planned from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with presentations scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.  The workshop will directly precede the previously-scheduled Vashon & Maury Island Community Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the same location.

Update information:

Location of oil:  Small, isolated, thin patches of non-recoverable oil are all that remain on the water.  The locations where these have been observed include waters off the southern parts of Vashon and Maury islands, outside Ollala Bay, Clam Bay and east of Maury Island.   There are patches of brownish organic matter throughout area waters that can appear like oil sheen, but are natural.   A film coats the southern beaches of Vashon and Maury islands, which received the heaviest concentrations of oil.

Status of cleanup: On-water cleanup has ended, and skimming vessels and decontamination crews are cleaning their equipment.  Beach cleanup continues along southern Vashon and Maury islands.  An investigation to determine the responsible party continues.   The unified command, led by the U.S. Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology, remains committed to do everything possible to reduce the effects from the spill to the environment and wildlife, with safety to cleanup crews and public safety a major priority. This is a coordinated effort between state, local and federal agencies. 

Is your boat oiled?  If you suspect that your vessel has been oiled by the Dalco Passage Spill, please call (253) 591-5960 to arrange for an inspection and, if needed, a professional cleaning. 

Type of oil: Oil product unknown

Amount of oil: Estimated 1,000 gallons

Responsible Party: Unknown

Cause or source of the spill: Unknown

Resources at risk: There are several eelgrass beds, shallow sub tidal areas, baitfish spawning beaches, and salt marsh habitats in the area. This is a major feeding area for birds, however at this time bird concentrations are lower than usual.  Possible impacts are being evaluated.

Oiled wildlife: One oiled Western Grebe was recovered from Des Moines marina Friday afternoon. It is receiving treatment at the Progressive Animal Welfare Society wildlife treatment center in Lynnwood. One seal pup, found alive and lightly oiled at Point Defiance Park, Saturday died overnight.  It has been transferred to NOAA Fisheries for follow-up evaluation. 

Non-spill related wildlife impact:  Two non-oiled dead seal pups were found on Saturday.  One was a mile south of Normandy Park and the other was found on the western shore of Vashon Island.  They were transferred to NOAA Fisheries for evaluation. 

Weather/Seas: Response vessels encountered seas of two to three feet today.

Air quality: Air monitoring has shown no detectable levels of toxic vapors.

Organizations involved: U.S. Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U. S. Navy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and other state and local agencies.

Spill Response Statistics

The following is a listing of the people, equipment and resources that are being used in responding to the Dalco Passage spill (as of 10/17/04):

Shoreline affected initially:

With light sheen:  15 miles

With a film coating:  6 miles 

Vessels:

Workboats:  22

Skimmers:  Two skimmers were made ready this morning, but were called in because no oil thick enough to recover remained from the spill.

Boom deployed:  9,900 feet

9,900 feet of protection boom placed at sensitive locations in the spill area remains in position.

Additional boom used to channel oil to skimmers has been taken for cleaning and will be returned to storage.

Helicopters:  1

Personnel: Today about 150 people responded to the spill, 50 at the command center and 100 in the field.   Tomorrow’s plans involve about 100 responders, 70 in the field and 30 at the command center.

Recovered product:

Oily water:  5,919 gallons

Oily debris:  6.2 tons

The Joint Information Center and Unified Command are located at Tacoma Fire Department Training Center, 2124 Marshall Avenue, Tacoma, Wash.

Information numbers:

            Injured wildlife reporting line: 1-800-22BIRDS (222-4737)

            Damage Claims: 1-800-280-7118

            News Media Only: (253) 591-5960

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