SPILL UPDATE
UPDATE # 9 October 18, 2004 3:45 p.m. -DALCO PASSAGE SPILL CLEANUP CONTINUES
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 hold a public workshop tonight. The workshop will be held at McMurray Middle School and Chautauqua Elementary School in the 9300 block of SW Cemetery Road on Vashon Island today. 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 theVashon & Maury Island Community Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the same location.
Update information:
Location of oil: The only location where a small, isolated, thin patch of non-recoverable oil remains on the water is in Ollala Bay. There are patches of brownish organic matter throughout area waters that can appear like oil sheen, but are natural. Beach cleanup is progressing , but some oil remains on 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, tribal, local and federal agencies.
Cost of Cleanup: The total cost of the cleanup is $ 1,046,000. Federal agencies have funded approximately 90 percent of the cost, while Washington state has paid ten percent.
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. The bird was washed at the Progressive Animal Welfare Society wildlife treatment center in Lynnwood, Wash today. The seal pup that died Saturday night was evaluated by NOAA Fisheries Sunday, however, the results have not been released.
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. The results of the evaluation are not available at this time.
Weather/Seas: Response vessels encountered seas of one to two 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 10/18/04):
Shoreline affected initially:
With light sheen: 15 miles
With a film coating: 6 miles
Workboats: 7
Skimmers: There are no plans to use skimmers today because no oil thick enough to recover remains on the water.
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 118 people are responding to the spill, 35 at the command center and 83 in the field.
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.
Technical Note: Oil Spill Investigations
The Coast Guard and Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) continue to investigate and develop leads based on information gathered from phone calls or reports to the Incident Command Center and the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Puget Sound (MSO Puget Sound). The investigators continue tracking information on the commercial vessels that transited the affected area within a time window for the oil discharge, and tracing potential sources through the tide and wind pattern data. Coast Guard and State resources are pursuing each lead until enough information has been gathered to positively eliminate that lead or suspect vessel.
Specifically, investigators have collected numerous samples from the spill and potential sources and submitted them for analysis to the Manchester Laboratory operated jointly by DOE and the U.S. EPA. Additional samples continue to be collected and submitted for analysis and comparison as integral steps in the investigation. The Coast Guard and State DOE are also collecting evidence in the form of transit records, oil record books, witness statements, and other documentation to ascertain the facts pertaining to the case. The investigation has not narrowed in scope to any specific vessels or facilities as of this time.
Any enforcement action that is taken will be dependent on what the evidence indicates actually happened. The penalties for an intentional discharge into U.S. or waters of the state may include civil and criminal penalties and criminal prosecution. Additionally, if the person responsible is the holder of a Coast Guard issued license or document, suspension and revocation action against their credentials can be taken. The most common type of penalty for an oil spill of this nature is two fold: the responsible party can be required to reimburse the Coast Guard and DOE for up to triple the actual cost expended for cleanup in addition to the penalties listed above. Costs are returned to both the Coast Guard’s Oil Pollution Fund and Washington’s Oil Spill Response Account. Spillers may also be required to reimburse the state for damages to natural resources.
When there is no responsible party that comes forward for an oil spill, the subsequent investigation can move in the following direction.
1. Collecting oil from several geographic sources in the area of the spill.
2. Determining the number of vessels in the area that use the type of oil spilled
3. Collecting data on the movements of these vessels
4. Collecting oil samples from several sources (vessels fuel, bilges, slop tanks, machinery, etc.) from the vessels and facilities.
5. Analyzing the oil collected from the vessels and comparing it to the oil that was spilled
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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