By Karen Robes Meeks
Members of the US Coast Guard, the Washington Department of Ecology and Oregon Department of Environment Quality investigated what appeared to be a large sheen on the Columbia River.
According to the Coast Guard, the sheen may have originated near Kalama, Wash. It was first discovered by crew at the Temco grain terminal and that of the 193-foot hopper dredge Yaquina.
Boats were deployed to collect samples and track the movement and size of the sheen, which had traveled down the river before reaching Longview and stretched about three miles long.
“The information from both overflights indicates to responders that the source is no longer actively discharging into the river. Responders assessed the oil in the water and determined it is too thin to recover, as well as confirmed it is dissipating,” according to the agency.
The Coast Guard pointed out that area wildlife did not appear to be distressed.
Showing posts with label Washington Department of Ecology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Washington Department of Ecology. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Olympia Cleanup Planned
By Karen Robes Meeks
Work to clear out contamination of various East Bay properties in downtown Olympia is expected to be completed later this month, according to the Port of Olympia.
The cleanup work consists of removing and disposing of contaminated soil, site grading and placing gravel covering.
In the past, the port-owned property was used for various industrial operations that resulted in contamination.
The port had previously partnered with the Department of Ecology, LOTT Clean Water Alliance, and the City of Olympia to clean up and redevelop much of the East Bay property, which now houses the Hands on Children’s Museum and the LOTT’s headquarters.
Now the port is partnering with the Department of Ecology to clear out the remaining pollution of its downtown locations.
Once cleanup is completed, the sites will be available for development.
Work to clear out contamination of various East Bay properties in downtown Olympia is expected to be completed later this month, according to the Port of Olympia.
The cleanup work consists of removing and disposing of contaminated soil, site grading and placing gravel covering.
In the past, the port-owned property was used for various industrial operations that resulted in contamination.
The port had previously partnered with the Department of Ecology, LOTT Clean Water Alliance, and the City of Olympia to clean up and redevelop much of the East Bay property, which now houses the Hands on Children’s Museum and the LOTT’s headquarters.
Now the port is partnering with the Department of Ecology to clear out the remaining pollution of its downtown locations.
Once cleanup is completed, the sites will be available for development.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Vessel Owners Fined for Port Orchard Oil Spill
By Mark Edward Nero
The owners of a 69-foot wooden vessel that sank at its dock and spilled oil into Sinclair Inlet have been fined $47,500 by the Washington Dept. of Ecology.
On Oct. 3, Ecology confirmed that it issued the fine to Dean Raught and Kyhra Hessel of Des Moines, Iowa for failing to keep the 58-year-old former fishing boat Tango in suitable repair to remain afloat. It sank at the Port Orchard Railway Marina on Sept. 2, 2015.
An estimated 751 gallons of oil, primarily diesel fuel with lubricating oil, spilled when the Tango sank. Local crews and volunteers used a nearby Ecology Dept. spill equipment trailer to place containment boom and other spill response materials around the vessel.
Investigators determined that a power cable came loose from an electrical service box on the dock. As a result, six pumps stopped operating that had been keeping the vessel from sinking. Also, a lock to secure plug-ins at the box had not been properly engaged.
Most of the spilled fuel was contained within the marina, but a surface coating too thin to clean up extended about a mile into Sinclair Inlet.
In the marina, response crews recovered about 618 gallons of the spill, and 30 gallons that was still inside the boat. “This was a bad ending to a series of problems with the Tango,” said the state ecology department’s spills program manager Dale Jensen. “This boat nearly sank before, and the owners relied on pumps to keep it afloat.”
The vessel previously took on water and nearly sank in March 2014. Responders deployed powerful pumps to avert the sinking. Ecology says that in June 2015, it offered to arrange removal of the Tango’s fuel at no cost, after explaining to the vessel’s owners they could face liability under state law for polluting. The owners, according to Ecology, declined the offer.
In the latest incident, the US Coast Guard used a federal spill response fund to hire a salvage company to remove the remaining oil. The marina had the vessel patched and re-floated, then towed to a boat yard for demolition. Along with the fine, Ecology also billed the vessel’s owners $1,200 for the state’s costs to respond to the spill and oversee the cleanup. Earlier, the state issued a separate $20,070 assessment for damage the spill caused to the public’s environmental resources, based on the amount spilled.
The owners of a 69-foot wooden vessel that sank at its dock and spilled oil into Sinclair Inlet have been fined $47,500 by the Washington Dept. of Ecology.
On Oct. 3, Ecology confirmed that it issued the fine to Dean Raught and Kyhra Hessel of Des Moines, Iowa for failing to keep the 58-year-old former fishing boat Tango in suitable repair to remain afloat. It sank at the Port Orchard Railway Marina on Sept. 2, 2015.
An estimated 751 gallons of oil, primarily diesel fuel with lubricating oil, spilled when the Tango sank. Local crews and volunteers used a nearby Ecology Dept. spill equipment trailer to place containment boom and other spill response materials around the vessel.
Investigators determined that a power cable came loose from an electrical service box on the dock. As a result, six pumps stopped operating that had been keeping the vessel from sinking. Also, a lock to secure plug-ins at the box had not been properly engaged.
Most of the spilled fuel was contained within the marina, but a surface coating too thin to clean up extended about a mile into Sinclair Inlet.
In the marina, response crews recovered about 618 gallons of the spill, and 30 gallons that was still inside the boat. “This was a bad ending to a series of problems with the Tango,” said the state ecology department’s spills program manager Dale Jensen. “This boat nearly sank before, and the owners relied on pumps to keep it afloat.”
The vessel previously took on water and nearly sank in March 2014. Responders deployed powerful pumps to avert the sinking. Ecology says that in June 2015, it offered to arrange removal of the Tango’s fuel at no cost, after explaining to the vessel’s owners they could face liability under state law for polluting. The owners, according to Ecology, declined the offer.
In the latest incident, the US Coast Guard used a federal spill response fund to hire a salvage company to remove the remaining oil. The marina had the vessel patched and re-floated, then towed to a boat yard for demolition. Along with the fine, Ecology also billed the vessel’s owners $1,200 for the state’s costs to respond to the spill and oversee the cleanup. Earlier, the state issued a separate $20,070 assessment for damage the spill caused to the public’s environmental resources, based on the amount spilled.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
USCG, WDOE Plan Seattle Spill Preparedness Seminar
By Mark Edward Nero
The US Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology plan to host a spill preparedness conference May 20-21 at the Jackson Federal Building in Seattle.
The two-day seminar is being presented as an opportunity to discuss the latest in spill-recovery theory and technology. The sessions focus on topics including remote oil sensing technology, sinking oils, software tools and best practices.
“In the response business, there is no room for complacency,” said Capt. Robert Pearce, chief of response, Coast Guard 13th District. “Knowing about the latest game-changing technology is important. Opportunities are everywhere. We need to continue to identify them.”
Scheduled topics and speakers include:
- “Subsurface Oil Detection and Mapping on Shoreline, Shallow Water and Inland Spills,” with Dr. Ed Owens, principal, Coastal Consultants Ltd.
- “Sinking Oil/The Tank Barge DBL-152 Response: Lessons Learned,” with Jim Elliott of T&T Bisso.
- “System Performance Considerations for Controlled Burning and Dispersants, Including Cold Climate Operations,” with Dean Dale of GENWEST and Al Allen of Spiltec.
- “Developments in Interactive Digital Situation Status and Common Operating Picture Display Processes, featuring Fred LeJeune of ConocoPhillips.
- “New Capabilities in Aerial Remote Sensing for Real-time Tactical Use During Oil Spills,” with Dr. Jan Svejkovsky of Ocean Imaging.
Seat reservations can be made by completing an RSVP request at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/preparedness/BAPConference.html
For more information, contact Sonja.Larson@ecy.wa.gov or Scott.R.Knutson@uscg.mil.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Crowley Receives Washington Ecology Dept. Award
By Mark Edward Nero
The State of Washington’s Department of Ecology on March 13 honored
Crowley Maritime’s petroleum services division with the Exceptional Compliance
Program, or ECOPRO, award in recognition of excellence in marine safety and
environmental stewardship.
The ECOPRO program, which was founded in 1999, is a
non-regulatory environmental protection program for tank vessels, recognizing
operators that demonstrate exceptional compliance with the program’s strict
criteria. Crowley is one of the largest independent operators of tank vessels
in the US.
Ecology Department Deputy Director Polly Zehn, representing
the State’s Department of Ecology Spill Prevention, Preparedness and Response
Program, presented the award to Crowley during a ceremony at Seattle’s Odyssey
Maritime Discovery Center. Crowley’s West Coast marine operations director,
Capt. Mark Homeyer, accepted the award on behalf of the company before an
audience of US Coast Guard and Maritime Administration attendees.
“We are proud to be among the companies representing the
leading edge of operational excellence in petroleum transportation in the world
today,” Homeyer said. “Our business is built on a strong commitment to
environmental protection through safe and reliable petroleum transportation.”
Crowley-operated tankers and articulated-tug-barges
regularly trade in Puget Sound and transport and deliver petroleum to terminals
up and down the West Coast. The company Crowley first received the ECOPRO award
in 2005 for its ATB division.
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