SEATTLE - The U.S. Coast Guard and the Washington State Department of Ecology continue to investigate a report of an oil spill that resulted in a light sheen which covered a large part of Elliott Bay near downtown Seattle Friday.
Coast Guard Sector Seattle received the report of a light, patchy sheen at about 6:40 a.m. The sheen was spotted by a tug boat and confirmed by four passing aircraft. The oil sheen covered approximately 2 square miles of Elliott Bay.
The Coast Guard and the Department of Ecology commenced an investigation from the air, water, and land to identify the source of the spill.
The Coast Guard launched an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, Wash., to conduct an over flight of the area. The Coast Guard also launched a 41-foot utility boat and three 25-foot response boats, some carrying pollution investigators to investigate the sheen and vessels in the area.
Federal and state pollution investigators were dispatched to inspect shoreline facilities and vessels as a possible source of the oil sheen.
After an initial assessment, the sheen was estimated to be less than 50 gallons. Petroleum products are toxic to the environment. State and federal investigators have not observed any oiled fish or wildlife. Ecology will undertake an assessment of natural resources that have been damaged by the spill. By late afternoon the oil sheen was dissipating.
The Coast Guard, Department of Ecology and the City of Seattle worked throughout the day to determine the source of pollution.
Analysis of the path of the oil sheen observed and the tide and amounts lead investigators to a storm drain outfall in the west waterway of the Duwamish, on Harbor Island. The Coast Guard contracted with the National Response Corporation to deploy oil containment booms to prevent further pollution from entering the bay.
The Coast Guard will work with the Department of Ecology, the City of Seattle, and the Environmental Protection Agency to further investigate the source of the oil found in the storm water drain. |
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