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Department Of Ecology News

17 Aug 2023

Fish Factory Vessel Leaking Ammonia in Tacoma

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A 77-year-old fish factory vessel with a checkered history is reportedly leaking ammonia in Tacoma, Wash.The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday it is responding to the incident on board the U.S.-registered Pacific Producer, a 169-foot-long seafood processing vessel with a long string of health, safety and labor violations.Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology crews in HAZMAT suits are currently working to locate leak. The vessel poses no immediate threat to the public…

17 Apr 2023

Grounded Ferry Refloated in Washington State

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A Washington State Ferries (WSF) passenger vessel has been refloated after running aground this weekend in Rich Passage, just off Bainbridge Island, Wash.The 440-foot double-ended Jumbo Class ferry Walla Walla returned to Bremerton on Sunday, after grounding at approximately 4:30 p.m. Saturday, while traveling to Seattle from Bremerton.There were 596 passengers and 15 crew members on board at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported, according to WSF.Passengers were transferred onto Kitsap Transit vessels and taken to Bremerton…

15 Aug 2022

Sunken Fishing Vessel Spilling Oil Off San Juan Island

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A commercial fishing vessel that sank Saturday near San Juan Island, Wash. is spilling oil, the U.S. Coast Guard said.All five crewmembers from the sinking Aleutian Isle were rescued by a Good Samaritan, and no injuries have been reported.The 49-foot vessel sank with approximately 2,500 gallons of diesel fuel and a combined 100 gallons of hydraulic fluid and lubricant oil aboard, according to the Coast Guard. A sheen has been observed spanning more than two miles and was reported to have entered Canadian waters as the vessel continues to release small amounts of diesel.At approximately 2 p.m.

09 Dec 2021

Seattle, Tacoma Ports Plan to Phase Out Maritime Emissions

(Photo: Port of Seattle)

The ports of Seattle, Tacoma and the combined container operations of The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) have adopted near-term implementation plans that guide emission reduction efforts for seaport-related activities.The Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy covers six sectors of port activity: oceangoing vessels, cargo-handling equipment, trucks, harbor vessels, rail and port administration and tenant facilities. The recently adopted implementation plans direct changes in equipment…

23 Oct 2019

Washington Gets Funds for Green Ferries

Washington State Ferries will begin the process of converting three Jumbo Mark II vessels from diesel to hybrid-electric power.The government agency that operates automobile and passenger ferry service in the U.S. state of Washington as part of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced Tuesday the state will receive $35 million from the federal Volkswagen settlement to retrofit the Tacoma, Wenatchee and Puyallup.The ferry system is the largest consumer of diesel fuel in the state with over 18 million gallons of diesel burned each year, and the three Jumbo Mark II ferries account for 26 percent of total fuel consumption. This step brings the state ferry system closer to meeting the goals outlined in Gov.

31 Jul 2019

CG Responds to Sunken Tug in WA Marina

Photo: USCG

Coast Guard pollution responders are responding to a report of a tug that sank at the Port Orchard Railway Marina in Port Townsend, Washington, Monday.Members from Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound's Incident Management Division are on scene overseeing the removal and containment of fuel discharged from the 65-foot tug Meagan M. The vessel is currently registered as a towing vessel; however the master claims it has been used in a strictly recreational capacity for the past two years.

02 Apr 2018

Barge Company Fined for Fertilizer Spill into Columbia, Snake Rivers

A local barge company has been fined $18,000 for spilling 40,000 gallons of liquid urea ammonium nitrate into the Snake and Columbia rivers. Urea ammonium nitrate is a common fertilizer that is corrosive to steel. An investigation by the Washington Department of Ecology found that two steel tank barges owned and operated by Tidewater Barge Lines, Inc. were not properly maintained, causing the liquid fertilizer to spill into the rivers during three separate incidents in April 2017. The first spill occurred between April 11 and 21 during transfer and storing operations at the Tidewater Snake River Terminal in Pasco. Investigators determined that 16,639 gallons of urea ammonium nitrate were released by Barge No. 78 due to corrosion of the storage tank.

03 Jan 2018

Washington State Sued for Blocking Coal Exports to Asia

© Unkas Photo / Adobe Stock

A company that planned to build a coal export terminal in the Pacific Northwest to ship western U.S. coal to Asian markets sued the state of Washington on Wednesday for blocking construction last year. Lighthouse Resources Inc filed a lawsuit in federal court against Washington Governor Jay Inslee and two state regulators for allegedly violating the U.S. Constitution's commerce clause by denying permits to allow the company to ship coal mined in Wyoming, Montana and other western states through its proposed Millennium Bulk Terminal to clients in Japan and South Korea.

12 May 2016

Beached Fishing Vessel Salvage Underway

Salvage experts attach lines cables to the beached fishing vessel Privateer they prepare to attempt moving the vessel further ashore to expedite salvage operations near Ocean Shores, Wash., May 10, 2016. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Bradley Bennett)

The U.S. Coast Guard said it has concluded its portion of the response in overseeing the salvage operations of the fishing vessel Privateer off the beach at Ocean Shores in Washington, Wednesday. The Coast Guard’s response concluded when personnel from the Incident Management Division at Sector Columbia River found no recoverable fuel aboard the Privateer during their inspection of the beached vessel. The Privateer washed ashore, Saturday, April 16, after the Coast Guard rescued the three-man crew the night before 1 mile outside of Grays Harbor after the 74-foot fishing vessel started sinking.

22 Mar 2016

Ship Runs Aground in Columbia River

A 623-foot Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier Sparna ran aground early Monday morning in the main shipping channel of the Columbia River near Cathlamet, Washington,  according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Sparna has taken on water in void spaces, but authorities believe the vessel's fuel tanks were not damaged in the incident. Coast Guard officials said the 623-foot bulk carrier Sparna ran aground around 12:16 a.m. in the narrow section of the river. Officials said the Sparna was fully loaded with grain, along with 218,380 gallons of high sulfur fuel and 39,380 gallons of marine diesel,  and heading west towards the ocean before it was grounded. The ship apparently hit a submerged object in the river and took on water in void spaces, but the vessel’s fuel tanks were not damaged.

21 Mar 2016

Fire Destroys 6 Boats at Port Orchard Yacht Club

Six boats and 10 housing sheds were destroyed by a fierce fire early Sunday morning at the Port Orchard Yacht Club. South Kitsap Fire officials say the fire broke out around 3 a.m. at the yacht club on Bay Street. "We were asleep and our friends called us up and said do you realize there is a fire on b dock," said Barbara Letson, who has a house boat. Crews from the U.S. Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology and South Kitsap Fire & Rescue are mopping up any pollution resulting from an early morning fire at Port Orchard Yacht Club. Luckily no one was hurt in the fire, officials said. Coast Guard’s incident management team was on site shortly after the blaze was called in. The team began an assessment of the damage and of any potential hazards in the water.

21 Feb 2016

Vessel Spills 80 Gallons of Oil Into Columbia River

Columbia's state environmental agency said that roughly 80 gallons of oil was spilled into the Columbia River by a vessel near Kalama. The Nord Auckland, a 618-foot ship flagged in Singapore, reportedly spilled the waste oil during an internal oil transfer on Thursday morning. The ship, owned and operated by Denmark’s Norden, was at anchor when an apparent operator error led to the spill of substances which were intended to be incinerated. The multi-team response was coordinated by the Washington Department of Ecology and the US Coast Guard (USCG). Department of Ecology documents say the cause is still under investigation but the source of the spill was secured and no additional spills are expected.

19 Feb 2016

Bulk Carrier Spills Fuel near Kalama, Wash.

Nord Auckland with bunker oil spilled down the vessel’s hull while anchored near Kalama, Wash., Feb. 18, 2016. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by William Russell)

Pollution cleanup efforts are underway after sheening was reported around the bulk carrier Nord Auckland anchored near Kalama, Thursday. The 610-foot Singapore-flagged vessel reportedly released bunker oil due to operator error that was intended to be burned in the incinerator, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Overseeing the response efforts are personnel from the Washington Department of Ecology and the Coast Guard, who said the responsible party has contracted Clean Rivers Cooperative to handle cleanup operations. Two booming vessels are on scene with crews engaged in cleanup operations.

07 Dec 2015

USCG Responds to Pollution from Sunken Vessel

Coast Guard, National Response Center and Washington State Department of Ecology personnel responded to oil pollution from a sunken 67-foot commercial vessel at Westhaven Marina near Grays Harbor, Wash., Sunday. Responders from the Coast Guard Incident Management Division in Astoria will arrive on scene Monday morning and will be working with partner agencies to monitor the situation and oversee the cleanup. After receiving a report of a possible sinking vessel at Westhaven Marina at approximately 12:40 p.m., Coast Guard Sector Columbia River watchstanders launched a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor to assess the situation. The commercial fishing vessel Persistence was found submerged at the pier, and a rainbow sheen was observed on the water.

16 Nov 2015

Crowley Vessels Win Environmental Awards

Accepting the awards on behalf of Crowley were Golonka; John Bohn, captain at Crowley’s Marine Transport Lines; Wendy MacDonald, vice president, technical management; Keith Montpas, chief engineer, petroleum services; Jay Debruhl, port captain, petroleum services; Jack Andrews, technical management, and Jarrett Flynn, captain, marine services.

101 Crowley Vessels Honored with Environmental Awards in Recognition of 984 Combined Years of Safe Operations. More than 100 Crowley Maritime Corporation-owned and -operated vessels were honored with Certificates of Environmental Achievement for years of safe operations during the recent 12th-annual Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) awards ceremony, held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington D.C. Each of Crowley’s honored vessels received the certificates for having worked at least two consecutive years without an environmental incident.

08 May 2015

Penalty Settlement Reached for Tacoma Barge Spill

Tacoma Industrial Properties (TIP) and RV Associates , two companies involved in a 2012 oil spill while dismantling an unpermitted barge on the Hylebos Waterway in Tacoma, have settled their penalties with the Washington Department of Ecology. In June 2013, the two companies were penalized a combined $24,800 following the spill of around 25 gallons of oil on June 21, 2012. The spill occurred when the two companies were dismantling a derelict vessel known as the Hauff Barge without proper permits, causing a visible oil sheen that covered about 23 acres of the waterway, or an area equal to about 17 football fields. The settlement reached by TIP…

04 May 2015

Port of Seattle’s Cruise Season Underway

Photo: Port of Seattle

The Port of Seattle’s 2015 cruise season began May 1 at Smith Cove Cruise Terminal with the arrival of the Holland America Line Westerdam. The port expects 192 cruise ship calls this season, bringing an estimated 895,055 revenue passengers. “Each of these cruise ships contribute $2.5 million to the local economy, which comes out to over $400 million for this cruise season,” said Port Commissioner Stephanie Bowman. “We also want passengers to stay in the area an extra few days to spend more time and money in Washington state.

23 Apr 2015

Seattle to Host Spill Preparedness Conference

The U.S. Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology will host a spill preparedness conference May 20-21 at the Jackson Federal Building in Seattle. The two-day seminar is 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. The marine environment that dominates the Pacific Northwest is essential to the high quality of our lives.

24 Feb 2015

Crowley Petroleum to Receive ECOPRO Award from WA State

Photo courtesy of Crowley Maritime Corp.

Crowley Petroleum Services will be awarded the Exceptional Compliance Program (ECOPRO) award for excellence in marine safety and environmental stewardship from the Washington Department of Ecology  this Thursday at Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center in Seattle. Companies that apply for the ECOPRO certification are required to submit plans to the Washington Department of Ecology for approval. Their plans are valid for three years. Ecology vessel inspectors conduct ship audits to make sure the management system is being implemented and continues to meet or exceed state ECOPRO standards.

18 Mar 2015

Insights: Steven Candito, President & CEO, NRC

Steven Candito, President and CEO of NRC

This month’s featured INSIGHTS executive is Steven A. Candito, President and CEO of the National Response Corporation (NRC). He has extensive experience with OPA 90 compliance issues with particular focus on vessel owner and insurance matters. Candito was previously an attorney with Haight Gardner Poor & Havens, specializing in maritime litigation and environmental law. He also served as a marine engineer aboard Exxon USA’s domestic tanker fleet from 1980 to 1985. Candito is a graduate of Hofstra University School of Law and the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

23 Apr 2015

FMC Honors Crowley for Green Initiatives

Rendering of Crowley's LNG-powered combination container and roll-on/roll-off (ConRo) ships, the first in the world, designed for service between the U.S. and Puerto Rico. (Image: Crowley)

Crowley Maritime Corp. has been honored with the 2015 Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chairman’s Earth Day Award in recognition of the organization’s companywide environmental stewardship initiatives. The announcement was made during a Professional Environmental Management Association luncheon held in Seal Beach, Calif., earlier this week. FMC Chairman Mario Cordero will present a plaque commemorating the award to Crowley during a future recognition ceremony in Washington D.C.

14 Sep 2014

USCG Respond to Grounded Vessel near Pleasant Harbor, Washington

The Coast Guard and Washington State Department of Ecology are responding to a report a of 65-foot pleasure craft aground near Pleasant Harbor in Brinnon, Washington, Sunday morning. There is reportedly up to 500 gallons of diesel fuel aboard the vessel and an unrecoverable sheen was reported to be visible on the water. Responders are working with the owner to deploy containment boom around the vessel and develop plans to remove the fuel aboard. Jefferson County dispatch notified watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound that the 65-foot pleasure craft Avalon was aground in Pleasant Harbor at 2:30 a.m. The vessel was under tow by a 14-foot skiff at the time of incident. All four people involved departed the 65-foot vessel and made it ashore at Pleasant Harbor State Park in the skiff.

19 Sep 2014

USCG Cutter in Oregon Spill Drill

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Fir, a 225-foot buoy tender homeported in Astoria, Oregon, participated in a Spilled Oil Response System exercise near Blake Island, Washington, Wednesday. The exercise was part of an annual response exercise and included members of the Coast Guard 13th District Response Advisor Team, Pacific Strike Team out of Novato, California, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Washington State Department of Ecology, Harley Marine Service Inc., Navy Region Northwest, Washington State Ferries, and the Marine Spill Response Corporation.