OLYMPIA – The state Department of Ecology (Ecology), U.S. Coast Guard, The Boat Company and NRC-Environmental Services are responding to a diesel fuel spill at the Port Orchard Railway Marina in Port Orchard.
An initial estimate of 100 gallons of fuel spilled from the Mist Cove, a private, 146-foot commercial passenger vessel moored at the marina. A crew member was conducting an internal fuel transfer late Monday afternoon when a fuel tank overflowed.
Ecology and Coast Guard responders and vessel inspectors arrived at the scene at about 6:30 p.m. and stayed for several hours to ensure prompt actions were taken to clean up the spill and investigate the cause.
The Boat Company of Poulsbo, which owns the Mist Cove, has accepted responsibility for the spill and hired NRC-ES, a private cleanup contractor who is on site to contain and clean up as much of the fuel as possible.
It appears most of the diesel fuel entered Sinclair Inlet and could not be recovered. Ecology and the Coast Guard anticipate there will be an oily sheen on the water which will be visible in the morning.
Cleanup and the investigation regarding the circumstances surrounding the spill will continue.
All spills matter, regardless of size. Diesel fuel is an environmental poison and adds to the toxic load already impacting Puget Sound.
