State investigating ‘petroleum distillate’ spill off Harbor Island

| Environment | West Seattle news

Just in from the state Ecology Department:

Clumps of what may appear to be jellyfish may be visible on Elliott Bay Saturday morning resulting from a spill of a petroleum distillate product earlier today at Terminal 18 in the Port of Seattle.

The Washington Department of Ecology, Port of Seattle and U.S. Coast Guard responded to the spill earlier today which occurred after a container was punctured during loading onto a ship at the terminal operated by Stevedoring Services of America (SSA).

An unknown quantity of the distillate spilled into the hold of the ship and then into the Duwamish River.

The distillate emulsifies in water and may appear to be jellyfish in the water. The distillate is not recoverable and clumps of it may make their way into Elliott Bay.

Ecology is monitoring the cleanup work by a contractor hired by SSA at the pier where the spill occurred.

Ecology is still assessing the environmental damage caused by the spill.

This webpage for Terminal 18 includes an aerial photo showing its location on Harbor Island.

DM March 9, 2012 (10:28 pm)

Boo….I’m curious how they will “cleanup” a substance that is “not recoverable”. Any spill is bad, but here’s hoping it wasn’t big.

Dizzle March 10, 2012 (9:12 am)

It wasn’t big and it only got into the water from being spilled on deck and then dripped into the water.

questionable March 10, 2012 (11:17 am)

The party responsible should be fined until they are ruined financially- both the individuals who caused this and SSA as a company.

Nick March 10, 2012 (11:57 am)

Are you kidding me? “Fined until ruined financially”

So someone makes a mistake and their life should be put on halt? What kind of logic is that? This doesn’t even sound too serious. No problem with a bit of a fine for the company but not until they’re “ruined financially.”

That kind of thinking is what holds back society.