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Department of Ecology News Release - October 23, 2006
06-217
OLYMPIA - The owner of the tank ship "Allegiance" has been fined $13,000 by the Washington Department of Ecology for spilling approximately 50 gallons of waste oil into the Columbia River in Vancouver last November.
It is a violation of state law for anyone to allow untreated oil, petroleum products, or other pollutants to be released into rivers, streams, lakes or marine waters.
The spill happened while the "Allegiance" was docked and loading grain at United Harvest Grain Terminal. Ecology's investigation determined that ship engineers left a valve open while they were attempting to pump out the engine room bilge.
Active cleanup of the oil lasted six days under the supervision of Ecology and the U.S. Coast Guard. Most of the spilled waste oil collected under the grain terminal pier.
Although responders found no oiled birds or wildlife, nor were any reported, the spill ran the risk of harming sensitive, downstream wildlife refuges and habitat areas.
The ship is operated by Maritrans Operating Company LP in Tampa, Florida.
"This is a spill that should never have happened in the first place," said Jim Sachet, a manager in Ecology's spill response program. "Once the spill was recognized, however, the ship's operator took full responsibility and initiated a quick response to clean up the oil in the water and under the pier."
Norm Gauslow, vice president of operations of Maritrans Operating Company LP, which operates the ship, said, "We have implemented lessons learned from this incident and have changed our procedures to prevent this kind of oil spill from occurring again."
In addition to the fine, Ecology will be billing the ship's owner approximately $3,000 to recover the state's costs in responding to the oil spill.
The ship owner has 30 days to apply for relief or appeal the penalty to the Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board.
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Contact: Sandy Howard, public information manager, 360-407-6239
Ecology's spills program Web site: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
