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Department of Ecology News Release - November 30, 2010 (1 p.m.)
10-316
TACOMA – The state Department of Ecology, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Oil & Refining Co. are responding to a diesel fuel spill to the Blair Waterway in Tacoma.
The waterway remains open but vessel traffic should avoid wakes and stay away from the cleanup area as much as possible.
During a fuel transfer, a U.S. Oil employee detected a leak on a partially open bleeder valve. Company personnel quickly shut the valve and immediately stopped the transfer.
Observations on the waterway show that less than 25 gallons of diesel fuel spilled from the shore side into the Blair Waterway. Oil containment boom located at the dock was immediately deployed.
Marine Spill Response Corporation personnel and several other spill response contractors have been mobilized to aid in recovery efforts, avoid personal injury and property damage, and to help minimize damage to the environment.
An investigation is under way to determine the exact cause of the spill and the amount of diesel fuel spilled. No injuries have been reported.
More information about the spill will be provided as soon as it becomes available.
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Contacts:
Curt Hart, Department of Ecology media relations,
360-407-6990; cell, 360-480-7908 (
curt.hart@ecy.wa.gov )
Lt. Jon Lane; Coast Guard media relations, 206-217-6254
Marcia Nielsen, U.S. Oil & Refining Co. media relations, 253-680-3241; cell,
253-377-2750 ( men@usor.com )
For more information:
Ecology website about U.S. Oil & Refining Co. spill incident (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/usoildieselspill/index.html )
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
