Mutiny Bay Bunker Oil Clean Up
(Information on this site is considered to be accurate at the time of posting, but is subject to change as new information becomes available.)

Summary Information 

Date of Incident:  
April 2006

Location:  
Lat: 47.98402
Lon: 122.54471
Whidbey Island

Product/Quantity:
Bunker-C oil

Cause:  
Under investigation.

Responsible Party:  
Under investigation.

Ecology was contacted in April 2006 by beach walkers who discovered 20 feet of an oily substance on the beach.  Ecology immediately conducted a site investigation at low tide and discovered an oil layer mixed with beach sediments in the inter-tidal zone.  Nearby residence indicated that they had been aware of the oil layer for up to two years, and calls to other government agencies went unreturned.

Laboratory analysis was conducted on samples collected during the ecology investigation and results indicated that oil to be a heavily weathered bunker-C.  The origin of the oil is unclear; however, bunker-C is typically used as fuel for large vessels.  A removal action was scheduled for September when weather, tide and sensitive species concerns would accommodate safe and effective removal of the oil.

From September 6 through 8, 2006 Ecology and a clean-up contractor, NRC Environmental Services, performed excavation activities to remove the oil.  Approximately 80 tons of oil and oil-contaminated sediment was removed from a 100-foot long section of the beach.

This clean-up action was led and funded by the Department of Ecology.