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Cleanup Progress Report - January 2007

Season 1 Completed: Efforts to remove heavy fuel oil from the SS Catala were called off for the season on October 20, 2006. The second season of the project will start again around May 1, 2007.

Ecology's assessment of the situation? This was a "near miss".

Records show that an attempt was made to remove oil in the ship during a 1980 salvage operation. Holes were cut in the side of the ship and the tank tops to pump out some of the oil. These holes were patched before the hull was buried in sand, but the patches were not very secure. Stream erosion along one side of the Catala in 2006 very nearly uncovered a patch on the port side of the vessel. Thousands of gallons of oily water and heavy oil could have been released into Grays Harbor if this patch had been uncovered.

During the summer of 2006, the Catala was enclosed with a steel wall, and heavy oil and oil-contaminated water was pumped from four tanks in the hull. Oil-contaminated sand was removed from within the ship.

Staff from the Washington Departments of Ecology, Parks and Natural Resources visit the site weekly. Ecology measures the position of the ship, inspects the security fence and makes sure the tanks are full of water. The steel wall and ship remain strong and stable even after the severe storms of November and December 2006. There is only a minimal amount of oil sheen showing up on top of water inside the steel wall.

Why fill the tanks with water? Even though the ship is over 80 years old, and has been buried in sand for the last 40 years, it still wants to float. In September, after the sand was removed from the top of the ship and several of the tanks had been emptied, the ship rose as much as 18 inches out of the sand! Filling the tanks with water and allowing water to accumulate on top of the ship adds the weight necessary to keep it stable.

Season 1 Accomplishments: The project started on July 27 and operations continued, often around the clock, through October 20, 2006. Significant items at seasons end:

• Over 31,000 gallons of heavy oil was removed from the tanks.
• Contractors gained access to four of the five tanks in the 215-foot long hull. The four tanks were pumped out, scraped, and cleaned.
• Over 2750 tons of sand was removed from on top of, and within, the ship. This included 1358 tons of sand contaminated with oil that was then hauled off-site for disposal.
• Over 356,000 gallons of oil-contaminated water was removed from the ship (includes water in tanks, on top of the ship and created during cleaning of tanks and hull).
• Almost 600 linear feet of steel sheet pile was placed around the ship. Each sheet is driven almost 35 feet into the sand. Once completed, the steel structure was re-enforced with beams and braces so it will withstand heavy winter storms, waves and high tides.
• 22 cubic yards of asbestos and asbestos-contaminated materials were removed.
• Over 18,000 hours of labor was put into the project by contractor crews. On any one day, the number of workers varied from 15 to 40. Not a single reportable accident occurred.
• Almost $4 million was spent on contracted work.
• The cost per gallon of oil removed works out to $130. While expensive, this is much less than the cost of cleaning up oil after it is released. Experience with beach cleanup and oil recovery from spills in the Pacific Northwest shows that costs can often exceed $1000 per gallon.

Plan for 2007: While the structure and ship are stable, Damon Point is not. The beach on the south side of the point has eroded 75 to 100 feet. If the erosion continues, it could take out the access road, greatly complicating the plans for Season 2.

Assuming the access road is still useable, Season 2 of project work is expected to start in May 2007. This early start is being coordinated with biologists from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The goals for next season are to finish removal of oil contaminated sand and any remaining oil in the last tank; remove the ship from the beach; and restore the site back to normal conditions. The season will involve four main phases, including:

Ecology will continue to pay for activities related to removal of oil and hazardous materials. The Washington Department of Natural Resources is seeking funding from the State Legislature to pay removal of the ship.

The Catala as it appears inside the sheet pile cell over winter 2006-07.
(Nov 8, 2006)

View of Damon Point from the parking area. Location of the Catala is noted in the background.
(Jan. 5, 2007)