FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Update #10 on Olympic Pipeline Gasoline Spill
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Please see the most recent statement below from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington State Department of Ecology, and bp America regarding the Olympic pipeline gasoline spill on Highway 534 in Conway. Skagit County Department of Emergency Management is on site to support the response efforts.
The unified command leading the response to the release of gasoline from a vault associated with the Olympic Pipeline in Conway, Washington has the following updates on the progress of cleanup efforts:
- Today, responders continued the initial excavation of impacted soils near the source of the gasoline release. As of 5 pm on December 21, 437 cubic yards of soil has been loaded onto trucks for treatment and disposal at a hazardous waste facility in Arlington, Oregon. Links to drone footage of the excavation site:
- Eight landowner wells along Hill Ditch have been tested for gasoline-related contaminants. The results have shown no levels above US EPA safe drinking water standards. There is no indication that any run-off from the spill reached these wells.
- Surface water testing at 16 sites is on-going. To date, almost 100 individual surface water samples have been collected and we have results from 51. To date, results show that the highest concentrations of gasoline-related contaminants are at the sites closest to the spill and taper off dramatically south of State Highway 534.
- There continues to be no evidence of gasoline-related contaminants that would be harmful to human or aquatic health in the Skagit River or Skagit Bay.
- Teams have evaluated?7,349?meters (4.5?miles) of shoreline for potential spill impacts, and treatable trace impacts from the spill have been found on 562?meters?(1/3 of a mile) of shoreline.
- Approximately 2,300 feet of boom are currently deployed in the response.??
- Approximately 7,400 gallons of gasoline have been recovered to date. This number will be updated when the oily/water mixture being collected has sufficient time to settle and be measured. Approximately 25,000 gallons were released in the incident. ?
- Operations at the site will continue through the holiday weekend.
Members of the public who come upon injured or deceased wildlife are asked not to touch or relocate affected wildlife and to call 1-800-22BIRDS.
Area residents who live along Hill Ditch may continue to see sheen as pockets of gasoline that were trapped by vegetation and other debris on the water and along the shoreline are released by wind, rain, and the natural rise and fall of stream levels. Spill response teams are locating and removing these pockets of gasoline.
General Information
The unified command consists of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Washington?Department of Ecology, Skagit County Department of Emergency Management, bp, and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.
A claims center has been established by the Olympic Pipeline. Please call 1-866-616-1558 to report any personal or property damages resulting from the spill.
One lane of SR 534 remains open as cleanup work proceeds. Traffic flaggers are assisting motorists through the area.
Air monitoring conducted at the direction of unified command continues to indicate no public health risk from gasoline fumes.
Status updates will be posted on Ecology?s incident webpage at http://tinyurl.com/svvp2p4s.
For further information on this incident, contact:
Franji Mayes/Ecology: 360-529-7063
Bill Dunbar/EPA: 206-245-7452
Andrea Harrison/Skagit County: 360-840-2601
Pam Brady/BP: 360-920-1171
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