UPDATE: Coast Guard, state, locals responding to gasoline spill on Harbor Island, WA

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 13th District Pacific Northwest Contact: 13th District Public Affairs Office: (206) 220-7237 After Hours: (206) 819-9154 13th District online newsroom

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UPDATE: Coast Guard, state, locals responding to gasoline spill on Harbor Island, WA

SEATTLE — The Coast Guard is responding to a gasoline spill that occurred at Shell Harbor Island Petroleum Terminal at about 4:45 a.m. Thursday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a call at approximately 6 a.m. from a person at the facility reporting a gasoline spill due to a pump failure.

Coast Guard pollution responders from Sector Puget Sound's Incident Management Division are currently on scene monitoring the cleanup efforts of the responsible party and a Coast Guard Station Seattle 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew is underway monitoring the surrounding area.

Representatives from Washington State Department of Ecology, Seattle Fire and Police Departments, Marine Spill Response Corporation, National Response Corporation Environmental Services, and Shell Pipeline Company LP responded to the incident.

It was reported that the tank, lined-up to feed the pump that failed, had 160,749 gallons of gasoline at midnight. 13,825 gallons of gasoline had been transferred by the pump before being secured. Approximately 6,800 gallons of gasoline has been reported released and mixed with free-standing water in primary and secondary containment.

There is no report of gasoline in the nearby Duwamish River at this time. Air monitoring is being conducted. 

"This was an excellent and well-coordinated response effort," said Lt. Cmdr. Brett Ettinger, incident management chief for Sector Puget Sound incident management division chief. "Our partners at Washington Ecology and Shell Oil responded rapidly to mitigate hazards, and as a result, there has not been any impact to Seattle's waterways or local population." 

Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service is monitoring all marine traffic in the immediate area. There are no impacts to maritime traffic at this time. Anticipated timeline to move out of emergency response phase and into final site cleanup is 4 p.m. 

-USCG-