BUNKER C; COMMENCEMENT BAY, WA

COMMENCEMENT BAY, WA | 1993-Apr-23

Initial Notification: At approximately 0800 on Wednesday, April 21, a bunkering incident occured aboard the M/V Nosac Forest moored at the Pierce County Terminal at the end of Blair Waterway, Commencement Bay, Tacoma, Washington. About 1500 gallons of Bunker C was contained on the deck of the vessel with an estimated 400 to 500 gallons initially released into the waterway. The amount of Bunker C released into the water has since been upgraded to several thousand gallons. There are shoreline impacts on both sides of Blair Waterway. Shoreline impact areas consist of sections of moderate to heavily oiled rip rap and steep sand/gravel beaches underlaid with clay. Some free-floating oil remains. The major black product is contained at the east end of the Waterway with heavy rainbow sheen and emulsified oil scattered throughout the Waterway. Some light sheen escaped into Commencement Bay. Cleanup operations are concentrated in six locations: -Heavy product at the ship and dock. -Moderate to light impacted beachs at the SE end of Blair Waterway. -Pockets of product at the Weyerhauser Pier. -Pockets of product at the Blair Pier. -Pockets of heavy sheen at the AK-WA Shipyard. -Pockets of heavy sheen at two marinas at the mouth of Blair Waterway. Two skimming vessels and one portable disk skimmer are on-scene with an additional skimming vessel expected Thursday evening. Primary resources of concern include smolts outmigrating from the Puyallup River which will be congregating in the waterways in the next several weeks to months. Migrating Canadian Geese and other waterfowl are present in the area as well. Washington Dept. of Fisheries, Dept. of Wildlife personnel, and a Puyallup Indian Tribal representative are on scene working with the Federal (USCG) and State (WA Dept. of Ecology) On Scene Coordinators in prioritizing protection and cleanup strategies and beginning resource damage assessment evaluation. The NOAA SSC plans to conduct beach surveys and overflights with resource agencies during periods of low tide on Friday. NOAA personnel on-scene: Sharon Christopherson USCG district 13.