Mystery Spill, Strait of Juan de Fuca; Entrance to Strait of Juan de Fuca, Buoy J, Puget Sound, WA

Entrance to Strait of Juan de Fuca, Buoy J, Puget Sound, WA | 1994-Sep-23

Initial Notification: Group Port Angeles passed a sport fisherman's report of a slick in the vicinity of Buoy J at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the MSO Puget Sound at 1515 on September 23, 1994. A USCG boat out of Station Neah Bay confirmed the sighting before dark, describing it as a silver sheen containing intermittent brown patches, 1.5 feet wide by 6 feet long, made up of small tarballs described as brown, gooey clumps. They estimated the slick covered a two- by six-mile area. On September 24, response equipment was pre-staged at Port Angeles and pre-planned protection booming as specified in the Geographical Response Plan was deployed at the Waatch and Sooes rivers to protect local salmon runs. Searches for the oil at first light by Canadian and USCG vessels, spill response contractor vessels, and helicopters were significantly hampered by heavy fog that continued throughout the day. The Vessel Traffic Service coordinated with all commercial vessels transiting the area for reports of any oil sighting. After not being able to find the slick, searches were discontinued at night fall, to be resumed at first light September 25. Response equipment was left in place at Port Angeles and Neah Bay. Heavy fog prevailed throughout the next 24 hours. When the fog finally lifted, two bands of emulsified oil were sighted by an overflight late in the afternoon of September 26 near Point of Arches, eight miles south of Neah Bay. However, the following morning, overflights and shoreline surveys were unable to locate any oil. Search for the oil was suspended at 1600 on September 27 and all equipment stood down. USCG district 13. Keyword: none.